by Kara Dalkey
“Here! Let’s hide here,” Nia whispered, pointing to the highest pile of broken baskets. Nia stuffed Gobaith into one of the larger, handled baskets and then slipped between the pile and the wall. Corwin followed Nia and crouched down beside her.
As they waited and waited, Corwin was tempted to ask what had happened to the people they were avoiding. But a glance at Nia’s grim face told him to keep silent, keep waiting.
Suddenly a group of six mermyds swam into the marketplace: two women, four men. They were all wearing white tunics trimmed with black. They looked frightened but determined. The mermyds glanced around the marketplace and began to speak to one another. Corwin concentrated on trying to understand, through Nia’s mind, what they were saying.
“Tigala na fipos ya—Are you certain the noise came from here?” said one mermyd.
Corwin listened, fascinated, as his ears heard strange words but his mind knew the meaning of them.
“It was definitely this direction,” another said. “Something very large must have fallen to make such a noise.”
“Well, nothing’s fallen here. We’d better go look in the access tunnels.”
“Do we have to? We don’t know what could be lurking down there.”
“Stop whining and come on. We’ll get in trouble if we aren’t thorough.”
The mermyds swam right past the stack of baskets and down the passageway Nia and Corwin had used just moments before.
“Maybe a sinking ship struck the dome,” one was saying in the distance.
“Or there’s a volcano erupting in the rift below.”
“Maybe those land-dweller wizards we were warned about have attacked at last.”
“Ssh! You’ve been listening to rumors too much.”
Corwin turned to Nia. “Is this—”
She clamped her hand over his mouth and put her forehead against his again. Sound carries a long distance in water, she reminded him. Wait before you speak.
Corwin waited, impatiently. He peered through the baskets at the marketplace. There was a strong fishy taste in the water, as well as the taste of rotting wood and rope. He almost expected the ghosts of drowned sailors and fishermen to drift in and out of the booths.
Finally Nia spoke again, softly. “They should be far enough away now. I wonder why they were all wearing white.”
“Is that important?” Corwin asked.
“Yes—but I don’t know what it means. White’s the color of death, to my people. No clan ever wore clothing of just that color. Did you see how thin they were? They can’t be eating well. And that group was mixed-clan. Two were from the Starfish clan, and another was from the Orcas.”
“So, what does all this mean?” Corwin asked.
Nia’s face was pale in the dim light. “Ma’el has completely overturned the social order. Nothing is the same.”
“Did you expect everything to be the same?” Corwin asked, a bit baffled.
“I don’t know. When I saw that some of my people were still alive I . . . I had hoped . . .”
Corwin got the strong impression that Nia was about to cry. He put his arm around her, but she gently pushed it aside.
“No. We have a saying that the sea doesn’t need more saltwater. I don’t have time to cry.”
Corwin settled for patting her shoulder.
Suddenly, someone else swam into view. Or, actually, something. It was a dolphin, with a box strapped to its back. It paused in the center of the marketplace and bobbed its head as if sniffing around.
“Ki-ki!” Nia blurted out, and to Corwin’s shock, she rushed out from behind the pile of baskets.
When the dolphin saw her, Corwin could swear the creature’s grin got wider and happier. It did a swim-dance around Nia, like a dog overjoyed to see its master. Nia squeaked at it and rubbed its head and kissed its nose.
“Nia, shouldn’t we be hiding?” Corwin asked. “What if those other mermyds come back?”
“You don’t understand, Corwin,” Nia replied, her voice filled with joy for the first time he could remember. “This is Ki-ki. She served my family for years. I’m so glad she’s all right.”
“Yes, well, that’s all well and good, but let’s hope Ki-ki doesn’t get us kill-killed.”
Nia opened the box on the dolphin’s back and pulled out a white tunic. Then she pulled out another one. “Look! Disguises!” She tugged one of the tunics over her head and put it on. It was a little big and baggy on her. She handed the other to Corwin.
Corwin grudgingly tugged it on. It was a tight fit and didn’t hang much below his waist. He was glad to be wearing breeches. “Maybe we should swap.”
But the voices were coming back.
