All The Mermaids In The Sea

by Robert W Cabell

Halder stopped and looked at Gurnard. He looked slowly around the room, taking in the rest of the men, then turned back to Gurnard. “It doesn’t take a roomful of bodyguards and servants to tell me that she’s an amazing woman to be treated with the utmost respect. That only took one look.” Then he gave them all a slight bow and walked out the door after her.

  The restaurant she’d selected was amazing. The owners were so delighted to see Miranda that they set up a special table off the kitchen where the chef personally created a seven-course meal of delicate-sized portions of his favorite dishes. At the chef’s direction, the sommelier served a special wine for each course. They would not hear of taking any money from Halder and thanked them both profusely for coming.

  “They sure like you here.” Halder smiled at her.

  “It’s my home.”

  “You grew up here?”

  “Here, the Caribbean, and Funen,” she said with a sigh.

  “Funen Island? My family is from Jutland.”

  “My mother always wanted me to date a nice Danish boy,” Miranda said, laughing.

  “Is your mother Danish?” he asked.

  “Hmmm? There-a-bouts,” Miranda answered.

  “I love it when you’re mysterious and cryptic.” He turned a puppy-eyed look at her and then crossed his eyes, which made her laugh. He loved the sound of her laugh. It was like crystal bells ringing in harmony. By this time, the table had been cleared and they were sipping dainty after-dinner drinks.

  “My mother is very proper, and from a very, very old family that thinks of themselves as Nords. But my father was very Danish.”

  “There you go. My people might even know your people.”

  “That would be a big surprise, wouldn’t it?” Miranda smiled, and they talked. They talked for hours about music, about art, about the sea, about ships, and about books. Her personal passion was Jules Vern novels, and he was Halder’s favorite author too.

  “That guy was a genius!” Halder pounded the table, having had a bit too much alcohol. “Way ahead of his time. The things he wrote about the sea were almost prophetic.”

  “He claimed he was a real researcher.” Miranda winked.

  “He claimed? Who said he claimed?” Halder admonished her with his taunting smile.

  “They say he claimed.” She looked at him with a toss of her head in challenge.

  “Oh, that mysterious ‘they’ again.” He nodded in mock understanding, and then set his drink down firmly on the table and looked her square in the eye.

  “Well maybe they can tell me how a beautiful princess like you, with a castle and all, is still single?”

  “Haven’t you heard? There’s a worldwide shortage of authentic knights in shining armor. And when it comes to the supply of Prince Charmings…..the well is dry.”

  “A likely excuse. What kind of skeletons do you have in your closet?”

  “Questions, questions, questions, doctor. Do you like kids?”

  “Love ’em. Want a whole mess of them.”

  “That might put the earth in danger,” Miranda quipped. “But, if that’s true, why does a double PhD with dimples and a grant not have a girlfriend or a fiancée, let alone a wife?”

  “It’s those darn high standards of mine.” Halder sat back with a sigh as he grabbed his drink. “I could fall in love forever only with a woman as beautiful as you who loved the sea as much as I do.”

  “Some standards are worth holding on to.” Miranda nodded, as she picked up her glass and clicked it against his. “Personally, I could never marry a man who couldn’t beat me in a good game of Tafl,” she teased.

  “Okay!” Halder clapped his hands together with glee. “Let’s set up the board!”

  So they returned to the inn and, sequestered in a corner near the roaring fire, and under the watchful gaze of many, they played. As they played, they courted through the ancient game of Tafl. The game had been the favorite pastime of antediluvian Viking kings—the Nordic answer to the modern-day game of chess. They played hour after hour, letting their minds dance across the old wooden board, inlaid with walrus ivory. The White King pieces were intricately carved of the same ivory, while the challenger pieces were carved out of black marble with gold veins running through them.

