The door swung open and Julia was engulfed in pandemonium. The members of the clan were more excited, if possible, than they had been the first time they had met her. Cries of “Julia!” and “Alani!” filled the air, and she was embraced by hundreds of loving arms. She saw Lorelei with a big smile on her face and Triton with a bigger one. He approached and took hold of her hands in his formal manner.

“Princess, it’s so good to see you back safely. But where is Odin?”

“He isn’t here?” Julia was shocked, then realized that of course he wouldn’t have had time to reach the home grotto yet.

“What do you mean?” Triton looked worried. “Didn’t he come back with you?”

Julia explained what had happened, leaving out the details about Chac. Even so, she saw a shadow cross Triton’s face at the mention of the young fisherman who had behaved so gallantly. He’s jealous! thought Julia.

The young merman called several of the other mermen.

“A patrol should go to meet Odin,” he said. “He’s going to be tired and discouraged since he thinks we’ve lost Alani, and he may be less careful than usual.” The others agreed and went to get ready. Julia was impressed by Triton’s obvious authority. She said,

“I suppose you’ll tell him as soon as you meet him that I’m back.”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we?”

“I just thought it would be fun to surprise him.” Her face reddened as she realized how infantile—and how selfish—she sounded.

Triton said gently, “You must understand how much he is suffering from having lost you. It would be cruel to keep him in ignorance.”

Julia nodded, her cheeks burning. “Can I go to my room to rest now? I’m exhausted.”

Triton was solicitous. “Of course, Princess. I’m sorry I didn’t suggest it myself.”

Julia turned away and swam toward her chamber. She had barely fallen asleep when she was awakened by an explosion of noise in the main room. Putting up her bed, she swam out into the crush of merpeople around Odin. The crowd parted, and he turned to her. His eyes were joyful at the sight of her, but his face was haggard from the intense grief he had experienced. He held out his arms and she rushed into them.

“Alani, I thought we had lost you forever. How in the sea did you escape?”

Laughing and crying, she hugged him, surprised by the force of her emotions. “It was easy. I had help.”

“From a human?” Odin looked grave. Triton nodded, mirroring Odin’s look. Julia rushed to reassure them.

“You don’t have to worry, really! I know this boy would never try to find us or tell other humans about us.” She remembered Chac’s earnest face and the unguarded admiration with which he had looked at her. “He risked his life to free me, so why would he tell anyone else about me? Besides, the place he released me is a half-day’s journey down the coast.”

“You swam all that way and managed to find the grotto on your own?” Odin looked impressed.

“Well, if you can do it, why shouldn’t I?” answered Julia. Now it was Triton’s turn to look at her in admiration.

“I’d like to say, Princess. . .” He stopped, embarrassed.

“What?” Julia said, laughing at his formality.

“I think you’re going to make an excellent queen.” The others nodded.

Julia looked around. There were Triton, Odin, Lorelei, the little red-haired girl who had brought her breakfast the first morning—what was her name?—oh, yes, Coral, and a few others she had met but whose names she had forgotten. Then there were all the other members of the clan she had yet to meet. She saw Amphitrite, Sirena and Calypso at the back of the crowd, nodding at her benignly. Odin was smiling and shaking his head as if he still couldn’t believe it. Julia felt a rush of affection for them all; these were her people and they really cared about her.

“How’s Nereus?” Julia asked Odin.

“He was upset when I told him what had happened to you, more upset than I thought a hermit could be. I wouldn’t have credited him with that much emotion.”

“Poor Nereus! Is there no way we can let him know of my escape?”

“I’m afraid not,” Odin began, and then, with his old joking spirit, “unless you’d like me to swim there tomorrow.”

“That would be a nice gesture,” responded Julia. Both she and Odin laughed at the horrified expressions on the faces of the rest.

They were interrupted by a call from the dining room, where a feast had been prepared to welcome them. It was a merry atmosphere, with much laughter and joking about Julia’s encounter with the fishermen. Finally Triton asked Odin what had happened at the merscholars’ grotto.

“I had almost forgotten about that, in the excitement of Alani’s escape,” chuckled the old merman. “There was good news and bad news. The good news is they assured Alani that she will find the ring. The bad news is that they couldn’t tell her when or where.”

There was a moment’s silence, then Triton said, “We’ll start looking first thing tomorrow. We’ll comb the coral reefs and the sea bottom from here to Xcaret. I know it’s been done, but this time we’ll literally leave no stone unturned. Who wants to help?”

Several eager hands went up, including Julia’s. Odin smiled as he looked around the table. “I’m glad to see so much support. I feel confident leaving the search in younger hands. Right now I feel as if I could sleep until you find the ring!”

Julia agreed. Her nap had taken the edge off her weariness, but with the heavy meal, she felt as if her head would start nodding at any moment. The party broke up and the conquering heroes went to their rooms for a well-deserved night’s sleep.

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“Julia?” He pointed toward the hatch. “You’d better give me your parents’ address and your message. Dawn’s coming fast.” Through the cracks around the hatch door Julia could see that the sky was lightening.

Julia was about to start dictating, but then stopped as she realized her parents didn’t know Spanish. She laughed and held out her hand for the pencil and paper. As she scribbled a message, she asked Chac if he had a telephone.

“A telephone? No. But we do have a post office. I can’t guarantee it’ll get there soon, but with luck it will arrive.”

Julia asked, “Could we arrange a time to meet again? Perhaps in a couple of months? Do you think that would give them enough time to write back?”

“I think so. Where shall we meet?”

“I don’t know where we are. Is your village near Xcaret, by any chance?”

“It’s down the coast a few kilometers.”

“And where are we right now?”

“We’re getting close to port. In fact, if I don’t get you out of here in the next five minutes, you may be traveling the country in a circus trailer after all.”

Relief flooded her. That meant she was close to the grotto. She finished her letter and handed the notebook and pencil to Chac. “What do you want me to do?”

“There’s not much you can do, with that tail. Just hold on to me and I’ll pull us both up. It’s a good thing I ate plenty of beans last night- I have a feeling I’m going to need my strength!”

“Are you saying I’m fat?” Julia retorted.

“Not you, just your tail. Now, put your arms around my neck.”

Chac knelt close to her and she wrapped her arms around his neck, averting her face. He stood up with an effort and reached up to push back the hatch. Then he took hold of the opening with both hands and hoisted them up. The next thing Julia knew, they were lying on deck. With a fluid motion, Chac sprang to his feet and looked around. It was not yet dawn, but there was a band of paler blue along the horizon. He bent and picked her up, cradling her.

“We haven’t said where we’re going to meet,” Julia said, reluctant to leave the comfort of his strong arms.

He stood at the rail and pointed with his chin to an indistinct mass in the sea. “Do you see that island?” She squinted into the pale dawn light.

“I see it.”

“There. In 60 days. Whether I’ve had a reply from your parents or not.”

“Yes. Whether I’ve found the ring or not,” she answered. “Which way is Xcaret?”

He pointed along the coastline. After a second’s hesitation, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodbye, Princess,” he said softly.

“Bye,” she stammered, flustered. He opened his arms and she felt herself falling through the cool morning air, entering the water with a resounding splash. Bobbing to the surface and looking back at the lone figure silhouetted against the lightening sky, she waved and called, “Thank you for everything!”

He raised his hand and turned away. Julia looked around to get her bearings, dived and began swimming through the dark water as fast as she could in the direction of home.

