by J. P. Sheen
That was when he saw her.
The Lady in Blue was not walking on the water tonight. She stood on the lonely seashore with her head bowed and her long tresses rippling in the wind.
At first, Blake was too scared to approach her. What if she hypnotized him and lured him out into the deep? After all, he was a man.
His curiosity soon overcame his fear. He started tiptoeing toward the phantom. Would she run away if she noticed Blake sneaking up on her? His father said she would.
And if he caught her, what would she give him?
As Blake crept closer to the Lady, he realized that the legend was mistaken about her appearance. It was not her hair that flowed like a sea wave but a long veil of midnight blue. And her arms weren’t bare. They were hidden beneath her mantle, which Blake was disappointed to see looked like plain, ordinary cloth. Like something his mother might wear.
Then the Lady turned toward him and lifted her head. Blake froze, his eyes wide with wonder.
His father was right.
The Lady in Blue was fearfully beautiful.
Considering that they were the entrance into maritime hell, the gates to the Sunken Slaughterhouse were extremely beautiful. Delicate bars of mother-of-pearl shimmered with all the pale blues, pinks, silvers, and golden-whites of daybreak.
The Sea Captain was waiting for Blake in front of the gates in his human form, and Blake couldn’t hold back a hateful sneer. Aye, the man was a saint, a veritable saint, coming to rescue his enemy’s son from becoming snaggletooth kibble!
“Is he?” Hawkeye rasped.
Blake’s expression morphed from a sneer to a scowl. Why hadn’t he left this particular figment of his imagination to rot aboard the Polaris?
“Is he leading you out of the slaughterhouse?” hissed Hawkeye, “Or is he leading you in?”
Blake’s scowl darkened. Was that the Sea Captain’s plan? If so, Blake was the most gullible idiot in all the Giesting Sea! Here he was, following the Sea Captain like a mute little lamb all the way to the butcher’s house! Saved by heaven’s light, his soggy white arse! It all made sense. Descending farther into the depths, down this tunnel, to the very doorstep of the Sunken Slaughterhouse…he should have known that the chasm above wasn’t horrific enough to be the home of the Butcher of Souls…no, that was only his front porch…
And if the legend was true, the nightmares behind him were nothing compared to those that lay ahead.
Blake glared at the magnificent gates and the ghost who waited for him there. Which would it be? The sea floor or the slaughterhouse?
“I warned you that he was up to no good, captain,” Tolger lamented. Blake’s brow shot up with fierce indignation.
You did nothing of the sort, you lily-livered coward! You refused to give me any advice at all back there!
Tolger tactfully said nothing, leaving Blake to cock his head and glare at the Sea Captain. Then again…he didn’t know the Sea Captain meant any harm. He might just be a kindly ghost who liked helping out poor drowned pirates.
“Idiot!”
Blake flinched, and rolled his eyes. Lovely. His father had just joined the merry crew of the HMS Insanity.
“Have you forgotten what we did to that Navy rat?” came the low growl that still made goose bumps sprout on Blake’s arms. How could he forget?
Blake closed his eyes, feeling sick. How could he ever forget?
“In the slaughterhouse, it’s every man for himself! I’d turn you in myself if I could get out that way,” sneered Drake Ransom, “You ought to see my remains. It ain’t a pretty sight, my boy!”
Blake shuddered. That gruesome image did not help
…Or did it?
Aye, he could see his dear father rotting away in maritime hell for all eternity.
No offense, he added insincerely.
“None taken,” grumbled Drake Ransom with equally false sincerity.
But an upstanding Navy captain who had died in the line of duty, slaughtered long before his body had sunk beneath the waves? What had he done to merit eternal damnation?
“Don’t be a damn fool, boy—”
Oh, shut up, Blake growled. He had enough fond memories of his dear father telling him how stupid he was. To his astonishment, Drake Ransom actually acquiesced. To his great irritation, it now seemed that everyone wanted to offer his opinion.
“Go ahead, Black King! Throw your life away!”
“What other choice do you have, captain?”
“Use your head, Blake, and think for once! Think! Think!”
