“We’re all fine! Luke found his birth parents but we can’t get back through the channel.” I dove back under water to catch my breath.
“Come back!” Dad called after a few minutes.
“I said I can’t!” I called again. Meanwhile, Serena pulled at my arm underwater.
We need to go, she urged. Mother and Father could be miles from here by now.
With no way to get to Dad and no way to make him understand what was going on, I had no choice. I dove back underwater and joined Serena, Luke, and his mer family as they began the long trek south to attempt to overthrow the Mermish Council once and for all.
• • •
It took us at least four hours to swim the eight or so miles from the northern passage of Talisman Lake to the coast off Port Toulouse. The moon was still quite high in the sky and bright enough to light our way. Along the way, we got to know the other mers who had been banished by the Mermish Council.
To our surprise, two of them were Coach Laurena’s sister and brother. Luke’s mer parents had found them hiding out in a sea cave along the coast after their father died. It didn’t take long to convince them to join us once Serena and I told them what had happened to their sister.
The closer we got to Port Toulouse Bay, the louder the bonging sound got. Luke began acting stranger and stranger with each approaching mile.
What’s up with Luke? I looked over at Serena, who was still swimming along with Coach Laurena’s siblings, but they seemed to have zoned out, too.
Everyone is acting a little strange, Serena replied. She and I didn’t seem to be affected by the clanging noise, but something was definitely not quite right.
Hey, Penelopus! I called ahead to Luke. You okay up there?
I figured the joke would be enough to get him to knock it off, but he acted like he hadn’t heard me. All I could hope was that Tidal Law wasn’t still messing with him.
After another hour or so of swimming, I thought we’d be getting closer to the canal, but instead, a huge underground mountain ridge stretched out in front of us.
What the heck? I rang. Is that the mer village?
I think so. I don’t think we came from this direction last time, though, Serena rang over the thunderous clanging. And that sound wasn’t here, for sure.
Hold up, everybody! I rang. I think we took a wrong turn somewhere.
But Serena was the only mer paying attention to what I was saying. Everyone else swam past us like drones returning to the beehive to wait on their queen. Luke’s eyes were glazed over again, and he just brushed past me when I tried to get his attention. A determined scowl creased his forehead as he swam. It definitely wasn’t just the saltiness of the ocean water—something else had gotten hold of him.
It’s like the noise has hypnotized them or something. How are you feeling? I asked Serena.
I’m totally fine, Serena said.
This way, Portagus said blankly to everyone as he shot off to the base of the stony ridge.
What about the plan? I called out to him. You know? The Freshies? Strength in numbers and all that?
And what about the part where I volunteered to stay behind to look after Petra while everyone else took care of overthrowing the Mermish Council? I thought to myself.
But everyone followed Portagus like a conga line of ants. Left with no choice, I did, too, but I grasped Serena’s arm for us to hang back because I couldn’t help but feel like we were being led into a spidery web.
My spidey senses must have been tingling, because waiting for us at the base of the ridge were none other than the Mermish Council sentries with long, very pointy-looking spears.
Welcome home, the sentries called out to our group. Dame Council will be thrilled to hear of your return.
Like aliens to the mother ship, I rang to Serena, just like Bridget had said.
Only I wished the Smart People had invented space teleportation already, because I would have loved to zap my molecules out of there just then. In fact, I planned to get Dad working on teleportation as soon as I made it back home.
Correction: If I ever made it back home.
I tried to grab Luke and Serena to hightail it out of there, but Luke struggled against me with his freaky blank-eyed stare, and one of the sentries urged us toward an opening at the bottom of the ridge with his spear.
This might actually be good, Serena rang in my ear. Hopefully they’ll lead us straight to Mother and Father. And Bridget, too.
If you say so. I wasn’t quite sure how following a bunch of armed sentries was going to help us overthrow the Mermish Council, but with everyone else in our group acting so weird, I didn’t know what else to do.
