by Jon Lymon
Eleven
Goldhunter found some of his old speed, and Gloria enjoyed the thrill of the ride, momentarily forgetting they’d left Lewis behind.
The seahorse slowed down when he reached the area in which he’d last seen the mermaid, and after recovering his breath spoke. ‘They were here. She was with Turtle and the swordfish, heading up to the surface.’
‘Did you see if they had the orb?’ she asked.
‘I don’t think so. But I’ve not seen it all day.’
‘Then we’re too late,’ said Gloria.
Goldhunter didn’t like the idea of losing, not to anyone. But turning this into a winning situation was going to be a challenge.
He battled hard to find something to say that would rekindle the enthusiasm Gloria once had, but lost that battle. ‘I don’t know why I brought you here,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what I expected us to do even if we did find them. They’re all so much bigger than us.’
Just then the sea filled with a brilliant light that beamed down from above them.
Both Gloria and Goldhunter gasped at the majestic beauty and searing power of the light.
‘It’s the orb!’ they exclaimed together, looking up into its brilliance. ‘It’s still there.’
Their pleasure was soon tainted by the distinctive silhouettes of the mermaid, Turtle and swordfish swimming above them.
‘Quick,’ said Gloria. ‘They’re up there. They’re going to get to the orb first.’
‘Not if I’ve got anything to do with it,’ said Goldhunter, and with Gloria on his back he sped up toward the surface.
‘Stop, thieves,’ Gloria shouted.
Turtle and the swordfish both stopped and turned around while the mermaid continued toward the orb.
‘Halt, who goes there?’ said the swordfish as Goldhunter and Gloria approached.
‘You can drop that tough guy act with us,’ said Goldhunter. ‘We’ve as much right to that gold as you,’ he added.
The mermaid had stopped too and swam down to join the swordfish and Turtle. She looked down on Gloria and Goldhunter with pity.
‘Look at you two pathetic, insignificant specimens,’ she said. ‘What right do you think you have to the treasures of the golden orb?’
‘We don’t want it all,’ said Gloria. ‘Just our fair share. We’ve come a long way.’
The mermaid shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair. ‘We’re not going to waste any gold on you,’ she croaked. ‘I need it all to make my hair even more beautiful and golden,’ she added. ‘And my friends are here to ensure that I get all the gold.’
The mermaid turned, and with several flicks of her tailfin, sped toward the surface.
‘No,’ Gloria screamed, urging Goldhunter to follow her. As he galloped forward, his path was blocked by Turtle. Goldhunter leant back and then lurched forward, launching Gloria over both Turtle and the swordfish.
‘Go, Gloria,’ Goldhunter screamed. The goldfish flipped her tail and chased after the mermaid, who looked over her shoulder and scowled.
‘It’s all mine,’ she screamed, closing in on the orb and violently thrashing her tail, hoping to hit Gloria. But the determined goldfish dodged the tail, her eyes firmly set on the shimmering prize that was closer than ever. So close, Gloria could feel its warmth on her gills.
Below them, Turtle, the swordfish and Goldhunter looked up and watched as the mermaid reached out her arms to embrace the orb. Suddenly she became entangled in a rope netting that was cast into the water from above.
Gloria, who was speeding to the surface, tried to avoid it, but she was travelling so fast she couldn’t stop herself flying into the net through one of its holes.
The mermaid thrashed about inside, trying to free herself. But the more she struggled, the more entangled she became.
‘Help me,’ she yelled.
Turtle and the swordfish heard her cries and rushed to her rescue. The swordfish slashed his long, sharp bill at the netting, trying to slice through the rope. But it was too thick, and so much was enclosed around the mermaid it would take him forever to set her free.
Suddenly there was a loud creak. The netting moved, lifting the mermaid up toward the surface.
Gloria panicked and flapping her fins tried to swim back down. But the mermaid reached out for Gloria
‘If I’m going, you’re coming too,’ the mermaid yelled.
She grabbed Gloria and both were pulled out of the water, the mermaid in the net, clutching Gloria in her hand.
Turtle and the swordfish looked up, heartbroken that they’d not been able to save the mermaid. Behind them, Goldhunter called out for Gloria.
But she was gone.
The swordfish turned and dived into the ocean’s depths, followed slowly by Turtle, both knowing how dangerous it was for them to be swimming this close to the surface.