“I told you we wouldn’t find anything.”
“There was the damage to that filtration tube door.”
“It’s stress from the water pressure, I’m telling you. Someone should have fixed the outer hatch weeks ago. The inner hatch wasn’t made to hold back The Deep this long.”
“Our new Avatar and King have other things occupying their minds.”
“They won’t have minds left to occupy if that door blows.”
“No time to change clothes,” Nia whispered. She took up the basket that held Gobaith and said something to Ki-ki. Then she motioned to Corwin to take hold of one of Ki-ki’s side fins. As he did so, she slapped Ki-ki’s tail and the dolphin shot straight up with a thrashing of its powerful tail. They entered a vertical tube that was much smaller and narrower than the filtration tunnel—there was barely room for the three of them and the basket holding Gobaith.
Corwin heard the white-clad mermyds enter the marketplace below them, and he dared a glance down. None of the group bothered to look up. It’s just like Fenwyck used to say: People won’t bother to look for what they don’t expect to see.
Higher and higher Ki-ki carried them up the tube, until it ended, letting them out in a huge, dark room with walls of gray stone. Not much of the light from the city outside penetrated in through the wide windows. The room was filled with long tables, also made of stone, but no chairs or other furnishings. Clay jugs and urns were stacked in the corners, and baskets like the one Gobaith was in littered the floor.
“Is this some sort of factorium?” Corwin asked, using the awkward Latin word because there was no good word in his language that explained such a place.
“Food is . . . was prepared here for the noble families,” Nia replied. “I guess it’s not needed now, but it’s still sad to see it deserted like this.”
Ki-ki swam slowly around the room, nosing into some of the baskets. Nia went to one of the broad, shutterless windows. Corwin joined her there and gazed out at the city of Atlantis.
Spires and towers and balustrades and porticos and buttresses shimmered and glimmered in the blue-green light. Some buildings were faced with mother-of-pearl, some faced with colorful tiles of sand and coral. The highest tower at the center of the city was built of white marble that seemed to glow, and its spire was made of gold. Here and there, mermyds in white would flit between the buildings, some carrying little spheres emitting blue-green light. It’s so beautiful, Corwin thought. He could have stared at it for hours. Except, he reminded himself, we don’t have hours to spare.
“It’s so dismal,” Nia sighed beside him.
Corwin blinked. “If this is dismal, it must have been an amazing sight before,” he marveled.
“It was. And I never appreciated it. There used to be mermyds swimming everywhere. They’d all be wearing clothes whose colors showed what family they were from, or suits of sea-dragon-scale armor if they were palace guards. And there’d be dolphins and sea turtles carrying messages or giving people rides. That plaza over there used to be filled with merchants’ booths selling all sorts of wonderful things—pearls and coral and treasures from sunken ships. That building over there was the Academy where we all went to school. And you can’t see it from here, but that way is the Great Arena where they held races and . . .”
“.
. . and the trials for Avatar,” Corwin finished for her.
“Yes.” Nia let out a deep sigh. “I have to stop doing this. I have to forget about what was, what I’ve lost, and just concentrate on the next step.”
“Right,” Corwin said. He paused. “Um, so what is the next step?”
“I have to go to the Bluefin Palace, and see if I can learn what’s happened to my family.”
“Nia!” Corwin wanted to shake her. “Are you sure that’s the best idea? I mean, isn’t that the first place Ma’el would be expecting you to go? If he’s going to set traps for us, that would be the likely place, don’t you think?”
Nia turned and glared at him. “We need allies, Corwin. We’re not going to be able to attack Ma’el in his lair by ourselves. He’ll be too strong for us. Family members are the strongest allies you can have. You may be right, it is a risk. But we need a place to hide and plan. We need to learn what’s happened here and whether anyone will fight with us. And we’ll need help finding the you-know-what. Maybe my mother or . . . Pontus will have left a clue. We have to start somewhere.”
Corwin could feel how desperately Nia wanted to go home, to see something familiar again. Maybe she’s right. I don’t know this city or these people. Maybe our best chance is to go to her home to look for survivors. Maybe there won’t be a trap.
