The Princess and the Pearl

  “What will you do if the tribe comes back for you?” Annie asked as he started for the door.

  “Don’t worry about me. Now that I know it’s a possibility, there are precautions that I can take.”

  Millie and Audun were standing together, talking in soft voices, when he walked out. They turned to look at him, and reached for each other’s hands. “Let’s start with you, young lady,” he told Millie. “I assume you’re married to our dragon-man. Do you turn into a dragon as well?”

  “I do,” she said, nodding.

  “Congratulations on your impending motherhood,” said Ting-Tang. “Your husband told me that you’ve been getting ill. Is it usually after you’ve changed from one form to another?”

  “It is. It lasts a few days, then I’m fine again,” Millie told him.

  “Then it’s very simple,” said Ting-Tang. “Don’t change. Choose one form and keep it until the baby is born. It will be better for you and your baby. Get plenty of rest and don’t exert yourself. I have a potion I can give you in case you get queasy now and then.”

  “That sounds easy,” said Audun, putting his arms around Millie.

  “I’m going to stay human,” Millie told him. “I’ve been around enough pregnant women to know what to expect. I have no idea what dragons go through.”

  “And now for you,” Ting-Tang said as he turned to Annie. “Curing the Blue Death is easy, too. All you need is very pure water and a giant pearl. You must steep the pearl in the water as it boils for one hour, then the patients must drink the liquid. You’re very lucky. There’s a giant pearl close by. A powerful witch stole it from a sea monster years ago. A sea witch brought it here. Years later, her mother followed her and they fought. Their magic got all jumbled up, and they’ve made the same ten minutes repeat over and over again. Unfortunately, now anyone who goes too close is trapped in those ten minutes as well.”

  “I’ve heard the story about the theft of the pearl many times,” said Millie. “If it’s the same pearl, my mother was the witch who took it. Do you know if the two sea witches were named Pearl and Nastia Nautica?”

  “Yes, indeed,” said Ting-Tang.

  “If the sea witches are trapped in a magic spell, I’ll be the one to go fetch the pearl,” said Annie. “Anyone else would get caught in the time loop with them.”

  “You’re not going alone,” Liam told her. “I won’t let you.”

  “We’ll see,” Annie replied. “But before we decide who else is going, we have to find out exactly what we’re getting into.”

  CHAPTER 12

  “That elixir tasted awful, but I feel so much better now!” Millie announced to Audun and her friends.

  “I don’t think you should go with us,” said Audun. “You’ve met Nastia Nautica and know how truly horrible she can be.”

  “I do know,” said Millie, “and I still think I should go. I’ve never met her daughter, Pearl, but my mother knows her. She might be more willing to listen to me than to complete strangers.”

  “Are you sure you shouldn’t stay here and rest?” Audun asked her.

  Millie shook her head. “I had cabin fever from staying in the cabin on the ship for so long. Now I think I’ve developed hut fever. If I rest any more I’m going to go crazy. I need to go somewhere and do something!”

  “She can go to the beach with us, then decide if she wants to go farther,” said Ting-Tang.

  At the mention of the beach, Chee Chee came racing out of the hut and leaped into Ting-Tang’s arms. “All right,” the witch doctor said, laughing. “You can go, too, but we’ll take your carry sack with us this time.”

  They all waited while Ting-Tang went into his hut, returning a moment later with a sack made of woven seagrass. Dropping to one knee, he held the bag open while Chee Chee climbed inside. With the sack draped over his neck and shoulder, the witch doctor led the way into the jungle. Instead of following one of the paths that his visitors had used, he took another path that cut through the jungle for what seemed like miles. When they finally emerged from among the trees, they were on the edge of a larger bay where the water ran deeper and wasn’t as protected from the ocean waves.

  “Skull Cove is just past that promontory,” Ting-Tang said, pointing. “The path we took is easier than walking along the beach. You can’t see it from here, of course, but if you were to go straight ahead from this spot, you’d find a shipwreck about thirty feet down. It’s the ship I was on when that storm hit. Everyone got off all right, but the ship sank within minutes. The sea witch Pearl made her home in it. That’s where she and her mother are arguing even now. If you wait here long enough, you’ll—”

  BOOM! Something exploded underwater, sending a geyser into the air. “That was it!” said Ting-Tang. “They keep having the same fight over and over. Stay here another ten minutes and you’ll see it again.”

