All The Mermaids In The Sea

by Robert W Cabell

  Holger suddenly shook his head sadly and sighed. “Boy, how the mighty have fallen.” he whispered. He was the former executive director of the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), and had focused his work on the study of dolphin and whale communications and migratory patterns. He and his brother Halder had been the twin defenders and ground-breaking researchers for the Gaia Principle Theory for the International Foundation of the Gaia Principal for Global Warming.

  They’d been the dashing Danish duo of the world of marine biology. They weren’t identical twins, but they were the same height and roughly the same weight. That was where the similarity ended. Where Holger had jet-black curly hair and leaf green eyes, Halder had fine, copper-gold locks and soft sky blue eyes. Holger had high cheekbones and a strong jutting chin with a cleft like his father’s, and Halder had the heart-shaped face and dimples of their mother. Holger looked like a wrestler, while Halder had more of a swimmer’s body.

  They had a much more peaceful relationship than identical twins have in many ways, but every bit as deep. That was why everything changed after the incident with Halder in the Faeroe Islands. Now Holger had a day job in Hawaii at Dolphin Quest as a vet and a tour guide. He was actually a partner and making a substantial salary, but his dreams of saving the world—or at least a few species of whales—had died with Halder.

  The cable had snapped on his brother’s bathysphere and sent it plummeting down into the trench. Holger had sat there talking to his twin on the radio to keep him company until the rescuers could arrive. Unfortunately, rescue was several hours away, and Halder only had a couple hours of air.

  Holger had known the end was near when his brother started hallucinating due to oxygen deprivation, which actually causes a blessed state of euphoria. He’d started talking about the Queen of the Oceans, and his own Little Mermaid. Suddenly, he’d claimed she had come to save him and not to worry anymore.

  Actually, those had been his exact last words: “She’s come to save me. Don’t worry about me anymore.” And then the communication had stopped. The communication wire, which had somehow miraculously spooled out and stayed attached until that very moment, snapped.

  Losing one’s twin brother was like being torn in half for life, and that’s how Holger felt. That had been the worst day of his life until ten months later, on September 29. The phone had rung in the middle of the afternoon, sounding innocent and normal. But the call had been anything but normal. Holger had been reading the paper when he snatched it off the hook, thinking some fellow professor was calling for a boring chat. The voice on the other end said, “Holger?” and he stiffened. “Holger? It’s really me,” the voice said softly. “It’s Halder.”

  “Halder?” He’d felt himself tremble for a moment with hope, then reality crashed in, and he got angry. “Who is this, and why are you calling me? Do you get some sick thrill out of people’s loss and pain?” And he’d slammed the phone down and refused to answer the constant ringing that followed. Holger had refused for the first hour, then he’d given in and snatched it back up to scream his anger.

  “Stop calling me!”

  “Holger!”

  “Leave me alone!”

  “It’s really me, and I want to talk to you.”

  “Why are you doing this to me?”

  “Holger! I told you she had come to save me and not to worry!”

  Holger froze. His mouth went dry, his knees locked, and he wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

  “Miranda saved me, Holger. She saved me and took me with her into the sea.”

  Holger had been so confused … so desperate for a reason to hope. The bathysphere had finally been found. The front glass panels had shattered and imploded, probably as a result of some crack or fracture caused when the craft had slammed into the canyon walls. There had been no body found. It must have been carried off by the currents or by some creature, or both.

  “Whoever you are, leave me alone,” Holger whispered back. Tears trickled from his very soul as his fist had begun to slowly pound the wall.

  “Holger, I’m a father. I just became the father of a beautiful little girl named Adara. We’re here in Seattle. I had to call. I want to see you before we leave. You mustn’t tell anyone about me, but I have to see you. I want you to meet us tonight…” It was too much, and his mind had begun to spin as the voice continued. Then abruptly, Holger had hung up, or rather he’d slammed the phone down so hard he’d shattered it and then yanked the cord out of the wall.

