by John Lenahan
Once again I blurted out my life story (conspicuously leaving out any mention of Essa). Graysea was particularly interested in my father’s illness and thought the King was being unreasonable by not helping. The day ended with a campfire on the beach before she swam back to work the midnight shift, which matron insisted she be on time for. If I said there was no kissing involved, I’d probably be lying.
The next day the war between me and the mini-Mertains was back with a vengeance. The little twerps obviously realised that detente was dull and began tormenting me by throwing pebbles. I ignored them, even when the pebbles got bigger, until one of them hit me in the head with a rock. Now I was chasing them for real. If I caught them I was going to kill the little dirt-bags. Fortunately for all of us Graysea appeared right before I caught the littler one.
‘He started it,’ I said to Graysea when she had once again got the three of us around a peace table.
‘I did not,’ the bigger one said.
‘You did too – you threw a rock at my head.’
He put on the most angelic of smiles and turned to Graysea. ‘We were just quietly playing and he tried to attack us. We feared for our lives.’
‘You little-’ I said as Graysea stopped me from grabbing the smiling liar by his neck. ‘I hope you find a jellyfish in your trousers the next time you go swimming.’
Graysea patted the little future politician on the head, promising that ‘the mean old Faerie’ would never bother him again.
‘You really shouldn’t scare them so,’ she said after the boys skipped off cackling to themselves.
I started to protest but instead just said, ‘Sorry,’ vowing to myself that the next time I saw the brats they’d really be in fear of their lives.
‘Come with me,’ my dizzy mer-friend said, ‘I have a surprise for you – actually two surprises.’
She took me by the hand and led me across the island. It was so good to see Graysea again. You may find this hard to believe but walking hand in hand with a beautiful mermaid is preferable to being hit in the head with rocks.
After about an hour of walking, during which Graysea infuriatingly refused to tell me what her surprises were, we climbed over a bluff of rocks and then down onto a small beach. At the edge of the sand sat a conspicuous pile of branches. Graysea, looking and acting like a magician’s lovely assistant, pushed away the brush to reveal Tuan’s portable boat.
‘Surprise!’ she said, jumping up and down.
‘That’s our boat,’ I said as I gave it a closer look. ‘Where did you find it?’
‘I saw it ages ago drifting all by itself on the far side of Inis Tughe Tine. So I went back to see if it was still there – and it was.’
‘Did you find oars?’
‘You don’t need oars.’ She reached into the bow of the boat and took out two metal rings attached to a rope. They were exactly like the ones that Red had on his boat. ‘I’ll pull you back to the mainland.’
‘Are you strong enough?’
‘It will be easy – I’ll take The Stream.’
‘The Stream?’
‘There is a sea current that travels around Tir na Nog. I can find The Stream and then it will be easy to fly through the water. I can do it in my sleep.’
‘You can swim and sleep?’
‘Not my whole brain, silly,’ she said, playfully slapping my chest, ‘I can only sleep one side of my brain while I swim.’
‘You can sleep one side of your brain at a time?’
She leaned in and spoke as if it was a secret. ‘Some people think half my brain is asleep most of the time – and they’d be right.’
‘So I can get off this island,’ I said as the realisation dawned on me. ‘I can warn my friends.’
‘Yes,’ she said, and I joined her jumping up and down.
‘When can we go?’
‘Now.’
‘Thank you, Graysea, they are wonderful surprises.’
Graysea stopped jumping. ‘No, that’s only one surprise.’
‘Really? What’s the other?’
She reached into a pocket and handed me a small glass vial that was set into a gold mesh sleeve. Inside was a dark liquid.
‘What’s this?’
‘It is dragon’s blood.’
I hadn’t realised until that moment just how much hope I had lost. Deep down I had all but given up on saving my father; now this wonderful girl had just handed me the ways and the means of curing him. I lifted her off the ground, spun her in my armme the wayhen kissed her. But as soon as my lips met hers a question flashed in my mind. I pushed her away and held her at arm’s length.
‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.
‘Where did you get this?’
A coy smile crossed her face. ‘I sort of borrowed it.’
‘Borrowed it – with permission?’
‘Well,’ she said, pivoting on one toe, ‘not really.’
‘You stole it?’
‘You could say that.’
‘From the King?’
‘Well yes; who else?’
‘I can’t take it.’
This produced a pout that made her look like a ten-year-old. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you will get into too much trouble.’
‘No I won’t,’ she said casually.
‘Oh I think you will.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘I never really get into too much trouble – you see, people think I’m really dumb. So they never stay mad at me.’
‘But you have never been in as much trouble as this will get you into.’
‘Maybe. But believe it or not, I have thought about this. Moran is due within three years, the King is not going to die of old age before then and your father is sick. I am a healer, remember – he needs this. I may get into trouble, but what I am doing is not wrong.’ She placed her hands on her hips in a defiant so there type of pose.
I stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. ‘If anybody calls you dumb, tell me and I’ll punch him in the nose.’
She placed her hand on my robe and a pocket appeared. She dropped the dragon blood in the pocket and then sealed the vial within the fabric.