  “Are you saying that we have to go underwater to get the pearl?” asked Annie.

  “That’s where it is,” Ting-Tang told her. “Inside the shipwreck with Pearl.”

  “How do you know that it’s there? Or that they keep having the same argument?” asked Liam.

  “Because I went down there to investigate,” said Ting-Tang. “I was looking for something I’d left in the ship, but found the two sea witches instead. I stayed long enough to see what they were doing and haven’t been back since.”

  “Why didn’t you get stuck in the time loop with them?” asked Liam.

  “I kept my distance,” said Ting-Tang, “but the fish that swam past me got stuck. Anyone who goes close enough to get the pearl would get stuck, too.”

  “I can swim,” said Annie, “but I don’t think I can hold my breath long enough to look around.”

  “You won’t have to,” declared Audun. “One of the ice dragon king’s advisors gave me this amulet so I could do a job for them.” Reaching into the neck of his tunic, he pulled up a chain holding an embossed amulet and showed it to his friends. Crashing waves surrounded a round bubble on the front of the amulet; it looked so lifelike that Annie could swear the waves were moving. “I’ll wear this when we go underwater. It will allow me to breathe as if I were still on dry land. Whoever is touching me will be able to as well.”

  “And the amulet will work around me because it’s dragon magic?” said Annie.

  Audun nodded. “And I’ll go as a dragon, so we’ll get there much faster. Dragons are powerful swimmers.”

  “I’m going, too,” said Millie. “I’ll explain to Pearl why we need to borrow the giant pearl. I’m sure she’ll let us take it if I mention Mother. Don’t you think that’s funny? We’re getting a pearl from Pearl!”

  “I’m afraid I’ll think it’s funnier after my father and Uncle Rupert drink the potion,” said Annie. “I just want to get home to give it to them.”

  “I’m sorry,” Millie said, giving her a sympathetic look. “I didn’t mean to make light of it, but I feel so relieved that Ting-Tang told me what to do that I forgot we still have to get medicine for your family.”

  “I guess we’re all going,” said Liam.

  “Not me,” said Ting-Tang. “You don’t need me there and I’m not a very good swimmer. It took me a while to work up the courage the last time I went.”

  “You’re not going, either, Liam,” said Audun. “The amulet can work for three people at once, but I think four might be too many. I don’t want to get down there only to find out someone isn’t getting enough air.”

  “But who’s going to watch out for Annie?” he asked.

  “We will!” said Millie. “Two dragons can handle anything.”

  “You can’t change, remember?” Audun told her.

  Millie’s hand flew to her mouth. “I forgot already! This pregnancy thing is going to be harder than I thought!”

  “I’ll be fine,” said Annie. “The sea witches’ magic won’t work on me. I’ll be back before you know it, Liam.”

  BOOM! The geyser shot out of the water again.

  “We j
ust wasted ten minutes,” said Audun. He glanced at the sky and frowned. “We need to hurry if we’re going to do this before dark.” Stepping away from his friends, Audun gave his wife a smile, then turned to face the bay as he changed into a dragon again.

  The air was still shimmering around the ice dragon when Ting-Tang shook his head in amazement. “Fascinating! I’ll never get tired of seeing that. Stop scratching me, Chee Chee! The dragon isn’t going to hurt you!”

  Frightened, the monkey had climbed out of the bag and was clinging to Ting-Tang, pressing his little face against the man’s shoulder. Patting the monkey, Ting-Tang turned back to Annie. “You should be fine as long as you get in and out as quickly as you can. Go down into the hold and head toward the stern. That’s the back of the ship. You’ll see an open door straight ahead. The sea witches will be too busy fighting, so they won’t see you if you’re careful. Grab the pearl—you’ll know when—and get out of there. Don’t hang around, because the pearl’s absence will change things and you don’t want to be there when that happens. Here, take this with you so you can carry the pearl while you swim,” he said, handing the seagrass sack to Annie. “Good luck! Chee Chee and I will be here when you come back up. Oh, while you’re there, if you happen to see a blue bowl, I’d appreciate it if you brought it back, too. I could really use that now.”

