by Edith Nesbit
All was hurry and bustle. The Salmoners had sent a detachment to harass the flank of the enemy, and the Sea-urchins, under the command of Reuben, were ready in their seaweed disguises.
There was a waiting time, and the children used it to practise with their shells, using the thick stems of seaweed — thick as a man’s arm — to represent the ankles of the invading force, and they were soon fairly expert at the trick which was their duty. Francis had just nipped an extra fat stalk and released it again by touching the secret spring when the word went round, “Every man to his post!”
The children proudly took up their post next to the Princess, and hardly had they done so when a faint yet growing sound knocked gently at their ears. It grew and grew and grew till it seemed to shake the ground on which they stood, and the Princess murmured, “It is the tramp of the army of the Under Folk. Now, be ready. We shall lurk among these rocks. Hold your good oyster-shell in readiness, and when you see a foot near you clip it, and at the same time set down the base of the shell on the rock. The trusty shell will do the reat.”
“Yes, we know, thank you, dear Princess,” said Mavis. “Didn’t you see us practising?”
But the Princess was not listening; she had enough to do to find cover for her troops among the limpet-studded rocks.
And now the tramp, tramp, tramp of the great army sounded nearer and more near, and through the dimly-lighted water the children could see the great Deep Sea People advancing.
Very terrible they were, big beyond man-size, more stalwart and more finely-knit than the Forlorn Hopers who had led the attack so happily and gloriously frustrated by the Crabs, the Narwhals and the Sea-urchins. As the advance guard drew near all the children stared, from their places of concealment, at the faces of these terrible foes of the happy Merland. Very strong the faces were, and, surprisingly, very, very sad. They looked — Francis at least was able to see it — like strong folk suffering proudly an almost intolerable injury-bearing, bravely, an almost intolerable pain.
“But I’m on the other side,” he told himself, to check a sudden rising in his heart of — well, if it was not sympathy, what was it?
And now the head of the advancing column was level with the Princess. True to the old tradition which bids a commander to lead and not to follow his troops, she was the first to dart out and fix a shell to the heel of the left-rank man. The children were next. Their practice bore its fruit. There was no blunder, no mistake. Each oyster-shell clipped sharp and clean the attached ankle of an enemy; each oyster-shell at the same moment attached itself firmly to the rock, thus clinging to his base in the most thorough and military way. A spring of joy and triumph welled up in the children’s hearts. How easy it was to get the better of these foolish Deep Sea Folk. A faint, kindly contempt floated into the children’s minds for the Mer-people, who so dreaded and hated these stupid giants. Why, there were fifty or sixty of them tied by the leg already! It was as easy as —
The pleasant nature of these reflections had kept our four rooted to the spot. In the triumphant performance of one duty they failed to remember the duty that should have followed. They stood there rejoicing in their victory, when by all the rules of the Service they should have rushed back to the armoury for fresh weapons.
The omission was fatal. Even as they stood there rejoicing in their cleverness and boldness and in the helpless anger of the enemy, something thin and string-like spread itself round them — their feet caught in string, their fingers caught in string, string tweaked their ears and flattened their noses — string confined their elbows and confused their legs. The Lobster-guarded doorway seemed farther off — and farther, and farther.... They turned their heads; they were following backwards, and against their will, a retreating enemy.
“Oh, why didn’t we do what she said?” breathed Cathay. “Something’s happened!”
“I should think it had,” said Bernard. “We’re caught — in a net.”
They were. And a tall Infantry-man of the Under Folk was towing them away from Merland as swiftly and as easily as a running child tows a captive air-balloon.
CHAPTER X. THE UNDER FOLK
THOSE of us who have had the misfortune to be caught in a net in the execution of our military duty, and to be dragged away by the enemy with all the helpless buoyancy of captive balloons, will be able to appreciate the sensations of the four children to whom this gloomy catastrophe had occurred.
