The Deep

by Helen Dunmore

“Morlader must have found the passage.”

  “Yes,” Faro agrees.

  “But then why didn’t he wait for us?”

  Faro shrugs. His eyes are dark and grim. “You think all the Mer are one family, Sapphire. But it’s not as simple as that. Sometimes we—we test one another.”

  “You mean Morlader’s testing us to see if we can find the way?”

  “Not Morlader alone,” says Faro. “He’s been sent and told what to do. And I think I know who sent him. Come, little sister—we have to take this path.”

  He points around the shoulder of the rock face. We edge along it, keeping close to the rock without ever touching it. Faro takes my hand and steers us both onward with barely a flicker of his powerful tail. The rock is no longer barren. Weed clings to it, and in crevices there are limpets crusting its smoothness. Long trails of weed catch at my feet. It’s a dark, smooth green, like bottle glass. It hangs from the rock in swaying curtains, so thick that we can’t see through them.

  “The entrance is here somewhere,” says Faro. He lets go of my hand, pushes aside the curtain of weed, and vanishes.

  “Faro!”

  “Come on, Sapphire, it’s this way.”

  His voice sounds muffled and hollow. Where is he? Gingerly I touch the weed. I’ll have to push my way through it, and I don’t want to. It’s like going into a trap.

  The weed sways like an animal being stroked. Suddenly the fog that hides the human world when I’m in Ingo clears for a moment, and I see Sadie standing in a patch of sunlight. Sadie! Thoughts of her flood my mind. Her warm, smooth coat, her brown eyes, the way she scans my face to work out what I’m saying. Dear Sadie. My hand falls to my side. What am I doing here? Her eyes plead with me to come home. Why am I pushing my way through a curtain of slimy weed?

  “Sapphire!”

  Faro sounds farther away now, and impatient. He’s going on. He’s not waiting for me. I can’t get left behind here on my own, but I can’t go in. Rocks and icy shadows and cold unfriendly water press in on me. Get out of here, a voice says in my brain. Get out now, while you still can.

  Suddenly I hear another sound. It’s very faint, but as soon as I hear it, a prickle of terror races over my skin.

  Clack. Clack. Clack.

  I’m imagining it; of course I am. But Faro’s not here to help me now. Don’t look back, Sapphire. Don’t risk being trapped by that beautiful face and that lethal claw.

  Clack. Clack. Clack.

  It’s coming closer. Frantically I scrabble at the curtain of weed, trying to find an opening. The weed resists; then suddenly it parts, and I fall through it.

  It’s dark in here, a shadowy greenish murk. I blink, and slowly my eyes adjust. There’s Faro, about a hundred meters ahead. The rock face curves inward at the bottom, and the weed hangs down, creating a secret space.

  “Quick, Sapphire! Here!”

  I swim forward and see a narrow hole in the rock. It must be the opening of the passage Faro wants us to go through. It’s just wide enough for our bodies, but we won’t be able to swim. We’ll have to use our hands to pull ourselves through. It’s so narrow. What if we get stuck?

  “Hurry!” says Faro in an urgent whisper. “They’ll scout up and down the weed, searching for us. They’re stupid, so they probably won’t find us. But you can never be sure. Come on. I’ll go first.”

  “But Faro—”

  “It’s the only way. Come on. They can’t come into the tunnel because their claws get jammed.”

  His eyes are bright in the gloom as he squeezes my hand. “It takes us to the Assembly chamber. I know it does. Trust me, Sapphire.”

  He swims down to the hole and grips both sides with his hands. With a sinuous, supple movement he squeezes his body in and disappears.

  It’s all right for you, I think angrily. You’ve done this before. And besides, you’re Mer.

  My heart is beating fast again. I’m frightened, but I push the fear down. In a place like this it’s not safe to show weakness. That creature with the claw can’t get into the passage; Faro said it couldn’t—

  Clack. Clack. Clack.

  Am I really hearing it?

  Stop it, Sapphire. Don’t think about the claw.

  Faro’s tail has vanished. I’ve got to follow him.

  I swim down to the tunnel entrance and scull the water as I try to peer inside. It’s very narrow. I can only just fit in. There’s hardly any light at all. My fingers look ghostly.