Blake snarled and grabbed his temples. How could he think with all these damn voices shouting in his head?
“Warn my son, Blake Ransom.”
The pirate froze mid-thrash. Shaking and half-sobbing, he turned bloodshot eyes upon the Sea Captain. His son? Who the hell was his son? And who the hell did the Sea Captain think he was, making selfish demands when Blake was wallowing in the pit of despair?
The Sea Captain’s head was bowed, and Blake felt a rush of loathing.
What’s wrong, White Breeches? Can’t stand the sight of me? Look me in the eye if you dare!
As if he could hear Blake’s secret thoughts, the Sea Captain raised his head and looked straight at him. His eyes were dim with sorrow; the morning star was nowhere to be seen. No…instead, Blake saw something else…thick billows of smoke…and fire staining a dim, silvery-blue, star-studded sky…
“Warn my son about this place. He is on his way here. Please, Blake Ransom.”
Suddenly, Blake understood.
Your son…
He stared at the Sea Captain and started to tremble violently as bile began pouring into his mouth. It tasted nauseatingly of spidercrab. Blake tore his eyes off the Sea Captain and squeezed them shut, gritting his teeth. Black claws wound around his throat. He gasped for breath and clutched his head, shaking it violently.
Then the claws took hold of his heart, and wrenched it hard.
Blake’s chest erupted in agony. With a gasp, his eyes flew open, and his vision flashed red. In a sickening, swirling haze, he saw the outline of a thatched roof, dancing with shadows and firelight. His eyes darted from the barrels and crates to the meats dangling over his head. He recognized this place! Quickly, he tried to stand, but he couldn’t. Hot slippery flesh clamped down over his mouth, and Blake’s adrenaline surged. He kicked and thrashed with all his might, but whoever had him pinned down was stronger than he was.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Blake saw fire. Immediately, he went limp, but it didn’t go away. He felt himself madly shaking his head as it came closer and closer, until it stopped, inches from his cheek. Blake’s nostrils gave shrill little bursts as it hovered there. His chest went up and down, up and down until, finally, the hand lifted from his mouth, and the fire moved away. He whimpered with relief and kept very quiet, and very still.
A tall silhouette appeared over him. Blake’s heart raced, and he started wheezing in pure terror. But he didn’t move, or make a sound.
The shadow came down on him.
Blake’s body went rigid, his mind blank. He stared straight ahead as a scream fought its way up his throat. It clawed and tore and squeezed until, at last, it burst out of his mouth. The shadow jerked back, looking over its shoulder. Then it released him and started backing away. Blake cried out and flung his arms over his head. It took him some time to realize that he was not lying in that storeroom at all but floating in a tunnel on the sea floor. Slowly, he lowered his arms, panting. His limbs were weak, and he was shaking uncontrollably.
Blake noticed the Sea Captain watching him. He spat at him, eyes blazing with black fire. The ghost bowed his head. Blake expected him to disappear entirely, but instead, he transformed back into a ray of light, passed through the pearly bars, and kept on going.
Blake hesitated. What if the Sea Captain was leading him into a trap? He agonized for a moment, then swam forward and pushed on the gates. To his relief, they swung open, and Blake passed through, st
ill quaking like he had scarlet fever. He’d take his chances. After all, he couldn’t possibly warn the Sea Captain’s precious boy about anything if he was being flayed alive in the slaughterhouse, now could he?
Blake swam after the retreating light, his blood boiling. So even a dead man wanted something from him, eh? The Sea Captain was saving his miserable hide so that he could lay a claim on it. He should’ve guessed as much. Nobody really cared about Blake Ransom. To be sure, they were very interested in many things about him, or what he might do for them with his marvelous gift from the Lady…but not about him.
Well, fine. Blake was used to that. But the Sea Captain had come to him, not the other way around.
The pirate’s eyes glistened. He didn’t owe him a damn thing.