  Three days later, an envelope with no return address arrived. There was nothing but a photo inside. It was a picture of a man with a full mustache and beard and long, copper-blonde hair pulled back and braided. He looked like a Viking, and he was sitting in a hospital room holding a tiny, newborn baby. Sitting next to him was the most extraordinarily beautiful woman Holger had ever seen. Even in a hospital gown and no makeup, she was stunning. They were smiling into the camera. The man in the photo was Halder. There was no note with the picture, and the only thing written on the back of the photo was “9/29, Adara.”

  The event devastated Holger and made him seek stability. He gave up his globetrotting ways, the reason his wife had divorced him, but she still didn’t take him back. Instead, on her way out of town to tour with some new-age rock band, she’d arrived at his doorstep to drop off their three-year-old son, Hal.

  Thirteen years had gone by, and he still hadn’t heard from his brother again, but every September 29th a part of his soul told him he would. Every year the date had come and gone with no news, so every September 30th he’d always hired an overnight babysitter for Hal and then had a few drinks too many in a safe place where there would be plenty of aspirin and coffee ready for him the next morning. He had already booked the babysitter for this year, and also the hotel room.

  “Time to swim with the fishes,” he muttered. Holger closed the door to his office and walked out to the dock and the customers waiting for the morning Dolphin Quest session. There were always a lot of people watching from the bleachers, but only six clients were allowed into the lagoon with the dolphins at any time, and no more than two guests per client were allowed to sit on the beach to watch. These rules kept things intimate, special, and very manageable.

  Before the Quest

  Pearl couldn’t believe it. She had read about Dolphin Quest over and over and seen segments about it on television networks like Animal Planet. But she still couldn’t believe she was really there, with real dolphins.

  She twisted her new watch nervously as the group walked down to the lagoon. Pearl was in the morning session—two hours of swimming and interacting with the dolphins. The doctor who ran this particular Dolphin Quest was a pioneer in sea mammal surgery and a spokesman for many environmental conservation groups. And if all marine biologists were as fit and good looking as he was, she couldn’t wait to grow up and be one too.

  The Mermaid Queen

  Helmi stared deep into the Orb of Nerus, the giant pearl from the very oyster shell from which Venus had risen. As she lost herself deep within its iridescent depths, she could focus on her strongest desires. Then, across its opalescent surface, a vision of that desire would appear.

  Images of her beloved Valdemar in strange garb kept flickering across the surface, disrupting her thoughts. Then suddenly, there she was, her darling Adara, laughing and giggling in some distant land Helmi did not recognize.

  Why had she let her daughter Miranda go to the world above? Why had she listened to that silly boy? Her father had known much better than she about how to deal with land dwellers, and how Helmi had suffered because of her lack of resolve.

  For centuries, Queen Helmi’s daughter, Princess Miranda, had suffered because of the evil of the skarzs. Mermaids were often caught between two worlds because of their magic and the tragedy it caused, and the queen had not had the heart to deny Miranda a chance at happiness.

  But, that had only led to her daughter’s death. Children need a firm but loving hand, and
sometimes mothers do know best.

  It was too late for her to help Miranda. It was her granddaughter Helmi must reach now. With all her will and all her power, Helmi focused on the Orb and channeled images and

  emotions to her granddaughter: a vision of the sea, the calling of the sea, the need for the sea.

  In the world of men, Helmi’s powers were weak and ineffective. She could only speak to her granddaughter Adara in her dreams.

  In the world of the sea, her powers were strong, but she could only contact her granddaughter directly once Adara was immersed in the ocean on the hour she was born thirteen years ago. And, if this contact did not take place, her darling Adara would lose her birthright forever.

  “Adara, hear me please! You must be in the waters of the sea on the hour of your birth, or all is lost!”