Chapter Twenty: Home Again

The sun was high and the water transparent by the time Julia reached the first bank of coral reefs. She relaxed, remembering that Lorelei had told her sharks rarely swam among the reefs. She felt proud she had managed to come this far on her own. All morning she had stayed as close to the coastline as she dared, surfacing every ten minutes or so to make sure she wasn’t wandering out to sea. Now if she could just remember which coral reef the grotto was in! She swam on, trying to picture it in her mind, but they all looked the same.

Suddenly a large dark shape flitted by her, and another. Julia froze as she saw the fins on their backs. As they turned and swam back toward her, however, she saw by their rounded beaks and familiar whimsical expressions that they were dolphins. Faint with relief, she waved her hand and called, “Excuse me?”

One of the dolphins came up to her and nuzzled her cheek. She remembered that the dolphin she had met with Odin had done the same thing and realized it must be a form of greeting. “What are you doing out here all by yourself, little princess?” it asked her in its funny, chattery voice.

“I was captured by a fishing boat, but I managed to escape.” Julia thought it was better not to go into detail. “I’m trying to find my way back to my grotto. Can you help me?”

The other dolphin said, “The Xcaret grotto? Of course, it’s just ahead. Come with us, we’ll take you there.” The first dolphin noted that she looked tired and asked if she would like a ride.

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble,” Julia said, blushing.

“No trouble at all, dear, just take hold of my fin!” Julia did so, and both dolphins surged forward through the water as she held on for dear life. After a wild ride of twenty minutes or so, including several roller-coaster-like leaps out of the water, they came to a halt in front of a giant coral reef.

“Here you are!” one announced. “There’s the entrance down there.”

Julia thanked them and they swam away. She dived through the sunlit water till she reached the sandy bottom and the narrow entrance tunnel. As she entered it, she realized how tired she was. She thought how good her little bed of lavender bubbles would feel. At the door, she attempted to produce the series of notes that Lorelei had sung when they arrived. Though they didn’t sound as otherworldly as they had when Lorelei had sung them, they did the trick.

The door swung open and Julia was engulfed in pandemonium. The members of the clan were more excited, if possible, than they had been the first time they had met her. Cries of “Julia!” and “Alani!” filled the air, and she was embraced by hundreds of loving arms. She saw Lorelei with a big smile on her face and Triton with a bigger one. He approached and took hold of her hands in his formal manner.

“Princess, it’s so good to see you back safely. But where is Odin?”

“He isn’t here?”

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Chapter Nineteen: Free Again

            She was awakened by the sound of the hatch cover being slid back and saw Chac’s face framed by the starry sky. He held a finger to his lips and jumped lightly down into the water, leaving the hatch ajar so the hold was dimly illuminated by the moonlight. He handed her something wrapped in a dishtowel, then hoisted himself onto the shelf which jutted out from the side of the hold and crossed his legs. Julia pulled off the dishtowel and found a plate of black beans with tortillas. She dug in, thinking nothing had ever tasted so good. And she had thought she didn’t like beans! Watching her eat, Chac smiled.

“What?” she demanded rudely through a mouthful of food.

“I never imagined a mermaid, especially a princess, eating beans and tortillas.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “They say you learn something new every day.”

When she had finished, she wiped her mouth with the towel and leaned back, satisfied. Chac extracted a small notebook and a pencil stub from his pocket.

“Oh, good!” Julia gave a sigh of relief. “I was afraid you wouldn’t bring anything to write with.”

“What do you think I am? A dumb fisherman?” Chac laughed.

“Why are you a fisherman, now that you mention it?” Julia asked. “You don’t seem the type, with your interest in merpeople.”

“It’s the only thing I can do to make a living. My village is tiny, and the land around it is dense jungle, no good for farming. Most families move away to look for work in the city. The ones that stay make their living from the sea.”

“Didn’t you think of moving away too?”

“I’ve never wanted to because it’s so important to me to be close to the water.”

“What about your family?”

“There’s just my great-grandma and me. I’m the youngest, and my brothers and sisters all moved away years ago. They’ve never been back and I’ve lost touch with them. And my parents. . .” He hesitated.

“Yes?”

“My parents were killed a few years ago in a hurricane that devastated our village.”

Julia put a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah.” Chac looked down. They were quiet for a couple of moments. Then he said, “You were going to tell me how I can get a message to your parents? Aren’t they in the ocean?”

“Well, it’s like this. I’m not really a mermaid.”

Chac looked at her tail. “You’re not?”

“I am, but I’m not. Let me explain.” She told him the story from the beginning, about finding the crown, meeting Lorelei and the rest of the grotto’s inhabitants and going to see the merscholars with Odin. “So you see, I’ve only been a mermaid for a few days,” she finished. “That’s why I’m so anxious to send a message to my parents. They think I’m dead.”

“You might as well be, if they’ll never see you again.”

“Don’t say that! I have every intention of seeing them again.”

“How are you planning to do that, if you’re queen of the merclan?”

Julia felt the familiar twinges of guilt. “I’m not planning to stay, if and when I do find the ring.”

His jaw dropped. “You mean you would give up the opportunity to live as a mermaid?”

“Yes! Yes, I would!” she shouted, suddenly furious. He put his finger to his lips, hushing her.

“Calm down! I was only asking.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sick to death of people—merpeople—looking at me as if I were some kind of monster when I say I miss my family! I’m human, dammit! I don’t want to be a mermaid!”

Taken aback by her anger, Chac said, “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that if I were in your place I’d be the happiest person in the world.” He shook his head. “To get to live in the sea. I’d give anything.”

“I guess it takes all kinds.”

Chac said carefully, “I don’t want to make you mad again, but don’t you think you have a responsibility to the clan? They’re your family too.”

Julia sighed. “I know. That’s what the elders say. There’s no doubt Leilani was my ancestor. I look just like her. Pretty amazing, with 150 years between us. It’s not as though I’d be suffering. They’ve all been really nice to me.”

“And just think of the adventures you’d have!” Chac said. “As queen, with your magic powers! To begin with, you could set the dolphins at Xcaret free.”

Julia looked at him. “What made you say that?”

“I don’t know. That’s the first thing I would do if I were king. They are your cousins, aren’t they?”

“Yes.”

“You haven’t told me about life in the grotto. What do you eat, if you don’t eat fish?”

Julia explained. Next she told him what little she had learned from Odin and Lorelei about the political and social organization of the grottoes, and about the merscholars’ grotto. Chac was captivated, asking her one question after another. Julia was surprised at her own enthusiasm about mersociety and its obvious advantages over human society.

“There’s no war?” Chac asked her at one point.

“The way Odin and Nereus described it to me, I don’t think so. For one thing, merpeople don’t like to be out in the ocean because it’s too dangerous, so they keep to themselves. Each clan is an independent unit living in its own grotto, and there are enough grottoes to go around. So what would there be to go to war about?”

“Sounds like a perfect society. No pollution, no wars, no slavery.”

“It does seem that way, but remember, I don’t know much about it. I’ve only been there a few days. On the other hand, their lives seem pretty limited. Can you imagine spending your whole life in one grotto, without ever seeing the rest of the ocean?”

“That’s true, but with your magic powers, you’ll be able to go wherever you want.”

“It’s scary out there, though. Besides, who’s to say I’ll find the ring?”

“Didn’t the merscholars say you would?”

“Yes, but they didn’t say when. I might not find it for another hundred years!” She thought for a minute and then said, “Ohmigosh.”

“What?”

