I guess these are all the little details that get left out of the fairy tales. A day in the life of a mermaid. I wonder how long it’ll take Johnny to ask them about underwater toilets or something completely inappropriate like that.
They finally reached a vast cavern illuminated by a glowing circle of light above them. “The entrance to the Cave of History,” Mihuah explained. “It is full of air at approximately the same pressure as you normally breathe. You will be able to assume your human form if you wish.”
Moments later, Carol’s head broke the surface in the cave. The Atlacah had lungs as well as gills, and her shifted body automatically made the change to respiration.
Blinking her eyes, she adjusted to the gaslight and saw her brother, standing at a table beside a human girl in her late teens.
“The real story of Tapachco begins after human beings arrive,” the girl was saying softly, “when the first shapeshifting twins in history betray each other and all they love, nearly destroying the world afresh.”
Turning to check on Mihuah—who was gripping a boulder and panting lightly—Carol hauled herself up onto the rocks, shifting and twisting the Robe of Mayahuel into pants, sweater and boots to stave off the cold, stale air.
“Uh, hello, there.”
Johnny turned. “Hey, Carol,” he said in Spanish. “Ana was just sharing the history of her people with me.”
“Ana?”
“Yeah, you know, Princess Anamacani? She’s an Air Sage, like a mermaid nagual with a human-shaped tonal.”
“Oh!” Carol recovered and stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you again, Ana.”
The Tapachcan princess looked at the proffered palm and took it between both her own for a moment. “Likewise, Carol. We were discussing the origin of the Atlacah. I was telling your brother how, at the end of the Fourth Age, Matlalcueyeh’s tears flooded the world, but—”
“Sure, I know the story from Aztec sources. But isn’t she called Chalchiuhtlicue?”
“By some, yes. That is the title the Mexica gave the goddess. “Her Skirt is Jade.” They did so love that precious stone.”
“When I arrived, I heard you talking about the first pair of shapeshifting twins and how they almost destroyed the world. What’s that all about? How does it connect to your people?”
Ana fiddled for a moment with one of her dreadlocks, which were dark brown now instead of their normal blue. “It is a difficult tale to tell, but one we all should keep in mind, even my cousin there…”
Mihuah waved affably. “I am listening, albeit with smaller ears than the three of you.”
Hey, not bad! Johnny thought. Not as funny as me, but it’s tough to reach this level of comedic perfection.
You keep telling yourself that, Mr. Stand-up.
“This is the same bit of history that my brother requested in the formal Retelling I did for him, though I will keep it straightforward, skipping unnecessary details,” Ana said.
For your benefit, I’m betting, Carol quipped.
Ah, now who’s the joker?
Ana rounded the table to stand between the twins and her cousin. “Thousands of years before recorded history, a great empire called Atlan arose on an island continent in the Pacific.”
“Atlantis!” exclaimed Johnny. “Dude, I knew it.”
“It is probably the source of those legends, Johnny. Now, Atlan was fabled for its seven cities, each cradled in one of the island’s extinct volcanoes. For centuries, these were independent nations, often in conflict with one another, ruled by mighty women and men who wielded almost godlike powers. Many of them were shapeshifters.
“One day twins were born into the royal family of the kingdom of Sulamala: Epan Napotza and his sister Quelel Huetzo. With time, it became clear that these two had access to abilities well beyond those of even the greatest of humans. Savage magic, the sorcerers named it, trying to train the royal twins as best they could to channel their power for the good of Sulamala.”
This is really creepy, Carol thought at her brother. She could be describing us.
Yup. Especially the whole “godlike” part. I’m kind of an Adonis, if you hadn’t noticed.
Oh, shut up, weirdo. You’re just all chiveado because of the attention she’s been giving you.
What? Dude, I so knew you were going to start with that crap…
Ana continued, unaware of the exchange. “As a young man, Epan Napotza used his abilities to explore the ocean around Atlan, and there in the depths he discovered the merfolk. Living among them for a time, he fell in love with the siren Mrisu.”
See? She’s giving you hints, Johnny.