But I wouldn’t bet on it.
“Well, okay then,” he said. “I guess I just have to trust you. But promise me that we’ll leave at the first sign of any ambush. I don’t think poor Gobaith is up to pulling our chestnuts out of the fire again just yet.”
Nia nodded. “I understand. We’ll be careful. Ki-ki!”
The dolphin came swimming eagerly over.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea,” Corwin began, “to bring the animal with us— Ooof!” The dolphin had given him a playful nudge in the stomach that sent him drifting into the wall.
Nia sighed. “As you can see, she’d be good in a fight. Wouldn’t you, Ki-ki?” Nia bobbed her head at the dolphin.
Ki-ki nodded back and opened her mouth to display lots of sharp teeth.
“Aha,” Corwin said, not certain he felt relieved as he circled warily around the dolphin. “Does she understand what you’re saying?”
“She knows some Atlantean commands and a lot of gestures. Some mermyds say dolphins are almost as smart as we are. Land-dwellers have creatures you train in the same way, right?”
“Yes. Dogs,” Corwin said. “Only most dogs aren’t that big and powerful, and they don’t have quite as many teeth.”
Nia smiled. “Come on, let’s go.”
Ki-ki squeaked and Corwin hefted Gobaith’s basket onto Ki-Ki’s back. Nia took one fin and Corwin took the other, and out the window they went.
It was amazing to Corwin, to swim over the beautiful city, the streets and lights mostly below them. It was like flying, but slowly, and with no fear of falling. This must be how birds see the world, he thought. But better. I’ll bet even Nag would envy me. It was wonderful, enchanting, like a dream.
It’s horrible, frightening, like a nightmare, Nia thought as she gazed at the darkened, empty city below. Familiar landmarks were still there, but the mermyd citizens that had once made the places come alive were gone. Memories assaulted her—there was the place where she’d bought her first gown with her own money earned as a palace guard. Over there was where Nia had heard a Bluefin elder tell her she was qualified to be considered for the Trials for Avatar. And over there was where she and Cephan had sneaked on their first “date.”
But now there was no laughter of children and dolphins, no mermyds racing each other through the corridors between buildings, no palaces gaily lit with parties. Just a few remaining mermyds flitting about like ghosts on unknown errands for an evil king. Or maybe I’m misjudging them and they’ve escaped or rebelled against Ma’el, Nia thought. But how can I ask one without risking being betrayed to Ma’el? If only I could find one relative hiding in my family’s palace, or even just one friend who could reassure me and tell me everything’s going to be all right.
Ki-Ki unerringly guided them back to the Bluefin Palace. Nia paused and stared up at the coral stone tower with its mother-of-pearl facing, and had to fight back tears again.
“This is where you grew up?” Corwin asked.
“Yes,” Nia said. “My family’s lived here for generations.”
“It’s . . . impressive. King Vortigern himself would drop dead with envy.”
“Thanks. It’s not the grandest place in Atlantis. But it’s home.” Nia didn’t quite understand the baffled look Corwin was giving her. After all, nearly every family of any consequence in Atlantis lived in a palace. Nia gazed back at the tower and was shocked to see that the Bluefin emblem, which had hung on the tower wall, had been removed. Nia clenched her fists. Who would insult my family like that? The answer was obvious. Only Ma’el would be so cruel.
“If Vortigern had known you came from this,” Corwin went on, “he’d have allied with you in a heartbeat. In fact, he probably would have insisted you marry his son.”
This jolted a laugh out of Nia. “That young monster, Vortimer? Never! I’d marry Ma’el first—” Nia covered her mouth and looked around, but no one was nearby that she could see. “No, I wouldn’t, actually. But, really, this place isn’t as special as you think. Most people live in palaces in Atlantis. It’s different from your world.”
“That’s sure the truth,” Corwin said, his eyes wide.
Ki-ki squeaked and nudged Nia gently to get her attention. “What is it, Ki-ki?”
The dolphin swam around the corner of the building and tossed her head to indicate that Nia should follow. “Come on, Corwin. Ki-ki’s found something.”