The clanging noise grew even louder as the sentries led us through a series of caves at the base of the underwater mountain ridge, which opened up into a gigantic valley. And no wonder it was so loud—the mountain ridge encircled a giant space several miles wide, and the sound seemed to reverberate against the ridge’s walls like a huge amplifier.
The last time I’d been to the mer village, the whole place had been on lockdown because Cori and Trey were in the Martins’ boat, The Lady Sea Dragon, several hundred feet overhead and everyone had been hidden in their little hidey-holes to make sure they weren’t discovered. Little did the mers know that they didn’t need to worry since Eddie (our resident mer expert) had figured out that mers gave off a constant ring that blocked boat sonar and radar signals, making them invisible.
This time, though, the mer village was buzzing with activity. Hundreds and hundreds of mers swam from place to place—up, over, and around mossy grottos, swaying seaweed, and barnacle-covered structures—going about their business as the early morning light shone through the water. They cowered and darted away as the sentries escorted us to the middle of the village about a mile or so into the valley.
I managed to swim up alongside Luke as they led us toward an underwater town square. Stalls surrounded the square like at Port Toulouse’s farmers’ market, but these stalls were stuffed with shellfish and braided seaweed twine and other Mermish merchandise.
Mer-chandise?
Ha! But how could I be making jokes at a time like this? I needed to focus. So did Luke!
Will you snap out of it? I asked, shaking his arm as we swam.
We’re here to serve the Mermish Council, Luke said blankly as the bonging rang all around us.
What the heck are you saying? I cupped his face with my hands and turned his head my way to get his attention. Luke!
Luke glanced at me and a flash of recognition crossed his face, but it wasn’t long before he pushed my hands away, and his eyes glazed over again while the sentries continued to urge our group toward the square.
I spotted Luke’s little sister, Petra, at the outer edge of our group.
Mother? Petra tugged on Pollinia’s arm, but her mother’s dazed gaze was focused straight ahead. What’s happening, Mother? Father? She swam to her dad, but he was just as spaced out. Petra looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Petra, I rang to her. It wasn’t safe for her here. Another reason we should have stuck to the plan! She turned my way, and I waved for her to swim to me and Serena. It’s going to be okay. Come!
What’s wrong with Mother and Father and the others? Petra rang in a worried tone as she stuck close to me while we swam.
We’re not sure, but Serena and I are fine, so whatever you do, stay with us okay? I rang.
Petra nodded, and she stayed at the back of the group with us.
They’re all under some sort of trance, Serena said, looking from Luke to the others. I think it has something to do with that clanging noise. Mother told me how all mer-babies are put to sleep to the sound of a bell. Now they’re using it to control them, I bet.
That’s like what my mom told me, too! Like Pavlov’s dog. I remembered Dad telling me about the scientist who used a bell to train a dog to know when it was time to eat. But where would they get a bell?
That’s when
I saw a rusted, barnacle-covered ship’s bell in the middle of the town square. It was hooked onto a craggy piece of petrified wood and it swung in the swaying water, ringing at regular intervals.
Bong. Bong. Bong.
And why isn’t Petra affected? I hugged her close to me and tried to keep her away from the rest of the group. Or you and me?
Petra and I weren’t born here, Serena said. Neither were you. I don’t ever remember falling asleep to the sound of a bell.
The sentries motioned for us to wait in an open space in the middle of the town square with a group of other mers. Many, many others were arriving, all sporting the same spaced-out look. I held onto Serena’s and Petra’s hands, and we worked our way away from the group to the outskirts of the crowd so Petra wouldn’t get crushed.
But Mother and Father, Petra rang.
They’ll be okay, I whispered. But I’m not sure what’s about to happen, and I know they’d want you to be safe. Just trust me, okay?
Petra nodded and bit her lower lip just as a thunderous sound filled the air. I turned to see five or six sentries blowing into large conch shells. They accompanied a group of very familiar-looking mers.
