To the Bottom of the Sea

 The anchor pulled me down into the chilly depths. There was little light down this deep though the waters were crystal clear; I could see just a little, but not much. Also, while I was descending quickly enough that I hadn’t needed to breathe yet, I knew that soon my lungs would feel like they were bursting.

Then I felt my feet sink into the soft sand at the bottom. The anchor in my hand shrank back to its previous tiny size and I clenched my hand around it before it could be lost at the bottom of the sea. Without the anchor to hold me down, I bobbed up off the bottom and drifted there in the still waters. My lungs were starting to feel the strain and I knew I needed to find air, fast.

I looked around and could see a faint light off to one side and began swimming in that direction as quickly as I could. I was pretty sure I didn’t have enough air to get me that far, but I knew I had to try. I knew I was swimming by some wonderful things deep under the water - fish and plants and coral and sunken treasures, but I didn’t have the time to look at any of them. I was frantic, hoping beyond hope to find air before I drowned.

Something came up behind me - something very, very large. I stopped and turned to look, thinking that it was a shark and I was done for sooner rather than later. To my surprise, I saw a whale. He hung there in the water, looking at me curiously. Then he said, “Little human, you have no air tanks with you. What are you doing down here with no air? Are you a new sort of human who has grown gills?”

I let the last bubbles of air out of my lungs, desperately fighting the urge to inhale.

“I see that you have not. And you are out of air. You will drown without air.” He paused and then continued, “I would say that you are out of time, little human, but I can help you there. I have lots of time, all saved up, and I don’t need every minute of it. If I let you borrow a little, there will be no harm to me!” He laughed, a sound that hurt my ears, even with the water to muffle it. “Here, take this - it’s a half hour or so, and I think that will see you to the next place with air in it. Of course, that would be the Triton’s lair, but there’s no help for that…”

I felt something change, and suddenly I didn’t feel the need to breath. I felt fresh and ready to swim again. I remembered the story that a ferry woman had told me long ago during another Lemuian adventure, that whales live mostly without a real connection to time, enjoying life as it comes. They hold it all back, until they think about things too much and then the stored time all comes rushing in at them, aging them immediately.  I thanked the whale with a huge smile.

He said, “Oh, don’t worry about it. If you can pay it back, all well and good, but if you can’t, I understand. Humans never seem to have any extra time. Just do something nice for someone else some time!” and with a flip of his tail he swam away.

I started swimming towards the light again, but not so frantically now. I could look around a bit and enjoy the scenery. There were multi-colored fish everywhere and wonderful creatures like anemones and starfish on the sea floor. I saw a sunken ship off in the distance - it looked like mermaids were playing around it. I wished I could join them, but I was aware that I only had so much borrowed time, and I shouldn’t squander it.

The light was farther off than it had appeared to be. It grew larger and brighter and finally I was in front of a cave, out of which the light was beaming. The cave itself was odd. I swam around the outside of it for a little bit, looking at it more closely. It was part of  a huge stone carving  of a dragon’s head. The cave was the mouth, with carved white teeth curving up and down around the opening. I swam up looked at the rest of the face. It was an Oriental sort of  dragon, with curling whiskers near the nose and big eyes with tufts of eyebrows above them. The scales were carefully carved into it, and altogether it was almost too real for me. Still, I didn’t have much choice if I wanted to see Triton because I would give odds that this was his lair.

Summoning up my courage, I swam back down and into the open mouth. I could feel a current flowing out of the cave, and had to swim hard to get through it. Swimming upstream down the stone dragon’s throat, I went deep into the cave and into the bright light.

Suddenly the current ended and I was swimming easily in the light-flooded water surrounded by jewel-toned fish. I stopped and it felt like I was floating in light itself.

I felt something grab my arms and pull me up and moments later I bobbed up to the surface. Looking around, I could see that I was in a vast underwater cave. The roof sparkled and glittered in the light shining up from the water and the walls were covered with bright mosaics of sea life. I heard giggles behind me and turned to see two mermaids swimming off - they must have been the ones to pull me to the surface. I looked in the direction they were swimming and saw a magnificent throne rising out of the waters in the middle of the cave. The light was flooding out from under it. The throne itself was a huge sea shell carved to hold a seat, with sea shells and other treasures set all around it. And sitting in the middle of it all was Triton.