“I just realized my parents and friends might be dead before I become human again!”

“Don’t think that way. I bet you’ll find the ring much sooner than that. In the meantime, you ought to try to make the most of this experience. You don’t realize how lucky you are! Stop thinking about your human life and what you’ve left behind. You have no choice anyway—for now, at least, you’re a mermaid. Think about what you’re living right now! That’s all any of us have, the moment. Maybe in time you’ll get to love being a mermaid and you’ll decide not to go back.”

Chac was right, of course. Julia resolved to stop thinking about the past. At least now that she had met Chac her parents would learn she was still alive. The thought comforted her. And who knew? Maybe she could arrange to see them even if she remained a mermaid.

 

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Chapter Eighteen: Chac

            The hatch suddenly slid back. She squinted upward. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the face of a boy, probably not much older than she was. Straight black hair hung over his forehead, and a pair of honest blue eyes smiled at her from a dark, handsome face. He spoke.

“Are you all right?”

Julia was so surprised at being addressed directly that she answered before she remembered that she didn’t want the fishermen to know she could talk. She clapped her hand over her mouth.

“What’s wrong?” The boy glanced around and in one lithe movement jumped into the hold, pulling the cover almost closed over his head. He was barefoot and wore a pair of ragged shorts. He squatted down in the shallow water and stared at her, an expression of admiration on his face. Julia huddled in the corner, watching him.

“Come on, say something. I already know you can talk.” The boy smiled at her. Julia looked into his friendly blue eyes and decided to trust him. He asked, “What’s your name?”

“Julia. What’s yours?”

“Chac.”

“Chac? I’ve never heard a name like that.”

“It’s Mayan.”

“Listen,” said Julia. “Before I say anything else, you’ve got to promise me you won’t tell the others I can talk.”

Chac laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not in the habit of telling them my secrets.” He stared at her again.

“Why do you look at me like that? You’re making me feel uncomfortable.”

“I’ve never seen a mermaid before! Wouldn’t you stare?”

“Yes, I guess I would,” Julia admitted.

“And it’s not just that,” continued the boy. “All my life I’ve been interested in merpeople. Maybe because I’ve always lived by the ocean. I’ve read everything I can find about them, and when I was a little boy I used to sit out on the rocks for hours, staring out to sea and hoping I would see a mermaid.”

“Did you think they—we, I mean—existed?”

“Well, I hoped you existed, and now I know you do! Are you a princess?”

Julia touched her crown. “It’s a long story.”

“Will you tell me? Will you tell me everything about your life? What you eat, how you live. . .everything?” He sounded like a little boy. Julia laughed.

“What do I get in return?”

He became serious, gazing at her intensely. “I’ll release you.”

“You would do that? What about the others? They’ll kill you if you let me go!”

“They’re going to be pretty mad. But I’m not afraid. I would’ve had to let you go, even if you hadn’t talked to me. I could never let them put you in a circus.”

“Wow.” Julia was impressed by his courage. She thought for a moment. Did she really want to be released? Yes, of course, she realized. As a mermaid she still had the possibility of finding the ring and becoming human again, whereas if she were a sideshow attraction, she would live the rest of her life as a freak. She shuddered. How could she have considered it for a second? “It’s a deal. How are you going to let me go?”

“Easy. I’ll volunteer for guard duty tonight. They’ll go for it. They’re all fat and lazy—they’ll be glad they won’t have to lose any sleep.”

“How were you able to come here? Aren’t you worried someone will see you?”

“No, they’re all taking their siestas. They don’t get up till four.” He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have much time. Can we talk more tonight?”

“Sure,” said Julia. “Do you think you could let me go around dawn? I mean, not in the middle of the night. It’s scary swimming in the dark.” She shivered, thinking of the sharks.

“I guess so,” said Chac. “Maybe a little before dawn. They get up pretty early.”

Julia had a sudden brainstorm. She bounced a little in the water with excitement. “Chac!”

“What?”

“Could you do me a HUGE favor? Please, you don’t know how important it is to me!”

“Of course, if I can. What is it?”

“Do you think you could get a message to my parents?”

“Your parents?”

Julia laughed at his expression. “I guess I’m going to have to tell you the whole story.”

“Definitely! It sounds even more interesting than I thought. But listen,” he glanced at his watch again. “We’d better not talk now. They’ll be waking up soon.” He stood up and looked around, his shorts dripping water. “Can I get you anything?” His eyes fell on the fish. “You don’t eat fish?”

“Would you if you had one of these?” she answered, pointing to her tail.

“I guess not. You must be hungry, though. Let’s see. I can get you some tortillas and beans from the kitchen. Would that be all right?”

“It sounds wonderful. I’m starving!”

“I don’t think I can get it to you till tonight. Can you hold out another few hours?”

“If I have to,” Julia said. Her stomach was rumbling already.

“Look, I’ve got this,” Chac said, pulling a soggy chocolate bar from his pocket. “Do you want it?”

“Do I! If you knew how long it’s been since I’ve had chocolate!”

Chac said, “Better be quiet now; there might be someone around. I’ll see you in a while. I can get rid of these for you.” He took the fish, which had begun to smell, in one hand, and reached up with the other, sliding the hatch cover back. Tossing the fish through the hatch, he pulled himself up in one lithe movement, peering around before hauling himself through the hole. With a quick wave, he slid the cover over the hold and was gone.

The next few hours crawled by. Julia floated, composing messages for her parents. She hoped Chac would remember to bring paper and pencil. Life was amazing, she reflected. Here she was, resigned to being a circus attraction and now everything had changed and she would be going back to her grotto after all. She could imagine Odin’s face when he saw her. If she made it, that is. She didn’t have the faintest idea of where they were. Maybe they had been traveling in the opposite direction! Her stomach did a flip-flop at the prospect of being lost in the ocean.

Her thoughts turned to Chac. He seemed so foreign, with his dark skin and Mayan features, but she already felt they were friends. And those eyes! Bluer even than hers. She smiled. He was cute. It was a good thing she had the power to understand him, because her Spanish was almost non-existent. She was only up to Spanish 102 in school. . . She dozed off.

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Chapter Seventeen: The Fishing Boat

The day dawned as gray as Julia’s spirits. After taking leave of the merscholars, they set out on the long swim back to Nereus’ grotto. Julia swam behind the old merman, barely responding when he pointed out new types of sea creatures. Odin himself seemed depressed, though he tried to cheer her up. The morning passed slowly, and even their lunch, eaten in the open air on a little rocky outcropping, failed to summon a smile to Julia’s lips. Odin watched her gravely and said little.

It was not long after their stop that Julia was roused from her lethargy by a shadow falling across her. She looked up and saw a long dark object on the surface of the water. Before she had time to ask Odin about it she felt an odd sensation, as though she had blundered into a giant cobweb. She lifted her hands to brush it away and felt thin strong strands pressing into her everywhere. She took a few of the threads between her fingers and brought them close to her eyes. Panic flooded her as she realized she was caught in a net.

She screamed and began to thrash about. Odin, swimming a few lengths ahead, turned and raced back to her. He seized the strands of the net in his powerful hands and tried to pull them apart. The net held fast. He tried again, without success.

“Look for the way out! There has to be an opening!” he commanded her in a low, terse voice.

Julia turned blindly and swam through the schools of panicked fish also caught in the net. But even as she groped for an opening, she felt the net tighten around her. The fishermen had begun to haul it up.

