"There is nothing to be afraid of. Death is something we must all face. It is a part of life. It was time for them to go. I think they were quite happy playing cards with their friends when the ship sank. They are on the waiting list for The Valley of the Bones. They will probably be gone by the time we return.” Cassandra shrugged her shoulders.
Lorelei shook her head in amazement. She wondered what the ‘The Valley of the Bones’ was but didn't ask.
Cassandra led them to the far end of the salon where the queen waited.
Queen Ophelia wore too much diamond jewelry. They sparkled so brightly it lit up the whole area. Rumor said ‘mermaids love diamonds,’ but this was overkill. Diamond rings adorned her pudgy fingers, and several bracelets collided with each other on her wrists. She even had three or four wrapped around her tail. It was a sight to see. In fact, Lorelei had to squint against the brightness.
"Is this the new Sand Scrapper I've hard so much about? Have you adjusted to our ways? Doing nothing is tiresome. It is time for you to earn your keep. How is she doing, Gemma?"
"Quite well, Your Majesty. She's trying very hard to become one of us."
Lorelei knew her first meeting with the queen wasn't going well.
"If you are to become one of us, your feet will have to disappear in a few weeks,” the queen told her.
Lorelei did not like the sound of this. Though she knew she should not speak unless the queen spoke to her, Lorelei blurted out, “I hope not."
The queen looked at her and demanded, “What did you say?"
"I do not wish to stay here."
The queen gave her a sly look. “Most Sand Scrappers feel the way you do. Once you get used to our world you won't want to leave it. You will abide by the rules and regulations of this kingdom while you are here. Do you understand me?” The queen's voice rang with the authority of one who wouldn't tolerate disobedience.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Zor will be your mate. He is one of our most prolific mermen. You have a week to decide if you will stay and become his mate. Zor is a handsome specimen and will give you many beautiful babies. He is a kind and generous merman and will treat you well."
A quite striking merman with long shoulder length hair and golden skin came before her and the queen. He was nice to look at, and Lorelei felt a twitch of longing. He was nothing like her John.
"A mermaid's job is to lure men into her arms and into the sea and make them forget their loved ones back home,” the queen informed her. “We need new blood and many more merfolk babies to add to our realm. You will be the centerpiece of my kingdom. No other undersea world possesses such an exotic mermaid.” Queen Ophelia watched Lorelei closely.
Lorelei sensed Queen Ophelia wanted her to stay because she was different from the other mermaids. She would not and could not do what the queen wanted. It seemed more like a command then a request.
Her parents brought her up to be a lady and not a temptress. Lorelei knew Queen Ophelia thought her gullible and naive. She would soon learn differently.
She could only love one man, and that was her husband John Harris, captain of the tea clipper Misty Seas. John was strong and dependable. The pirates knew to leave his ship alone. He was a fierce fighter and never lost his cargo or ship to them. He knew how to navigate his ship through the dangerous claws of The Dragon, whose reefs and rocks had ripped apart numerous ships upon entering the bay of Foochow. He always came home to her safe. When he was home and they were together, it was like heaven.
The queen wanted her to mate with Zor. Lorelei balked at the idea. The thought of her mating with another man was outrageous.
"You have a week to decide. You will obey my wishes."
"If I don't?” Lorelei asked boldly.
"There are worse things than being a mermaid. I will decide when I hear your answer."
The queen's first maid, Cassandra, stepped forward. She always listened to the other maids’ conversations, hoping to win more favors and jewels from the queen.
"He is a very good merman, and he will treat you right. It will be a good idea if you let Zor court you."
"I don't want to be courted by Zor or any other merman."
"Don't make any hasty decisions. Give it some thought. You may find you like being courted again.” A sly smile crossed the queen's face.
"I don't think so.” Still, she felt a little twinge of excitement run through her veins.
* * * *
Lorelei had a restless night. First, she thought of her love for John. But when she finally drifted off to sleep, it was Zor she dreamed of, smiling at her as though pleased he had found a mystical woman with her oriental beauty.
A gentle knock on her cabin door woke her. She eased her body out of the bed and stumbled, trying to stand on her tail.
"Just a minute.” She managed to get up again and this time stood on her feet. She threw a shawl over her shoulders to ward off the morning chill. Who would be calling at this early hour? She opened the door to see Zor's muscular body standing there. He clasped a bouquet of seashells and pearls surrounded by seaweed in his hands and smiled at her.
"I hope I didn't wake you. I came by to take you to breakfast."
"You want to take me to breakfast?” Her words came out in a jumble. Lorelei was so nervous she didn't know what else to say.
"I am sorry if my presence upsets you."
"Oh, no. On the contrary, sometimes I oversleep and do not get my chores done."
"You don't have to worry about working here."
"Why not?” Her mouth fell open in surprise.
"Gemma didn't tell you?"
"She's had little time to tell me anything about life down here."
"It's a way of teaching our young ones to appreciate what they have. The work isn't too hard. Every once in a while a storm will come and clean the ocean bottom. It will take over our homes and sweep them clean. If not, we just start over again in another sunken hull."
"That is amazing! Are the storms as bad as the ones we get topside?” She took the flowers he handed her and put them in a vase on a stand nearby.