Hey! Not cool, Carol.
“His sister eventually found him, frantic with the news that their father had fallen deathly ill. Upon their return, even though Epan Napotza had abandoned his place in the kingdom for years, the dying king chose his son as his successor. Quelel Huetzo, secretly furious and bitter at not getting the crown though she had stood by her father’s side always, cloistered herself away from the world.”
Carol swallowed heavily. The story was full of frightening implications. She saw Johnny wince a bit, his usual bravado faltering.
“Once king, Epan arranged to marry Mrisu, and their union solidified an alliance between his kingdom and the Atlacah. The siren princess bore him seven sons, and when they had grown to manhood, they helped their father and their merfolk allies to conquer with very little bloodshed the other six cities. Thus was Atlan forged in those early days of the Fifth Age, long before what your people call recorded history.”
She gestured at the extensive library around her with an ironic twist of the head.
“But what about the sister?” Carol asked. “Quelel?”
Ana looked away for a moment. Mihuah grimaced as if she knew what was coming.
“After decades alone and embittered in her woodland demesne at the heart of the island, living as a beast for years at a stretch, Quelel Huetzo was visited and seduced by Kisin, Lord of Xibalba.”
“Yes, we know that creep,” Carol cut in with a shiver. “He sliced our chests open and tried to eat our hearts.”
“Major jerk,” Johnny agreed vehemently.
“Kisin promised Quelel revenge against her brother the emperor, speaking of an instrument of destruction that would tear down all the Epan had constructed without her. You see, when the creator gods first formed the earth from the flesh of the primordial reptile, the reptile bit off one of Tezcatlipoca’s feet, swallowing it whole. But the foot was never fully digested. A ball of ambergris built up around one of the bones—the other bones being expelled into the cosmos. This black sphere became known as the Cehuallocozcatl or Shadow Stone, and it rested at the heart of Mictlan for ages.”
“Oh, snap.” Johnny shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “Atlan was destroyed by the Shadow Stone. You don’t mean…”
“Yes. Quelel used a chay abah to enter Mictlan. There, with Kisin’s aid, she retrieved the Shadow Stone. An army of demons at her back, she emerged from the Land of the Dead and wielded that tool of darkness against her brother and his soldiers. But she won no victory. Instead, the entire island was shattered and sank beneath the waves.”
A tinge of sad premonition made Carol’s stomach flop. “Oh, my God. Tell me some people survived.”
“Yes. A handful of humans escaped the cataclysm, heading for the distant coast of North America. These are some of the ancestors of the indigenous peoples of your continent, who intermingled with other humans crossing from Asia tens of thousands of years later. Among these were members of the royalty, some of whom passed down the ability to shapeshift to their children.”
“Whoa,” exclaimed Johnny. “So that’s where natural-born naguales come from, where me and Carol come from.”
Ana nodded. “Yes. Also, some of the emperor’s sons and grandchildren, being half-Atlacah, were able to transform and flee the devastation with Mrisu’s people, whose own underwater kingdom was also destroyed in the catacl
ysm. This group of refugees made their way north and west to found the Five Nations.”
Carol narrowed her eyes a bit. “So some of the descendants of Epan are, what do you call yourselves? Air Sages.”
Mihuah finally spoke up. “Exactly. From the House of Napotza, like Ana here, or our late Aunt Omelia and her cousin Celic.”
Johnny perked up. “Celic? We know that name. He’s the guy who told the Little People about your brother’s plans.”
Both Ana and Mihuah appeared stunned. The princess finally spoke. “That is difficult to believe, my friends. Celic abandoned his position as Royal Historian to join the Order of the Deep. As far as anyone knows, he lives in monastic seclusion far south of Tapachco.”
“Ana, we know the Little People. They wouldn’t lie about this.”
Mihuah looked pleadingly at the princess. “Cousin, perhaps we should not let your mother hear the source of the news. We both know that she is probably doing all she can to obstruct any offensive against Maxaltic.”
Carol raised her hand. “Hang on—what? You don’t think your mother wants to stop her son from causing the apocalypse?”