“Odin!” she cried, grabbing for his arm through the nylon strands. He swam alongside as the net was pulled upward through the water. Julia realized there was nothing he could do. “Odin!” she cried through her tears. “Please! Go now! You can’t save me. I don’t want them to get you too!”

“No! I won’t leave you!” he shouted back, but Julia saw the helplessness in his eyes. His face contorted, and she realized with a shock that he was crying too.

“Save yourself, Odin,” she begged. “For the good of the grotto! Don’t worry, they won’t kill me. I’ll be too valuable to them.” An absurd image flashed through her mind:  her parents buying tickets to see her in a sideshow at a country fair. Step right up! See the genuine mermaid! the announcer would trumpet through his megaphone. The only one in the world! Only $5.00!

Julia could barely move in the press of fish. She could no longer see Odin’s face, but she forced her arm through the flailing bodies. He took her fingertips in both of his hands. “Odin!” she cried, and felt his answering squeeze as her fingers slipped from his. “I’ll never forget you!”

With a great splash, the net was lifted clear of the water and hung poised above the deck. The sun pierced her eyes. There were shouts on the deck and then she was falling through the air with hundreds of fish, twisting and turning, droplets of sea water flying everywhere, glinting in the sun like miniature prisms and diamonds. With a crash, she landed face down on the deck.

Running feet made the wood vibrate against her cheek and instantly she was surrounded. A moment of incredulous silence was broken by jubilant shouts as rough brown hands reached for her, turning her over. She crossed her arms over her chest as she squinted up at the brown faces staring down at her. Hands reached out to poke and prod her tail, and one or two yanked her hair. She began to feel afraid. The men squabbled excitedly among themselves. Though they were all talking at once Julia understood their general drift. All were in agreement about making for shore immediately, though there was some argument about what to do with her once they reached land. Some shouted that she should be sold to the highest bidder while others advocated giving up fishing and touring the country with her instead. “Our fortunes will be made!” yelled one short, stocky man. “Who cares about fishing! I’m going to see the world!” During the uproar, Julia lost her fear. After all, what was the worst that could happen? They weren’t going to hurt her—she was their ticket to fame and fortune. Perhaps she could contact her parents. Maybe they would want her back, even as a freak.

The important thing now was not to let them know she understood them, and even more so, that she could speak. They might try to force her to tell them where the grotto was, and she must never divulge that, even at the cost of her life.

The men had quieted down, though they continued to talk and laugh and punch each other on the shoulder. Someone produced a bottle. They began to discuss where she should be kept and finally decided on the main hold, which was still empty, since they had left port only a day or so ago. Dividing themselves into efficient teams, some hauled buckets of seawater and emptied them into the hold while others cleared away the hundreds of fish which had expired unnoticed on the deck. Julia looked at the dead fish and shuddered, resolving never to eat fish again, even if by some miracle she managed to become human again.

When the fish had been put away and the hold prepared, two of the men lifted her and slipped her gently into the seawater covering the bottom of the hold. As an afterthought, they tossed in a few fish before slamming the hatch shut. Julia squeamishly picked them out and placed them on a small shelf protruding from one wall. She floated and wondered what would become of her. In a way, her prayers had been answered. It seemed certain now that she would never be queen. What would they do? she wondered. Probably continue as they had for the past hundred fifty years. She thought of Odin, swimming on alone toward Nereus’ grotto. Her heart ached for him as she imagined his grief and disappointment. She hoped he would arrive safely at the home grotto. Tears filled her eyes as she realized she would never see him again. He had been so kind to her. They all had been good to her, Nereus, Odin, Calypso, Sirena, Amphitrite, Triton. . . even Lorelei.

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Julia was so nervous and excited at the prospect of discovering the whereabouts of the ring that she ate little. After they had finished, Odin said goodnight and went to his room. He looked weary, Julia thought, and his arm seemed to pain him. She felt guilty at the thought that all Odin’s efforts would be in vain if she used the ring to become human again and abandon the merclan. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, she thought.

After breakfast the next morning, Odin visited with some of his old friends, and Julia asked permission to explore the grotto. She swam through empty classrooms and peeked into a few where class was in session. The merstudents perched on rocks protruding from the water and took notes on dried sheets of seaweed, being careful not to wet them. Julia hovered in the doorway of one classroom where the teacher was lecturing on merhistory and myth. He saw her and beckoned her to enter, but she thanked him and swam on, too nervous about her meeting with the merscholars to sit still. She swam through other rooms lined with books. She pulled one from the shelf and turned the pages, staring at the beautiful script with unseeing eyes. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turning, saw Odin and Poseidon behind her.

“At last we find you! Come, Alani, the merscholars are waiting for us.”

They showed her into a long room with a table-top in it like the one in the home grotto. Around the floating platform were gathered six ancient merpeople, three men and three women. They nodded to her and motioned for her and Odin to take a place at the table.

Odin spoke first, recounting the history of Leilani and the lost crown and ring. He then explained how Julia had arrived at the grotto. The merscholars listened, nodding from time to time while Julia fidgeted.

There was a long silence when Odin finished, then a whispered consultation between three of the ancient ones. One left the room and the other two turned to Julia.

“Our colleague has gone to bring the book of prophesy.” Silence fell again. Then one of the mercrones asked,

“Would you please describe how you found the crown?”

Julia tried to remember every detail. She realized with a shock that only a few days had passed since she had been human. It seemed like years ago.

“Let’s see. I pulled myself onto the shelf in the cave, since the tide was coming in, and I felt the crown sticking into my back. I reached behind me and took hold of it. I remember looking at it and then, without thinking about it, putting it on my head. That’s all there was to it,” she finished, looking at the wizened faces.

“And then you realized you could not remove it?” the same old mermaid asked.

“That happened later, I don’t remember exactly when.”

There was a noise at the door, and the merman who had gone to get the book came in bearing an enormous volume. He laid it on the table and opened it as the six clustered round. In the growing silence, Julia looked at Odin. He squeezed her hand under the table.

After several minutes, Poseidon turned to them, adjusting his glasses. Where had he found those? Julia wondered. He cleared his throat and said in a reedy voice,

“Yes. The writings are very clear.” Julia’s stomach tensed. “In cases like this, involving the magic powers enjoyed by the royal families of our clans, the various appurtenances used by the members of those royal families, such as the crown and the ring, which are themselves invested with magic powers, will respond only to a member of the royal family. This is why you, Alani, were the only person able to move the crown since it passed out of Leilani’s possession.” He paused and beamed at her, as did the rest of the council. Julia smiled back, trying to control her impatience.

“Yes, Odin and the members of the Supreme Council told me that. Excuse me, but what do the writings say about the ring?”

There was another lengthy consultation of the creaking volume, during which Julia thought she would go mad with frustration. Finally Poseidon turned to her.

“The ring and the crown are inextricably linked. One is useless without the other.”

“Yes, I know. But what do the writings say about where the ring is?”

“Ah, yes.” Poseidon adjusted his glasses and returned to the book, slowly turning over another page. Julia glanced at Odin and sighed. After several more minutes of musing, Poseidon faced her with an embarrassed look.

“I’m afraid the writings aren’t very helpful in that department, my dear.”

“Do you mean to say there is nothing at all written about where the ring could be??” Julia asked, desperation in her voice.

