Orphans of the Tide

by Struan Murray

  ‘Ow!’

  She staggered backwards, while Seth rolled on to his front and coughed up water.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Ellie said, rubbing her cheek.

  ‘I was trying to get it to be quiet,’ he said.

  ‘He’s completely lost it,’ said Anna.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Ellie asked him. ‘What were you doing?’

  ‘SHUT UP!’ Seth roared again, glaring at the sea as if it had just tried to insult him. The water rumbled in response.

  ‘Shh!’ Anna warned, glancing nervously up at the entrance. ‘If they find us here . . .’

  ‘Seth, you need to keep your voice down,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Me?’ Seth raged. ‘I’m not the one making all that noise!’ The water thrashed and spat again.

  ‘You’re the only one making noise,’ said Anna.

  ‘Seth, it’s all right,’ said Ellie, crouching down beside him. ‘We’re here. Maybe, um, maybe you should take some deep breaths?’ she added, eyeing the unsettled water, worried it might lash out again.

  Seth glared at his hands, then took three long gulps of air. As he did, the water began to still, then was calm. A tiny crab scuttled from the shallows.

  ‘Why did you come here?’ Ellie asked.

  Seth screwed his eyes shut, like he was trying to banish a headache. ‘I had to know what was making all that noise – and I couldn’t do it out there where everyone wants me dead.’ He waved his hand around vaguely.

  Ellie paused, trying to find the right way of phrasing her next question. Whatever words she chose sounded too bizarre. She looked at Anna, then back at Seth.

  ‘Seth, did you just move the sea?’

  ‘I told you, I was trying to get it to be quiet!’ he yelled, as if yelling at the sea was a normal thing to do. Again the sea rumbled.

  Anna backed away, motioning for Ellie to do the same. ‘We have to turn him in,’ she said. ‘He’s the Vessel – he’ll kill us.’

  ‘He’s not the Vessel,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Then how come he made the water bubble up like that?’

  ‘And even if he was – which he isn’t – then if we turned him in they’d probably throw us in prison for trying to help him in the first place.’

  ‘I didn’t try to help him,’ Anna grumbled.

  ‘So you want me to get locked up?’

  Anna scuffed one foot violently against the stone floor. ‘No,’ she said quietly.

  Seth stared at the sea. He took a threatening step towards it, and Ellie grabbed his wrist.

  ‘Stop it,’ she said. ‘Don’t you see? Somehow, when you get angry, the sea gets angry too.’ A sudden frustration flared up in her chest, as she remembered what it had cost her to rescue him in the first place. ‘I can’t believe you! You left the workshop, even after I told you how dangerous it was. You really are stupid!’

  ‘Don’t call me stupid,’ Seth growled. Behind him, the sea growled too.

  ‘We’re not taking him back,’ said Anna firmly. ‘I don’t want him anywhere near the orphans.’

  ‘We have to,’ said Ellie. ‘He’s not safe here.’

  Anna stared at Ellie in disgust. ‘You want to study him, don’t you? He’s like . . . an experiment, isn’t he? Like one of your dead rats.’

  ‘I’m not a rat,’ said Seth, rounding on Anna. ‘Who are you anyway?’

  Anna clenched her fists. ‘The person who’s going to turn you in to the Inquisitors if you’re not careful.’

  Seth took a step forward, and Anna squared up to him, her face inches from his. Ellie squeezed in between them. Again the seawater rumbled.

  ‘Go stand over there,’ Ellie told Seth. To her surprise, he obeyed, slumping down next to one of the statues and closing his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.

  ‘It’s not safe, Ellie,’ Anna whispered, squeezing Ellie’s arm. ‘He’s –’

  ‘He’s not the Vessel,’ Ellie said wearily. ‘I can prove it to you.’

  ‘Then what is he?’

  Ellie looked at Seth, his eyes closed but his brow furrowing every time a wave washed in, relaxing when it went out again.

  ‘Something else.’

  From the Diary of Claude Hestermeyer

  Peter’s father got the money he needed. It just appeared in his sitting room that very day, though his doors and windows were all locked. At first, I was delighted. The moneylenders would leave him alone now. The next morning, though, I wandered into the dining hall, and saw the master and the treasurer of the university sitting together, looking worried and confused.