  “You two ladies should climb onto my back,” said Audun. “It’s the best way to keep us together.”

  Millie was already making herself comfortable on her husband’s back when Liam gave Annie a boost up. She settled down behind Millie, trying not to sit on the sharper scales.

  “Hold on to me!” Millie said over her shoulder as Audun started toward the water.

  Annie wrapped her arms around Millie’s waist and held on tight. Although her friends were convinced that the magic of the amulet would help them breathe, she held her breath as the ice dragon plunged into the waves. Peering through the murky water, she tried to see the sunken ship, but all she spotted were fish that darted away when they got a good look at Audun.

  Annie was still holding her breath when Millie turned her head and said, “Breathe! I know you’re holding your breath, but the amulet really does work.”

  Annie nodded. It must work if Millie can talk underwater, she told herself. Even though her mind said it was all right, her body didn’t want to let go of her last gasp of air. She had to force herself to exhale and take in the smallest breath. To her surprise, it felt like she was outside on a rainy day. The air was humid, but not too bad. Relieved, she took a deeper breath, then laughed out loud and gave Millie a squeeze.

  “It does work!” she exclaimed. “This is wonderful!”

  “Is that the ship?” Millie asked, pointing straight ahead.

  Annie looked over her friend’s shoulder. “I think so,” she said, wishing the water were clearer.

  Audun was already heading toward the dark shape on the bottom of the bay. Annie was trying to see which end of the ship was the back when Millie started to squirm.

  “What’s wrong?” Audun asked, whipping his head around.

  “I don’t feel well again,” said Millie. “I’m sorry. I thought I could do this, but I don’t think I can.”

  Audun glanced from Millie to Annie, appearing unsure of what to do.

  “Give me the amulet and take her back to shore,” said Annie. “Ting-Tang made it sound very straightforward. I can do this myself.”

  “I don’t think—” Audun began.

  “I’ll be fine,” Annie said as she started to get off his back. “I need that amulet, though.”

  Audun nodded his great scaly head. “I’ll be right back. Hold your breath, Millie. I’ll have you in fresh air in no time!”

  Using his talons, Audun yanked off the amulet and handed it to Annie even as he started to head back to the surface. Wondering if she’d done the right thing, Annie pulled the chain over her head and tucked the amulet into the neckline of her gown.

  Turning to face the bottom of the bay, Annie started swimming. She had learned how to swim from the stable boys at her parents’ castle and had spent much of her summers in the water. Although she was a strong swimmer, her long, heavy gown made swimming difficult. Fortunately, Audun had left her so close to the bottom that it didn’t take her long to reach the ship. Seeing its resemblance to the Sallie Mae, she knew right away which end was the stern. With a few more powerful strokes, she reached the opening that led into the hold. Even if Ting-Tang hadn’t told her which way to go, she would have figured it out from the shrill female voices.

  The door that the witch doctor had described was indeed standing open. Annie didn’t have to go into the room to see what was happening. Although she hadn’t been sure what to expect, she was surprised to see that the two sea witches were mermaids with pale green skin and fishlike bodies from the waist down. The younger one was facing her, but her attention was focused solely on the other mermaid. Even so, Annie moved to the side so she was peering around the door and not quite so visible. That must be Pearl, Annie thought. With her pure white hair held back in a seed pearl band and silver eyes that flashed with anger, she was beautiful in an alluring way.

  “So my creature and I aren’t good enough for you?” shrieked the older mermaid. She was facing away from Annie, so it was impossible to see her face, but her hair was so fine, it was almost transparent. Wild and unrestrained, it floated around her head like something alive. Dark green scales covered her nearly as high as her neck. The skin on her arms and neck looked loose and wrinkled.

  A warty creature with three long flippers and tentacles bearing leaf-shaped tips slipped off the bed that filled one corner of the room, only to ooze across the floor and out of sight. Annie shuddered. The thing had been huge and had left a sharp odor in the water. Just because she couldn’t see it didn’t mean that it wasn’t still there.