It’s the Mermish Council, I whispered to Serena and Petra. The control freaks who’d sentenced Luke, Serena, and me to Talisman Lake to rot in its scum-infested waters with the rest of the Freshies.
The first was a guy I remembered as Jowls, with his thinning hair and sagging, jowly face. He’d been the most vocal of the group, and I was sure he would have preferred to boil us in a fish chowder instead of imprisoning us in the lake. There were others I recognized, too, like the older lady with the seashell necklaces who was the only one who hadn’t voted against us.
Leading the pack was Dame Council with her sharp features and cunning eyes. She was accompanied by her ever-present minion. Everyone on the Mermish Council looked bright eyed and non-zombied. Why weren’t they being affected by the bell?
Finally, our plan is complete! I heard Dame Council ring as she swam among the group. Assemble everyone so we can put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.
I saw Luke make his way through the crowd and present himself to Dame Council.
At your service, Dame Council. Luke swam toward her and bowed his head.
Oh, puh-lease, I muttered from my vantage point across the square. What the heck was Luke doing? Had he forgotten what a jerk Dame Council had been to him last time when she sentenced him to a life of drudgery in Talisman Lake?
Hmm…Dame Council surveyed Luke’s short hair, but without seeing him with his T-shirt on, she couldn’t quite place who he was. She was probably so used to banishing and imprisoning mers that she’d lost track of them all.
I looked down at my own T-shirt and Petra’s, too. Thankfully, the mers around us were too spaced out to notice that “one of these things is not like the others,” but what if the Mermish Council saw?
We should hide. There was no way I was taking off my shirt just so we could go incognito.
I pulled Serena and Petra toward me and ducked behind a stall in the market so we could watch what was happening without being seen.
Oooh, Serena rang. Flip-floops!
I noticed then that the marketplace stall was decorated with sea-worn flip-flops, just like the cart Reese’s friend Renata had been pulling when she brought food to the sentries at the tidal pool. I hunted around the stall and there she was, perched behind the counter with her eyes closed.
Renata? I asked but it was no use—she didn’t answer. Was everyone under the Mermish Council’s control?
A large crowd of spacey-eyed mers was already gathering in the massive square. What the heck were we supposed to do? I tried to focus so I could keep track of where everyone was.
Okay, so my mom and Coach Laurena are in Talisman Lake, and we have me, you, and Luke accounted for. No sign of Bridget yet, but have you seen your mom and dad? I asked Serena.
Serena pointed toward the square and put a hand to her mouth.
A couple of sentries arrived with two mers attached to stakes like pigs ready for roasting. They were tied and gagged, struggling against the seaweedy-looking twine. Finalin and Medora—prisoners of the Mermish Council.
Wonderful! Yes! Dame Council rang as they were brought to the middle of the square. Gather, everyone! I have a very important announcement to make.
Meanwhile, the large iron ship’s bell swayed in the current, ringing with the swirling water. The sound filled the village and echoed against the massive canyon’s walls. No wonder we could hear the clanging all the way to Port Toulouse.
Soon a crushing crowd of hundreds and hundreds of mers was floating around and above us. At the very middle of the group was Dame Council, flanked by the rest of the Mermish Council and surveying her pod with her sharp eyes. She fiddled with something in her ear and smiled evilly.
What does she have in her ear? I rang to Serena as I held Petra close to me. It’s like she has earplugs or something.
I might know the answer to that question. I jumped at the voice and turned to see a familiar teenage mer’s chubby face and friendly smile.
Reese! I rang over the noise of the gathering crowd. I hadn’t seen Reese since we said good-bye at the mouth of the canal leading up to Talisman Lake when the Mermish Council imprisoned us there.
Serena threw her arms around him in an excited hug. It knocked him back through the water, and he braced himself against the market stall to catch his balance. Petra gripped me tightly.
It’s okay, Petra, I rang. Reese is a friend. Actually, Reese is your cousin.