Like Drake Ransom had claimed, the Lady in Blue possessed a beauty that was not of this world. Her cheeks’ gentle blush reminded Blake of pink hibiscus petals, her skin glowed more radiantly than the moon, and her eyes…oh, her eyes! They were the loveliest feature of all, for they seemed to contain the whole ocean in all its beauty, mystery, and wonder.
Blake wanted to say something to the beautiful woman, so he asked her, “Are you the Lady in Blue?”
Eyes overflowing with power and grief met his. The Lady didn’t try to hide her tears. A fascinated Blake watched a glistening pearl slide down her white cheek. Why was she crying?
“Yes, I am the Lady in Blue.”
Her voice reminded Blake of the tide, a gentle murmur behind which echoed the ocean’s might. Timidly, he reached for her veil.
“They s-said you would run if I f-found you,” he stammered, “That you d-don’t want to be caught.”
He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Before his hand lowered, the Lady caught it in hers. Her touch was gentle, and very strong.
“I wanted you to find me, Blake,” she replied with a smile. She looked down at Blake’s small palm nestled in her own.
“Who has abused your trust and hurt you?”
The ocean’s might was suddenly more than an echo in her voice. At her touch, the angry burn faded away, but Blake was too entranced to notice.
“You are not like you are in the stories,” he said.
“Men corrupt many things, Blake, even memories,” the Lady answered sadly, “I hope that you will tell them the truth about me. There are few now who would have the courage.”
The longer Blake gazed into the Lady’s eyes, the more he wanted to throw himself into the ocean that was in them. Another tear fell.
“Why are you so sad?” Blake asked anxiously. The Lady’s tears upset him far more than his mother’s did, when his father made her cry.
The Lady knelt. Their faces were but inches apart. She whispered, “If you could hear what I do, you would cry too.”
“What do you hear?” Blake whispered back.
“I hear souls crying as they wander aimlessly through a world of shadow. Nothing I say can take away their grief. But these days are coming to an end. It is time to change the course of this sad story.”
“Will you help, Blake?” the Lady asked earnestly, extending her hand. Blake eagerly took it.
“Do you know something, Lady?” he whispered, trying to sound urgent and mysterious.
The Lady smiled. “Tell me, Blake.”
Blake searched his mind (and his pockets) for something absolutely amazing to show the Lady.
“Um, look at this!”
He whipped a seashell out of his pocket. He had found it earlier while playing pirates with Jaimes.
“Do you want it? You can have it.”
The Lady looked delighted, which delighted Blake. He insisted that she cup it to her ear, for he had cleverly trapped a sea spirit inside the shell. The Lady appeared charmed by its whispering song. Then, lowering the shell, she told him smilingly, “Now I have a gift for you.”
Blake was instantly intrigued. “What is it?”
“Will you close your eyes and hold out your hands? For me?”
Blake looked at the Lady suspiciously. He put his hands behind his back and shook his head, remembering his father and the golden flower.
The Lady’s eyes dimmed with sadness. “I will never trick you, Blake. I promise.”
Blake hesitated. Then, reluctantly, he stretched out his hands. Casting the Lady a suspicious look, he closed his eyes all but a crack. Through blurry lashes, he saw the Lady in Blue wait with a patient smile. Blake scowled, seeing that she wasn’t fooled, and closed his eyes. At once, the Lady placed something hard and cool in his palm. It didn’t hurt.
Opening his eyes, Blake gasped and stared at a beautiful white gem. Its core shimmered like frost, but for a moment, Blake thought he saw a flicker of fire, and sparks flying in the dark. Jaimes would never believe this!
“This jewel contains the ocean’s breath,” the Lady explained solemnly, “With the power it contains, you could descend to the ocean’s deepest depths and not drown.”
“I’ll be able to breathe underwater?” Blake demanded. He shook the jewel like he might hear the sea sloshing about inside.
The Lady nodded. “Yet, that is not all. If you accept this gift, Blake, your soul will experience an awakening. It will sense the ocean’s most precious secret. You will yearn to discover it, but you will need another’s help for that.”
“Who?”
The Lady looked at him tenderly. “You will be restless, drawn to the sea even when it seems to offer only pain. If you persevere, you will find the fulfillment of your sea longing. However, if you abandon the search, the sea longing will not abate but will remain a torment to you, all the days of your life.”