“I’m sorry to say there is not.” He saw Julia’s anguished expression and added, “But the writings are clear about Leilani’s succession. The royal line does not stop with her. It says right here she will have a successor, and the new ruler shall bear the name of Alani.” He frowned and turned to the mermaid sitting next to him. “Isn’t that a merman’s name?” She looked blank. Poseidon shook his head and turned back to Julia. “The important thing, my dear, is that this means you will find the ring.” He closed the book with a resounding bang and beamed at her again, as did the other five.

Julia was unable to hide her anger. “Is that all? I’m no better off than I was before!” Odin pressed her hand warningly under the table, and she lowered her voice. “Listen,” she implored them. “Can’t you tell me at least when I will find it? Or where to begin looking?” The ancient ones gazed at her in silence.

Finally Poseidon said, “We’re sorry, my dear. We realize you are anxious to assume your queenly duties. But all we can assure you of is that you will find it. The ancient writings do not lie.” He looked around the table. “Now, if we have finished. . .” The other mermen and maids began to inch toward the door.

Julia looked at Odin in despair. He took her hand and turned to the old ones.

“We thank you for your time and the assurances you have given us.” The six nodded at him and smiled.

“Thank you very much,” Julia added lamely.

They all left the room. It was lunchtime, and most of the merscholars were gathered in the large kitchen, eating sea urchin and kelp salad and mussel rolls. They nodded at Julia and Odin when they entered and continued their discussions.

Odin and Julia ate in silence. Julia was too depressed to talk, and though she could see Odin was trying to be sympathetic, she didn’t have the heart to respond to his attempts at conversation. When they were finished, he said,

“Do you mind if we leave early tomorrow?”

She shrugged. “Sure. There’s nothing to stay here for.” She turned away and swam toward her room. He caught up and put his hand on her shoulder, turning her around to face him.

“Listen,” he said, looking into her eyes. “The old ones weren’t able to give you details, but they did say you’ll find the ring. Doesn’t that at least cheer you up a bit?”

Julia lashed out at him. “Oh, yes. I’m ecstatic! Maybe I’ll be lucky and find it when I turn sixty!” She saw the hurt look in his eyes, but was too angry to stop herself. “How do you expect me to feel?”

He looked at her for a moment and then said softly, “Is the prospect of living your life with us so horrible? Have we been so unkind?”

Julia was mortified. “Odin, please forgive me. You’ve been so good to me.” Her eyes filled with tears.

He sighed and took her in his arms, stroking her hair as she cried into his shoulder.

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“You! I never thought I’d have the chance to talk to another human. And now it’s happened. I’m complete. I can die happy now!” He rolled his eyes up into his head and pantomimed a drawn-out death. Julia laughed.

“Now you’ve heard my story. Are you going to tell me yours?”

She felt embarrassed again. “Mine’s not romantic like yours. It’s not a story at all, actually. It’s just that. . .” She hesitated. It sounded so ungrateful every time she voiced her feelings.

“Yes?”

“. . . I’m not sure I want to be queen. No, I am sure. I don’t want to. I still feel completely human, and I can’t imagine leaving my human life behind.”

“Maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to the idea.”

“Maybe, but so far my feelings haven’t changed. I mean, I feel comfortable with the merpeople I’ve met, and I really like you and Odin. And I love swimming and being underwater. . . but I don’t think I want to be here forever, or even for very long. I can’t imagine being a mermaid, especially one with so much responsibility! Shouldn’t I feel some sort of calling?”

“What if you don’t find the ring?” Nereus voiced the nagging question that Julia had tried so hard to ignore.

“I don’t even want to think about that. I don’t know what I’d do. There would be nothing I could do. Just be an ordinary mermaid, I suppose. I wouldn’t even be a queen!” She sat up and looked around. The scene was the same, but she no longer felt the lazy contentment of a few minutes ago.

Nereus watched her. “I know how it feels to want something impossible. Time does help, though. No matter how all this turns out, things won’t always look so gray.”

Her face was disconsolate and she gave no sign of having heard. He touched her shoulder and said, “Well, there’s no use worrying now. Tomorrow or the next day you’ll be at the merscholars’ grotto, and if anyone can help, they can. Why don’t we go see how Odin’s getting on?”

They slid off the rock and swam to the grotto entrance. As it happened, Odin was awake. True to Nereus’ prediction, Julia was amazed to see how quickly his arm had healed. The cut was still very marked, but the swelling had gone down and there was no bleeding.

“How does it feel?” she asked him.

Odin flexed his hand and winced. “It’ll do. We have to get going. I don’t want the people at our grotto to worry. Now, how about something to eat?”

Julia helped Nereus prepare dinner, and they ate. Odin asked what they had been doing. Julia told him about the oyster grotto and showed him the pink pearl. “I had no idea a merhermit would be so sweet,” she said, smiling at Nereus. He blushed and offered them more food.

“I think we should go to bed,” Odin said soon after they finished eating. “We need to leave at dawn tomorrow. I don’t want to take any more chances with sharks.

They went to their separate chambers, and Julia tried not to think about the next day’s journey. She had enjoyed her time with Nereus so much that she had almost forgotten the trip ahead of her. She finally fell asleep, but her dreams were full of dark forms gliding through darker waters.

Chapter Sixteen: The Merscholars’ Grotto

 Early the next morning after breakfast, Julia said a fond farewell to Nereus and she and Odin emerged from the grotto into the clear, sunlit water.

“I’m glad you liked Nereus,” Odin said, as they swam along together. “I was worried about you having to spend the whole day with him. He’s a good man, but so uncommunicative I thought you’d be bored.”

Julia laughed. “I wasn’t bored at all. Hey, how’s your arm feeling this morning?”

“It doesn’t hurt, but it might slow me down.” He hastened to add, “But don’t worry. We got such an early start I’m sure we’ll get there before dark.”

The day passed uneventfully. Both were wary after their near escape and concentrated on swimming. Julia hardly noticed the vast variety of fish, eels, rays and other sea creatures that swam by. Around noon, they talked to a family of dolphins Odin hailed with affection as cousins, like the whale on the first day. Julia was charmed by their effusive welcome and their carefree banter. They joked for a while, and then the subject of the captive dolphins at Xcaret came up. The dolphins became serious. Odin shook his head.

“Up to now we haven’t had the resources to liberate them. But with Alani’s leadership, I promise you that our cousins will soon be free.” The dolphins looked at her, and one nuzzled her cheek with its beak.

“That will make us all very happy. We’ll be in your debt.”

Feeling inadequate, Julia smiled and said nothing.

“Of course Alani’s royal powers cannot be used until crown and ring are reunited,” Odin added. “Speaking of the ring, we’d best be on our way, Alani. The merscholars’ grotto is still a good way off.”

The dolphins wished them luck, and they went their separate ways. The rest of the trip was without incident, and just as the light was failing, they arrived at the large grotto that was the merscholars’ home. Julia heaved a sigh of relief as the door swung open in response to Odin’s call and they entered the tunnel.

The layout of the grotto was like that of the home grotto. After several abrupt twists and turns, they emerged into an enormous central room with a large pool and a wide, curving sand beach. The room was full of mermen and maids ranging in age from seventeen or so up to what looked like two hundred years old. Julia hid a smile as an ancient merman with a long, flowing white beard, a head of wild, tangled white hair and a pair of ill-fitting wire-rim glasses approached them. He looked so old that Odin seemed almost young next to him.

“Welcome, Odin,” he said in a quavering voice. “It is indeed a pleasure to see you again. And who might this young princess be?”

Odin introduced them. “Poseidon, this is Alani. Poseidon was one of my instructors, perhaps I should say my mentor.” Poseidon beamed. “We have come to seek the merscholars’ wisdom about the whereabouts of a certain magic ring.”