  They played the “Kings Version” of the game in which the board had thirteen holes across, which Halder loved because it made the moves more intricate and daring. It was a mental Sjijn Bog Waltz, back and forth between them, seducing, surprising, testing, and delighting each one in turn. Through the play, each learned how the other thought and reacted. Miranda would try to beguile him with a suggestive wink or a lascivious comment when she found her king in danger. To her disgruntled dismay, he knew exactly what she was up to and would move in for the kill to capture her king. At one such time, that earned him a punch on the shoulder followed by their first kiss, which did distract him for several minutes.

  Then, back to the board they went for a rematch where she was a tiger in the trenches as they switched places, and he was the king in the castle heading for the boarder. They found themselves evenly matched on more than one occasion that night, which made their play all the more enticing. Six hours later, he was back at his hotel and giving his brother a late night call to check in. “Hey, Bro, I’ve got to tell you about this amazing woman I met.” Halder stretched out on his bunk on the ship and talked to Holger, who was currently in Copenhagen making last-minute arrangements for their equipment with The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences.

  “Is she beautiful?” Holger asked.

  “Oh yes!” Halder groaned.

  “Is she smart?” Holger asked.

  “Like you would not believe.” Halder sighed again.

  “Then run, do not walk, away from her!” Holger growled.

  “Hey, Bro, don’t be bitter. Just because you and Lisa are having a tough time doesn’t kill the myth of love.” Halder rolled over and sat up on the bunk.

  “The myth of love? You really must have it bad.”

  “Yeah, she may be the one!”

  “Your own Little Mermaid? The woman who can love the sea as much as you do? Did you use that crummy line on her too?” Holger growled again.

  “Yeah, and she thought I should stick to my standards.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure, but since I beat her in three out of five games of Tafl, I get to see her tomorrow.”

  “She … she plays Tafl?” Holger stammered.

  “Darn good at it too. I think she actually let me win the last one, but I’m not sure.”

  “Some guys have all the luck!”

  “How did it go with you and Lisa?”

  “Not good. I asked her to give living over here with me a chance.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She told me exactly where to put an iceberg to melt it quickly.”

  “Ouch!” Halder laughed.

  “Trust me, I didn’t take her suggestion.” Holger snorted.

  “Well, keep at it, Bro, ’cause I want to see that little nephew of mine grow up like a sailor. He’s a Thorson. He needs to live by the sea.”

  “That’s the problem with a pretty face. You have to marry the whole girl, and trust me, sometimes that ain’t pretty!”

  To the Manor Born

  It took Holger ten days to get all the equipment ordered and loaded up on the research vessel, and another three days to dock at Tórshavn. For most of that time Miranda and Halder were inseparable. Miranda was fascinated with marine mammal veterinary science, and he was amazed how much she knew about dolphins, whales, and narwhals. She even gave him an ivory ring made from a narwhal horn.

  “Does this mean we’re engaged?” He beamed. “I have nothing fit to wear to a wedding.”

  “Well!” Miranda stared at him with both hands on her hips. “You’ll say anything to get me into bed, won’t you?”

  “I’ll say ‘I do’ if you ask me nicely.” He winked.

  “And here I thought macho
men like you wanted to do all the asking,” Miranda said with a huff.

  “Yes, but I’m not allowed to do that until I meet your mama.” Halder smirked. “Can’t ask for something like that without working things out with the kinfolk,” he added with a bad version of a Hillbilly twang.

  “Well, go for it, Bubba!” Miranda mimicked his bad accent. “She’s having her mustache waxed right now in the third trailer to the left.”

  “Are you sniggering at me, Miss Eliza Doolittle,” Halder retorted, switching into an elegant English accent.

  “Oh, no, Freddy!” she followed him in the game, imitating a Cockney accent. “I’m ready to darn your socks and eat fish and chips for the rest of me life!”

  Halder scooped her up in his arms, whirling her about like a little girl until she giggled. “Stop! Or I’ll leave my lunch all over your shirt.”

  “I love you, miss,” he said before a kiss, “but I’m not into any kinky stuff.” Then he plopped her down onto her feet.

  Miranda turned around and punched him in the shoulder.

