Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snewscast.com and wherever you listen to podcasts. This episode is brought to you by Ancient Magic. Tonight, we'll read the second half to The Otter Opal, a snooze cast original. The first half aired in the last episode, where we met two sea otters as they floated above the kelp forest. Their days are spent sleeping, eating, napping, playing and racing. Tama excels at all activities except for the swim races. We also learn that sea otters often have a favorite stone that they keep in a pocket of their fur and Tama finds himself an extraordinary one. In many indigenous coastal traditions, sea otters have been views as symbols of curiosity, transformation and cleverness. Their habit of using tools, especially stones, makes them one of the few non-human animals known to do so.

Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. Upon awakening from his nap, Tama reached into his pocket to make sure the special new stone was still there. He felt the smooth surface with his paw. the sea sea, he thought, he had actually done it. The rush from the heist and the subsequent adrenaline crash didn't allow for any possible closer examination of his prize, and he intended to take full stock now. Comeama nudged Nutsam awake and explained he wanted to take a closer look at it away from the others. Nutsam obliged and they floated a short distance behind some sea rocks for some privacy. Ever so carefully, Tama pulled the rock from his pocket and held it up to the light of the sun. It was stunning, a dazzling display of the complete spectrum of colors, and over abundance of tones and hues swirling together in a cosmic dance, all being held in Tamaspa. It was mesmerizing. Tamas couldn't stop staring. Not some was not as impressed. Looks nice. He said. How good is it at cracking urchins though? Let's find out, Tama said. It's time to eat anyway. Nutsum and Tama went to work foraging for food. In a short while, Tamah had surfaced and resurfaced with four urchins, two snails, some clams, and even a crab, piling his meal on the nearby rock formation. Nutsum had no such luck. Naturally, what's mine is yours, nutty, my friend? Tama said with a note of triumph. Not something, Tim. You look like you have something else you want to say, Tama. Tama wistfully raised his eyes and blinked happily. Well, it's kind of funny, no?

What's that?

This score I just pulled right after getting this rock, excuse me, Quietzhta. I've decided to give it a name. your rock was generally reserved for when you had had it in your possession for some time. No one could say for sure how long, but you knew it when it happened. You certainly couldn't name a rock you had found that day. Once you named a rock, you had no intention of finding another one.

Okay. Once you named a rock, you had no intention of finding another one. Okay, nuts improved. Okay, Thomas said incredulously. It's lucky, obviously. Oh, the sea. I just realized something. Today is the weekly cove race. We need to hurry up and eat. I'm finally going to win." Nutsum was grateful for the food, but still skeptical the rock had anything to do with it. Some days food was plentiful, and some days it was lean. He was prepared to point this out, but Tama quickly interjected almost as if reading his thoughts. I'm sure you have something fancy to say about all of this right now, but let me just stop you right there. I'm going to win this race,

and it's because of Krietshta, and that's final. Not some nodded. Some lessons had to be learned and not taught, he's supposed. I must stare at him.

I know you're still thinking about something.

Not some made his mind clear, like the cloudless sky. Tama nodded in approval as a joke, but he had actually meant it. There was a bevy of activity at the starting line of the weekly cove race. It was a young otter's game and not some was just happy to watch. Ever since Tamma became of age to race, he made a point to make an attempt every week. Anywhere from 100 to 1000 orders participated. For most of them, it was just a bit of a lark to mark the ending of one week and the beginning of another. Others took it much more seriously, even though the only thing on the line was

bragging rights. Tama had never broken anywhere close to the lead and perpetually finished in the last 10th or so of Autours racing that day.

Last week was a particularly bad showing. Last 10th or so of orders racing that day.

Last week was a particularly bad showing and some familiar faces ripped him as they lined up into the starting position. Second to last place, Etaima, Quigoth inquired, shooting for a personal best of last place this time I take it. Tama ignored him and the handful of otters that chuckled at Quaggoth's taunt. Tama smoothed his paw over a quietchita in his pocket. He would win this time, he just knew it. Some spectators climbed up onto the rock formations that jutted out into the sea. A handful floated by, wrapped in kelp near the starting line. And a good portion were pushed out closer to the shoreline for a better view of the whole course. It all happened so fast. The outer fishal called the start of the race and the whole pack took off winding through the kelp forest, out past the turn in the open ocean and back through the cove. Tama was practically unconscious as he became one with the water, indistinguishable, moving without thinking. He paid no attention to his position or anything else for that matter. He was liquid speed. As the final lap approached, the spectators had become aware of a curious happening. The computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer's computer It was Tama. He was pulling up to the finish line well before the pack. Tama pulled the stone from his pocket and held it high overhead as he crossed the finish line. The sun catching it in such a way that it appeared to be a glowing blue blue, green orb to the nearby spectators.