  A Dream Come True

  Holger walked down the steps to the paved stones that led to the lagoon and approached the group waiting there. “Aloha! Kakahiaka,” Holger said, offering a greeting and wishing them a good morning. The crowd offered various versions of “Aloha” in return. “Now let me check to see if everyone is present. As I call your name, please say ‘here.’” Holger gave them his official smile again and waited for nods or smiles that would signify they understood English.

  “Ismat Azzam?”

  “Here!” A dainty little girl with long black pigtails and coal-black eyes waved at him eagerly.

  “Kiushi Katuro?”

  “Here!” A Eurasian boy sitting next to his beautiful blonde mother and Japanese father (who was wearing a $2,000 suit and a $10,000 watch) raised his hand.

  “Peter Mathews?” Holger continued as he checked off the names.

  “Here.” A pudgy little kid looked up briefly from his handheld video game and flashed his hand.

  “You need to put that thing away if you’re going in the water, son.” Holger tried not to sound too condescending. Rich kids like this boy came to Dolphin Quest to stick their toes in the water and snap pictures of themselves with dolphins to use as screen savers for their computers. He probably didn’t know a thing about the ocean—or care. Holger could tell that Peter was just another little jerk with wealthy parents.

  “Pearl Sorenson?” Holger called out the last name on his clipboard.

  “Here, Dr. Thorson.” A beautiful, willowy young girl, with rich auburn hair that fell in waves down to the middle of her back, stepped forward.

  “Hello, Pearl,” Holger smiled. “That’s a lovely necklace you’re wearing, and it looks like a real pearl, except for the unusual color.”

  “Yah, I know.” Pearl giggled nervously. “I’ve had it since I was born. It’s like an heirloom.” Pearl fingered the familiar gem.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Pearl,” Holger said with a genuine smile.

  “Oh, and I’m so excited to meet you!” Pearl beamed. “I’ve read all your books on dolphins and whales.”

  “All?” Holger laughed. “You mean both.”

  “Well, yes,” Pearl said, returning his smile. “But I also read the thesis on sea mammal migration that you published with the other Dr.Thorson.”

  “My brother, Halder,” Holger blinked in surprise.

  “And the contributions you made to the Whales Almanac on belugas and narwhals too.”

  “My, my, Pearl, you really are quite an oceanographic aficionado. Where are you from?”

  “Seattle. I want to be a marine biologist when I grow up,” Pearl gushed.

  “Speaking of growing up, you are our birthday girl today, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” Pearl beamed up at him.

  “And just how old are you going to be?” Holger asked, maintaining his smile for this charming child.

  “Thirteen,” Pearl said with a blush.

  “Thirteen?” Holger blinked. “Where are your parents?” He glanced around. The only people that didn’t seem attached to any other child was a couple that appeared to be in their late fifties.

  “Right there,” Pearl replied as she pointed to the same couple. They were slightly stocky, dressed simply, and seemed very pleasant, but looked nothing at all like her. Holger looked at them in surprise.

  “I’m adopted,” Pearl explained, noticing the questioning look on Holger’s face. “You might know my mother’s paintings. She’s Lina Sorenson. She paints mermaids for children’s books and post cards and all kinds of stuff. Here!” Pearl handed him a small, flat package wrapped in gift paper decorated with all kinds of seashells and tied with a sea-green ribbon. “I brought you one for your office.”

  Holger looked at her through a haze of confusion and quickly remembered to smile. As he unwrapped the package with his fumbling hands, his mind was suddenly reeling with images of his brother Halder. Pearl stared up at him. As he removed the paper, he revealed a painting of a mermaid with long, golden hair holding a baby mermaid—it was a perfect Madonna and child. A chill swept through him from his head to his toes, but he managed to smile and murmur, “It’s beautiful.”

  “What’s up, Dad?” Hal asked as he walked up behind Holger. “We’re all stocked and ready to go.”

  “Pearl, this is my son, Hal. Hal, this is our birthday girl, Pearl.”