"Sometimes they're worse. We have seaquakes that rumble through our Seacrest with a ferocity that sends everyone and everything in its path scurrying for shelter."
Lorelei didn't want to think any more about the storms and changed the subject.
"You mentioned breakfast."
"Yes, there's a nice place down by the arena. I think you will like it. It is a quiet place where we can talk."
"It sounds nice. Just let me comb my hair.” She quickly combed it, using stringweed and colored clam clips to hold her hair in place. Happy with the effect, she smiled as she turned back to him.
"I am ready now,” she replied shyly.
"You look lovely.” His eyes flashed approval.
"Thank you, Zor."
"You're nervous and not used to our ways. I thought it would be nice to go somewhere not so noisy where we could discuss our situation."
"It is very kind of you to take my feelings into consideration."
They left the cabin, and Zor took her hand. They swam to the center of Seacrest where they entered the brightly-lit hull of a ship surrounded by luscious green foliage.
"We would like a table for two, Gertie."
The hostess, an older mermaid, had her name tag prominently displayed on her sagging breasts. She led them to a table by the portholes where they could watch schools of fish swim by and also admire the beautiful sea orchids and other plants that grew in this unusual world.
Lorelei didn't want to like this world. There was so much at home waiting for her. Yet, she felt a stirring of wanting to stay. When they went to sit down, she got her feet and tail entangled with Zor's and landed in his arms. She regained her balance and slipped out of his embrace.
"A very inviting start to our relationship,” he teased.
Not so good, she thought. A feeling twitched in her belly when he was close. Zor was handsome and kind. Were her feelings
turning to him instead of John? John wasn't here, and Zor was. No, she couldn't let this happen, even though it was nice to have someone so strong and vital courting her.
The waitress came by and, without any enthusiasm, asked, “Are you ready to order?"
"What would you like, Lorelei?” Zor inquired.
She handed the menu back to the waitress. “The shrimp and turtle egg omelet with a couple of kelp pastries on the side."
"I will have the same."
Lorelei had a healthy appetite. Zor liked to see that in a Sand Scrapper. “Tell me about your family."
"My father was Scottish and always made sure we had a good breakfast. He taught my mother how to cook ‘the English way.’ It was difficult for her, though she finally got the hang of it and became quite a good cook."
"My mother didn't like to cook. She loved her art. My brother and I learned to care for ourselves. Our father was an engineer and away a lot. I took up the profession too. We were building a bridge, which we thought was quite stable. The rains came. I was checking some scaffolding, and it gave way and caused a landslide, taking several members of my crew with it. We were buried alive. We didn't have a chance. It is how I came to be here. What about you?"
"Something they call the flu. I got very sick.” She didn't like telling him that, as she had always been strong.
"Lorelei, don't ever give up. You are a Sand Scrapper. Be strong, and fight back."
"I'm trying. I have a loving husband waiting for me."
"You're very fortunate. My wife ran off with a lawyer."
"I am sorry to hear that."
"We weren't getting along. She didn't like the long separations."
"It's difficult for two people when they are in love."
"You don't wish to mate with me? You still love your husband."
"Very much so. He is going to quit the shipping business and find a land job so we can start a family. You see why I cannot mate with you?"
"Now I understand why you were so upset at the queen's announcement."
"I've never been with any other man."
The waitress delivered their meals while they were talking.
"Eat while it is hot. We have all day to talk."
"Why does the food taste so good here?” She licked her lips.
"It is just like Earthland. We have everything you have in the sea-less world. Only here we don't have to worry about predators or the carnivorous sea creatures. There is a magical fence that protects us from the rest of the sea. We have no schedules to meet, no bills to pay and no jobs to worry about. Most of the time, we're free to do what we want. Finish up, and we will go for a ride a on a plume."
"What's a plume?"
"It's a bubbling thermal spout. The hot jets of water are cooled to a warm temperature as it comes up out of vents in the seabed."
Diving into the base of the thermal spout and joyously riding the warm gushing column of invigorating bubbles shooting up to near the surface and plunging down to do it over again, they frolicked away most of the day.
It was a beautiful day. After the thermal bath, they swam along the sandy shore of the beach she had seen on her way in. They picked up shells from the sandy bottom and threw them farther out to sea. They played, splashing each other all afternoon and sunning themselves in a shady alcove. They could not stay too long because their scales would dry up and smell like dead fish.
Zor came close to her, his hair, free of the leather band, hanging over his shoulders. She thought he was so handsome.
"I want you, Lorelei, though I know you are only a Sand Scrapper and may not stay. Our way of life is better, and you will never have to worry. I'd take good care of you.” He took her in his arms and kissed her hard and long.
Before she could pull away, he kissed her neck as his hands slowly slid down to her breasts. The warmth and yearning inside her made her return his kisses with a passion she never knew she could feel. Her feelings were in a jumble when she managed to pull away from him. “I'm sorry, I can't do this. My heart has always belonged to John, and I do love him. He has filled my life with sunshine and happiness. I cannot betray him by mating with you."
"I understand,” Zor answered in an unhappy voice.
