The Turquoise Queen

by Pedro Urvi

  “It’s this paradisiacal environment we’re in, it goes to my head. I’m sure there are mermaids here.”

  “There’s certainly a great idiot here.”

  Nilsa shushed them. “I can’t hear Eicewald.”

  Viggo smiled and said no more.

  “Get into the canoes,” the Turquoise Shaman ordered, with a wave of his staff.

  Eicewald turned to Lasgol and the team. “Take your weapons and equipment. We’re going with them. Don’t try anything, and be very careful not to create a situation. The Turquoise People are quite savage in the way they understand life. They’re not as civilized as we are, and don’t forget that.”

  “We’ll be very careful,” Lasgol assured him.

  Ingrid looked Viggo in the eye, and her gesture clearly said be very careful. Viggo’s gesture in response said who, me? accompanied by an innocent expression. Ingrid rolled her eyes and gave him a shove to start him on his way.

  “What about us?” Olsen asked. “What do we do?”

  “I fear they’re going to leave those guards on the beach,” Eicewald said. “Don’t leave the ship until you have no other choice. And when you do, try to explain to them why you’re doing it, and don’t confront them. They won’t attack you if you don’t pose any threat to them. I’ll try to persuade the Queen to help us repair the ship, but right now, that looks very complicated.”

  “We’ll try to repair as much as we can, and wait for news.”

  “Fine, Captain. See you soon.”

  “I hope so.”

  Eicewald went down himself to the canoes, with the team following him. The savages on the beach let them pass to the edge of the water, which was such a clear blue that you could see the white sandy bottom. Four canoes approached, with several turquoise savages sitting side by side, rowing with short wooden oars. When the canoes reached the shore, they indicated with signs that they should board. Eicewald took the first canoe, Astrid and Lasgol the second, and Lasgol gestured to Ona to sit between them. The turquoise savages were not very happy about carrying the panther, but when they saw that she obeyed Lasgol, they finally allowed her to get on board. Nilsa and Gerd took the third canoe, and Ingrid and Viggo the last.

  Camu, go with Viggo. Let him know you’re with him, but don’t attract attention.

  I warn.

  Lasgol saw Viggo reach the canoe. At that moment, Camu licked his hand.

  “What –” he began, but fell silent. He turned to Lasgol, who nodded.

  Viggo gave a snort. He nodded back to Lasgol, then as Ingrid climbed into the canoe, whispered something into her ear. Unobtrusively, they left a wide space between them.

  The savages pushed the canoes into the water, climbed into them and began to row with their flat oars toward the other boats. Lasgol and Astrid exchanged glances. They were on their way to see the Queen, accompanied by a hundred turquoise savages, and the mission seemed have taken a wrong turn. A very wrong turn.

  Chapter 25

  The canoes made their way across a transparent turquoise-blue sea which allowed them to see the sea-bed of white sand inshore and the colorful coral reefs further out to sea. Lasgol was unable to take his eyes off the paradise around them: the still waters, the exotic beaches with their fine white sand and the tropical vegetation had him enchanted. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. With each stroke of the oars, they seem to be going deeper into an environment which had been created by gods who had themselves emerged from the waters, led by their desire to shape an environment of sea and land as warm and colorful as it was fathomlessly beautiful.

  Astrid gestured around her. “This place is amazingly lovely,” she whispered.

  “I couldn’t have imagined anywhere like this in my wildest dreams,” Lasgol admitted. “It’s amazing. I’m absolutely under its spell.”

  “Our snowy land with its mountains and valleys and the freezing cold that covers it the whole year long is very beautiful, but I have to admit that this place, since it’s the complete opposite, might even be more beautiful …”

  “I’m not going to argue, even though I love Norghana and her snowy landscapes.”

  “It might be just because of the novelty, and it’ll fade away as soon as we get more used to these surroundings.”

  Lasgol smiled faintly. “I don’t know why, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case.”