“I see. Come, you must be tired. Rest and eat now, and tomorrow we will call the council.” He beckoned, and they threaded their way through the groups of merpeople conversing everywhere. Some of them greeted Odin. He nodded and returned their greetings, obviously happy to see his old friends and teachers. Poseidon led them through a long room which opened off the main chamber. Julia gazed around her, amazed. The walls on both sides were lined with books.

“You have books?” she asked.

Poseidon smiled. “Of course we have books, my dear. This is a place of higher learning, after all, and the repository of merhistory and lore for all the clans in this ocean.”

“Could I see one?”

Poseidon reached up and pulled a book from the shelf above their heads. He handed it to Julia. The pages were brittle sheets of dried kelp which had been bleached to a parchment color. Each leaf was filled with flowery, hand-lettered script.

“What do you use for ink?” she asked.

“Those among us who are sufficiently courageous harvest it from our friends the octopi and the squids. It involves frightening them, which we don’t like to do, but. . .” he spread his hands, “it’s the only way we can obtain ink.”

Julia nodded and turned the pages, marveling at the work that had gone into making a whole library of books like this. She closed the book and handed it back to Poseidon, who replaced it reverently on the shelf. They continued through the long gallery which Julia estimated contained at least two thousand books, then left the room and entered a dark tunnel. After a short swim, Poseidon opened a door and ushered them into a small room like the one Julia had stayed in at Nereus’ grotto.

“Here are your rooms. This is yours, young lady, and yours is through that door, Odin.” He signalled a small door at the rear of the chamber. “We’ve already had our evening meal, but I’ll have something sent up for you. Now I’ll say goodnight, because I’m sure you must be tired.” Poseidon bowed, smiled and left them.

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 Chapter Fifteen: Nereus’ Story

After they had eaten and had a short nap in the sun, she raised herself on her elbow and turned to him.

“I’m waiting. Tell me your story!”

Nereus thought for a minute and began. “Long ago, fifty human years or so, I was a young merman—”

“You can’t be that old!”

He bowed. “Thank you, my dear, but I am indeed quite an old man by your standards. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I was a young merman in a clan far away from here, on the opposite side of the ocean. I was one of the adventurous ones, so I volunteered to harvest food and be a lookout. I hated being cooped up in the grotto.”

Julia rolled her eyes and nodded. “I know just what you mean!”

“I used to spend entire days among the reefs and large rocks of the harbor, supposedly harvesting food, but doing a good amount of dawdling too. There was a small human town close to our grotto, right on the coast, and the humans would swim at a beach there. I was afflicted with the malady suffered by all merpeople—curiosity about humans.”

“Really?” Julia asked. “The ones in my grotto didn’t seem curious.”

“Oh, they are,” he assured her. “Their fear of being seen just outweighs their curiosity.” He continued. “Mine, however, didn’t, and I became bolder and bolder, lying on rocks in the harbor and observing the humans as they swam and played on the beach. I had a spyglass I had found on a sunken ship long before, and I used to watch the humans through it. My friends weren’t aware that I took these chances, since I usually went out by myself. I was fascinated, I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t think about how I was endangering the survival of my whole clan.” He shook his head sadly.

“And then?” prompted Julia.

“The inevitable happened one day: I was seen. I remember I was lying on my favorite rock, far out in the harbor, watching children playing at the water’s edge. I looked around and there was a human girl, about my age, holding onto the rock and staring at me. She didn’t make a sound, just looked. And I looked at her, too. It was the first time I’d seen a human up close, you see. Finally she spoke, but of course I didn’t understand her. She pointed at my tail, and I understood that she was saying something about my being a merman, so I nodded. I pointed to myself and told her my name and she repeated it. Then I pointed at her and she told me her name was Raquel. That was our first meeting.” He sighed. “I think we fell in love instantly. I know I did. She was very pretty, with black curly hair and beautiful, smooth brown skin. I don’t know what she saw in me, but she must have seen something.”

“How romantic!”

“Yes, it was—and also foolhardy. We began to see each other every day, and every day it was harder to tear ourselves apart. I learned her language in record time. I guess love is a good incentive. We used to talk for hours. That’s how I learned about humans.”

“What happened?”

“We saw each other every day that first summer. I don’t know how we managed to escape detection. It was a miracle. Later, when the cold weather set in, she couldn’t swim any more and I had to stay in the grotto, only making quick trips out to harvest food. That was the longest winter I ever spent. My parents noticed that I was edgy and depressed, but they didn’t pay too much attention. On the first warm day I swam out to the rock and waited for her, and she came. What a wonderful day that was!”

“Did she still love you?”

“More than ever, and I her. We were crazy for each other, and we refused to think about the impossibility of our love. I think the fact that it was doomed from the start is what made us love each other with such abandon. Finally one day it all came to an end.”

“Did the humans find your grotto?”

“No, she had sworn never to tell anyone about me, and she kept her word. What happened was just the opposite. I had gone out one day, not realizing that one of the elders of our clan was following me. I guess they were suspicious because I was gone so long every day and I always went alone. When I got to our rock, Raquel saw him behind me, but it was too late for her to hide.”

Julia winced. “He must have been furious.”

“Furious doesn’t begin to describe it. He hauled me back to the grotto as fast as he could. I remember I had bruises on my arm for days afterwards. I had to go before our King and the Supreme Council of our clan so they could decide my fate. They were ready to take drastic measures, to move the entire clan to another grotto. I finally managed to convince them Raquel could be trusted, that she wouldn’t betray them, no matter what.”

“Did you keep seeing her?”

He laughed hollowly. “No, of course not. That was completely out of the question.” He sighed. “It was probably for the best. I would have ended up with a broken heart anyway.”

“Did they punish you?”

“They finally decided to send me to the merscholars’ grotto to study.”

“But how could they make you go if you didn’t want to?” Julia was indignant.

Nereus shook his head. “I wasn’t unwilling. There was nothing left for me there. I knew I couldn’t continue to see Raquel, and being there would just remind me of her. I thought I’d be able to forget if I were in a different place, forcing myself to think about new things. The elders were not unkind in their decision. They knew it would be best for me, and I recognized that. I knew I had put all their lives in danger, and I wasn’t in any position to protest, even if I really hadn’t wanted to go.”

“So you never saw her again?”

“I managed to sneak out one more time. I waited at the rock as long as I could, but she never showed up. I’m sure she figured out what happened.” He laughed. “She’s probably a grandmother by now. I sometimes wonder if she ever told anyone about her love affair with a merman.”

“How do you feel about it now?”

He considered. “I’m glad it happened. It’s true I suffered terribly at first. But with time and my studies at the merscholars’ grotto, the pain eventually lessened, and I was able to look back on all the good times we spent together.”

“Why did you become a hermit?”

“My, you do ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” he said, smiling. “After I finished my studies at the mercollege I had to put in my year of touring the different clans. I went alone, which isn’t recommended, but there wasn’t anyone I wanted to spend a whole year with. You see, spending time with a human had changed me. I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the other mermen and maids at the merscholars’ grotto. I was a little antisocial. Anyway, I kept thinking about going back to my clan when my year of service was up, and pretty soon I realized I didn’t want to go back. I thought of joining another clan, but that idea didn’t satisfy me either. Then one evening when I was looking for a place to hole up for the night, I found this grotto. The year was almost up, so I decided to stay. I figure I’ve put in the rest of the time over the years with merpeople who have visited me in need of medical help.”