The net was very strong — made of twisted fibrous filaments of seaweed. All efforts to break it were vain, and they had, unfortunately, nothing to cut it with. They had not even their oyster-shells, the rough edges of which might have done something to help, or at least would have been useful weapons, and the discomfort of their position was extreme. They were, as Cathay put it, “all mixed up with each other’s arms and legs,” and it was very difficult and painful to sort themselves out without hurting each other.
“Lets do it, one at a time,” said Mavis, after some minutes of severe and unsuccessful struggle. “France first. Get right away, France, and see if you can’t sit down on a piece of the net that isn’t covered with us, and then Cathay can try.”
It was excellent advice and when all four had followed it, it was found possible to sit side by side on what may be called the floor of the net, only the squeezing of the net-walls tended to jerk one up from one’s place if one wasn’t very careful.
By the time the re-arrangement was complete, and they were free to look about them, the whole aspect of the world had changed. The world, for one thing, was much darker, in itself that is, though the part of it where the children were was much lighter than had been the sea where they were first netted. It was a curious scene — rather like looking down on London at night from the top of St Paul’s. Some bright things, like trams or omnibuses, were rushing along, and smaller lights, which looked mighty like cabs and carriages, dotted the expanse of blackness till, where they were thick set, the darkness disappeared in a blaze of silvery light.
Other light-bearers had rows of round lights like the port-holes of great liners. One came sweeping towards them, and a wild idea came to Cathay that perhaps when ships sink they go on living and moving under water just as she and the others had done. Perhaps they do. Anyhow, this was not one of them, for, as it came close, it was plainly to be perceived as a vast fish with phosphorescent lights in rows along its gigantic sides. It opened its jaws as it passed, and for an instant everyone shut their eyes and felt that all was over. When the eyes were opened again, the mighty fish was far away. Cathay, however, was discovered to be in tears.
“I wish we hadn’t come,” she said; and the others could not but feel that there was something in what she said. They comforted her and themselves as best they could by expressing a curious half-certainty which they had that everything would be all right in the end. As I said before, there are some things so horrible that if you can bring yourself to face them you see at once that they can’t be true. The barest idea of poetic justice — which we all believe in at the bottom of our hearts — made it impossible to think that the children who had nobly (they couldn’t help feeling it was noble) defended their friends, the Mer Folk, should have anything really dreadful happen to them in consequence. And when Bernard talked about the fortunes of war he did it in an unconvinced sort of way and Francis told him to shut up.
“But what are we to do,” sniffed Cathay for the twentieth time, and all the while the Infantry-man was going steadily on, dragging the wretched netful after him.
“Press our pearl-buttons,” suggested Francis hopefully. “Then we shall be invisible and unfeelable and we can escape.” He fumbled with the round marble-like pearl.
“No, no,” said Bernard, catching at his hand, “don’t you see? If we do, we may never get out of the net. If they can’t see us or feel us they’ll think the net’s empty, and perhaps bang it up on a hook or put it away in a bog.”
“And forget it while years roll by. I see,” said Cathay.
“But
we can undo them the minute we’re there. Can’t we?” said Mavis.
“Yes, of course,” said Bernard; but as a matter of fact they couldn’t.
At last the Infantry-man, after threading his way through streets of enormous rocky palaces, passed through a colossal arch, and so into a hall as big as St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey into one.
A crowd of Under Folk, who were seated on stone benches round rude tables, eating strange luminous food, rose up, and cried, “What news?”
“Four prisoners,” said the Infantry-man.
“Upper Folk,” the Colonel said; “and my orders are to deliver them to the Queen herself.”
He passed to the end of the hall and up a long wide flight of steps made of something so green and clear that it was plainly either glass or emerald, and I don’t think it could have been glass, because how could they have made glass in the sea? There were lights below it which shone through the green transparency so clear and lovely that Francis said dreamily —
“‘Sabrina fair,
Listen where thou art sitting.
Under the glassy green, translucent wave.’”