  Apparently, some gold had vanished from the university vaults. It wasn’t a huge sum, but its disappearance was a concern for my fellow scholars. And for me.

  ‘You took the money from us?’ I raged, marching up and down my office.

  The Enemy was sitting comfortably in Peter’s armchair. He smiled an ugly smile while I shouted at him, one that I couldn’t remember ever seeing on my old friend’s face.

  ‘It had to come from somewhere, Claude,’ he said. ‘Be glad I didn’t take it from the orphanage.’

  I slept that night on the floor of my office, too tired to go home. After I asked the Enemy to get the money, I’d found myself suddenly exhausted, in body and mind. When I awoke, I could barely rise from the floor, and when I finally did stand, I felt like my brittle legs would snap. I stumbled over to the mirror, and saw that I was paler, and thinner.

  ‘Is this something to do with you?’ I asked the Enemy, who was still sitting in the armchair. He looked sleek and relaxed, as if he had enjoyed dinner and a perfect night’s sleep.

  He shrugged. ‘You asked me for my help,’ he said. ‘That’s a side effect.’

  ‘It’s you, isn’t it?’ I said accusingly. ‘You’re sapping my energy – I’ve made you stronger!’

  I scowled and went to brush my hair, but when I did, several brown strands came away in the brush.

  ‘What’s happening to me?’ I groaned, sitting down at my desk. ‘I should never have asked you to get that money.’

  The Enemy looked at me for a long time, saying nothing. I felt he was looking right into my soul. Finally, he leaned forward.

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘You really shouldn’t.’

  Experiments with Seawater

  ‘Sign of the Vessel number four,’ Ellie read aloud, holding the book in her hands. ‘The Vessel’s skin is of a pale, sickly hue, unusually prone to scratches and bruising, and often damp to the touch.’

  ‘Do we really have to do this?’ Seth complained. He was standing on a stool in the middle of the workshop while Ellie inspected him. Anna stood on a workbench nearby, both hands firmly gripping the harpoon gun, pointing it directly at Seth. It was the only way Ellie had been able to persuade Anna to let her bring him back at all.

  ‘Yes,’ said Ellie. ‘But not for much longer. Castion should be here any minute with a special delivery.’ She turned back to Anna. ‘As I was saying, he doesn’t look sickly. And he’s not damp at all,’ she added, putting a hand to Seth’s forehead. Seth wrinkled his nose.

  ‘What about those blue marks that appeared on his skin?’

  ‘Those weren’t sickly – they were just weird. Now let’s keep going. Sign of the Vessel number five. The Vessel will often seem distracted by a voice in his head. This is in truth the voice of the Enemy.’

  ‘But he does hear voices,’ said Anna.

  ‘Yes, but we already know that’s the sea he’s hearing, not the Enemy,’ said Ellie.

  Seth stifled another yawn and got down from his stool. He picked up a loaf of bread and began tearing huge chunks out with his teeth.

  ‘Eugh, he’s so disgusting,’ said Anna. ‘And not in a good way.’

  Ellie scanned down the page. ‘Sign of the Vessel number eleven,’ she read, feeling pleased with herself. ‘The Vessel will have a severely reduced appetite.’

  Anna glowered at her.

  ‘Sign of the Vessel number twelve,’ Ellie continued. ‘His
hair falls out easily.’

  ‘Hey!’ Seth complained, as Ellie tried unsuccessfully to pull out some of his thick black hair. ‘You’ve proved your point,’ he said, shoving her away.

  Anna motioned for Ellie to come closer, keeping the harpoon gun trained on Seth. ‘Let me see that.’

  Ellie reluctantly handed her the book. Anna barely glanced at the page.

  ‘The Vessel likes to eat a lot of bread,’ she said.

  ‘Anna, you’ve got the book upside down,’ said Ellie.

  Anna thrust it back into Ellie’s hands. ‘I don’t care what some stupid book says! He’s the Vessel and he can’t stay here. Not with the orphans across the street.’

  There was a knock at the workshop door. They all tensed. Anna stabbed her finger at the basement door.

  ‘I’m going,’ Seth grumbled, batting the harpoon gun aside on his way past.

  ‘Ellie!’ came Castion’s voice. ‘It’s me. Are you in?’ There was a moment’s pause. ‘That spider hasn’t escaped its cage again, has it?’

