Ocean's Infiltrator Read online

  He looked surprised at my change of topic. "Why tell me?" he burst out. "Why talk to me at all, if all you want is to kill me?"

  I swallowed bile at the thought of having to deliver compliments to this human. "Because my mother loves you. You can bring a smile to her face when her heart contains nothing but salt tears. No one else makes her as happy as you can. As long as she lives, you are under her protection. None of us may touch you or even speak to you without her permission."

  "Are you here with her permission?" he asked abruptly.

  I struggled to control my anger at his impertinent question, when I wanted his assurance that he would assist her. "I had to speak to you, to beg for your help. Please help her, support her through this difficult birth. Do anything she asks of you and do not desert her. If we lose her, both your and my people will be lost." I bit back the names I wanted to use for him, as they were far from complimentary. "She knows the risks, but she chose to carry another child for you. Please help us."

  I waited a moment, hoping for an answer, but he still looked angry and uncooperative. As Sirena would not permit me to damage or kill him, I left the vessel and dived into the water before I took my frustration out on him.

  Stupid human. Because of his anger and stubbornness, my mother could die carrying his child. And if she did, I would see to it that he died in the slowest, most agonising way possible.

  79. Joe

  Back at Rat, I woke up alone in our bed. I dressed quickly and wandered through the house, but Vanessa wasn't home. I went up the jetty and checked out the Siren, but Vanessa wasn't aboard, either. Her dinghy and the Naiad were tied up, too.

  So she's either gone for a walk or a swim, I decided. Back on the veranda, I checked and her shoes were gone. I ducked inside to grab an iced coffee from the fridge, before heading down the path.

  I looked around as I wandered between the shacks, but no one was around. Most of the boats were still off checking pots. I scuffed my feet through the coral shingle until I reached the airstrip. I stopped by the shelter shed and looked around again. There's something blue across the southern end of the airstrip, I thought. I crossed the airstrip and followed the sand track south.

  She knelt on the ground near the grave on the southern cliffs, her shirt almost the same colour as the ocean. She didn't hear me approach, so she must have been lost in thought.

  "Nessa?" I said softly. "Nessa, are you okay?"

  "Joe?" She turned and then stood up. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying, but her smile was as clear and happy as ever.

  "Why were you crying?" I asked her.

  She wiped her eyes and sniffled. Her smile turned rueful. "You don't want to know."

  Probably, but I'm going to find out anyway. "Yeah, I do. I don't want you to be sad."

  Now her eyes were sorrowful. "Sometimes life is sad, Joe. Sometimes you lose people and there's nothing you can do about it."

  Shit. Not you. Not our baby. Please don't tell me the ice queen was right. Don't let me lose my Nessa!

  "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" I blurted out, worried.

  She smiled again. "No, the baby and I are just fine, Joe. It's not as if she's my first child."

  Now's the time to ask her. Now or never.

  I took a deep breath. "How many children have you had?"

  The way she looked at me, I swear she was scanning my brain, every thought and memory laid bare. After a few moments that felt like longer, she said, "I have borne three children. She will be my fourth child." Vanessa patted her tummy.

  "Maria, Belinda and Marina, right?" I ventured.

  "Yes," she replied softly. It was like she was waiting for me to say something else.

  I'm either going to be really jealous or really scared, but I have to know. "What happened to their fathers?"

  She regarded me warily, but her voice stayed soft. "Both Maria and Belinda's fathers died. Marina's father proved irresistible in bed, so he's still alive." She looked like she was trying not to laugh.

  Part of my head glowed at being called irresistible in bed, but the rest of my mind froze with fear. Nessa's killed two men and one day she might lose interest and kill me, too.

  "How did they die?" I stammered.

  "Belinda's father died in a motorcycle accident with his wife," Vanessa replied immediately, then hesitated. "Maria's father drowned."

  An accident could happen to anyone. But drowning? I don't want to, but I have to know. "Were you there?" I asked. Say no, please say no.

