by L. L. Mintie
“Is that why there are so many bizarre shops in the Waystation?” said Lizzy. “It makes perfect sense—they even had horns and manes and other funny stuff for sale there.”
“Yes, they have to acquire those special items.”
Xili continued, “When the Glimmruyn leave their posts, they are marked with the symbol of their house for all time, so they never forget what they abandoned. That is what you saw on Joe’s skin.”
“But why is it bad to leave their post? Can’t they go back?” asked Lizzy.
Xili considered her question for a moment.
“What happens in nature if the Golden Eagle refuses to carry food to its nestlings in the high eyries?” she asked very seriously.
“The baby birdlings would die if they were neglected, of course.”
“It is like this, but on catastrophic levels. If one’s job is to hold back the winds, to corral the waves, to manage the moons, and feed the buffalo, and one abandons their post…. Do you see? Once they make the decision to leave, there is no turning back. Their place is given to another. It is written in The Book of Glimmruyn Law.”
“But don’t they ever wish to return?”
Tevu shook his head, his black hair and gray eyes showing forth through the fountain of constantly moving water.
“It’s not a matter of can’t, it’s that they won’t return. They do not wish to go back—such is the magnitude of their selfish ways. You see, the Law is in place to protect them, not punish them. When they leave and take on these forms, it’s a poison to them.”
Xili sighed deeply. “They grow backward—stupid and oafish—and spend all their time in search of amusement and mischief, always hungry and never satisfied. It is not like being human, they cannot be wounded or die—this is so hard to explain. The old poems tell the story:
‘Birthed within the cradle Light
A Song pierced through the blackest Night,
Calling to thy holy places
To hold thy fabric and thy graces.
But one took his sacred blade
And thrust it forth where they staid.
No blood showed forth, no mortal fall;
Fear grew small; pride grew tall.
Finally left them from their homes,
Mercy gone; no mercy shown.
Upon them marked forevermore,
The memory of their armor wore.’
So they are doomed to wander in uselessness, and some of the worst dwell in the Desolate Planes for all time.”
“But the Sightseers we saw on Charon seemed harmless enough.” Lizzy couldn’t imagine the geyser-bowling people ever being dangerous. Even the bald man she saw trapped in the ice was a helpless, although disturbingly creepy, wall ornament.
“Yeah, but only for a time,” said Tevu. “Eventually their thirst for amusement ceases to be satisfied, and they seek darker ways to fill their time. That means visits to earth to toy with humans—a whole new playground of fun.”
Lizzy’s face blanched in realization. “You mean … here, in Blowing Prawn?”
“Yep—shopkeepers, friends—it’s hard to tell them apart. They’re very fond of pretending to be human, much like small children playing a dress-up game.”
It occurred to Lizzy that she had left her place in the sea to live in Blowing Prawn as a human. Xili looked into her eyes and knew what she was thinking (which seemed to happen often).
“It is not the same with you, little one. There is a vast difference between running away in disobedience, and offering your life to save people from danger. The poison does not infect you.”
“I still don’t get how Dr. Krell is connected to the Sightseers?” Lizzy was wondering back to when Xili said what he did was not “humanly possible.”
“Dr. Krell is a Sightseer,” said Tevu. “One of the very first. It was he that lured the Sightseers with shiny human gifts and empty promises in the first place. We didn’t know until recently because his appearance has changed. He takes on many names and many faces. His ancient name is Belialakor. Or we like to call him Old Bellyacher.”
“Sounds like he’s been around for a while.”
“Yes, close to one billion years (Lizzy looked aghast), and his time is almost at an end. I am afraid he has become desperate and quite dangerous,” added Xili.
“I guess that explains who Mrs. Gates really is, and why she was able to be photographed over one hundred years ago: She’s a Sightseer—in the guise of a grumpy science teacher—who hates me. Oh, I can’t wait for school to start back up in September!”
Two more forms rose up out of the sea. It was Rhizoo and Cheroo. They were fussing about kelp bed health and the best way to fertilize.
“It’s so important, you know, for proper oxygen exchange,” said Cheroo.
“Yes, but the crabs are complaining that it makes them gassy,” twittered Rhizoo.
They both seemed pleased to see Lizzy for some reason.
“Ah, Lizzy, we certainly do miss your expertise when it comes to the ocean gardens!” exhaled Cheroo in one exasperated breath. “Rhizoo and I just hobble along, really.”
“Excuse me?”
“The farms flourished under your care,” agreed Rhizoo, pausing when Lizzy cast a puzzled their way. Realizing Lizzy’s confusion, she added, “Why, you were the best keeper of the gardens we ever had! That was before you left the sea to become human, of course.”