  “I suppose I was remiss in leaving you alone for so long,” the sea witch continued. “I should have hunted you down ages ago. My, my, you’ve amassed quite a collection here. Golden sea cucumbers. The beak of a giant squid. And what’s in this box? Is that my giant pearl? How did it get here? I thought that witch took it and … Wait, that was you, wasn’t it! You kept it when you knew you were supposed to give it to me! And then you ran off and took it with you. I should have guessed, you sneaky little …”

  “Put that down, Mother!” cried Pearl.

  When Annie swam closer, she could see the blue and green scales that rose as high as Pearl’s waist and the white seashells and sea foam that clothed her upper body.

  Pointing her finger at her mother, the young sea witch sent a jet of boiling water at the older witch, making her drop the melon-size pearl back into the box. Nastia Nautica shrieked and sent a waterspout at her daughter, hurling a bench and a table against the wall and twirling Pearl around so that her seed pearl band flew off and her long hair wrapped around her throat, choking her. Pearl’s face was turning a darker green when she dug her fingers into her hair and moved her lips. Suddenly her hair was loose again and Pearl was hurling spears of ice at her mother. Annie jumped back when one hit the wall near the door where she was standing.

  Bubbles sprang up between the two witches, making it impossible to see. The bubbles burst when Pearl called sand in through the gaps in the walls, whipping it at her mother in a stinging, scouring cloud that made the older witch fling one arm in front of her face while pointing with the other. The cloud melted away as an oily black liquid rushed through the opening of a porthole long gone, coating Pearl from head to tail-tip.

  Annie was afraid to watch when the sea witches raised their hands and pointed their fingers at each other at the same time. She had no idea what they intended, but when their power collided in the middle of the room, the resulting BOOM! was enough to blast Annie back down the corridor away from the door.

  Annie shook her head and rubbed her ears, partly deafened by the sound. When she was sure she was all right and could hear somewhat again, she sw
am back to the doorway and peered inside.

  The furniture was back in place and the two witches were facing each other as if their fight had never happened.

  “Mother! What are you doing here? I left you on the other side of the world!”

  “Look at you, Pearl! All grown up and … What’s this? A scrying bowl … A magic mirror … Body parts in bottles on the shelves … You have witches’ tools? Have you finally taken up the family craft?”

  Pearl’s voice shook when she said, “You wouldn’t let me go to school with the other girls, so it’s all I’m suited for, Mother. I’ve been studying on my own and have learned quite a lot. What’s that you brought with you? You let it get on my bed? Why would you bring such a disgusting beast into my home?” Annie glanced at the bed and saw the lumpy creature watching Pearl with big, sad, puppylike eyes. The beast was enormous, but it seemed to deflate as the young sea witch’s voice grew louder.

  “What kind of greeting is that for your mother?” shouted Nastia Nautica. “I haven’t seen you in years and the first thing you do is jump down my throat. This creature came with me from our old home. That horrid little witch Emma sent us here with her magic. Here, what’s this?”

  “Stop touching my belongings, Mother! This is my home, not yours. Get that beast off my bed! That animal is revolting!”

  “So my creature and I aren’t good enough for you? I suppose I was remiss in leaving you alone for so long. I should have hunted you down ages ago. My, my, you’ve amassed quite a collection here. Golden sea cucumbers. The beak of a giant squid. And what’s in this box? Is that my giant pearl? How did it get here? I thought that witch took it and … Wait, that was you, wasn’t it! You kept it when you knew you were supposed to give it to me! And then you ran off and took it with you. I should have guessed, you sneaky little …”

  “Put that down, Mother!” Pointing her finger at her mother, the young sea witch sent a jet of boiling water at the older witch, making her drop the melon-size pearl back into the box.

  This is it! thought Annie. This is what Ting-Tang meant when he said that I would know when the time was right! While Nastia Nautica sent the waterspout at her daughter, Annie crept into the room. She was reaching for the box holding the giant pearl when Pearl started hurling spears of ice at her mother. Annie ducked and one of the spears flew overhead, slamming into the wall.