“Have you been happy here?”

“Yes. I have my solitude, which I prize more than anything now, and every once in a while I have visitors, which is nice. And now something has happened that I never in my wildest dreams imagined.”

“What?”

“You! I never thought I’d have the chance to talk to another human. And now it’s happened. I’m complete. I can die happy now!” He rolled his eyes up into his head and pantomimed a drawn-out death. Julia laughed.

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Chapter Fourteen: The Dark Grotto

They were interrupted by a weak call from one of the inner chambers, and they went in to see Odin, Nereus carrying a breakfast tray. The old merman was sitting up on the beach, looking exhausted. Julia noticed that he winced every time he moved his arm.

“How are you feeling today?” Nereus asked. Odin tried to smile.

“Not in top form, I’m afraid.” He looked apologetically at Julia.

Julia felt guilty again. “It’s okay, Odin. Please don’t even think about it. I want us to stay here as long as it takes you to get better.”

Nereus was changing the dressing on Odin’s arm. The wound looked swollen, but it had closed. “It looks good,” he said. “By tomorrow or the day after you can be on your way. But now you must rest. Don’t worry about Alani – I’ll keep her busy. In a while we’re going out to harvest food.”

“I’m sorry to impose on you—” began Odin, but Nereus cut him off.

“Nonsense! I need to exercise my vocal cords every once in a while, you know. I may be a hermit, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy occasional visitors.” He smiled at Julia.

Odin leaned back on the beach. He had finished his breakfast and it was obvious he wanted to sleep. “As long as it’s no trouble. . .” His eyes began to close.

Nereus and Julia swam out of the chamber. “It’s good for him to sleep as much as possible,” said Nereus. “Merpeople heal faster than humans. I think you’ll be surprised.”

“How do you know so much about humans?” asked Julia. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned them.”

He looked at her. “Now it’s my turn to say it’s a long story. Come on, let’s go harvest some food.”

Panic invaded her. “Are you sure we won’t run into sharks again?”

“I can’t guarantee it, but I’ve never run into any during the day. Don’t worry, we won’t go far. I’ve got a special treat in store for you.”

They swam through a long, winding tunnel into the open sea. Julia looked around. How different it looked in the sunlight! The outside of the grotto was an enormous stone mountain which narrowed as it rose up from the ocean floor far below. Its steep sides were thickly covered with waving sea grasses and colorful plants, and schools of small fish darted in and out of the foliage while red and black crabs scuttled back and forth on the surface. In the deep crevices which scored the slopes, Julia glimpsed the deep violet and black spines of the sea urchins which had come to be a staple of her diet. Barnacles and mussels were plentiful too. She smiled to herself to think how radically her eating habits had changed—and she had been so occupied with other things she hadn’t even missed chocolate!

Nereus began to pull sea urchins and mussels from their hiding places and put them into a mesh bag. “Do you want to try?” he asked Julia.

“Okay,” she answered, grabbing a sea urchin. Her touch was too brusque and the spine embedded itself in her finger and broke off. “Ouch!” she cried, putting her finger in her mouth.

“Here, let me see that.” Nereus put her finger to his own mouth and delicately pulled out the spine with his teeth. “You’ve got to be careful with those. They hurt!”

“Yeah, I see what you mean,” grumbled Julia, sucking on the injured finger.

“Why don’t you harvest some grasses and plants?”

“All right. But I don’t know which ones you use.”

“They didn’t teach you very much at the grotto, did they?” teased Nereus.

He spent the next hour showing her how to distinguish between the different grasses and seaweeds. When they had collected a large bagful, they took it inside.

“Now for the surprise. Come with me.” Nereus entered a small tunnel at the far side of the main grotto and Julia followed. They swam downward through total darkness for ten minutes. Julia thought that if this was the surprise, she wasn’t enjoying it much! Finally they emerged into a large cave, dimly illuminated by phophorescent green algae that clung to the walls. She looked around her, but could see nothing except dark water.

“Over here!” Nereus called to her from the far side of the grotto. She joined him.

“Dive straight down and choose one.”

“Choose one what?”

“You’ll see,” Nereus said mysteriously. “Just pick up one of the ones you feel on the bottom. You won’t be disappointed.”

She shook her head, but did as he said. She stretched her arm out in front of her as she dove straight down into the black depths. In a couple of moments she touched a rough, craggy surface with small abrasive protrusions. She closed her hand around it and found to her surprise that it came away easily. She swam up again, thankful to be leaving the utter blackness of the cave bottom, and handed the object to Nereus.

“What is it?”

He examined it, turning it over in the dim greenish glow. “I think this will do. Now let’s go back where we can see properly.” He handed the object to her and they swam upward through the tunnel, emerging finally into his main grotto.

Julia looked at the thing she held in her hand. It looked like a cross between a mussel and a rock. Nereus handed her a very thin, very sharp shard of rock and told her to open it. She did so, with some effort. Inside the oyster, for that is what it was, was an enormous, perfect, pale-pink pearl. She stared at it with her mouth open.

Nereus had a huge satisfied grin on his face. “I thought that would be a good one! I didn’t expect it to be pink, though.”

“It’s so beautiful!” Julia gasped. “I can’t even imagine how much it must be worth! How did you know it would have a pearl?”

Nereus smiled, enjoying her amazement. “Oh, it wasn’t much,” he said modestly. “All the oysters in that grotto have pearls in them.”

“You could be a millionaire!” Julia said, and then realized what a ridiculous comment she had just made.

“You mean, if I were human, I could be a millionaire,” he laughed. “Of course, if I were human, I would never have discovered that grotto. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Julia had extracted the pearl and continued to turn it between her fingers, spellbound by its perfect beauty. She turned to Nereus and gave him a big hug. “Thank you so, so much! I’ll treasure it forever.”

He stiffened in her embrace, his face turning as red as his hair. “Really, it’s nothing. Just a pretty bauble. I’m glad you like it. I thought you would.”

“Just a pretty bauble. . .” repeated Julia. “Too bad I can’t open one of these up and find Leilani’s ring.”

“That’s true. Let’s hope the merscholars can help you. Now, would you like to have lunch on the surface?”

“You mean out of the water?”

He nodded. Julia was about to throw her arms around him again, but restrained herself when she saw the panic in his eyes. “That would be amazing! But what about Odin?”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s going to sleep all day.”

They prepared a picnic of mussel and kelp rolls, went outside again, and swam upward to where the mountain broke the surface of the sea in a small rocky island like the one where she and Odin had eaten lunch the day before. She hoisted herself onto the rocky edge and took a deep breath as she looked around. The sky was a beautiful, deep blue, with small, puffy white clouds sailing across it, and the sunshine warmed her cheeks as she turned her face up to it.

“How can I carry this?” She held up the pearl.

“Haven’t you noticed that you have a pocket in your tail?” He pointed to a flap of green scales where her thigh would have been. She put her hand down and saw that it was indeed a flesh pocket. She realized this was where Lorelei and Odin carried their mirrors. Julia put the pearl into it and then pulled it out again a moment later.

“But it’ll be wasted if I just carry it there! Can’t I wear it as a necklace?”

Nereus laughed. “I’m afraid I can’t help you there, but at the merscholars’ grotto you should be able to charm one of the artisans into fixing you up with a chain.”