  “Ouch! That could leave a bruise. If it does, my brother will come and beat you up!” Halder grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her quickly. “My brother gets back tomorrow, and I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him either, but tonight I thought maybe you’d like to meet my mother. She’s invited us to the Manor for dinner.”

  “She has, has she?” He laughed. “Well, I’m not exactly to the manor born, but I can give it the old college try.”

  “Well, come on then. The boat is waiting.” She smiled and walked away from him toward the dock.

  “What? You mean like, now?” He stared after her in surprise.

  “No time like the present!” She spun around to face him as she spoke, then turned and continued to walk. He ran and caught up with her.

  “Okay, but I don’t want you to think I’m too easy. Next time I expect flowers and some candy.”

  “How about a box of saltines and a can of sardines?” she quipped.

  “That’ll do in a pinch,” he affirmed as he slipped his hand in hers and they walked together down to the dock to where her boat was waiting.

  Miranda’s “boat” was the 115-foot Moonraker, the fastest motor yacht in the world.

  “I guess it won’t take too long to get anywhere in this baby.” Halder whistled appreciatively and ran his hands along the hull.

  “Hey!” Miranda snapped at him. “Stop putting the moves on my boat. You’d better save those for me!” They clambered aboard and walked to the bridge.

  “I just hope your mother taught you to share your toys.” Halder winked as he stroked the yacht’s steering wheel.

  “Hey! Watch those hands. I can see I’m gonna have to keep my eyes on you all the way to the island.”

  “Wouldn’t want it any other way!” And he kissed her. “By the way, where is your mother’s house?”

  “On Little Ditma.”

  “I thought Little Ditma Island was uninhabited?” Halder frowned.

  “By humans.” Miranda smiled sweetly. “We’re the only castle on the rock. Actually, it’s not a castle, only a quaint twenty-thousand-square-foot little manor house, built about eight hundred years ago.”

  “Wow, you must get a great rate on your rent!” Halder said blithely.

  “You could say that.” She smiled.

  Miranda had dismissed the crew for the evening, and they piloted the boat themselves. It was warm for the season, the sea was calm, and they sped across it like a hockey puck over ice as they watched the sun set slowly on the horizon.

  “Hey, aren’t we getting a little close to the rocks? Where’s the dock?”

  “We just turn past that little outcrop of rocks, and there’s a cave entrance to the docks,” she replied nonchalantly.

  “A secret cave and an ancient manor house? I feel like I’m headed toward Transylvania,” he muttered.

  “Dracula’s a count; I’m a duchess,” she said with a little sniff. “Let’s try to keep the facts straight. I promise you there are no lions or tigers or bears in the house, and no vampires either.”

  “Now you’ve gone and taken all the fun out of it!” He stamped his foot.

  “Don’t worry. I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.”

  He pulled her gently next to him and gave her a passionate kiss. “That’s what I love about you, Miranda,” he said sweetly. “You always come prepared.”

  Halder had to admit, once they sailed around the outcrop of rocks into a small cove, it didn’t look very secretive. The dock was modern looking, with top-of-the-line equipment and a great little stone cottage guardhouse. It was all nestled just out of sight behind the rocky outcrop. The boathouse was off to the side.

  As they disembarked and walked up to the small building, he could see a cozy little dining area that overlooked the cove, through the large bay windows. There were a few attendants and workers bustling about. Several of them waved at Miranda, and one man came out onto the porch and greeted Miranda by name. He smiled and waved at her, then gave Halder a serious look over as if he thought the stranger might be a sinister character shadowing his daughter.

  “Do I have spinach stuck in my teeth, or do I smell bad?” Halder muttered to Miranda.

  “No, you silly,” Miranda chuckled.

  “Well they’re all looking at me like a bug they want to step on,” he growled back at her.

  “I don’t bring much company to the island. They’re a little over protective and very curious too.”

  “Well, I’m gonna stick my tongue out at the next one who stares at me.”

  “Behave or I’ll ship you over to Count Dracula. He has a castle on the next island.”

  “It’s that bloodthirsty streak in you I find so attractive, Miranda. But let’s try to use somebody else’s blood, shall we?”