  Do it, Sapphire. You’ve got to go in.

  I reach for the entrance of the tunnel. My hair floats around my face, blinding me for a second. What if my hair gets caught and I’m trapped?

  I shut my mind, swim down, feel for the sides of the tunnel, and haul myself in.

  I can’t see anything. My body blocks out the light behind, and Faro must be blocking the light ahead.

  “Faro?” I whisper. I don’t dare call out. Anything might be listening. A conger eel would love to coil itself away here and wait for its prey. Maybe there’s a labyrinth of tunnels leading away from this one. Tunnels full of hidden creatures. Octopuses, giant squid, crabs, and eels—

  “Faro!”

  I’m not making a sound. I’m trying to reach Faro with my mind. Where is he?

  Hurry up, Sapphire. Human toes are a rare treat for conger eels down here.

  He’s heard my thoughts. I’ve never been so glad to be teased in my life. Somehow Faro turns the conger eels into cartoon creatures. But under the teasing I sense that Faro’s afraid too. Not of eels or octopuses, but of something deeper. Something formless, shadowy. A flicker of his fear brushes over my mind, and I shudder.

  I’m not going to let fear win. I’m going to fight back, like Faro.

  Those conger eels don’t care about toes; they’re after your tail. I shape my thoughts to tell him. I know how proud Faro is of his strong, supple tail.

  I’d like to see them try. One blow from my tail, and they’d never move again. Feel your way along the rock with your hands, Sapphire. If you find a hold, you can pull yourself along.

  He shows me a mental image of what he is doing. His strong hands grasp the sides of the rock and propel him forward.

  I reach out cautiously, but the sides of the tunnel aren’t slimy, as I feared. They’re just smooth, and hard, and unforgiving. My nails scrape for a hold. I pull myself forward a little; then my hold breaks. There’s just enough room to put my hands down by my sides. Palms outward, my hands push and propel me forward.

  But now the tunnel’s getting narrower. If I’m not careful, I’ll get stuck with my hands wedged by my sides. I won’t be able to bring them up to protect my face.

  Don’t panic, Sapphire. If you panic in here, you’re in real trouble.

  Very cautiously I roll onto my side and push backward until I’m pressed against the tunnel wall. Carefully I work my right elbow loose underneath me until my right arm comes free, and then I roll and do the same for my left.

  You’ve done it, I tell myself. You kept calm and worked it out. That’s what you’ve got to do if you’re going to get through the passage.

  It feels safer with my hands stretched in front of me. I can’t move as quickly, but I can shield my face. Faro’s quite a way ahead now. He must be moving more easily than I am, with the force of his tail to push him on. My head knocks against the roof. Slow down, Sapphire. Take it easy. Faro’s bigger than you, and he didn’t get stuck.

  My foot catches on an outcrop of rock on the tunnel roof. For a desperate moment I struggle to pull it free, but it won’t go the right way. The rock’s holding on to me. It won’t release me.

  I’ve got to think. Think. Use your mind instead of going into a blind, blank panic. You won’t ever get free if you struggle—it’s like pulling a knot tighter. Maybe if I push backward a little, it’ll take some pressure off my foot.

  Very gently I push back against the sides of the tunnel until the grip on my foot eases. I wriggle my foot sideways, and the rock lets me go.
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br />   I mustn’t let it catch me again. I scull hard with my hands to bring my body down as close to the floor of the tunnel as possible, and then I edge forward with my feet together. I won’t kick anymore, so I won’t get trapped again.

  It works. I’m moving, slowly and steadily. But there’s no time for relief. I’ve got to catch up with Faro. If I lose him—

  What if the tunnel divides and I don’t know which way to go?

  It’s cold as well as dark. It feels as if the tunnel walls are breathing out a dead, freezing mist. Every time my fingers touch the rock, they get more numb. Got to keep moving. Faro’s up ahead. I know he is even though I can’t see him. I can’t even find him with my mind. Keep going, Sapphire. Pull yourself along. One handhold. Another handhold. Keep going. The water feels cold and lifeless, but it isn’t really. You’re still in Ingo.