He didn't try to kiss her again. Zor had patience. He still had time to court her and make her change her mind. He understood her feelings and was confident that he would eventually succeed. Time was on his side.
That night, Lorelei was at war with her emotions. She tossed and turned and swam about her cabin, hoping it would still the haunting feeling inside her. She tried to convince herself Zor was just a passing infatuation. Were her feelings for him caused by her loneliness for John?
* * * *
Over the next few days, Zor was always near Lorelei, and her attraction to him grew. She tried to fight her emotions. Although she could stay here forever with Zor and her new friends, she didn't want that. She wanted to go home to John and her family.
At times, she imagined she could hear John calling to her, “China Blue Eyes, please come home. We love you. We need you.” It reassured her. She knew she couldn't stay.
Gemma came the next morning, all excited. “The queen insists you come right away."
"Why?” Lorelei placed the comb she had been using on the dresser near her.
"We do not question the queen. We just do it."
Lorelei realized she was luckier than most mermaids as she floated behind Gemma. She lived in a nice cabin, one just below the queen. Sometimes she wondered if that was a good thing. On occasion, the queen could be heard chastising her servants, young mermaids and mermen who lived in the kingdom. At other times when she made love with one of her brawny young merman, grunts and groans could be heard some distance away.
Lorelei brought her mind back to the present and paid more attention to her surroundings. Her heart stopped beating for a moment with what she saw. She loved ships and appreciated all the hard work that went into them, and now this beauty lay at the bottom of the South China Sea.
The ship had been made of teak and its decks still showed some sparkle. Now the yacht sat at the bottom of the bay taking a beating in the swirls and currents of the sea. Planks creaked, and at times, she thought the overhead would cave in and disappear in the restless sands.
Possibly only the friends and people who lost loved ones on this voyage would remember, and not for long. Within a few months, the ship would be buried in the sands of time and forgotten, the records showing she crashed on the rocks in The Bay of Foochow and sank with no survivors.
"I'll see you later, Lorelei ... bye, Cassie,” Gemma remarked as she swam off, smiling.
Lorelei noticed the hateful look on Cassandra's face. She didn't like being called Cassie. She had learned all the mermaids and mermen did it to infuriate her. Among the maids, she acted like she was the queen and not a lowly servant. Being First Mermaid to the Queen was an honor, but you didn't rub it into your fellow mermaids’ faces.
Lorelei followed Cassie.
It was the second time she had been here. She noticed things that did not register in her mind the first time. It must have been beautiful. Mahogany leather chairs and teakwood and rosewood tables were tossed around. Poker chips lay scattered over the pristine floor. Glasses on the bar still stood intact while others lay smashed on the floor. Liquor bottles lay in pieces, scattered about the room. Sand and debris littered the deck.
Chandeliers that were once clean and sparkling were now murky and dirty with the tides of time. The sea reflected grotesque shadows across the room.
Lorelei's body and scales rendered an offbeat tune. She felt her hands and upper body shake.
"What's the matter? You don't like what you see? Get use to it. It is our way life and how we survive down here."
There was no sympathy or tenderness in Cassie's voice for the poor souls who had died in the shipwreck. She was a good match for the queen. Both were heartless and ruthless. Cassie brought them to the end of the salon where the que
en sat waiting.
"Come here. Come here. You have kept me waiting long enough,” the queen said impatiently.
"Your Majesty, you wished to see me?” Lorelei bowed as she was expected to.
"Yes. It's about time, Lorelei. I do not like to be kept waiting."
"I'll not be late again.” She kept her gaze down, showing proper humiliation.
"See that you're not. The Sand Scrappers are getting very uppity and out of hand."
"I will try to do what is right, Your Majesty."
"See that you do, missy. I dislike disobedience and don't want to bring the subject up again, but you are forcing me to. Why won't you mate with Zor? Our merfolk's population is growing thin, and we need new blood."
When Queen Ophelia wasn't talking, she was shoving caviar and chocolates into her mouth. The very petite glass she took dainty sips from made her look ridiculous.
Lorelei wanted to laugh, but she didn't dare. Trying to keep a straight face was hard enough. More trouble was something she did not need.
The queen was padded in all the wrong places. Age and her way of life had caught up with her. She overindulged in everything she did. The queen lay back on a pink velvet chaise lounge. She was more than pleasing plump. “Come closer, my dear."
Lorelei moved forward slowly, wondering why the queen wanted a closer look at her.
"Closer, closer, my dear.” She reached over and let her pudgy hands caress Lorelei's face. “You may have guessed why I want to keep you here. No other realm has an oriental beauty like you."
"I'm not beautiful."
"Such beautiful soft, youthful skin. Oh to be so young again.” She took a strand of Lorelei's hair and rubbed it against her face, feeling its silkiness. When she let go of Lorelei's hair, she looked the girl up and down. “Now, about Zor."
"I will not mate with Zor. We are only friends.” She held her ground by looking the queen in the eye. “Friends are two people who like each other and help each other out during bad times. They don't necessarily have to love each other."
"You needn't explain. I know all about friends.” The queen didn't seem to hear what she said. “You'll make a beautiful mermaid."
Merlicious 2 Page 2