  Ellie hurried to the door and flung open the bolts. Standing in the street behind Castion were four of his sailors, their foreheads slick with sweat. Between them was a large, iron trunk, like a massive bathtub with a lid on top.

  ‘Your delivery, as requested,’ said Castion, with an ironic smile. After so many years of being called to the workshop, with requests for odd materials at even odder hours, he had long since stopped asking questions.

  ‘Ooh, thank you,’ said Ellie, eyeing the tub excitedly. ‘Though you didn’t need to come yourself, sir.’

  ‘No, but I wanted to check you were okay, after all that business with the Vessel.’

  ‘That’s really, um, nice of you,’ Ellie said. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’

  ‘I hope you’ve been staying indoors – there’s a nine o’clock curfew in place now. So don’t go, you know, looking for him.’

  Ellie felt her face go red, feeling suddenly trapped. She had no choice but to lie, even though Anna would see her lie. She could feel her glaring at her already. Ellie waved her hand, trying to seem casual.

  ‘Oh no, I’d never do that, sir, I’m not stupid. I’ve been right here the whole time, working away. I’ve got a lot of, um, inventor stuff to do.’

  ‘Good. Good,’ said Castion. ‘I’m glad you’re not putting yourself or anyone else in danger.’

  ‘I’m going,’ Anna announced suddenly, glowering at Ellie.

  ‘Really, Anna?’ said Castion. ‘But I’ve just got my hands on an antique throwing dagger – I thought you’d love to see it.’

  Anna gnawed her lip. ‘Sorry, sir, the younger orphans have an, um, painting competition. They want me to judge it.’

  ‘What?’ said Ellie. ‘I thought that wasn’t until next week?’

  On her way past, Anna picked up a spare harpoon, and placed it in Ellie’s hands. ‘You should probably keep hold of this,’ she muttered, her eyes flicking meaningfully to the basement door. ‘In case that big, ugly spider does come back. Better to just get rid of it before someone gets hurt.’

  Castion swallowed. ‘But I thought you caught that spider? You’ve not been feeding it, have you?’

  Anna stormed from the workshop, and Ellie hurried after her.

  ‘Anna?’ she called. Anna turned, looking at her hopefully.

  Ellie opened her mouth, then glanced back at Castion. She felt her throat constrict. ‘I’ll, uh, I’ll see you later?’ she said feebly to Anna.

  Anna’s hopeful look vanished, replaced by an expression of exhaustion and disappointment. She rushed across the street towards the orphanage, and slammed the door behind her.

  ‘The orphans must be scared,’ said Castion. ‘After last night.’

  Ellie rubbed at a pain in her chest. ‘Has there been any news, sir?’

  ‘Well, there was a fire out by the Revival Waterfront last night – a woman thought the Vessel was in her attic, and started a fire to try and trap it. And someone in the Anchor Tavern accused another man’s son of looking just like the Vessel, which started a pub brawl, which turned ugly, which alerted the Inquisition who put a stop to it.’ Castion rubbed his eye. ‘The longer the Vessel remains uncaught, the more these sorts of things will happen. So just be careful. Now, all rested, gentlemen?’

  The four sailors groaned, then hauled the metal container inside the workshop. Ellie hurried to clear a space.

  ‘What’s it for, then?’ said Castion.

  ‘Oh, just an experiment,’ Ellie replied, kicking aside some books.

  ‘And what sort of experiment calls for twenty gallons of seawater?’

  Ellie shrugged awkwardly. ‘Erm, a very important one?’

  ‘Well, let’s leave the genius to her very important work,’ smiled Castion. He bowed deeply, then strode from the workshop, the four sailors hurrying after him.

  Ellie rushed excitedly to the basement door, knocking three times quickly, then three times slowly. Seth slunk out, eyeing the tub suspiciously.

  ‘What have you brought that here for?’ he said, his lip curling. He put a hand to his head. ‘Take it away.’

  Ellie beamed. ‘So you can hear it?’ she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. ‘Even seawater that’s been taken out of the sea? That’s excellent.’

  Seth gave her a dead-eyed stare. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because you can use it to practise,’ she said, flipping open the lid.

  ‘Practise?’

  ‘Yes! To figure out what this connection is between you and the sea. If we can learn more about that, maybe we can figure out who you are!’