  “Wimp!” She sighed as she kissed him soundly on the lips and then pointed him toward a sporty-looking golf cart. “Our chariot awaits.”

  “Wow, I’ll bet you get great mileage with that one,” he muttered.

  “Mother knows I like to go fast, so she’s forbidden any actual cars on the island,” she explained as she rolled her eyes.

  The ride up to the manor was a bit slow, but the view was spectacular in the twilight. The small, gravel road wound up along the edge of the cliffs and was well maintained. Halder almost missed the Manor House until they were right on top of it. It was built out of the same stone the cliffs were made of, no doubt quarried right on the island, and it had a turf-covered roof that was traditional throughout the region. Except for the windows, which looked like small natural caves or crevices from a few hundred feet away, the entire structure faded right into the cliff walls.

  As they walked toward the front entrance, one of the two men in livery uniforms stationed there opened the right door as they both bowed slightly to Miranda.

  “Princess Miranda.” He smiled. “Sir.” He nodded to Halder, without the smile.

  “Princess?” Halder murmured to Miranda as they passed through the brass doors decorated with an engraved crest. “Do they give you an automatic upgrade when you come home?”

  “You’re not the only one with two titles.” She smirked.

  “One of those ancient lines from a small, out of the way country?”

  “Oh, it’s ancient and kind of out of the way, but it’s not small,” Miranda replied mysteriously.

  “Little Miss Cryptic!” Halder muttered and missed the chance to get a good look at the crest. With the doors open, the crest was split in half, and the doormen blocked the view.

  “Someone’s been keeping secrets,” he said, smiling sweetly down at her.

  “Yes, and I have a great big closet full of them to show you tonight.”

  “I think meeting your mother will be enough of an event by itself,” Halder said as they walked into the foyer. Then he stopped cold.

  Inside the Manor House entryway was a fountain
with a life-size replica of the statue of the Little Mermaid that graced the harbor of Copenhagen. It was surrounded by a beautiful pond that was dotted with floating lily pads, under which swam the oldest, largest koi Halder had ever seen. “Now that is awesome! Where did you find that statue?”

  “Father had it made. It always made him smile when he used the front entrance. Mother tends to avoid the main entrance for the same reason.”

  “She doesn’t like the Little Mermaid?” Halder gasped.

  “No, it’s not that.” Miranda suddenly covered her mouth trying to stifle a laugh. “Mother hates the ending of the Hans Christian Anderson story, and now that my father is gone, the statue of the mermaid looking out to sea for her prince just makes the loss seem so new.”

  “How long ago did he die?”

  “It seems like a hundred years.” She sighed.

  Halder slipped his arm around her and hugged her. “My dad died a few years ago, and it seems that long to me too. I’ll bet your father and I would have gotten along really well. You see, I always wanted to marry the Little Mermaid, and your father appears to have had the hots for her too.”

  “You might say that.” Miranda laughed. “So you wanted to marry the Little Mermaid, huh?”

  “Yep!” he said. “I was convinced mermaids were real when I was a kid. I read all about them, and I just knew somehow, someday I would meet her and we would fall in love and go live in the sea together for the rest of our lives.”

  “Would you settle for her daughter?” Miranda asked with a sly little smile.

  “Now, don’t tell me she cheated on me and went and got married to someone else after that stupid prince dumped her. That’s too Disney for me.”

  “Actually, he was a king, and they lived happily together for over seven hundred years,” Miranda said calmly.

  “You need to brush up on your fairytales, missy.” Halder wagged a finger at her in disapproval.

  “I’m not talking about a fairytale. I thought you said you believed in mermaids?”

  “I said—” was all Halder got out before Helmi walked into the room.

  “Mother!” Miranda squealed, and she raced across the room to hug a slim woman wearing a classic Grecian-style dress. Her lovely, long, burnished-red hair flowed down below her knees. When Helmi stepped back from hugging Miranda to give Halder an appraising look, he was dumbfounded. She looked even younger than Miranda.