  "I was in the water," she began haltingly, then looked at my face. She turned defensive. "It was an accident! His boat capsized and he couldn't swim, so I saved him and took him to a little sand island. I tore strips off his clothing to bandage his wounds and…I warmed him up in the only way I could. I was fertile and he was very gentle." She looked down at the ground, not meeting my eyes. "When the storm died down, I tried to take him back to his people, but he was bleeding and some sharks attacked us. I sent them away, but I lost him in the water. When I found him, he was dead." She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears. "He called me an angel, Joe, because he thought I'd save him. But I didn't, because I forgot he couldn't swim." She rested one hand on the gravestone and wiped her eyes with the other.

  "If the last thing he did was have sex with you, then he died a very happy man," I said after a moment. "What was the lucky bastard's name?"

  Her eyes were on my face as she pointed to the gravestone, not saying a word.

  Giuseppe, who died in 1921? You have to be joking. "You can't be serious. He's been dead a hundred years!" I burst out.

  He eyes held mine. "He was the first man to touch me as a woman. That's not something a girl forgets, even after a hundred years."

  Shit. I know she's not lying, but it's just not possible. "How old are you?" I asked her.

  She looked thoughtful. "I was sixteen then, and so I am around a hundred and twenty now. I do not know the date of my birth, for my people didn't record that."

  More than a hundred. Older than my grandmother was when she died. How the hell is that possible? She doesn't look any older than me! "How?" I managed to say.

  "My people live longer than yours," Vanessa explained. "In the ocean deeps, we age slower and live perhaps twice a human's lifespan. On land, we age faster, more like humans."

  My wife is a hundred and twenty and pregnant. No wonder the midwife's worried about the birth. "How much longer will you live?"

  "Perhaps another thirty years, depending on how much time I spend on land," Vanessa said slowly. She looked at me. "Probably about as long as you, as human life expectancy is around seventy to eighty years."

  I only get another thirty years with her? Right. "Let's go back to camp," I told her suddenly, taking her hand.

  "Why?" she asked, surprised. She followed me back along the track.

  "I need to find a way to stay with you every minute I can, right up until the baby's born," I replied, striding as quickly as I could. "We're going to get a boat so I can follow you even in the water, to your mysterious Nursery Grounds. Where are they?"

  "For most of the year, we use Rowley Shoals. It is easy to avoid humans there and the water is warm and shallow."

  Rowley Shoals is somewhere up north. "Where in Rowley Shoals?" I asked.

  She laughed. "Mermaid Reef, of course."

  Shit. Don't make it obvious or anything. "Then I'm going to get a boat that can take us out to Rowley Shoals and that's where we're going."

  Vanessa stopped and looked at me in wonder. "You'd do that for me?"

  I snorted. "Yeah I would. I'm going to be there when you have our baby."

  She laughed. "Then don't go to Rowley Shoals. She'll be born in summer, the cyclone season, which is when the Nursery Grounds are not at Mermaid Reef."

  "Where then?" I demanded.

  She hesitated a second. "North Keeling Island," she said finally. "It's where I was born."

  80. Darma

  "I do not want to learn about
fish and humans. It is stupid. I have lived among them for ten years and I do not need to learn how to walk!" the angry girl shouted at me.

  I was taken aback. Not even Elder Sirena had shown this little respect as a child and this child was hers. Any other child and I would have been well within my rights to discipline the little she-shark as I saw fit, but Sirena's child was special. So special she deserved a slap.

  "Your mother has said you will attend school with the others and you shall. Even if I have to tie your tail to a rock in order to arrange this," I replied calmly. With a gesture, I summoned Zerafina forward. A flash of fire and the older girl floated beside me. "I trust you to ensure she remains in school as Elder Sirena directed. You may use any force you deem necessary."

  Zerafina smiled. "With respect, Elder, no force will be necessary."

  Marina's eyes blazed. "Want to bet?" she spat. "Fuck you." The human words made little sound as the bubbles floated up to the surface, but I understood the words her lips shaped.