Reese, this is Luke’s sister. Serena took Reese’s hand and gripped it tightly to pull him through the water toward us, but Petra turned away and played with one of the flip-flops hanging from Renata’s stall.
You like those? Reese rang quietly and reached into his homemade satchel. Well then, I have something for you.
He pulled out a colorful girl’s flip-flop he’d no doubt scavenged from one of the nearby beaches. Petra took it from him timidly, touched the pink plastic flower, and broke out in a huge grin.
Why can you talk to us like this? I asked. The rest of these mers are like mindless jellyfish.
Same reason Dame Council can. Reese pulled his long hair back and pointed to pieces of rubber flip-flop he had stuffed in his ears. I tried to make some for as many mers as I could, but it’s dangerous.
Renata turned my way. She pulled her hair away to show me her earplugs and winked.
You, too, Renata? Oh, thank goodness. It’s the bell, though, isn’t it? Serena guessed that. I turned to Reese. Can you still hear us okay?
Yes. These just help dull the sound of the bell so we can at least think straight, Reese said.
But how did you know? I asked.
It’s easy to make friends when you have something they want. Reese wriggled his eyebrows and made Petra giggle.
That’s when I remembered that Reese had been the one to feed Bridget information about what was happening with Tidal Law.
Did you find your mom? I asked.
Bridget, you mean? he asked. That’s when I noticed Renata’s food cart at his side.
Yes, Bridget, I replied, a hopeful feeling growing in my chest.
Reese pulled back a woven seaweed mat from inside the large cart. Underneath the mat was a large, swollen tail.
Omigod, Bridget. Are you okay? I whispered.
I’m okay, Bridget answered, but the ring of her voice was weak and strained.
She got pulled into the ocean by the tide the other night, Reese rang, covering his mom up again to keep her hidden. I was able to rescue her and give her earpieces, but I can’t do anything for her tail. She really needs to get back to dry land.
That’s when Dame Council began to speak.
You are gathered here today for a very special announcement. Perhaps you have heard rumors about Webbed Ones and such floating around, but I am here to put those rumors to rest. She motioned to Finalin and Med
ora, who struggled against their bindings. You may remember these two as the convicted murderers of our valiant past Dame Council. Since they escaped imprisonment, they’ve been working tirelessly to spread these rumors to divide mer loyalty.
The other mers from the Mermish Council nodded their heads and added words of agreement, all except the older woman with the seashell necklaces.
Look at that sister of mine, Renata said, waving toward Dame Council.
Who? Dame Council? I asked. She’s your sister?
Yes, and our grandmother would be ashamed to know how she’s lost her way, Renata replied. Then again—am I any better, sitting here silently?
Dame Council resumed her speech as I picked my jaw up from the bottom of the ocean floor.
Let me assure you, you have been duped by these criminals and I am here today, standing before you as Dame Council, to finally expose these mers for the traitors they are.
Serena tensed at my side but I held her arm to keep her from doing anything crazy.
Do you understand what I am saying to you? Dame Council nodded her head from mer to mer, as if to make sure the information sank into their brains as the ship’s bell kept ringing. There is no such thing as a Webbed One.
Yes, Dame Council.
And anyone who continues to defy us by spreading these lies or opposing our laws can expect the same fate as these two. She waved her hand through the water toward Finalin and Medora. Is that also understood?
Yes, Dame Council.
This is ridiculous, I rang to Reese.
This has been their plan all along, Reese rang. Recall all the land-dwelling mers to prove Webbed Ones don’t exist and brainwash everyone into following the Council’s laws blindly. They’ll never let the Webbed Ones return to land.
Of course! Force all the Webbed Ones back in the ocean, make them forget their human lives, then keep them there to rot so the rest of the mer world would stop believing that being a Webbed One was even a choice. But all of the Webbed Ones I knew didn’t actually have a choice—they couldn’t survive in the ocean. That’s why they’d been given land status in the first place!
Real Mermaids Don't Need High Heels Page 12