And quite suddenly there was much less room in the net, and they were being embraced all at once and with tears of relief and joy by the Princess Freia — their own Mer Princess.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to — Princess dear, I didn’t,” said Francis. “It was the emerald steps made me think of translucent.”
“So they are,” she said, “but oh, if you knew what I’ve felt — you, our guests, our knight-errants, our noble defenders — to be prisoners and all of us safe. I did so hope you’d call me. And I’m so proud that you didn’t — that you were brave enough not to call for me until you did it by accident.”
“We never thought of doing it,” said Mavis candidly, “but I hope we shouldn’t have, if we had thought of it.”
“Why haven’t you pressed your pearl-buttons?” she asked, and they told her why.
“Wise children,” she said, “but at any rate we must all use the charm that prevents our losing our memories.”
“I shan’t use mine,” said Cathay. “I don’t want to remember. If I didn’t remember I should forget to be frightened. Do please let me forget to remember.” She clung pleadingly to the Princess, who whispered to Mavis, “Perhaps it would be best,” and they let Cathay have her way.
The others had only just time to swallow their charms before the Infantry-man threw the net on to a great table, which seemed to be cut out of one vast diamond, and fell on his face on the ground. It was his way of saluting his sovereign.
“Prisoners, your Majesty,” he said when he had got up again. “Four of the young of the Upper Folk” — and he turned to the net as he spoke, and stopped short-”there’s someone else,” he said in an altered voice, “someone as wasn’t there when we started, I’ll swear.”
“Open the net,” said a strong, sweet voice, “and bid the prisoners stand up that I may look upon them.”
“They might escape, my love,” said another voice anxiously, “or perhaps they bite.”
“Submersia,” said the first voice, “do you and four of my women stand ready. Take the prisoners one by one. Seize each a prisoner and hold them, awaiting my royal pleasure.”
The net was opened and large and strong hands took Bernard, who was nearest the mouth of the net back, and held him gently but with extreme firmness in an upright position on the table. None of them could stand because of their tails.
They saw before them, on a throne, a tall and splendid Queen, very beautiful and very sad, and by her side a King (they knew the royalty by their crowns), not so handsome as his wife, but still very different from the uncouth, heavy Under Folk. And he looked sad too. They were clad in robes of richest woven seaweed, sewn with jewels, and their crowns were like dreams of magnificence. Their throne was of one clear blood-bright ruby, and its canopy of green drooping seaweed was gemmed with topazes and amethysts. The Queen rose and came down the steps of the throne and whispered to her whom she had called Submersia, and she in turn whispered to the four other large ladies who held, each, a captive.
And with a dreadful unanimity the five acted; with one dexterous movement they took off the magic jackets, and with another they removed the useful tails. The Princess and the four children stood upon the table on their own ten feet.
“What funny little things,” said the King, not unkindly.
“Hush,” said the Queen, “perhaps they can understand what you say — and at any rate that Mer-girl can.”
The children were furious to hear their Princess so disrespectfully spoken of. But she herself remained beautifully calm.
“Now,” said the Queen, “before we destroy your memories, will you answer questions?”
“Some questions, yes — others, no,” said the Princess.
“Are these human children?”
“Yes.”
“How do they come under the sea?”
“Mer-magic. You wouldn’t understand,” said the Princess haughtily.
“Were they fighting against us?”
“Yes,” cried Bernard and Mavis before the Princess answered.
“And lucky to do it,” Francis added.
“If you will tell us the fighting strength of the Merlanders, your tails and coats shall be restored to you and you shall go free. Will you tell?”
“Is it likely?” the Princess answered. “I am a Mer-woman, and a Princess of the Royal House. Such do not betray their country.”
“No, I suppose not,” said the Queen. And she paused a moment before she said, “Administer the cup of forgetfulness.”
The cup of forgetfulness was exceedingly pleasant. It tasted of toffee and coconuts, and pineapple ices, and plum-cake, and roast chicken, with a faint under-flavour of lavender, rose-leaves and the very best Eau-de-Cologne.