Their furry little faces speckled with a rainbow of luminosity from the stone. The crowd erupted in cheers and lifted Tama out of the water onto his back. A smile beamed across his face. Nutsum was happy for Tama too. He made his way over to the celebration to see if Tama wanted to get some supper together. Before Natsum could ask him though, another had already pulled him aside. That was really impressive Tama. I've never seen anything like that. It was Lats, 10-time weekly co-freece when our lats. Everyone looked up to lats, and lats didn't need to look up to anyone. Now, Tama of all others was on his radar. This was the first time lats had said anything to him.

You must be pretty hungry after that race. When I go get some food together, I'd love to take a look at that stone. At that moment, Tama noticed that Nutsum had appeared. Some gave him the go ahead nod to spend time with his new friend.

And Tamar shot... some had appeared. Not some gave him the go-ahead nod to spend time with his new friend, and Thomas shot back a grateful glance. Quietzza, Thomas said, that's the name of the stone. Hey, whatever you say, my guy, let's continue. Hey, three more cheers for Tama, everyone. The cheers faded. Nutsome reconnected with some old friends who were gathered at the finish line and watched out of the corner of his eye as Lats and Tama swam away from the inland. As the weeks went on, Tama spent less time with Nutsum and more and more time with Lats and his crew.

Tama had invited Nutsam to spend time with him in the guise, or at least he thought he did, and he dispelled any wrongdoing on his end by claiming that Nutsam was jealous of his newfound success. Let's made a joke about not some gray face one day, and the name stuck. Tumma laughed along with them, but felt a pang of guilt, as he looked over at old nutty in the distance, still cracking urchins with old top, mostly by himself, occasionally with a friend or two. The weekly races went on. Tama always placed first. It wasn't so much of a spectacle by the 5th or 6th time.

And actual… Tama always placed first. It wasn't so much of a spectacle by the fifth or sixth time.

And actually, a handful of times some others came within striking distance by the finish line, but he always managed to eag out the wind. In fact, as time went on, first place was generally considered to be the order who came in second now since Tama had become the assumed winner. One day, when Lats was visiting family up north, and the rest of the crew was working on a new game by the deep part of the cove, not some bumped into Tama foraging near the oceanic shelf during midday lunch. Oh, Nutty, hey, wow! But even as he said it, the nickname felt wrong coming out of his mouth. It had been a while since they spoke in earnest. How are you, Tama? Good, well, you know, he said, living the dream. Is that so? Tama was annoyed. Of course, I'm about to break Lats's record for coming in first place at the Cove race in a week or so. I'm breaking a record in months that he took years to make. Food is plentiful, and I have a lot of new friends. That pang of guilt stung him sharply once more. Although I mean, it would be good to see you a little more often. I've come by. You've been busy. It's okay, Tama. Not some said. And he meant it. Let me ask you something. Thomas stared at him. Before your new stone, did you have food? Thomas paused. Yes. Did you have friends? Yes. Did you have fun? Yes. Then why have you brought so much attachment to this rock? First, it has a name, Crièca. Second, I never want to race before Kriyechta. And what has winning the race brought you? Tama was annoyed again. Obviously it brought him happiness. He was pretty sure. Why couldn't nutty see that? Maybe some people could be satisfied with a moldy old rock, but him he was due for better things. He just needed the perfect rock, and this time he added. Thomas surprised himself though, he didn't explain any of this. In a bit of a fit, he produced the rock in front of Nutsom's weathered face and said, You're right, I don't need this,

and I certainly don't need some know-it-all telling me how to live my life. And in a move that's surprised Nutsum as well, Tamah let go of the stone. After an unceremonious splash, it sank into the briny deep. There was a rather long pause before Tama realized the impetuousness of his actions. Tama let out a wild yop, and his eyes widened. Oh, no! He exclaimed, and started to dive underwater. Nutsome grabbed his paw gently and said, wait. But there's no time. Listen. He said, you and I both know you won't find it. It belongs to the sea now. But I won't stop you. I know you're going to look for it anyway. All I want to say is, I'll be waiting for you up the coast. You know the spot with the dead tree. When this is all over, come find me. Before Tama could respond, Nutsum started swimming away, seeing the commotion a handful of others came by and began an impromptu search party for the Otter Opal. During the search, Tama himself had dived deep, deeper than he had ever dived before, or whatever again, but it mattered not. The stone truly did belong to the sea now. The others attempted to console him, but there was nothing to be done. His spirit was broken. That night, Tama came in last. There was no cheering from the crowd though. Everyone was too preoccupied with the new winner. Someone who had never come in first before, a new contender, bright eyed and slick. Tama was old news. Lats went up to the new winner and told the crowd to cheer his name. It was just background noise to Tama, as the crowd began to chant the new winner's name over and over again. He didn't even hear what it was. Thomas slinked off into the sunset. It was time for dinner. He found no solace there either. maybe it was a bad location, or maybe it was the fact that his heart wasn't in it. But he was unable to come up with anything to eat that night. Or maybe it's the fact that he dropped the best thing to ever happen to him into the unforgiving deep, he thought.

Hmm.

After wrapping himself tightly in some strands of kelp,

he drifted off to sleep.

Thinking of the last thing his friend had said to him,

...