He smiled at me, but there was no warmth in the gesture. I winced slightly, smiled back, and said, “Greetings, Triton. I am sent by Enchanteur.”

“I thought as much. Come closer, human.”

I swam up to the base of the throne and hoisted myself out of the water to sit on the edge.

“Up here. You will sit here and show me what you have brought to appease me,” he commanded.

I ascended the steps and came to a small seat just below his and sat there. “I had gifts, but lost them to the pirates who attacked the boat I was on,” I said. “I don’t know what I can give you now.”

“Pirates? Near my dwelling? I think not!” he roared. Triton clapped his hands - they made a sound like thunder. “Send the Siren. Those pirates will rue the day they came near my lair!” he snarled.

“Umm…Triton?” I ventured. “What about the people on the boat I came on? Will they be ensnared too?”

“Probably. But I will send some others to rescue them. They will be safe. Now, human, what can you possibly appease me with?”

“Triton, I am a teller of tales. Could I tell you a story, perhaps?”

“I love stories. You may indeed tell me a story - or two, or three… I believe the standard appeasement is something old, something new and something borrowed?” His eyes glistened with anticipation.

“Right then. I’ll start with something old. My mother likes to tell stories about her childhood, growing up on a farm during the Depression…” I told him some of the stories my mother has told me and my children over the years and soon had him laughing.

“Very good! That will do for something old!” he said. “Now for the new?”

I told him the story of the pirates, and my lucky escape. His brows furrowed with annoyance. “Those scoundrels won’t be trying that again anytime soon!” he vowed. “And last, something borrowed.”

I slumped and shook my head. “I don’t know what to tell you. I had a borrowed silk handkerchief for you, but…the only thing I have borrowed now is borrowed time. I am living on it. Or I was, while I was swimming. You see, when I went over the side of the boat, I didn’t have my oxygen tanks on yet. I was ready to drown when a whale spotted me and loaned me some of his time so I could finish the swim here and not drown.”

Triton looked at me. “I will admit to wondering how you managed to get here without air tanks. That is certainly something borrowed. And since you used that borrowed time to come and appease me, we will call it good.” He reached into a nook in his throne and took out a beautiful piece of red coral. “Take this with my blessings. I have enjoyed your tales very much.”

I took the coral and thanked him profusely. Then he reached into another place in his throne, drawing out a shell with a long thong attached to it. “This is another gift for you. Had your appeasements not suited me, I would have had that pouch that I know you wear around your neck. Since they did indeed suit me, I will give you this new gift for it. I think you will enjoy it, and it will get you safely to the surface once more. It is a magic shell - just put it to your mouth and breathe whenever you need air. You will never need air tanks again. When you reach the surface, it will shrink down small enough to fit in that pouch of yours. Just remove it whenever you have need of it and it will grow large again. I know you will use it well.” He smiled again, and this time there was warmth in the smile. “Now go. I will send some dolphins to take you back to Rainbow Beach since your boat is currently dealing with the Siren. Do not worry about your former shipmates - they will be safely back by nightfall.” Then he clapped his hands in thunderous boom once more, and several dolphins leapt into the air, flipping and laughing. “Your escorts,” said the Triton.

I thanked him again, looped the magic shell’s thong around my neck and plunged into the water with the dolphins. What an incredible gift the Triton had given me! I was excited about the trip back to Rainbow Beach.

It was as wonderful as I thought it would be. The dolphins and I played in the deep waters and swam around sunken ships, playing tag with the mermaids. They showed me all sorts of undersea wonders, and when we finally made it back to the port, they promised to look me up again sometime so we could play and explore some more. I waded ashore, happy and thoroughly water logged. I must admit I got some strange stares, coming up out of the water like that, but I didn’t care. I had just had an incredible adventure.

-She Wolf © 2008