  Zerafina settled herself gracefully in the water, the image of patience. "I was there the day you were born, you know. It was my first birth. I was permitted to assist – I helped Mother hand you to Grandmother." She smiled at the memory. "I kissed you first when she told our people your name."

  Marina said nothing, her expression still angry.

  "I will have to visit land soon – it will be my first time. I am very excited, but very nervous, too. There is so much I do not know and yet I want to. My mother speaks of the warmth of fire, wood that burns in air, and the need to cover our skin because humans are driven mad when we uncover it. She also speaks of a liquid fire that humans drink, but I do not believe that is possible." Zerafina laughed, rippling her tail so that it looked like fire. "Tell me – is there such a thing?"

  "There's alcohol," Marina replied grudgingly.

  Zerafina slapped her tail with her hands. "There is a fire drink? Ha! What does it taste like?"

  "I don't know," Marina admitted. "I never have."

  "I'll make you a deal," Zerafina purred. "You keep an eye out for me on land and persuade Grandmother to let me try some of Mother's fire drink. I'll keep an eye on you here and not tie your tail to a rock, if," she looked askance at me, "Teacher Darma agrees to let you add to the information she can give us on human life on land."

  Marina looked tempted. I held my breath as I waited.

  Zerafina was of her grandmother's line, of that there was no doubt, but she had qualities all her own that she could only have inherited from her human father. I wondered what kind of man could have tempted Healer Apalala to try for another child, after the heartbreaking death of her first. A persuasive one, like his daughter, I presumed.

  One of the younger twins – Danielle or Diana, I could not tell which, for I could not tell one girl from the other – swam up, her expression worried. Her bow was deep as she caught her breath from the speed she had needed for her journey.

  Zerafina took Marina's hand and the younger girl did not resist. Her face had gone pale.

  Estella's daughter managed to state her message. "Elder Darma, Zerafina, Marina. Please come quickly. It is time."

  81. Joe

  "Joe, it's time," Vanessa's voice called from the water. I was down in the cabin, but I took the steps two at a time to reach the deck.

  "Time for what?" I asked, confused. We'd been out on the boat at North Keeling for a couple of weeks now, and we hadn't seen anyone else. What possible appointment could we have? Did she invite some dolphins for dinner? Or some fairy terns?

  "Oh!" She sounded like she was in pain. Panting, she managed to say, "It's time for me to have the baby, Joe."

  Oh God. Oh God. I took off my shirt and jumped into the water, swimming to her side. She wasn't alone. Belinda and another girl I didn't recognise flanked her, one on either side. They swam with her to shallow water, gold and cream tails with Vanessa's legs between them. They were followed by a pair of dolphins.

  For a minute, I stared after them. Why doesn't Vanessa have a tail? I thought about it a minute. She said she loses control of her tail when she gets turned on. Maybe it happens when she goes into labour, too. I realised that they were rapidly outdistancing me, and I swam as fast as I could to catch up.

  They took her to a pool of shallow water, perhaps knee deep if she'd stood up, but she couldn't. The pool was surrounded by reefs and slight waves broke over the surface, but they were little more than ripples. When the two mermaids sat her down on the sand beneath the water, it came to her breasts. Her swollen belly stayed submerged, looking enormous. She doubled over in pain again.

  Belinda was talking to the dolphins and it sounded like it was more than a one-way conversation, the dolphins taking it in turns to duck beneath the surface and squeak in Vanessa's direction. Belinda nodded gravely at whatever the creatures told her.

  "What can I do?" I asked, anguished. I wanted to take Vanessa to the best hospital back in Perth and make them give her pain drugs so she didn't have to hurt like this, but it was too late now. She had mermaids, dolphins, a shallow pool and me.

  She stretched out a hand to me. "Hold me, Joe. She's coming."

  I splashed through the pool to take her hand. She gripped it hard as another pain came. I dropped into the water to sit behind her. I put my arms around her and moved closer, supporting her back. She didn't let go of my hand.

