Eventually we got back to the boat and swam in through the porthole. Almost as soon as we did, Millie’s voice warbled down to us. “Emily? Shona? Is that you?” she called, an edge of panic in her voice.
“Hi! We’re here!” I called back.
“Oh, thank heavens,” Millie breathed, her face appearing at the trapdoor as she leaned over it to look down at us. “Where have you been?”
“We just went out for a quick swim,” I said.
“Emily.” Millie’s tone had turned serious. Her voice a low rumble, she said sternly, “You must never, ever, go out without telling me again. I am responsible for you. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. Do you hear me?”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We were just —”
“It doesn’t matter now.” Millie waved the rest of my sentence away. Just then, I heard a cough from somewhere behind her.
“Who’s that?” I blurted out. My heart lifted. Mom and Dad were here after all! They were waiting for the right moment and were going to appear any second, with big smiles, and tell me this had all been a joke, or a mistake, or —
“There’s someone to see you,” Millie said in a voice as flat and lifeless as a dead eel. And then, cutting my hopes like the sharpest knife, a face appeared next to hers.
Mr. Beeston.
“Hello, girls,” he said, squinting down at me and Shona.
“What are you doing here?” I asked through a tight throat. “How did you find us? Where are my parents?”
“Now, now,” Mr. Beeston said with a crooked half smile. How could he smile? Didn’t he understand anything that was going on? Or was I mistaking him for someone who cared? “One thing at a time. You calm yourself down and then meet me on the front deck.” He nodded at Shona. “And you too, child,” he said. “You’ll all need to hear what I have to say.” He pulled back a sleeve of his old nylon suit to glance at his watch. “Let’s say ten minutes.” And then he was gone.
“I’ll be with you,” Millie said softly. “I’m not going to leave your side till we’ve got this settled, all right?”
I nodded. My throat felt too thick and too dry for me to speak.
Mr. Beeston was waiting on the front deck, sitting on a bench and looking around at the horizon.
“Now then,” he said as Millie and I sat on the opposite bench. Shona perched on the edge of the deck, her tail draped loosely over the side, flicking the water with tiny splashes. How much longer will I be able to do that too? I glanced at my hands. The skin reached up along my fingers now, joining them together, lodging the ring even more tightly in place. What was happening to my body? It was just as Neptune had said. Until the curse was complete, I wouldn’t be one thing or another. What did that make me? A nothing?
I couldn’t bear to see the evidence, so I stuffed my hands in my jeans pockets and waited for Mr. Beeston to explain what was going on.
He cleared his throat. “Now then,” he said again, “you are probably wondering why I’m here.”
D’you THINK?
I bit my lip. It was never a good idea to interrupt Mr. Beeston. It only took another half hour for him to get going again. He wasn’t a big fan of sarcasm either — or of nerviness. Or of me. So I kept my mouth shut and counted to ten.
“As you know, I was entrusted by Neptune with a most important job. And, as you also know, there had been a certain amount of disturbance, which I was in the process of endeavoring to correct. In fact, even as I speak, some of the folk at Allpoints Island are gathering the final few items of lost treasure. The project has been very successful, largely thanks to your resourceful teacher. All of which helps make Neptune happy. However, as we all know . . .” At this point, he looked around at the three of us with one of his crooked smiles, trying to include us, as though we were all in this together. How could we be, when he was the only one who had any idea what was going on?
Again, I stopped myself from saying anything. I counted to twenty this time.
“As we all know,” he repeated, “the situation has changed somewhat. Since events took the turn they did, Neptune’s attention has wandered from his initial intentions. And so we have found ourselves in this situation.”
He folded his hands in his lap.
“What situation?” Millie asked. “I don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about. Now, are you going to explain what in the cosmos is going on here, or am I going to have to —”
“Calm down, calm down.” Mr. Beeston waved a hand at her. “I am getting to it.”
Then he fixed his eyes on me. “Emily here has found something we never even realized was there, something that Neptune wants back, and perhaps if I tell you a little bit about it, you will understand why. Then maybe we can work together to solve the problem, and all will be well.”
“‘All will be well’?” I exploded. I couldn’t stop myself this time. There weren’t enough numbers to count to that would halt my rage. “All well? We’re lost out in the middle of the ocean with nothing but sea and mist and a spooky castle that doesn’t even seem to exist. Shona’s parents haven’t seen her since yesterday morning. My parents have been arguing and probably never want to see each other or me again —”
“Come on, Emily. You know that’s not true,” Millie interrupted me.
I ignored her. “And, to top it all off, Neptune’s done this!” I pulled my hands out of my pockets and held them out in front of me. The skin had reached even farther up my fingers. They were joined at least a third of the way up, lodging the ring so tightly on my finger it hurt.
“Emily!” Shona gasped, edging forward to look more closely at my hands. “What’s that?” She looked disgusted. I knew she would.
“I didn’t want to tell you,” I said. “I didn’t know if you’d still want to be my friend if you knew.”
“Knew what?”
“The curse. It’s already started,” I said. “I’m not a real mermaid anymore, or a real girl. I’m nothing.”