Goldhunter watched them go and waited a while, hoping, praying.
Just as he was about to give up and turn for home…
PLLLLOPPPP!
Gloria fell back into the sea, her eyes shut, her body not moving.
Goldhunter rushed to her, grabbed her and pulled her deeper into the ocean, away from the dangers at the surface.
When he thought he was far enough down for them to be safe, he stopped, and looked down. ‘Gloria,’ he shouted, trying to wake her.
She looked tired, her pale scales peeling from being out of the water, her fins withering.
‘Gloria! Please wake up.’
And then one of her eyes flicked open. Followed by the other. She looked around, wondering where she was, then looked at Goldhunter and smiled.
‘You’re OK?’ he asked.
She didn’t react at first. Then she nodded. ‘I think… I think I managed to slip out of her hands,’ she said, weakly.
Goldhunter smiled. ‘You must have jumped the biggest jump you ever jumped to get out of that net,’ he said. ‘Bigger than any jump I’ve ever jumped, that’s for sure.’
‘It was nothing,’ she said, looking around. ‘Where’s Turtle and the swordfish?’ she asked.
Both slowly glided toward them out of the dark.
Goldhunter grabbed Gloria and held her close. ‘Enough,’ he yelled at them. ‘We don’t want any trouble and we don’t want any gold,’ he said. ‘You two can take it all. Just leave us alone.’
Turtle looked at swordfish who looked back at Turtle who said, ‘We don’t want any trouble either. We came back to say we’re sorry.’
Goldhunter still wasn’t convinced. ‘It’s a bit late for that. You could have got Gloria killed.’
‘We shouldn’t have run off with the mermaid,’ said the swordfish, unable to look either of them in the eye. ‘It was stupid of us. It was like she had us under some kind of spell.’
Goldhunter grumbled something that no one understood.
‘It doesn’t matter now, does it,’ said Gloria, looking up at the orb still shining brightly above them. ‘What does matter is that we’re all still here.’
‘Where’s the mouthy little fella?’ the swordfish asked.
‘We’re all here except Lewis,’ she said, sadly. ‘A shark came along and…’
Turtle held up his good fin, a signal that he didn’t want to hear any more.
They all fell silent for a moment, thinking about the poor little barnacle.
‘I don’t know about you,’ said Gloria. ‘But I think it’s time we all went home.’
No one had any better ideas, even though the swordfish was still quite keen on getting a gold bill and Goldhunter still wanted his gold cup and Turtle still wanted someone to talk to.
‘Home it is then,’ said Gloria, and she slowly turned her back on the orb and began to swim toward home.
Twelve
Turtle let Gloria and the seahorse ride on his back as the swordfish swam beside them, keeping his eye out for anyone he could challenge to a duel. But the waters were as quiet as they all were.
Amid the silence, Gloria felt herself fal
ling asleep, she’d had such a busy day. And when Turtle stopped swimming, she thought he had fallen asleep too.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked Turtle.
Turtle pointed his good fin straight in front of him and nodded.
Gloria peered into the murky depths and from out of them a small shape appeared, two tentacles standing to attention atop its head.
‘No, it can’t be,’ said Gloria.
Goldhunter looked up to see what all the fuss was about. When he saw, he leapt off Turtle’s back.
‘Lewis, my old buddy,’ he cried in delight.
‘You sure took your time getting back,’ said Lewis.
Gloria swam toward him and planted a big kiss on his shell.
‘Where’s the orb?’ he asked. ‘Tell me you got some gold.’
Gloria shook her head.
‘No way,’ said Lewis. ‘Don’t tell me the mermaid took it all.’
‘Not exactly. I’ll fill you in later,’ said Gloria. ‘After you tell us what happened to you. I thought you got eaten by that shark?’
‘Well, technically I did. I mean I was in the guy’s mouth for a while. That was none too pleasant, let me tell you. He’s never heard of mouthwash, that’s for sure. Then I was down his throat, which was even worse. But if there’s one thing I’ve found out in all my years of being a reporter, it’s that sharks don’t like talkers. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I do like to talk, and I think the guy had enough, so you know, after a while of me going on and on, it was a case of up and out.’
Gloria and Goldhunter laughed as Lewis mimed a shark being sick. After his performance, Lewis attached himself to Gloria and they all got back onto Turtle who started to swim toward home again.