Julia lay back on the rock, enjoying the sun. She closed her eyes and mused about how quickly she had come to feel comfortable with the merpeople. They really weren’t different from humans, except perhaps nicer. Odin was an old dear, just like a grandfather, and Nereus was sweet too. Lorelei was nice, though Julia could tell already that she could be a major pain. Triton. . . she thought of his curly blonde hair. She didn’t know about Triton, all she knew was he was awfully good-looking. She opened her eyes and said,

“Hey, how about one of those mussel and kelp tacos?” To her surprise, Nereus said,

“Coming right up. Will you have hot sauce with that?”

Julia sat up and faced him. “All right, enough is enough. Now you HAVE to tell me. How do you know these things?”

“Okay, okay. But let’s eat first. It might be a long story.”

If you missed any of the previous installments, you can find them on the “My Writing” page. Start at the bottom and scroll up! I’d love to hear your feedback.

Chapter Thirteen: Nereus

Julia came to in a dimly-lit grotto, her body draped over a large rock that protruded from the still water of the cave. A few feet away on a small beach were Odin and a youngish merman with wild kinky red hair. Their backs were to her. She slid off the rock into the water and came up behind them. With a natural sponge, the merman was swabbing a long, jagged gash that ran almost the length of Odin’s forearm. The old merman’s eyes were closed in a grimace of pain. Julia drew in a breath and they turned to look at her.

“You’re hurt!” she faltered, unable to meet Odin’s eyes. She had never felt so ashamed in her life. Because of her cowardice, Odin might have lost his life.

He smiled and reached out with his good arm to smooth her hair.

“Don’t feel bad, little queen. It wasn’t your fault, it was mine. We shouldn’t have been swimming after dark. But look, nothing happened! We’re alive, and safe.”

“But your arm!”

“It will be fine. My friend here is a marvelous doctor. By the way, Alani, this is Nereus. Forgive me for not introducing you.”

The red-haired merman nodded gravely at her and went on tending Odin’s wound. When he had cleaned it, he took a thin sea urchin spine strung with some sort of fiber and carefully stiched up the cut. He finished by wrapping a leaf of kelp around Odin’s arm. Then he nodded to them both again and swam away, disappearing into a small tunnel. Odin winked at her and whispered, “He doesn’t talk much. That’s why he’s a hermit.”

Julia was about to ask how they had met when Nereus reappeared with a tray of food. She realized she was ravenous. Nereus sat quietly as she and Odin devoured the food. When they had finished and thanked him, he bowed and took the tray back through the small tunnel.

When he returned, they all reclined on the beach. Julia and Odin described the shark attack and Nereus listened, offering occasional comments. He said he had learned to be very careful when he ventured out to harvest food because the sharks lived nearby. Usually they swam away during the day to hunt food in other parts of the ocean, but they always returned at nightfall.

“Why didn’t they attack us right away?” Julia asked.

“I guess they weren’t hungry,” Odin said. “They were just playing with us.”

Nereus nodded. “You were lucky. The gash in Odin’s arm is deep, but it will heal. No major tendons or arteries were severed. He will lose some movement in his hand, but with luck, not all.”

“It was all my fault. I sat there like an idiot when you swam by me. I couldn’t move.” Julia couldn’t look at Odin.

He patted her arm. “Don’t worry. You did the best you could. Everything will be all right.”

They talked a while longer and then Nereus asked if they would like to go to bed. He led them through the tunnel and showed them two small rooms with sand beaches at one end. Julia looked at Odin, unsure of how to sleep. He laughed and told her to lie on the beach with her tail in the water. Nereus looked confused and Odin said,

“She hasn’t been a mermaid very long.”

Nereus looked from Odin to Julia and back at Odin. He looked so bewildered that they both burst out laughing. Odin told Nereus he would explain everything, and the two mermen said goodnight.

Julia tried to get comfortable on the little beach. As she tossed and turned, the image of the sharks haunted her and she wished they were back at the grotto at Xcaret already. She was sure she wouldn’t close her eyes all night. The next moment she was fast asleep.

**

Julia struggled up through a confused dream when the song at her door woke her. “I’m up,” she called, expecting Coral. Instead, she saw Nereus’ wild red hair.

“May I come in?”

“Of course,” Julia replied, rubbing her eyes. “How’s Odin?”

“He’s doing as well as can be expected—he had a difficult night. I don’t think you can leave today, though. Maybe not tomorrow either.”

“No!” Julia cried. “We’ve got to get to the merscholars’ grotto!” Her cheeks burned as she realized how selfish she sounded.

“It’s not that he would be unable to travel with his wound, it’s that the smell of blood is still too fresh. It would attract every shark for miles around.”

“Oh!” Julia’s eyes widened. “I didn’t realize. . .”

Nereus’ smile was ironic. “Are you still so anxious to leave?”

She reddened and looked away. “Can I see him?”

Nereus shook his head. “He’s sleeping, and I think it’s best not to wake him. He didn’t get much rest last night. Are you hungry? I’ve got breakfast ready. Later I have to go out to harvest some food and I was wondering if you’d like to come along.”

Julia looked dubious, but Nereus assured her they wouldn’t go far. They swam to the main room where breakfast was waiting. He seemed unusually communicative this morning. She asked him how he had learned about medicine, and he told her he had been a merscholar himself.

“Okay, I’ve got a question for you,” Julia said. “Why don’t merpeople drink? I thought every living thing needed water.”

“That’s an easy one. We’re drinking all the time, without realizing it.”

“But how?”

“You’ve seen that merpeople can breathe both in and out of the water. That’s because our lungs are equipped to filter oxygen from water, like internal gills. Well, our lungs also divert part of the water to our digestive system, which in turn distributes it to our cells. That’s why we don’t need to drink it.”

His enthusiasm made Julia smile.

“You’re really into this stuff, aren’t you?”

He blushed. “It’s my special interest. That and medicine, of course.”

Julia said, “Odin told me you don’t talk much, but you sure have been talking a lot this morning.” She added, “I don’t mean that to sound as if I’m criticizing you or anything. It’s interesting.”

“It’s not every day I get the chance to talk to a human, or someone who has so recently been a human.”

“I guess Odin told you my story?”

“Yes. Very interesting. He also told me you’re not anxious to be queen.”

“It’s a long story.” Julia felt embarrassed and also a little surprised that Odin had revealed something so private. Still, she reasoned, they seemed to be good friends, and probably Odin thought she wouldn’t mind.

She changed the subject. “How do you and Odin know each other?”

“Odin is also a merscholar. He was teaching there when I was a student. Didn’t he tell you?”

“No. So that’s why Odin knows the way there.”

“Yes. I guess you’ve gathered that merpeople don’t normally go swimming around the oceans for fun.”

“Yes, and now I understand why!” She remembered the cold black eyes of the sharks the night before.

“Usually only the merscholars swim around visiting different clans. They don’t like it either, but it’s required if they wish to be scholars.”

“I can’t understand why anyone would want to be a merscholar, if it means risking your life.”

“The pull of knowledge is a strong one. Merpeople’s lives, though tranquil and enjoyable enough in many ways, are sadly limited. Ordinary mermen and maids only have the opportunity to study and learn on the rare occasions when a traveling merscholar visits their clan.”

“But Lorelei, a mermaid in my clan, told me all the young people go to school every day.”

“That’s true, but what they receive is probably about equivalent to a high school education for humans. After that, anyone who wants to learn more has to become a merscholar and that entails a lot of risk.” He shook his frizzy red head. “In many ways our lives are far from ideal.”