Excerpt
Sashion was sitting by the raft when Arcalla came to the surface of the water. She saw the dorsal fin and thought a dolphin was swimming behind him. Then he reached very shallow water and she stared in shock.
Her first reaction was disbelief; there were no half human beings and half something else except in mythologygods of the seaPoseidon, Neptune. And this thing had Arcallas face. Maybe it was her imagination; most large men looked somewhat alike. Lord, I should never have drank that beer last night; Im seeing things, that cant be Arcalla!
In fascination, she continued to watch the being. He leaned back on his elbows and flexed his tail fin until it separated into legs. He arched his back and the fin down his back disappeared into his skin. He was wearing only the jock strap, but then he pulled at a roll around his waist until it unrolled and hung like a skirt. He pulled it together and ran his finger along the sides and the seams sealed, turning the skirt into shorts. Suddenly, she was seeing the Arcalla she saw everyday, a changeling. He had a sword and other weapons strapped to his waist and a rope over his shoulder. She remembered the dream shed had of him roping the shark by its tail, then killing it with the sword. I nodded off and had a nightmare because the Arcalla walking toward me looks as normal as ever except for those weapons and the rope.
She stood on shaky legs and knew he had spotted her. He stopped suddenly and stared at her with panic on his face. Sashian knew as she stared back at him that this was no dream, and certainly not a fantasy.
Mumbling incoherently, she tried to walk normally as she headed for her boat. Then she lost control and started running. She heard the swish of his feet in the sand felt him lift her and she screamed.
Arcalla sat in the sand with Sashian across his lap, praying in panic to Kio. Kio, please help me. Kio, please help me.
Who are you? Sashian screamed the question at him as she struggled in his arms and cried helpless tears.
Sa-she-ion, my little female. Please do not fear me.
His use of her name reached something inside of her and she calmed enough to ask the question again, this time in a fearful whisper. Who are you? What are you?
He looked at her with all of his love, tinged with fear pooled in his eyes, and panic bayed at his soul like a relentless pack of hounds. Im a man, as normal as any man. I come from another world, but my ancestors came from this world. Sa-she-ion, will you let me tell you the story of my world and how I came to be of another world?
Sashian hid her face against his chest and said, I want to go home. I want to wake up in my cabin on my boat and know Ive had a nightmare. I dont want this to be real. I dont want to have made love with a man who is half fish.
Arcalla ignored her wants and told her the story of Palmer Quigley and the fifteen slaves dropped into the sea with him. He told her how his people metamorphosed until they could live on land and in water. We were not like this at first. We are Terra Aqueous only because it was necessary for our bodies to change. We are still humans, Sa-she-ion.
His voice held such pleading that Sashian started to cry uncontrollably.
Arcalla stood with her in his arms. He paced up and down the beach, as a parent would do with an infant, pausing to kiss her face between turns. He knew he couldnt let her go like this, but his mind wouldnt function well enough to think of a plan to help her past this.
Mehale Copaa and how hed fallen love with Joanna all those years ago came to mind. Finally, he sat down and rocked her in his arms for a moment.
He held Sashian away from him and made a decision. Sa-she-ion, will you take your boat back to the dock and wait for me? There is someone we must see. He lives in Vicksburg, far north of here in your state of Mississippi.
Sashian remained quiet for a moment, then she answered, but her answer was deceptive. Thinking that her words were only thoughts, she mumbled, yes, Ill wait for you. Still mumbling, she added, I love this strange man, but I can never think of him as anything other than a compromise between sex and love. If I ever get out of his sight hell never see me again.
Arcalla felt his blood pumping organ squeeze painfully in his chest. No, Sa-she-ion, you must not!
She didnt realize that she had spoken and she looked confused. Seeing her confusion, he remembered that she was very upset and changed the panicky plea to, you must not fear me.
Arcalla knew he had to control her long enough to get her to Mehale Copaas home in Mississippi. He looked around the cay, panic baying at his soul again. How could he get her boat back to the dock, and get her to his kedi?
Bringing his gaze back to Sashian, he grasped her mind and controlled it. Then he told her to take her boat to the dock and wait for him. He stood her on her feet and walked with her to where her boat was.
When Sashian was on her way, Arcalla took to the water and went to the construction site for his kedi.
He brought the kedi shoreward until the water was no deeper than fifty feet, and turned the bow toward deep water. Then buried the kedi in the soft bottom. Finally, he headed for Sashians boat. There nothing more he could do until darkness fell because hed have to bring the kedi to the surface for Sashian and Captain Biscuit to enter it.
|