Blake squirmed, already restless. He wanted to breathe underwater!
“Can you accept this?” the Lady asked him.
* * *
“Aye!” Blake grabbed her hand and tugged it. “Can we go swimming now?”
Another tear fell down the Lady’s cheek. Blake forgot all about swimming.
“Please, Lady in Blue!” he pleaded wretchedly, “Don’t cry anymore! Shall I catch a crab for you?”
At that, the Lady did smile.
“Blake,” she said warmly, “Your heart is a mirror of my own, full of mercy, for that is my essence. Within it dwells a mighty sea. It cannot be contained, but you must be careful to whom you entrust such a gift. So much depends upon it, Blake.”
Blake listened gravely, wondering when he might suggest his fabulous idea about swimming again.
Then, before his astounded eyes, a fine silver mist rose out of the white jewel and entered him through his nostrils. It smelled like the sea. Suddenly, Blake gasped and clutched his chest. His heart! It burned like it was on fire!
“It hurts!” he cried, “It hurts!”
The Lady quickly placed her hand upon his little chest. At her touch, the pain went away.
“It is the sea longing,” she said gently, “The call of the deep.”
Her fingers lovingly brushed his cheeks. “Do not be frightened! I will not let the flames consume you.”
Blake realized that the jewel had become an ugly black rock. This was somewhat disappointing, as he’d wanted to show it to Jaimes.
“I can breathe underwater now?” he demanded, wanting to clarify this important fact. The Lady nodded and stood.
“Now I must leave you for awhile,” she told him, “Use my gift often, and do not forget me!”
The tide came rushing up to her feet, and when she stepped onto it, she did not sink. A dumbfounded Blake watched her take the moonlight road out to sea.
Then he came to his senses.
“Stop! Come back!” he cried. His command was fierce, but his voice cracked with fear.
When the Lady in Blue did not stop, Blake panicked. He cast the rock away and tried to follow her, but he could not walk on water like the Lady could.
“Lady in Blue, Lady in Blue!” he cried from the shore, “Don’t leave me behind! Take me with you! Please!”
Blake’s limbs were on fire. B
ut the light wouldn’t wait for him, so he struggled on, cursing the heartless Sea Captain.
Bloody hell, what are you trying to do to me, burst open my black heart? I can’t keep going like this!
Over and over, he thought that, but each time he nearly gave up, he found a hidden shred of strength he hadn’t used up yet. And, somehow, he kept going.
At long last, he spotted a crack in the cavern’s roof. An opening!
The light slipped through the gap. To his relief, Blake could just barely wedge himself through. Looking up, he beheld a great empty expanse and began pursuing the light up for what felt like endless leagues. His muscles screamed with pain and begged him for a respite. But all Blake’s fatigue was forgotten when he beheld light sparkling across what was unmistakably the ocean’s surface.
He had never seen a more beautiful sight.
Casting his exhaustion aside, Blake tore feverishly for that shining silver ceiling. It was moonlight on the water, and soon he would see it all: the moon and the stars and the sea!
The dazzling silver flecks drew nearer and nearer until Blake burst right through the water, ready to feast his eyes on the night sky!
His eager gaze was met by darkness.
Blake’s spirits plummeted. Blinking confusedly, he looked around and saw walls of dull gray stone. He looked down and found himself treading water in a vast underground lake.
Before his disappointment could overwhelm him, he noticed the cavern walls. They were growing steadily dimmer and dimmer. Looking around frantically, he spotted the Sea Captain’s light receding through a tunnel at the lake’s far end. He wouldn’t make it in time!
“No!” Blake gasped, “Don’t go!”
It was the first time he’d heard his voice in two years, but his fright eclipsed the momentous occasion. His windpipes cracked excruciatingly in his salty, shriveled throat.
“Don’t leave me behind!” he panted, but the Sea Captain didn’t heed his plea. Soon his light was gone, leaving only Blake’s pearl to ward off a total eclipse of the light.