“The last time I had a pet find something,” Corwin grumbled, “it was the start of this whole mess.”
Nia followed the dolphin down and down to a lower floor of the Bluefin tower. There was a light moving around in the lowermost hall, a formal room for receiving guests. Nia hadn’t gone into this room very often—her sleeping chamber was higher up the tower, along with the informal family dining chamber.
Nia peered in through the window. Glow lamps were hanging in the corners of the chamber. There was a niche in the far end where another symbol of the Bluefin clan had been hung. The niche was empty now. Someone moved out of the shadows up to the niche—a female fish-tailed mermyd in a golden dress. She placed something in the niche and then swam back. Once the mermyd moved away, Nia could make out what she’d hung up—it was the symbol of the Sunfish clan, here in the Bluefin Palace! Nia sucked in her breath, shocked. Why would anyone do that?
Then the mermyd swam into the light, and Nia’s heart nearly stopped with joy. “Callimar!” Nia went in through the open window, not bothering to fight back the tears.
Callimar’s mouth dropped open. “Nia!”
“What are you doing here?” they both burst out at once.
Nia rushed up to her best friend and hugged her fiercely. Callimar tentatively hugged back.
Nia let go and gazed at Callimar, amazed at how much she’d changed in so little time. Callimar was still a classic mermyd beauty, with dark, emerald green hair, golden eyes, fin-shaped ears. But she had aged and already didn’t seem anything like the carefree youth she’d been so recently. Nia realized with a start that the same could probably be said about her, though she couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked at her reflection that closely.
“Nia, you look terrible, poor thing!” Callimar said, confirming Nia’s worry. “Where have you been hiding all this time?”
“Um, around,” Nia said, not wanting to reveal too much too soon. “But I’m so glad to see you alive and well. How have you managed with the . . . changes here? You’re not even wearing white like everyone else.”
“Oh, um, it’s a long story.” Callimar’s smile had a twist of fear in it, and her gaze kept darting to the windows.
She’s afraid that someone could be listening, Nia
thought. We have to be so careful now. So much depends on everything we do and say. “Yes. We both have long stories.” Nia bit her lip, looking over at the Sunfish sign. “But, if you don’t mind, could you tell me why you’re putting the Sunfish emblem up here, in the Bluefin Palace?”
Callimar’s hands fluttered in the water and her eyes widened. “Well, you know, your family isn’t here . . . right now, and we were such good friends . . . I just . . . wanted to preserve this place, for, you know, the time when things would be better. When you and your family could come back. I wanted to see that it was taken good care of.”
Something didn’t quite ring true in Callimar’s words. She’s afraid . . . afraid of me! But why? Softly, gently, Nia asked, “Callimar, what’s happened to you? You don’t have to be so nervous with me. I’ve come back to make things right, if I can. To make Atlantis the way it was again. But I need help. I need friends.” Nia took Callimar’s hand and squeezed it.
Suddenly Callimar glanced behind Nia and jumped back. “Nia— Who’s that?”
Nia turned. Corwin had come through the window, Ki-ki right behind him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
Nia had to pause a moment to translate Corwin’s language, since she’d adjusted so quickly to speaking Atlantean with Callimar. “It’s all right, Corwin. This is Callimar. She was my best friend before . . . everything happened.” Turning to Callimar, Nia said in Atlantean, “This is Corwin.”
“Is he another one of your Stingray clan friends?” Even now, Nia sadly noted, Callimar didn’t hide the slight sneer in her voice.
“No,” Nia replied. She decided to be cautious, knowing how shocked and even more frightened Callimar might be if she knew that Corwin was part land-dweller. “He’s of the . . . Basking Shark clan.”
“Nia, there is no Basking Shark clan.”
“There is now,” Nia said firmly, raising her brows.
“Oh,” Callimar said. “And why was he talking funny?”
“It’s a . . . secret code.”
“I see.”
“Callimar, we need your help. I’m trusting you because you’re my best friend. Corwin and I want to free Atlantis from Ma’el. Don’t ask me how, yet, but we might have the power to do it. But we’ll need help. Will you help us?”