  Ona, crouching in front of Lasgol, was absorbed in watching the schools of intensely colorful fish swimming under the canoes. Lasgol stroked her, trying to keep her calm. A strange bird with a long yellow bill and green feathers flew past the canoe, and at once she followed it with her gaze and stiffened. The environment might be new and surprising for them, but it was even more so for his two inseparable companions.

  Take it easy, enjoy the landscape and don’t move in the canoes, Lasgol transmitted to both of them. He glanced toward the canoe where Ingrid and Viggo were traveling to make sure Camu was doing nothing to reveal himself. If he was found out, they would find themselves in deep trouble. Those turquoise savages did not seem the understanding type: far from it.

  We calm, Camu summarized. Lot of transparent water, fish and beaches. Lot of heat.

  Bear with the heat as best you can. I don’t think it’ll be long before we get to wherever they’re taking us, and there’ll be some shade. Don’t get distracted by the fish or the exotic birds.

  Not distract.

  Oh yeah, that’d be the first time …

  They passed several small islands and circled around two bigger ones. The savages steered their canoes close to the islands, so that they were able to appreciate their exotic, tropical beauty. On several of the islands turquoise savages were fishing or catching birds. Some came down to the beach and rocks to greet the canoes as they went by. Lasgol realized that all these islands were inhabited, which meant that the turquoise people was scattered all over the archipelago. On nearly all the beaches they glimpsed those unusual canoes, very similar to the ones they were on themselves. Some seemed built for fishing, others for moving cargo, judging by the way they had been strengthened with long wide planks to support heavy loads.

  What they discovered on the next island left them all open-mouthed. In front of one of the white sand beaches they saw twenty or so huts, except that these were built on the water. They rose from sea-level and seemed to be floating on the quiet turquoise water.

  “They can’t be floating!” Astrid exclaimed.

  “It’s not possible,” Lasgol reasoned. “The sea would wash them away,”

  “Look, there’s a long boardwalk between them and the beach.”

  Now they were closer, Lasgol could see them better: round huts with pointed roofs made of wood, fern and ropes. They did not float, but were held to the bottom by supporting pillars, in the same way as quays were built in Norghana.

  Astrid pointed to a spot not far from the strange huts. “There are people in the water.”

  “What are they doing?” Lasgol asked in puzzlement. He could see them quite well thanks to the transparency of the water.

  “They’re diving … and judging by the time they spend underwater without surfacing for air, I’d say they’re expert at it.”

  Watching them, Lasgol realized what Astrid meant. They were not fishing, but instead seemed to be picking something from the bottom. It took them an eternity to resurface to breathe. For a moment he thought one or two of them were going to drown, but instead they came up to breathe far beyond the time a normal person could have gone without air underwater.

  “They seem to be very well adapted to the water,” he commented. “I’ve no idea what they’re doing, but they’re amazing divers, better than any I’ve ever seen.”

  “I get the impression they’re picking something up from the bottom. It could be oysters, or looking for pearls to wear, or to use for trade.”

  “Yeah, that could be, assuming pearls here are as valuable as in other parts of Tremia.”

  “Or it might be fo
r coral … although I don’t know what they’d use it for.”

  As they passed near the houses, they saw people inside. Some of them came out to greet them as the canoes passed. Others were resting, others repairing the boardwalk and one of the houses.

  “This place is more and more fascinating,” Astrid commented.

  “It certainly is. I wonder what other surprises we’re going to find.”

  She winked at him. “See what comes,” she said, and smiled mischievously.

  The canoes went on through colorful coral reefs of immense beauty. At last, they came to a much bigger island than the ones they had left behind or seen in the distance. It appeared to be round, completely surrounded by a wide, deserted beach almost as white as the snowy lands of Norghania. However, behind this beach there was no jungle and no rocks as with the others they had seen, but instead a rocky hillside: a tapestry of green more than a hundred and twenty feet high. As they went closer they could see that the whole island was like this except for a section where a huge waterfall poured down from the top of that rocky wall into the sea. This was the only part where the beach vanished, swallowed up by the waterfall on its way to the sea. Its roar contrasted with the peaceful silence that held sway over the waters around the great island. Stranger still was the fact that there seemed to be no way to the interior through that great wall of natural rock that surrounded the island.