The children had tasted cider-cup and champagne-cup at parties, and had disliked both, but oblivion-cup was delicious. It was served in a goblet of opal colour, in dreamy-pink and pearl-and green and blue and grey — and the sides of the goblet were engraved with pictures of beautiful people asleep. The goblet passed from hand to hand, and when each had drunk enough the Lord High Cup-bearer, a very handsome, reserved-looking fish, laid a restraining touch on the goblet and, taking it between his fins, handed it to the neat drinker. So, one by one, each took the draught. Kathleen was the last.
The draught had no effect on four out of the five — but Kathleen changed before their eyes, and though they had known that the draught of oblivion would make her forget, it was terrible to see it do its fell work.
Mavis had her arm protectingly round Kathleen, and the moment the draught had been swallowed Kathleen threw off that loving arm and drew herself away. It hurt like a knife. Then she looked at her brothers and sisters, and it is a very terrible thing when the eyes you love look at you as though you were a stranger.
Now, it had been agreed, while still the captives were in the net, that all of them should pretend that the cup of oblivion had taken effect, that they should just keep still and say nothing and look as stupid as they could. But this coldness of her dear Cathay’s was more than Mavis could bear, and no one had counted on it.
So when Cathay looked at Mavis as at a stranger whom she rather disliked, and drew away from her arm, Mavis could not bear it, and cried out in heart-piercing tones, “Oh, Cathay, darling, what is it? What’s the matter?” before the Princess or the boys could stop her. And to make matters worse, both boys said in a very loud, plain whisper, “Shut up, Mavis,” and only the Princess kept enough presence of mind to go on saying nothing.
Cathay turned and looked at her sister.
“Cathay, darling,” Mavis said again, and stopped, for no one could go on saying “darling” to anyone who looked at you as Cathay was looking.
She turned her eyes away as Cathay looked towards the Queen-looked, and went, to lean against the royal knee as though it had been her mother’s.
“Dear little thing,” said the Queen; “see, it’s quite tame. I shall keep it for a pet. Nice little pet then!”
“You shan’t keep her,” cried Mavis, but again the Princess hushed her, and the Queen treated her cry with contemptuous indifference, Cathay snuggled against her new mistress.
“As for the rest of you,” said the Queen, “it is evident from your manner that the draught of oblivion has not yet taken effect on you. So it is impossible for me to make presents of you to those prominent members of the nobility, who are wanting pets, as I should otherwise have done. We will try another draught to-morrow. In the meantime... the fetters, Gaoler.”
A tall sour-looking Under-man stepped forward. Hanging over his arm were scaly tails, which at first sight of the children’s hearts leaped, for they hoped they were their own. But no sooner were the tails fitted on than they knew the bitter truth.
“Yes,” said the Queen, “they are false tails. You will not be able to take them off, and you can neither swim nor walk with them. You can, however, move along quite comfortably on the floor of the ocean. What’s the matter?” she asked the Gaoler.
“None of the tails will fit this prisoner, your Majesty,” said the Gaoler.
“I am a Princess of the reigning Mer House,” said Freia, “and your false, degrading tails cannot cling to me.”
“Oh, put them all in the lock-up,” said the King, “as sullen a lot of prisoners as ever I saw-what?”
The lock-up was a great building, broader at the top than at the bottom, which seemed to be balanced on the sea floor, but really it was propped up at both ends with great chunks of rock. The prisoners were taken there in the net, and being dragged along in nets is so confusing, that it was not till the Gaoler had left them that they discovered that, the prison was really a ship — an enormous ship — which lay there, perfect in every detail as on the day when it first left dock. The water did not seem to have spoiled it at all. They were imprisoned in the saloon, and, worn out with the varied emotions of the day, they lay down on the comfortable red velvet cushions and went to sleep. Even Mavis felt that Kathleen had found a friend in the Queen, and was in no danger.