We decided to swim the surf, towing the boat, as opposed to risking me being tossed out by the breakers. This was the third time I had swum with Graysea and I still couldn’t get used to the way those gills opened up on her neck. To be honest it creeped me out a bit. But boy oh boy, once those gills appeared and her feet finned that chick could swim. I held on to the rings that were attached to the boat and then she grabbed me around the waist from behind and zoom, like being strapped to a jet-ski, we were off. She dived down at a speed I thought was impossible in water and then we soared out of the ocean like dolphins at a SeaWorld show. This happened over and over again. I wasn’t sure if we were diving through the air so I could breathe or if she was repeatedly trying to kill me. Once past the surf I had to pry her hands from my waist to make her stop. I floated on the surface – my kelp robe providing buoyancy when I asked for it.
‘Did I get carried away?’ she asked after she had broken the surface and healed the gills in her neck so she could speak.
‘No,’ I said, ‘my sinuses needed a good flushing.’
‘Maybe you should travel in your boat.’
‘You think?’
She nodded yes, missing the sarcasm.
‘Are you sure you are up to this?’
‘It will be easy, honestly. Look, The Stream is just over there.’
I looked to where she was pointing but saw nothing but water. ‘I don’t see anything.’
‘You will when it gets darker. Now would you like me to help you get into your boat?’
I said, ‘Yes,’ expecting her to hold on to the other side so I could climb in without tipping it, but she had another idea. She gave me a quick kiss then once again grabbed me from behind. The next thing I knew I was plummeting to the bottom of the sea before changing direction and diving straight out of the water. As we were direc
tly over the boat Graysea dropped me and I landed flat on my side on the bottom of the boat. I was very lucky to have not put my foot through the canvas. Then the boat lurched, as my own personal mermaid escort broke the water before me, holding the rings in both hands. She gave a hoot, which was the only sound she could make with a neck-full of gills and then did a lovely flip while blowing me an upside-down kiss. Then we were off.
It was not a smooth ride, being towed from the front means that you bounce on every wave and swell. The afternoon sun was setting and I hunkered down trying to think about anything other than the breakdancing my stomach was doing.
As the sun began to set The Stream came into view. It was a watery road filled with luminous algae that, as the night grew darker, became more incandescent. I could see that we were travelling in the opposite direction to the current and that made me wonder if Graysea was lying about this not being difficult for her, but those fears disappeared when I peeped over the bow. Graysea was just below the surface and completely outlined with the glowing algae. Her arms were outstretched like an Olympic gymnast performing the iron cross. Her tail wasn’t even moving. She looked like an angel. Graysea had told me that the Mertain gain power from The Stream and I had just thought she meant it made ocean swimming easier, but here I saw The Stream provided real power, like gold in Truemagic or tree sap in Shadowmagic. Graysea was truly ‘flying’.
But just ’cause my mermaid outboard motor was sailing smoothly, that didn’t mean I was. I had to tear my eyes away from my miraculous escort and lie down in the boat to make sure I didn’t blow chunks.
It was just before dawn when Graysea woke me up by tipping me out of the boat. As soon as her gills disappeared she started to giggle and my anger at my damp awakening evaporated. She was still covered with whatever luminous microorganisms that lived in The Stream and it transformed her into the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.
‘You are glowing.’
‘I know,’ she said, spinning around. ‘Do you like it?’
‘You are radiant,’ I replied, ‘in every way.’
She pointed over my shoulder, ‘From what you have told me I think this beach is close to your home. I will miss you, Conor.’
‘You’re not coming ashore?’
‘No, matron needs me back at the grotto.’
‘You’re gonna be in a whole mess of trouble back there. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?’
‘No one can stay mad at me, Conor – I am too dumb.’
‘Maybe,’ I said, ‘they can’t stay mad at you ’cause you’re so wonderful.’
She kissed me and as she did we dropped below the surface. If you’re looking to add things to your list of top ten, all-time best experiences I highly recommend kissing a mermaid underwater. She pulled back from me and those (getting less creepy) gills appeared and even though she was underwater I could have sworn there was also a tear in her eye. She turned and disappeared into the gloom of the sea.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ona’s Book
I swam to the shore, almost drowning when my robe dragged me under. (I was sure I told it to float.) I thought about Graysea. I think she would have come if I pushed her but, to be honest, I really didn’t want her with me. I was going into such uncertainty – I didn’t want to subject my innocent glowing angel to that kind of danger and chaos. I could almost imagine her standing in the middle of a battlefield saying, ‘Why is everyone being so mean to each other?’ It was better that she was with matron back in her grotto. I just hoped she didn’t catch too much grief for helping me escape and giving me the dragon’s blood. I was also glad I didn’t have to explain her to Essa.
Of course I couldn’t be sure that Essa and Yogi got out of the Alderlands alive. For that matter, I couldn’t be sure that any of my loved ones were safe. I started to fret over all the time that I had lost and swam harder. My robe increased its buoyancy and I body-boarded the surf right onto the shore. The sun was newly up as I stood on the beach and rubbed the stinging saltwater out of my eyes with the sleeve of my warm insta-dry robe. I looked around and what I saw almost made my already queasy stomach bring up everything I had ever eaten. I was in the Reedlands.