Ana shook her head. “No, you misunderstand. I know my mother well. Maxaltic is certainly her favorite, and she will do everything she can to support and protect him short of allowing him to trigger a deluge. Yet that is not my chief concern. For years the Queen has pushed the court sorcerers to recreate ancient rites and spells. I worry she will attempt to recover the Shadow Stone for herself.”
Johnny rubbed his hand across his face. “That’s crazy. What would she do that for? Does she want to flood the world, too?”
“No. Of course not. But Mother’s unification project has ground to a halt, and an object of such power would ensure the primacy of our house, of Tapachco, of Atlacah in general.”
Carol sighed. “So, politics.”
Mihuah gave a weak laugh. “Indeed, Carol. At the expense of anything, including a siren’s heart.”
At that moment, everyone was startled by a pair of flailing arms that broke the surface of the water. Mihuah reached out and steadied the sputtering form of Ilancueh.
“Your Royal Highness,” she managed to say in Nahuatl. “Her Majesty Queen Iztalli has summoned you and the visiting dignitaries to the throne room.”
“Uh, we’re not really dignitaries,” Johnny pointed out.
Yeah, you clearly have no dignity most of the time, so it’s definitely a tough sell.
Ha! I’m really rubbing off on you, aren’t I? Well, time to high-tail it out of here. Get it? High-tail?
Carol shook her head in feigned disgust and dove into the sea.
~~~
Carol and Johnny were grilled for the better part of an hour by the Queen, the King and their various ministers. When the name of Celic came up, the twins were escorted out of the chambers for nearly another hour. Toward the end of their wait, Johnny shook his head vigorously.
“Okay, let me make sure I’ve got this straight. Tezcat’s toe becomes the Shadow Stone. Crazy shapeshifting twin uses it to attack her brother and accidentally sinks Atlan. The thing is lost. Fast forward 80,000 years. Malted Milkshake decides he also hates everybody, probably with a nudge from Tezcat. He runs off, puts together an army of monsters, starts to search for it. Right so far?”
“Yup.” Carol knew what he was doing, taking all the information they’d been bombarded with and trying to boil it down to the core issue. Their mother operated the same way. “And now the question is—what do we do about it?”
As if on cue, they were called back before the council and the sovereigns. King Nextic floated free of his throne, moving closer to the twins. Mihuah and Ana swam to their sides as well.
“I have reached a decision,” the King announced.
Yeah, right, Johnny quipped. You mean the Queen has told you what decision to reach.
Hush. Behind every great man, Johnny. Just think of Mom and Dad.
“Even were I so inclined, no formal military action can be taken against my son unless approved by the Assembly of Calpolehqueh. I have requested a special session, but there is work to be done first. None of us in this city knows the present location of Maxaltic. In order to take the appropriate action in its due time, we must remedy this ignorance.
“You two will travel with Castellan Nalquiza to the cloister of the Order of the Deep, escorted by a phalanx of guards for defense. Also in your company will be Lady Mihuah from the diplomatic corps and, much to my dismay, Princess Anamacani. Together you will question Brother Celic and conduct whatever further investigation is necessary to learn the whereabouts of the prince.”
“Thus will we also verify the truthfulness of the accusations that you claim the tzapame have made,” the Queen added coldly. “And in the event that your arrival is part of some plot against Tapachco, rather than what you have told us, the chief sorcerer of the court, Archmage Tenamic, will be joining your party when it departs in the morning.”
Figures. Look at the Queen’s smug face, Johnny remarked. She’s more interested in the location of the stone. The sirens were right on the money about her.
Well, Ana and Mihuah might be pretty suspicious of the Queen’s motives, but searching for the Shadow Stone actually makes the most sense. Nobody even knows where Maxaltic is, but I’m guessing somebody can lead us to what’s left of Atlan. I wonder why they don’t just come out and say that.
What’s that phrase they always use in the movies? “Plausible deniability.” This way they can, you know, blame everything on Nalquiza or us if stuff goes south.