As Gloria thought about all that had happened to her, she turned to Goldhunter.
‘I’ve always been pale, haven’t I?’ she asked him. ‘Nobody stole my gold because there was none to steal.’
Goldhunter looked at her. ‘I’ve got to level with you,’ he said. ‘I’ve never heard of anyone stealing the colour from someone’s scales before.’
Gloria nodded. ‘And Millie never said anything about it because she’s my friend and it didn’t matter to her what colour I was.’
‘I don’t know about that as I don’t know Millie. But I’d sure expect any friend of mine to accept me for who I was, no matter what my colour.’
It was all making sense to Gloria now, how Millie behaved on the morning Gloria saw herself in the mirror for the first time. She told Gloria she didn’t look any different, because to her she really didn’t look any different.
‘This Millie sounds a nice girl,’ said Lewis. ‘I’d like to meet her.’
‘Maybe you will,’ said Gloria. ‘Maybe you all will.’
‘Not me,’ said the swordfish sadly. Turtle stopped and he and all his passengers turned to look at the pointy billed one treading water behind them.
‘This is as far as I go,’ he said. ‘Any further and I’ll be getting into dangerous waters. Us swordfish like to keep to our own patches, you know.’
He turned to look at his comrades, nearly slicing off Goldhunter’s ears in the process.
‘I’m sorry for being a bit stupid back there with the mermaid,’ he said.
Gloria smiled. ‘Thanks for helping us,’ she said. ‘I think your bill looks great the colour it is,’ she said. ‘You don’t need any gold.’
‘Thank you,’ he said. ‘And you look great just the way you are too. You don’t need any gold either.’
Gloria smiled. Then the swordfish tipped a nod at each of them in turn, flicked his tail and disappeared.
Turtle sighed, and started flapping his fins, slowly swimming in the direction of Gloria’s home.
It was Lewis who broke the silence. ‘We never even found out the poor guy’s name,’ he said, looking back around to see if he could see the swordfish.
‘I’m not sure he had one,’ said Goldhunter.
‘Maybe we should make up one, like you did,’ Lewis said to the seahorse.
‘I did not make up my name.’
‘Really? So we happen to be looking for gold, and you just happen to be called Goldhunter?’
‘It’s called a coincidence. You not heard of them?’
‘Yeah, I’ve heard of them. Written about a few in my time. But I ain’t buying this one.’
‘What’s my name then if it’s not Goldhunter?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Lewis. ‘Saltbutt?’
Gloria and Turtle laughed.
‘Saltbutt?’ the seahorse exclaimed.
‘Or maybe Rustyface? I don’t know.’
‘Stop it,’ said Gloria giggling. But the seahorse and the barnacle continued to trade insults until Turtle slowed to a stop.
‘That’s me,’ he announced as quietly and as slowly as he announced nearly everything.
‘That’s me, what?’ Lewis asked, a bit confused.
‘This is as far as this turtle goes,’ he said.
‘Why do you want to stop here?’ asked Lewis, looking around at all the nothing that surrounded them.
‘Seems to me like this is as good a place as any to stop,’ Turtle said.
Gloria and Goldhunter slid off his back and floated beside his face.
Turtle glanced at them then looked away.
‘Sorry about, you know, the mermaid thing…’ Turtle said, without really saying anything. ‘I’ve had a crush on her for a while. But there’s no chance of anything happening. Not now, anyway. So, errr… sorry again.’
‘Thanks Turtle,’ said Gloria, ‘for giving us a lift.’
‘It was nothing,’ he said. ‘I enjoyed your company. Maybe we’ll do it again one day.’
He nodded at each of them in turn and then swam away in his lop-sided way.
After watching Turtle disappear into the murky depths, Gloria jumped on Goldhunter’s back.
‘For old time’s sake?’ she asked.
Goldhunter nodded, took a deep breath, and galloped off.
Again, Gloria felt the thrill of water rushing across her scales and through and around and over her fins. Lewis clung on tightly, sensing water rushing over his shell.
After a while, Goldhunter slowed down. Lewis popped his head out and looked around as they slowly glided through the water. ‘Wait a minute,’ he said. ‘We never found out the turtle’s name either, did we?’
‘I thought he didn’t have one,’ said Goldhunter.
‘Maybe we should make up one, like you did,’ Lewis said.
‘I told you before. I did not make up my name.’