There was no mistaking the foul vegetation. This was the land that had been created when Cialtie had first taken his Choosing. The last time I had been here Fergal had almost been drawn and quartered by living vines and a band of feral Banshees (the same ones who had destroyed the Heatherlands) had used me and my friends for archery practice.
A shout to my left made me scamper into a mangle of trees, the like I had only ever seen in B-grade horror movies with names like The Re-return of the Swamp Creature. The trees didn’t provide much cover but I might not have been spotted if I hadn’t then instructed my robe to darken so as to blend in with the vegetation. As the troop of soldiers came towards me, my annoyingly disobedient robe went practically fluorescent orage. Then, when I tried to run, I found that some vines had wrapped around my ankles – I couldn’t have gotten away even if there had been anywhere to go. As they came closer I noticed that they were Brownies and the one at the front was an old acquaintance of mine. He stepped right up to me wearing a smug smile that only a Brownie mother could love.
‘Hi, Frank,’ I said. ‘Did you get the knife I sent you?’
The soldier’s uniform did nothing to make the Brownie prince look any older than the kid I had reprimanded for stealing my shoes so many months before. He pointed to his ankle where a sheath held the green-handled throwing knife to his leg.
‘Yeah, I did,’ he said and as a thank you, he clocked me in the head with his banta stick.
There are many times when little situations remind me of how much I miss Fergal. I must say that waking from a concussion tied to a post was much more fun with my cousin bound to the one next to me.
At least this place was a cut above my usual stinky dungeon. I was tied to the centre pole of a pretty opulent tent. This was no travelling structure, or if it was, then somebody was doing some serious heavy lifting. There was a full oak-framed bed in the corner, a complete eight-seat dining table set, and an office desk adorned with a collection of peacock quill pens. When the occupant of these posh digs came into the tent I wasn’t surprised. I was expecting him. He stood in front of me with his right wrist tucked into his shirt like Napoleon. On his face he wore a smirk that made me want to slap him, but then, all of his expressions make me want to do that.
‘Hello, Uncle, I was so worried that we weren’t going to get to meet this trip. You know how difficult it is finding time to see all of one’s relatives.’
I had been practising that line for the entire time I had been waiting for Cialtie to arrive. I hoped that the bravado of it would hide the bowel-clenching fear that was ripping through my body.
‘Why are you here and how did you get here?’
‘I was hoping to borrow some money for university. You know Dad, he’s such a skinflint. Why he won’t even pay for-’
A backhand across my face shut me up. While I fought to remain conscious I said, ‘I could have sworn uncles are supposed to give you hugs and kisses when they see you.’
‘I don’t want to hurt you.’
‘I don’t believe you,’ I said. The time for jokes was over. ‘In fact I think that is exactly what you want to do. I think that this interrogation is an annoyance. I think what you really want to do is kill the nephew that made you a lefty. Am I right?’
Cialtie took his wrist from his shirt and with his remaining hand scratched the stump that I had created. Then he dragged a chair from across the room and sat down in front of me. ‘You think me a monster.’
‘No, monsters have no choice, that’s just the way they are. I think you are a demon.’
This brought a look of incredulity to my uncle’s face. ‘You think I have choice? You think any of us has choice? You of all people should know that we are all just pawns of Ona’s prophecies.’
‘Oh don’t make me sick. You
killed your son, my cousin, my friend. You. You did that. Don’t you dare try to pass off that responsibility to some old fortune teller.’
‘Old fortune teller?’ Cialtie laughed. ‘You have no idea, have you?’ He stood and walked over to his desk. From his pocket he took a key and opened a golden box, from which he took a leather-bound manuscript. He sat down again and placed the book at my feet. ‘These are Ona’s predictions. She was truly omniscient – we have no choice but to do what she knew must be done.’
‘Is that why you killed her, to get that book?’
‘No. I had the book before I killed her.’
‘You sound proud of yourself.’
‘No, not proud, only… resigned. When I had seen only twenty summers, I stole into Ona’s room and found this book. As if guided by fate I opened it to the page that foretold my ultimate destiny. When I looked up Ona was standing beside me. She told me that if she were to be allowed to leave that she would tell my father what I had done and he would banish me. Then she took the book and opened it to the page that foretold her death. She handed the book to me and lay down on the bed. As I stood over her she handed me a pillow and I smothered her – just as she had written. There was none of your precious choice.’
‘You could have chosen not to kill her.’
‘You can think that if it helps you sleep – I know better.’
‘So did Ona tell you to destroy the whole land with your golden circle?’
‘No, that was my idea. I thought if I wiped clean the slate of The Land, that finally Tir na Nog would be free of the cage that Ona has put us in.’
I laughed at that. ‘So you wanted to free The Land by destroying it? I think if you asked, a few of us would have objected to that.’
‘Your precious free will is an illusion. You too are doomed to follow Ona’s puppet play whether you know it or not.’
‘So you’re back in The Land-destroying business again.’