  “That must be the main island, where the Turquoise Queen lives,” Astrid said. “I can’t see an entrance. Can you?”

  Lasgol used his Gift and called upon his Hawk’s Eye skill, but although he looked thoroughly, he could see no entrance or passage, either natural or man-made.

  “I can’t see the whole island, but at the moment I can’t see any way in.”

  “If I’m not mistaken, that’s not a normal mountainside. It looks like … I don’t know … not a mine … a …”

  “It looks like a volcano,” said Lasgol.

  “Yes, that’s it. I couldn’t place it in my mind, but that’s it. I’d say it’s – or else it was once – a volcano.”

  “With no way in …”

  “There must be some way in, if they’re taking us there.”

  Lasgol nodded in agreement, though at that moment he could not see how that could be. Perhaps on the other side of the island there would be an entrance which they could not see from this side. They would soon find out.

  The canoes arrived at the island and waited twenty paces from the beach. The water around this island was even more transparent and turquoise than around the others, as if they emanated a yet-greater purity.

  Arrain, Shaman of Life and Sea, stood up and waved his hand. One of his companions took out a huge conch, put it to his mouth and blew hard. There came a long, deep call, as if from the very depths of the ocean. He repeated the call twice more, then put the conch away. Nobody spoke. They seemed to be waiting for something. Viggo exchanged looks with the rest of the team and made faces, suggesting that he was not pleased with this. Lasgol and Astrid also exchanged expectant glances. How were they going to get into the island without even leaving the canoes?

  All of a sudden fins appeared in the water, approaching from the east. Lasgol feared the worst: sharks. But when they were closer they realized that these were dolphins, and this astounded him. The animals had come to the call of the turquoise savages. He wondered why they had come.

  Ona and Camu were very excited at the sight of the dolphins, and Lasgol had to calm them down.

  Stay still, the two of you. They’re dolphins, I know, and no, we can’t play with them, or adopt them either. So quiet, both of you. Don’t make any trouble, please.

  Dolphins pretty. Smart.

  So they are, but they’re free creatures and they seem to be friends of the Turquoise Queen, so let’s not have any trouble.

  I never trouble.

  Oh yeah? Then it must be Ona.

  The panther moaned.

  Lasgol petted her, Ona good. I know Camu’s the naughty one.

  Arrain spoke in the language of the natives. The dolphins emitted the characteristic sounds of their species and headed to the island. Shortly afterwards, they dived and vanished from sight. The Shaman turned round and explained deferentially: “I have warned the Queen of our arrival. We are requesting permission to enter her dwelling. Her beloved creatures will announce us and come back with the reply.”

  “Frankly astonishing,” Astrid whispered to Lasgol.

  “Everything in this otherworldly place is truly interesting and extraordinary.”

  “Let’s see what happens now. Quite honestly, I’m intrigued.”

  “No more than I am,” Lasgol said with a smile. Astrid winked at him and smiled back.

  While the canoes waited in the quiet waters for the dolphins to come back, nobody moved or spoke. It was as though speaking would offend the savages, as though the waiting were a kind of ritual. Lasgol thought that it might be just that, and that they were doing it out of respect. Since nobody moved or spoke, they did the same, waiting for a reply from the Queen and her marine envoys.

  He thought how different this wonderfully warm setting was from his beloved Norghana, and how far they were from their own country, as if they had sailed until they were lost in the immensity of the sea to reach this place. The arrival of the dolphins brought him out of his reverie and back to reality. They could be seen leaping out of the water on their way to Arrain’s canoe. The Shaman stood up and spread his arms wide, said something in his own language and then turned to the group of visitors.

  “What is the wish of Uragh, Turquoise Queen of Life and Sea?” he translated.