  “Happy birthday Pearl!” Hal smiled down at her from his six-foot swimmer’s frame and halo of wavy blonde hair.

  “Thanks.” She blushed again.

  “Hal, you take Pearl with you to the sea gate and show her how we call the pod back into the lagoon. Brahma’s pod is ready to go, and I’ll get the rest of our guests in the water.”

  “Sure.” Hal smiled and showed Pearl toward the sea gate.

  “All right, everyone!” Holger turned back to the rest of the group. “We’re about to begin. Let’s make sure all non-waterproof watches, cameras, iPods, and electronic equipment of any kind are kept out of the lagoon.” As Holger stepped into the water, he motioned the rest of the children to follow.

  “Eeeeh eh eeee!” The dolphins in the lagoon sang out as he strode out into the water until he was waist deep. The dolphins swam quickly over to have their heads patted and scratched.

  “Meet Ino, Butu, and Brahma.” Holger introduced the three dolphins to several of the children as they ooohed and ahhed their way out to him. “They’re eager to say hello.”

  “Hello.”

  “Hi!”

  “Wow they’re so cute!”

  The children giggled and clapped as the dolphins fanned out around them.

  “I just want to check each of your life vests to make sure everyone is nice and snug.”

  “Eeeeh eh eeee!” The dolphins sang another chorus, and their lively clicking noises filled the salty air—a sound that Pearl had been waiting to hear all her life and would never forget.

  Holger looked over to the seawall, a manmade barrier like a dam that spanned the lagoon. It was there more to keep unwanted sea life out than it was to keep the dolphins in. He watched Pearl, who was kneeling on the seawall, petting Snoopy, who was on the ocean side. Hal was nearby watching her.

  Pearl’s hand glided across Snoopy’s back. Dolphins were so perfectly soft! As he watched her, Holger knew that, once she experienced the silky-smooth touch of a dolphin’s skin, she would always remember the experience. Pearl leaned down and kissed Snoopy’s chin, then he danced backwards on his tail and happily waved his fins.

  Snoopy, Lucy, and Linus gathered by the sea gate and waited as Hal swam over to the seawall. He threw the latch and pulled it back into the recess of the stone wall, and the dolphins swam into the lagoon to join the children.

  “And look, we have even more dolphin friends coming to join us!” announced Holger.

  Dolphin Quest kept six dolphins on hand at all times, one for each customer so no one would be excluded. There were over a dozen dolphins trained and living in the lagoon at all times, and they were rotated in and out to keep them happy and healthy.

  “Hal and Pearl,” Holger called, waving, “come join the group!”

  Without
a word, Pearl stood up, sprang into the air in a high arc, and executed a perfect swan dive. Her hair flared out behind her in a canopy of copper-colored silk. The dolphins all rose up and clamored their applause as Pearl broke the water’s surface with a huge smile on her face and swam out toward them. Hal swam over with a few easy strokes to meet her. Suddenly, Snoopy was underneath him lifting him up into the air as Lucy and Linus rose up on their tails again and back-swam as if they were bowing to a pod leader.

  Holger’s attention was drawn from Hal back to Pearl. Oddly, he could swear the water around her had begun to glow. Brahma, Ino, and Butu suddenly trumpeted and jumped over his head as they quickly pulled away from the little group clustered near Holger and swam excitedly over to Pearl. The children gasped in disappointment, but their cries of protest were stifled as the wind suddenly picked up, and a cloud that had not been in the sky a moment before, crossed in front of the sun.

  So This is Love?

  Helmi helped the two-legger struggle from the shallows to the edge of the pool where he collapsed. He managed to lift his head to gaze at her for a moment and murmur, “Who are you?” Then his eyes closed again and he sagged back, unconscious once more. He was hot with fever, and his forehead was bruised and bleeding. Healing wounded creatures of all kinds was Helmi’s calling, and she knew hundreds of potions and thousands of cures for all the animals in her seas.