I felt a couple of tears roll down my cheeks, salty drips running into my mouth.
“Oh, Emily,” Millie said. Her voice cracked — with what? Sadness for me or disgust at the sight of my horrible, strange hands? Without thinking, I twisted the ring around, trying to make it feel more comfortable on my finger.
“What in the name of the goddess is that?” Millie suddenly gasped. “And where did you get it?”
Mr. Beeston pulled at his tie. “Millicent, if you will allow me to explain.”
Millie waved a hand at him. “Go on. Whatever you’ve got to say can’t make things any worse, I suppose. Just say what you’ve come to say and get on with it. And then maybe you can go away again and let us figure out what to do next.”
“I shall indeed say what I have come to say,” he said in that annoying I’m-so-much-more-important-than-you voice of his, “if you will let me.”
Mr. Beeston pulled on his tie and flattened down his hair again, and eventually said, “You need to understand the importance of what you have here, Emily.”
“What I have where?” I asked. As if I didn’t know.
Mr. Beeston pointed at my hand. “There,” he said simply. “You see, this ring has lain out of sight, hidden and protected by the kraken, for many years. For generations.”
“How can it be so important if it’s been buried all that time?” Shona asked. “Why was it buried at all if it’s that important?”
“It wasn’t. It was discarded.”
“Discarded?” Millie burst out. “Who by?”
“By Neptune.”
For a moment, we all fell silent. Then, in an even voice, Millie quietly said, “Charles, we would appreciate it if you could stop talking in riddles and please explain what is going on here.”
“I shall tell you everything!” Mr. Beeston blustered. Then he paused for ages, clasping his hands together and looking out to the still sea that lay waiting silently — like the rest of us. “Many, many years ago, Neptune was in love,” he began. ?
??As you know, he loves easily and has many wives, but none like this one. None like Aurora.”
“Aurora!” Shona interrupted. “But I’ve heard of her! She’s the human. The one who broke his heart. The one who turned him against intermarriage and everything. We studied it last year in history!”
Mr. Beeston nodded. “Exactly.”
I couldn’t help holding my breath while I waited for him to continue.
“Aurora was the only wife Neptune truly loved with all his heart. When they married, they had rings made to symbolize their love. One contained a diamond, to represent land. The other held a pearl, to represent the sea. On the day of their marriage, they exchanged these rings. Aurora gave the diamond ring to Neptune. He gave her the pearl.”
I touched the diamond as he spoke. I was wearing a ring that was given to Neptune on his wedding day? Given to him by a wife who left him and broke his heart? No wonder he had gone into such a rage! But how was I to know? It wasn’t my fault!
No, it wasn’t your fault, a voice seemed to echo. Not even in words; it was just a feeling. A feeling of comfort and reassurance — and it was coming from the ring. Twisting it back again to hold the diamond against my palm, I curled my fingers around it, my heartbeat settling as I did so.
“On the day she broke his heart, Neptune took her ring from her and buried it.”
“Where?” I asked.
“That I cannot tell you,” Mr. Beeston said. “That information is not something you need to have.”
He spoke so haughtily I knew it wasn’t worth asking again. It would only give him the chance to refuse me again and make himself feel even more self-important than he already did.
But I couldn’t help wondering about it. There was another ring similar to mine buried out in the sea somewhere. A ring Mr. Beeston didn’t want me to ask about — which in itself meant it was probably important!
“What about his own ring, the diamond one?” Millie asked.
“In his rage, Neptune hurled it with all his might across the oceans. This is the first time it has been seen since that day. No one knows when the kraken found it. All we know is that it did, and it kept it safe and hidden with the many other jewels at Allpoints Island.”
“And when the kraken awoke, the ring was disturbed along with the rest of the jewels?” Shona asked.
“Exactly.”
“And now Neptune wants it back.” I swallowed. “But it won’t come off me.”
“Why not?” Millie asked.
Mr. Beeston looked down, flattening his jacket and picking off an imaginary speck of dust. His suit was shabby as usual, a button missing on one side, a hole overlooked on the other. “The rings can only be worn by certain folk. Either by a couple in which one is from land and the other is from the sea or by a child of such a couple. It was in the wedding vows between Neptune and Aurora, and the rings were infused with this power. Worn by a semi-mer, this ring cannot be removed.”
“Sharks!” Shona breathed.
“So how did he remove their rings in the first place?” Millie asked.
Mr. Beeston sniffed. “The love was dead. The connection was broken.”
“That’s why he cursed me,” I said quietly. “So he can remove the ring.”
“Correct. When the moon is full, the spell will be complete. You will no longer be a semimer. You will not be able to touch the ring — and it will not be able to touch you. It will fall from you as you would jump from a fire.”
“And Neptune can have it back,” Shona said.
“He wants it hidden again, along with his memories and his long-buried grief. He cannot exist like this, and if Neptune can’t live, none of us can. You yourselves have felt the effect of his current state. It will only get worse. That is what we all have to look forward to if the ring is not buried again. Just more of that and nothing else, for the whole merworld.” He turned to me. “Is that what you want, Emily? Is it not an honor to make a sacrifice like this for your king?”