  Belinda and Cream Tail were talking in low voices and didn't notice me at first. When Vanessa cried out at the next contraction, they both turned to her and saw me. Belinda's mouth closed firmly and she looked like she was gritting her teeth, but she didn't say a word. Cream Tail said something in the mermaid language and she sounded angry.

  Vanessa gasped out something in response, glaring at Cream Tail.

  With a malevolent look at me, Cream Tail spat out, "No human has ever watched a birth of one of our kind. Never has a human seen us in such numbers and lived to tell the tale."

  Vanessa and her volcanic temper. "Then, Pearl, my consort will be the first. He will be my support in this difficult birth and I…will vouch for…his spreading…no tales amongst humans." Her voice started out majestic, but the last few words came out strained as she doubled over in pain again.

  Pearl muttered something I didn't catch. Even through her pain, Vanessa heard her and understood.

  "This human has helped our kind more times than I can count." Vanessa broke off suddenly for the next contraction. No one dared to speak while they waited for her to continue. "Our people owe him a large debt. As my consort you will give him equal respect to what is due me. Anyone who thinks to harm him will answer to me."

  Heads rose from the water across the reef. There must have been at least ten mermaids in the water, between us and the outer reef, with another five patrolling the outer reefs. All the heads dipped in acknowledgement, before sinking beneath the waves.

  I married the queen of the mermaids, I realised. Please don't let me lose her now.

  Vanessa started to say something else, but all that came out was a wordless, horrible shout. Belinda and Pearl pushed her knees up and apart while Vanessa reached for my other hand with her free one. Holding tight to my hands, Vanessa let out another shout as she started to push.

  "She's coming," Belinda said encouragingly.

  This was Hell. Vanessa held so tight to my hands I lost all feeling in them. She bellowed so loud with each push that I was certain she was in agony and there was nothing I could do about it but hold her and wish her pain would end. I would have done anything to save her from this, but there was nothing I could do. Oh God, please let her be okay. Please let her deliver this baby safely so the pain will stop hurting her...

  "I can see her head, Vanessa. One more big push..." Belinda began.

  Vanessa pushed so hard every muscle in her body went taut. Then she took a deep breath and did it again.

  Between her legs, I could see blood in the water. Then I saw the baby's head appear.

  "Another one. You c
an..." Belinda was intent on the baby.

  Vanessa drew another sobbing breath and pushed. From between her legs the baby spurted out into the water, head, shoulders, arms, torso and tail. All covered with silvery skin like a snapper.

  Tears streamed down my face. Oh thank you, God.

  "Just one more push, and then it's over," Belinda coaxed.

  What? There's only one baby. Does she think there's more? Hasn't she been through enough pain?

  Vanessa took a ragged breath and pushed one last time. What came out of her looked like a mess of blood, bigger than the baby's head. What is that? The placenta? Oh. Then she collapsed against me. There were salt tears on her face, too.

  I held Vanessa tightly, as her breathing slowed and she relaxed her grip on my numb hands.

  Belinda and Pearl held the baby, severing and tying up the umbilical cord. Vanessa held out her arms. "Give her to me," she commanded.

  "Your daughter, Elder Sirena," Pearl said respectfully, as she handed the baby into Vanessa's willing arms. Vanessa cradled our child lovingly and pressed the baby's face to her breast. The baby latched on immediately and started to suck.

  Tentatively, I wrapped my arms around Vanessa's, so I was touching our baby, too. Our baby. After Marina, even this baby's silvery skin didn't seem so strange. Yet even as I watched, the silver was turning to pink, from the head down. Where the shiny tail had been were two fat, pink legs. Vanessa was now holding what looked like a normal, human baby. My breath caught in my throat.

  "What is her name?" Belinda asked.

  Heads bobbed above the water again, waiting to hear the name of the newest in their number. Even the dolphins were alert, looking like they were listening. Again, I wondered if all mermaid births were as well attended as this one.

  Vanessa's voice came out in a hoarse whisper, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "My daughter's name will be..."