  Seth looked back at the tub, and the still seawater inside.

  ‘What happens if you put your hand in it?’ Ellie said eagerly.

  Seth’s black eyebrows angled sharply. ‘I’m not doing that.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I almost drowned before!’

  ‘Yes, but there’s not enough water here to drown you. Probably.’

  ‘I said no,’ Seth said firmly, and the water in the tub bubbled slightly.

  Ellie clapped with glee. ‘See? That was you! That’s incredible. Okay, now please will you touch it?’

  Seth growled. ‘All right, all right – if it will shut you up!’

  He stormed over to the tub, which was still bubbling, and thrust his hand into it. The water splashed and rumbled immediately, and Seth cried out in shock as it flowed up his arm, engulfing it like a sleeve.

  ‘Let go of me,’ he snarled, only this seemed to make the sea hold on tighter. It was pulling him now, dragging him in almost to his shoulder, his free arm straining against the tub to keep him upright. Ellie rushed forward, wrapping her arms round his waist and trying to pull him away. But his arm might as well have been stuck in stone. Sweat rolled down his neck.

  Ellie’s mind raced. She hurried towards her shelves of chemicals, grabbed two bottles of colourless liquid, then rushed back to Seth, unstoppering one bottle and shoving it under his nose.

  ‘Quick, breathe in!’ she cried.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Just breathe in!’

  Seth inhaled sharply, and his eyes glazed over. His arms and shoulders relaxed and the water seemed to let go of him. Ellie had to help him into a chair.

  ‘What . . . what is that?’ he said dopily.

  ‘Ether,’ said Ellie, re-stoppering the bottle. ‘It’s a sedative. Look, it’s calmed you right down.’

  ‘But –’ he’d gone cross-eyed – ‘why did the water let me go?’

  ‘I think because it calmed down too. It seems to respond to your emotions. Here.’ She pulled the other bottle from her pocket. ‘Smell this now.’

  Seth inhaled, then leapt up, eyes wide. He began to cough. The water in the tub bubbled.

  ‘That’s spirit of ammonia,’ Ellie said proudly. ‘It smells terrible, doesn’t it? Now listen, back in the cathedral you were able to control the water, do you remember? Before it attacked you. How did you do that?’

/>   ‘I don’t know. It just . . . felt right.’

  Ellie nodded. ‘But then you got too angry, and so the water got angrier, and it attacked you. But maybe, if you can control your emotions, then you can control the sea too!’

  Seth gave her a look that still had far too much emotion in it, and Ellie held out the ammonia bottle in threat. ‘Why don’t you keep trying?’

  So he tried again, holding his hand out above the water each time, and whenever he got too frustrated he would stand back and take several deep breaths until the water calmed down again. Very soon the floorboards were drenched.

  ‘I can still hear it,’ said Seth, lying spread out on the floor, chest heaving in exhaustion. The same blue, mist-like splotches had appeared on his skin.

  ‘What are those?’ Ellie asked, kneeling down to inspect them under a magnifying glass. They swirled and shifted like skittish fish.

  ‘Why can I hear the sea in my head?’ said Seth. ‘It’s so angry. Or is that my anger?’

  Ellie tucked her knees under her chin, watching him thoughtfully. ‘Maybe you need to inhale some ether and then try to control the water,’ she said.

  ‘Ellie, you’re not listening!’ said Seth.

  ‘I am!’ she protested. ‘Only you’re getting all emotional and it’s not helping. You need to control your emotions.’

  ‘That’s what I’m trying to do!’ Seth cried, and seawater sloshed angrily over the edge of the tub.

  ‘Well, try harder,’ said Ellie. ‘Maybe you need a way to focus. Sometimes, when I’m angry, I paint a picture. It’s usually a very angry picture, but by the time I’m done I don’t feel so angry any more.’

  ‘You don’t get it,’ said Seth, standing up and running his hands through his hair. ‘I keep thinking about all those people in the square that night, and how they want me dead. And I think about how I . . . I don’t know anyone, and I feel so lonely, and that makes me angry too!’ He turned sharply, and the water in the tub spluttered. ‘And then I think about how I did have someone once – lots of someones, my brothers and sisters – only I can’t remember who they are. And that makes me –’

  He screwed up his face, his hands clenching into fists. Water boiled up and splashed over the sides of the tub.