I couldn’t speak.
“So why are you here?” Millie asked coldly. “Has he sent you to do his dirty work?”
“Dirty work?” Mr. Beeston spit. “Dirty work? I consider it the highest of honors to be called to duty by my king, to be graciously offered the opportunity to make amends for my earlier failure.” He pulled himself up straighter in his seat.
“Like I said, do his dirty work,” Millie said under her breath.
“I am responsible for this ring, and I will ensure that it is returned to Neptune. Make no mistake: that is what I will do,” Mr. Beeston concluded.
“How did you find us?” I asked numbly.
“The ways of our king are immeasurable. He made it possible for me to be here. That is all I need to know. It is not for you — or me — to question his methods beyond this.”
“He’s got no idea, is what that means,” Millie said. I smiled despite everything.
“I have to go soon,” Mr. Beeston said, ignoring her as he glanced around at the endless ocean, as though waiting for his signal to leave. The ocean responded in the same way as it did to everything else — with silence and stillness. Then he turned to me. “But, Emily, I shall not be far away. I shall be back very soon.”
“How will you get back? Can’t you let us go with you?” I asked, knowing it was pointless as soon as I’d uttered the words.
“I’m sorry. I have to do as bidden by my king. You will stay here for now.”
“How far are we from Allpoints Island?” I asked, edging closer to the questions I really wanted to ask.
“Many hundreds of miles.”
I nodded. Another kick, this time in my chest. Finally I said, “And what about Mom and Dad? Where are they? Do they know what’s happened? Are they going to come after us? Will they find us too?” The questions ran out in a rush. My heart banged in my ears like thunder while I waited for his reply.
Mr. Beeston puffed out his chest. “Your parents do not know your whereabouts,” he said in that Oh-I’m-so-important voice again.
“Where are they?” I asked, holding back my anger.
“Your mother is staying on the old boat.”
“On King?” Millie asked.
He nodded.
“Does she know what’s happened?” I asked.
“She knows only that you have been called upon to assist Neptune in a grave matter.”
“Has she looked for me?” My throat was full of knives.
Mr. Beeston lowered his head. “She has, yes. We’ve told her you’re not at the island. The other islanders will take care of her, and I am close at hand to support both your mother and Shona’s parents.”
“And Dad?” I asked. “Where’s he staying?”
Mr. Beeston at least had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable this time as he looked at me. What did he see in my face? A reminder that every word he uttered was crashing into my world like a sledgehammer? “I’m afraid they have been separated,” he mumbled. “He is staying with Archieval for now.”
Archie was another of Neptune’s helpers, and my dad’s friend. At least they both have people around them who care, not just slimeballs like Mr. Beeston, I told myself, desperately grasping at anything that might provide a grain of comfort.
“Why have they been separated?” I asked, my breath catching, and tripping over my words. “Did they choose it themselves?”
“Neptune has decided to go back to the old ways.”
“What old ways?” Shona asked.
“He’s banned intermarriage again. For good this time. He says he has had enough of the trouble it causes.” Mr. Beeston looked me in the eyes. “Your parents are forbidden to be together again,” he said dryly.
And that was it. The end of my world. With those simple words. Game over. My insides turned cold and hardened. At that moment, I believe I could have broken into a thousand pieces.
In a matter of days, I would no longer be a mermaid. Or I’d be a mermaid and would never again be able to live on land. And my parent
s would never see each other again. With a feeling of utter horror, I realized that my worst fears had come true: I couldn’t have both parents. Whether they wanted to be together or not was no longer an issue. They couldn’t be together — which meant I could never, ever, live with them both again.
“No!” I begged. I pulled on Mr. Beeston’s arm. “Please, no!” Tears slid down my face. “Please,” I begged. “You have to make Neptune change his mind. You have to do something. Please!”
“There is nothing that will change his mind,” Mr. Beeston said, his voice steady and cold. “Neptune’s word is law. Your parents will come together one last time when Neptune brings them to you. Under the full moon, when the curse is complete, you will have a chance to say good-bye to one parent. You will go home with the other.”
“No!” I fell to my knees in front of him. I hated myself for begging to Mr. Beeston, of all people. But it couldn’t happen. It couldn’t happen. It couldn’t.
But as Mr. Beeston shook me away and dived off the side of the boat, disappearing deep down into the sea, I knew the truth. It was going to happen. It really, really, was. The changes I was feeling now were only a forerunner to the real curse, which would take place under the full moon. One half of me would triumph; the other would be gone forever. And there wasn’t a single thing I could do to stop it.
“All right, that settles it,” Millie said, blowing on a cup of tea. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. If Neptune can send Mr. Beeston here from nowhere, who knows what might happen if you went out there?” She cocked her head to point out at the endless ocean. “You could be kidnapped and taken away forever.” She shuddered. Then she reached out to pat my knee. “You’re my responsibility now, dear,” she said gently, “and I’m going to take care of you.”
True to her word, she didn’t leave us alone after that. Which meant that Shona and I didn’t get another chance to try to swim to the castle, or even talk about it.