‘Really? So we happen to be looking for gold, and you just happen to be called Goldhunter.’
‘Like I said, it’s called a coincidence. You not heard of them?’
‘Yeah, I’ve heard of them. Written about a few in my time. But I ain’t buying this one.’
‘What’s my name then if it’s not Goldhunter?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Lewis. ‘Crinklyhead?’
Gloria couldn’t stifle her laugh. ‘Stop it guys, please,’ she begged them.
Goldhunter huffed a little, sped up a bit, but soon slowed down again as he tired. Eventually he stopped.
‘My race is run,’ he said.
‘Do what?’ Lewis asked.
‘I go no further,’ Goldhunter said.
Gloria swam off his back and floated around to face the tired seahorse.
‘Thanks, Goldhunter, for everything you’ve done.’
He waved her away. ‘I’m sorry you didn’t get what you wanted,’ he said.
Gloria looked at him. ‘Oh, I think I did,’ she said. ‘I think I did.’
Goldhunter smiled, nodded at Lewis, then pranced off.
They watched the seahorse until he disappeared into the murky depths, then Gloria slowly began to swim home.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Lewis. ‘We never found out his…’
‘Yes, we did. It was Goldhunter,’ said Gloria smiling to herself.<
br />
‘You really believe that?’ Lewis asked. ‘Sorry, but I’m not buying that. I mean, let’s weigh up the…
‘LEWIS!’ Gloria shouted.
Thirteen
Gloria swam for how long she didn’t know. But when she got tired, she drifted down into some thick seagrass and rested there with Lewis gently snoring on her side.
Soon she drifted off to sleep herself, and some time later she was woken up by a splash from the other side of the reeds.
She retreated into the shadows.
Who was it? she wondered.
Was it the shark? Lewis wondered as he trembled in his shell.
Gloria stared straight ahead through the grass, waiting for whoever was out there to move into view.
She gasped when she saw its big bulbous eyes.
Then she saw its dazzlingly bright fins.
And finally, she recognised the familiar pattern on the golden scales.
Gloria popped her head out through the top of the seagrass.
‘Hello,’ she shouted out.
Whoever it was stopped and turned to face the seagrass. Bertie couldn’t believe who he was seeing, and couldn’t speak for a moment. He and Gloria just stared at each other.
‘I’m just passing,’ he said.
Gloria looked at him, unimpressed.
‘OK, OK,’ he said. ‘I’m here for Millie. She’s been here every day, to see if you…’
‘I went looking for the orb,’ Gloria said.
Bertie nodded. ‘Any luck?’
Gloria looked at him knowingly. He looked away.
‘I’m sorry if you felt I was trying to come between you and Millie,’ he said. ‘I know you’re best friends, and I’ve seen how much you mean to her. She’s been so upset since you’ve been away. So, anyway. I just want to say, I’m going to get out of your way.’
He nodded at Gloria then darted off. Gloria stared after him then became aware of someone swimming toward her, the speck slowly taking shape. The shape of Millie.
Millie stopped just in front of Gloria, neither friend able to find the right words.
‘I missed you.’ Gloria and Millie said together.
‘I’m sorry.’ They said that together too, then they both started to laugh.
‘You go first,’ said Millie.
‘No, you,’ said Gloria.
Millie smiled. ‘I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry if you thought I was being nasty, but I didn’t really understand what you were…’
‘It’s OK,’ said Gloria. ‘I understand now. I was never a golden goldfish was I?’
Millie slowly shook her head, still worried that Gloria might get angry about it.
‘I thought you were being spiteful for not mentioning my colour,’ added Gloria. ‘But now I know why you didn’t mention it. It was because it didn’t make any difference.’
Millie nodded enthusiastically. ‘And it still doesn’t make any difference. I like you for who you are and I don’t much care what colour you are. In fact, I think you’d look pretty silly in gold.’
‘Well, we’ll never find out will we?’
Both the girls laughed, stopped, heard Lewis snoring and started laughing again.
‘Who’s that?’ Millie asked.
‘Ah, just someone who really wants to meet you. I’ll introduce you later. I don’t want to wake him up, because he’ll just talk and talk and talk.’
Millie giggled. ‘It’s great to have you home,’ she said.
‘And it’s great to be home,’ said Gloria. ‘Now, how about we go and find Bertie and all play the chase game together?’
T H E E N D