  The dolphins moved their flukes underwater, leaving half their bodies out of the water and nodded with affirmative whistles.

  Lasgol was left breathless, and Astrid muffled a cry of surprise. Their friends’ faces were as astonished as theirs at what they were seeing.

  “The Turquoise Queen permits us to enter her dwelling,” Arrain announced. “We will follow her guards.” He indicated the dolphins, which were already swimming toward the island. The turquoise savages began to row, and the canoes followed the beautiful sea creatures.

  “How d’you think we’re going in?” Astrid asked Lasgol in a whisper.

  “The dolphins are heading for the waterfall.”

  “The force of the fall is tremendous. It’ll crush us if we go any closer.”

  “That’s what I think too, but that’s where we’re heading.” He looked back. “And it’s only us going.”

  And it was true: the other canoes that had escorted them were not moving. Only the canoes they themselves were in were moving, and they were doing so in the direction of the waterfall.

  Ingrid and Viggo arched their eyebrows inquisitively, revealing the same concern Astrid and Lasgol were feeling. In the other boat nearby, Gerd’s face was as white as the Norghanian snow, and Nilsa’s as red as the restlessness she felt and the impossibility of moving in the small canoe. Lasgol signaled them to stay calm. They were going in somehow, of this he was sure, and he did not believe they would all die in the process. Although he could be wrong, but in that case the results would be catastrophic. They would die, and with them the hope of saving their kingdom. Norghana would fall into the hands of the Peoples of the Frozen Continent.

  Arrain and Eicewald were in the leading canoe, apparently unconcerned that they were heading straight for the waterfall. The roaring of the water thundered in their ears, and the splashing of the waterfall as it broke reached them in the form of a damp mist which soaked them from head to foot.

  “We’re going headlong,” Astrid said. She held fast to the edge of the canoe with both hands, because she was beginning to feel the strength of the turbulence from the fall, which was making her unsteady. Lasgol followed her example, and their friends did the same. The turquoise savages went on rowing toward the waterfall as if nothing were amiss.

  Suddenly Arrain rose to his feet, as if he felt nothing of the mo
vement of the canoe. He said something to one of his companions, who gave another call on his strange, enormous conch. Everybody waited expectantly, even the dolphins, which had not gone away and were waiting in front of the great waterfall.

  Magic. Powerful, Camu warned Lasgol.

  Where? Who?

  But before Camu could reply, he was able to see it with his own eyes. The great waterfall emitted a strange blue flash first from the top, then down through the flow of water that broke below, as far as the sea: a great outburst of an intense sea-blue. An instant later the falling water parted in two, revealing a way through.

  “Now that’s something I wasn’t expecting!” cried Astrid.

  “Camu warned me of very powerful magic. It’s the Turquoise Queen.”

  “If she’s capable of doing that …”

  “… Then she’ll be able to do a lot more. So, we’d better tread carefully.”

  Gerd was totally white from head to foot. Nilsa had folded her arms and was showing her anger in the form of a scowl because of the use of magic. Viggo looked impressed, and Ingrid’s eyes were half-closed. But she looked fearless, ready to face whatever might come next.

  At Arrain’s order, the canoes set off again. The dolphins went into the pass which had opened up within the waterfall. As they came closer, they could see that behind the waterfall was a long tunnel, which led from one side of the wall to the other. When the canoes were all inside the tunnel there came another blue flash, and the flow of water closed again, shutting off the entrance.

  “The dolphins came in through here, underwater, avoiding the waterfall,” said Astrid. She now understood how they had managed to enter the heart of the island.

  Lasgol smiled, trying to lighten the tension they were all feeling as a result of all these strange events and landscapes. “I’m glad they didn’t make us dive like them.”

  “Me too,” Astrid smiled back. “And I’m sure Camu and Ona are too.”

  I dive very well.

  Ona not so much.

  True. And I haven’t seen you dive a lot. Can you really swim underwater?