  My worst fear is that the tunnel’s going to squeeze shut, closing me in. I could never find my way backward, all the way to the entrance. I’d get stuck, and then I’d be trapped in the tunnel forever.

  As if the tunnel senses my panic, it starts to crowd me. My hands scrabble for space. My feet kick against the tunnel roof.

  Faro!

  There’s no reply. My thoughts bounce emptily around my mind. Faro has left me. I’m alone.

  A wave of panic wipes me out. The rock bulges, crushing me. My fingers scrape at the surface, but this time I can’t move. The tunnel has got me, and it’s never going to let me escape.

  But as the tide of panic roars, a small, quiet voice speaks deep inside me. I don’t know if it’s my voice or Faro’s. Think, Sapphire. Use your brain. You’re not trapped as long as you think.

  I remember how I freed my foot. Ease backward. Don’t struggle, because it only ties the knot tighter.

  It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. When you’re trapped, every cell of your body screams for you to fight free. But I’ve got to do it, because even Faro can’t help me now. He’s up ahead, waiting for me, I’m sure he’s there, but the tunnel’s too narrow for him to turn and pull me free.

  Somehow just the thought of Faro waiting makes the rock face move back a fraction. The roof of the tunnel doesn’t press down quite so hard.

  You survived the Deep, Sapphire. None of the Mer can survive the Deep, but you did it. This isn’t so terrible, compared with the Deep.

  That’s when I first see the light. It’s a tiny greenish glimmer, so faint I’m not sure at first if it’s real or not. As I watch, another tiny light springs out on the rock face, like a signal. Don’t be afraid. We’re here with you.

  Like Christmas lights. But they can’t be Christmas lights because there’s no electricity down here. I peer through the darkness, and then I see them. They are small, worm-shaped creatures, clinging to the rock. The glow of light comes from their heads. As I watch, another point gleams out, and then another. They light the passage, showing the way onward.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, and the lights glow more strongly, as if the little creatures have heard and are glad to help me.

  Slowly, slowly the rock lets go of me as I relax. I’m easing myself forward again. There is clear water between the rock and my body. I go on, doggedly pushing myself along. A few centimeters, a few more. The tunnel is curving around to the left, and surely it’s growing much wider now…

  There’s a shimmer of light ahead and a shape moving—

  A conger eel!

  No. A familiar shape, strong and supple and like a seal’s tail. Faro’s tail. He’s swimming up ahead of me.

  “Faro!”

  “Little sister, I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you. I tried to reach you with my mind, but all I could find was rock.”

  I swim up alongside, so overwhelmed with relief that I’m afraid I’ll cry if I try to talk. Faro turns and smiles impishly.

  “So those conger eels didn’t eat you up after all.”

  I laugh feebly.

  “You’re bigger than me, Faro. However did you get through so easily?”

  Faro shrugs. “We’re used to it. Our bodies know their way through rock passages. As long as you don’t think about it, you’ll always get through.”

  The tunnel’s opening up like a flower from a stalk. In the distance there’s a murmuring ripple of sound. Faro takes my hand.

  “Wait, Sapphire.”

  We float, listening. The light is even stronger now, and I see that the sides of the tunnel aren’t black at all. They are a deep, rich ruby red. It looks as if the tunnel is carved out of a huge jewel. Faro’s face glows with reflected light.

  “We’re close to the Assembly chamber,” he whispers. “Listen. You can hear my people.”

  So the murmuring ripple isn’t the far-off noise of the sea. It’s the sound of Faro’s people, gathered together.

  “How many are there?”

  “Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Listen to the echo. You can tell that the chamber is full.”

  “What are they doing?”

  “Waiting.”

  “What for?”

  “For us, of course. Or strictly speaking, my dear little sister, for you.”

  I stare at Faro in horror. “You’re joking.”

  “They’ve been traveling for days to get to this Assembly.”

  “How do you know? Morlader only just came to—to fetch us.”

  “I know the ways of my people,” says Faro proudly.

  For a second I even wish that I were back in the tunnel again, talking to the worms. I try to imagine stepping out in front of hundreds—maybe thousands—of Mer. How disappointed they’ll be when they see that I’m just an ordinary girl, with no special powers at all.