“Except for that time when you felt the lobsters needed more vitamins and minerals in their diet,” chortled Cheroo.
“Oh, yes,” clucked Rhizoo. “They all contracted a glowing blue pox with a very unpleasant itch. What a week that was, making sure the humans didn’t see!”
“Then there was that time all the pufferfish ate something and deflated,” said Cheroo.
“We had to find a bicycle pump, and fast,” said Rhizoo.
“And the sea anemones sprouted mustaches and began speaking French.”
“‘Zut alors! Zut alors!’ they cried all day.”
Lizzy blinked. “I did all that?” Sheesh. No wonder she was always blowing up food in her solarium laboratory.
“Yes, but all the animals thrived under your watchful eye. I do wish you’d pop down and help us sort out the kelp beds when you get a chance,” insisted Rhizoo.
She nodded in dazed agreement.
Xili turned to Rhizoo and Cheroo, and for a moment her beautiful silvery hair and sapphire eyes shone out through the streams of water in transparent reflection. It was very difficult for the water Glimmruyn to take this form, so Rhizoo and Cheroo stopped talking immediately and turned their full attention to her.
“Lizzy has met some Sightseers,” she said gravely.
This news seemed to put them all in a flutter. Their watery bodies twitched and flailed about in fluidic panic, and they couldn’t stop talking. Rhizoo set off spinning and spitting salt-spray everywhere. Lizzy thought she might explode with how fast she was twirling.
“Oh, those stinky trolls! They’re always consuming everything in sight!”
“Nothing good will come from them being here,” fretted Cheroo. “Just you wait and see!”
They chitted and chatted with Tevu and Xili for some time on the subject, and while they did so, Lizzy thought about Moonfin, and wondered if she liked her new home after being cooped up for so long in the undersea cave. Lizzy opened her mouth and was about to ask, but shut it again, tightly. For now, she’d had enough of adventures and sea dragons and moons with shimmery fish in cryo-geysers, and only longed to sit quietly in her lab, or hide in her big green reading chair with a nice book while eating peppermint taffy. And that’s exactly what she planned to do for the rest of the summer, because although being a brave Glimmruyn was nice for a while, being a nerdy science bookworm seemed so much nicer right now.
In case you were wondering …
The seagull continued to watch the water’s edge very closely.
Tilting his head, he opened a wide eye onto Lizzy.
Blink!
>
A snap-click was heard, but just slightly, like the lens of a camera. He stretched out his wings and shot up into the sky, soaring straight into the inky void to one place.
A specific place.
Otter Island was a blue silhouette against a black velvety night. The white speck soared into the crags and tunnels until he found his mark. Landing on the metal plate, the seagull rolled his feet, heel to webbed talon, into the grooved impression. He went still, eyes stark, as images of four beings amidst the shallow waves downloaded into the computer’s hard drive.
Dr. Krell adjusted his glasses onto the pictures flickering across the screen.
“Good job, Chipps!” he said to the frozen seagull. “You’ll get your own bag of nacho cheese puffs for this!”
Come with me
Into the Deep
In a wobbly, bobbly boat,
If you please.
Follow the sun to its home,
Where the dolphins play
And whales roam.
Dance on the waves
’Til the end of time,
And a treasure
You will find …
Acknowledgments
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO …
HAYES ROBERTS, whose whimsical and wonderful cover illustration continually inspired me throughout this project. You can see more of his work at www.bluebison.net
JENNIFER, my good friend who took the time to read and encourage. In the beginning, that really kept me going.
THE MANVILLE TEAM, for their insights and design expertise; and Laurie, for constantly being there, and for being a great editor and sounding board for all my crazy ideas.
TOM, JACKIE, DYLAN, and LUKE—I’m grateful for all the delightful conversations, honesty, and especially for the little blue octopus that will always sit on my mantle. Tom, for being a grammar guru!
ELSA, for being so brilliantly detailed and teaching me the joys of proper tense (which I hope one day I will master!).
BETA READERS, for braving the first draft release and making comments—I am eternally in your debt. Thank you so much! R.R.E.T. members, you are the best—you know who you are.
NAJLA, for being amazingly talented and working magic on my images, saving me many times over.
POLGARUS STUDIOS, who did a wonderful job formatting this e-book!
GARY, my husband and best friend, whose constant love and support means the world to me.
You are all friends extraordinaire.
*If you would like Sugar’s Macaroni and Cheese recipe (and make the Tickly Turnip Club jealous) visit: www.llmintie.com