The baby hippos were hiding in its shadow

a large indoor pool
perhaps a flooded ballroom
or expansive hotel banquet room
swimming in or through the water
with a female companion
indistinct identity
the water is clear aqua blue
like that of a swimming pool
we come upon a large black
model of a whale
a poorly constructed representation
but I have a suspicious fear
the representation could change
into a real and terrifying whale
through the alchemy of the dream
my friend is playing around
with the mouth and teeth
and I urge her to caution
just then I notice
a group of shadows
under the whale's belly
starts shifting
I pull my friend away
from the whale
and suggest we swim away
we look down
and beneath us is a
group of baby hippopotamuses
walking along the floor
they are black
moving quickly
remind me of excrement
I feel this is an ominous sigh
we swim towards a garden area
and climb out of the water
there are a lot of servants
or hotel workers here
they don't approve of our swimming
but can't really say anything about it
we walk into a kitchen
and the cooks are upset
that one of the workers
has been found dead
on the grounds
I feel guilty about this
even though I had nothing
to do with it
my companion is unconcerned
I think about the black whale we saw
and how it seemed the baby hippos
were hiding in its shadow