  “They’ve got it wrong, Faro. They can’t be waiting for me. Let’s go back—”

  “What? Back through that tunnel? You’ve got to be joking. Even for me it was a close thing.”

  “Were you scared, Faro?”

  “Me? Scared?” His eyes glitter indignantly. “I was…extended, my dear Sapphire.”

  “So was I. Very extended indeed.”

  The murmur of voices seems louder now. I try to imagine what they look like, all those hundreds and thousands of Mer gathered together. Suddenly I’m curious as well as nervous. I’ve always wanted to meet the Mer face-to-face. Faro’s people. Maybe my people too, in a way.

  “Will my father be there?” I ask abruptly.

  “No.”

  “Why not? He’s Mer now, isn’t he?”

  “He’s still recovering.”

  “Recovering! You didn’t tell me he was ill.”

  “You knew that he was hurt when the Tide Knot broke. His body felt the anger of the tides.”

  “But I thought he’d be all right by now. I didn’t know it was serious. Why didn’t you tell me? What’s wrong with Dad?”

  Faro touches his right arm, just above the wrist. “The bone was broken here. He had broken ribs too, and cuts and bruises all over his body where he was hurled against a rock. My sister’s teacher has been healing him. She is a great healer.”

  “Oh.”

  I feel sick at the thought of Dad’s being hurled against a rock. I know what it’s like when a current seizes hold of you. It must have been terrible to be caught in the full force of the escaped tides. I knew Dad was hurt because he didn’t come back to help us in the flood, but I didn’t realize how bad it was.

  “And his mind is heavy,” Faro goes on quietly, as if he’s confiding a secret.

  My father is trist, I think. My father is kommolek. The words are like shadows on my heart.

  “Yes,” says Faro, reading them, “you are right, little sister. His mind troubles him more than his body.”

  I wish I could reach Dad with my mind. I wish I could say to him, Hold on. We haven’t forgotten you. Conor and I will do anything to get you home.

  But Dad can’t hear me.

  I listen again to the murmur of voices.

  “What about Mellina? Will she be there?”

 
; “She may be. I don’t know.”

  If she is, I’ll see Mellina face-to-face at last. The Mer woman whom my father loves. The woman who enchanted him away from our home, away from Mum and Conor and me and everything in the human world.

  I wish I was away in Ingo…

  Mellina sang that to Dad, and he believed it. He wished for Ingo, and his wish came true. When I saw Mellina’s face in Saldowr’s mirror, she looked young and soft and gentle. But I’m not going to be tricked by her. I’m going to find out the truth, and tell Mellina that she’s got to let go of Dad and allow him to come home.

  “All right, Faro. Let’s go in.”

  We swim to the edge of a thin screen of rock. I tread water to steady myself. Warily, keeping my body in hiding, I peer around the side.

  It’s a vast underwater cavern, as big as a cathedral. The walls curve inward, and they’re carved into tier after tier, like rows of seats in a theater. I wonder if the sea gouged out those tiers or if the Mer carved them.

  And there are the Mer. Hundreds of them, as Faro said. Maybe thousands. They are as real and solid as a football crowd and as strange as a dream. Their tails glisten. Their long hair streams in the water, half veiling their bodies. Some are wearing shining cloaks of net and pearl, others bodices of woven seaweed.

  The source of the light is above us. The light of the open sea filters down to the heart of the underwater mountains. For a second I think of the sun and its light; then I lose my grip on the thought. The human world feels as distant as China or Paraguay.

  I stare around the chamber in wonder. The far wall shimmers with phosphorescence. The skin of the Mer glows too. There’s a tinge of blue in their skin that isn’t like any color I’ve seen in a human. The same blue sheen ripples over their tails. I’ve never noticed that color in Faro’s body. Maybe the light of the cave changes everything. They look so foreign and so beautiful.

  “My people,” says Faro, with such pride in his voice that I turn to look at him. His shoulders are braced, his hands are clenched into fists, and his face is stern.

  “My people,” he repeats, “and I will give my life to defend them. You are the only human who has ever seen such an Assembly.”

  “I’m honored,” I answer quietly.