Then we’ve got to make sure it doesn’t.
“Okay, Your Majesties,” she said, as self-assuredly as she could manage. “Though we wish you had more faith in us, count us in.”
Chapter Seven
To Johnny’s relief, dinner was announced not long afterward. All the swimming, plotting and planning had left him really hungry, and he was also very curious to see how a meal could be served under water without everything just floating away.
The dining hall was dominated, not by a table, but by a ring of strange yoke-like contraptions. As guests were ushered in, they were led to these stations in some predetermined order. Johnny was directed to the one beside Princess Anamacani, and she showed him how to properly slip himself into the loops of sanded coral so that he could rest without drifting off.
“This is super different from the way humans do things,” he remarked.
“It is indeed. I have yet to eat in human form, but you sit at tables, do you not?”
“Yeah. You’re going to have to talk me through this, because I’ve barely got a clue about how to eat right in the human world, much less in a royal dining room in an underwater kingdom.”
Ana laughed lightly. “Of course. Rest easy, friend.”
Across the circle from them were Mihuah and Carol, probably having a similar conversation from the way the diplomat was guiding his sister into her nook and gesturing discretely at people around them. Conversation twittered and whistled steadily until the King and Queen finally arrived, settling into the largest, finest of the dining yokes toward the end of the chamber.
“Friends, family, subjects,” Nextic called as everyone fell silent. “It is with heavy hearts that we gather to dine on the eve of a weighty expedition. Tapachco, mourning the apparent loss of its crown prince, mingles hope with grief; faced with the possibility of his return or his betrayal. For the first time in millennia we host human guests here in this kingdom beneath the waves, but we can scarcely bring ourselves to fete the bringers of such horrible tidings. So let us offer a prayer to the gods, to Quetzalcoatl and Tonantzin, to Matlalcueyeh and Huixtohcihuatl. May this food and this fellowship prepare us for whatever they will, may they perhaps deign to return Maxaltic back to us unharmed and whole, repentant and ready to resume his role. Yet, if their will be his destruction, let their wrath be wrought through the might of their champions.”
Johnny figured the Queen didn’t enjoy th
is little speech too much by the way she proceeded to ignore her husband throughout most of the meal.
“She really doesn’t like us, huh? And this chief sorcerer? Tenamic? What’s the deal with him? Point him out for me.”
Ana shook her head. “No, he is absent this evening. Along with his acolytes and fellow mages, he has spent a fortnight attempting to divine Maxaltic’s location through various incantations. They will be making one final attempt tonight.”
“Well, that whole ‘the chief sorcerer will deal with you if you’re lying’ monologue your mom gave was pretty uncool.”
Ana touched his arm reassuringly. “No matter how it sounds, no matter how cold and rude he may act toward you and Carol, I can assure you that Tenamic is one of the most ethical citizens of this realm. You have nothing to fear from him.”
“Good to know. I sure hope you and Mihuah vouched for us with your parents, though. We’re not trying any sneaky stuff, you know.”
“We did, Johnny. My cousin and I are excellent judges of character, and we believe you and Carol to be truthful, sincere, and decent.”
Soon a dozen attendants swam into the chamber, baring small coral globes that they distributed among the guests along with ornately carved utensils that resembled miniature harpoons. Ana explained to Johnny how to twist open the top of his globe and delicately spear the green spheres that rested within. He cautiously tasted one, then excitedly stabbed at the rest. It appeared to be some sort of spiced fish wrapped tightly in aquatic greens, and to his shifted tongue it was sheer delicacy.
“You may want to slow down,” Ana said, repressing a laugh. “It’s considered a little uncouth to eat with such zeal.”
Grinning, he tried to be as sophisticated as possible, though, like he always told his mom when she scolded him for bad table manners, it really didn’t make much sense. Food is energy. Eat it quick and get on with doing stuff.
Once they had cleared the spheres, the attendants next brought in carved crystal globes, holding them carefully upside down. Johnny grabbed his by the bone hand grip on the side after being warned that the dish was hot.
A Kingdom Beneath the Waves Page 6
