talking to a human, she would be severely punished. He held his breath as he saw the stern expression on the newcomer's face and waited for her to clamber up. Nelda shrank back against the tomb as her aunt approached, wondering how she would react towards Ben.
Hesper was waving her arms about like a demented windmill and her wrinkled face had turned a peculiar shade of purple. 'A human child with the sight!' she squealed in panic as she ran to her niece, skirting round Ben as though he were a bomb that might explode at any moment. 'Nelda, I thought you were wiser than to mix with such creatures. And today of all days!' She pulled up the lifebelt which had fallen round her knees and continued. 'Come away this instant, the prayer is ready to be spoken.'
'Don't blame her,' Ben piped up. 'I made her talk to me.'
Hesper's crinkled face studied him distastefully for a moment before turning back to her niece. 'Give thanks it was I who found you,' she said. 'Old Parry desired to come, and you know what a barbed tongue she has. Return with me now and we shall speak of this no more.'
Nelda threw her arms around her aunt's neck. 'You mean you won't tell? Oh, thank you.'
Hesper gave a little gasp as she struggled to get free. 'Come away! Words must be said by all the tribe over the black boat before it burns.'
'Won't I see you again, then?' Ben asked miserably.
Nelda shot a hasty glance at her aunt. Hesper pursed her lips and shook her head firmly. 'Our worlds must not mix,' she said with force. 'Tragedy has ever occurred when such attempts are made.' She gripped her niece's hand and squeezed it urgently. 'Would you have the curse tighten ever more about us?' she asked. 'Is the doom that awaits us not enough, that you would seek more?'
Nelda hung her head and prepared to say farewell to her human friend. She knew Hesper was right—it was wrong for her to hope to see Ben again. And yet...
A strange feeling swept over her, like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her head swam and the light of the setting sun faded to darkness. Nelda's eyes opened wide and they were blacker than jet, black as the pathless voids into which her thoughts voyaged. Out of her body she drifted and visions of things to come flashed past her. She saw a white, billowing shape high on the cliff-top and heard the beat of pagan drums. A glowing form shimmered from the depths of the sea and she uttered a cry of astonishment when she recognised... With a sickening lurch, the scene was snatched away and her blood turned to ice. A huge, gaping maw rushed towards her. She heard the vicious hatred in its voice as a nightmarish growl issued from the scarlet throat.
Nelda screamed and tumbled backwards, waving her arms before her face to fend off the evil which attacked her.
Hesper and Ben knelt down by the aufwader's side. Hesper rummaged quickly in one of her satchels and produced a leather flask. 'A little liquor distilled from limpets,' she explained to Ben as she poured it into her niece's mouth. In her concern, all suspicions about the boy were forgotten.
'What happened?' asked Ben fearfully. 'Will she be all right?'
Even as he spoke, Nelda's eyes flickered open. Hesper examined them; they were soft and grey once more. 'All will be well,' she said, nodding with satisfaction. 'It is the strain taking its toll, nothing more.'
Nelda choked back a cry and she clutched her aunt's arm. 'I have seen!' she exclaimed frenziedly. 'I saw it, Hesper, out under the waves. The time is near—you were right all along.'
Hesper caught her breath and leaned back. 'What did you see?' she asked in a trembling voice, not daring to hope.
Nelda took hold of her shoulders and shook her joyfully. 'That which you have sought so long—the moonkelp!'
Hesper gawped at her in disbelief for a second, then let loose a terrific squeal of glee.
Ben covered his ears and wondered why they were so excited. Finally Nelda remembered him and hurriedly told her aunt, 'I know not how
Hesper was waving her arms about like a demented windmill and her wrinkled face had turned a peculiar shade of purple. 'A human child with the sight!' she squealed in panic as she ran to her niece, skirting round Ben as though he were a bomb that might explode at any moment. 'Nelda, I thought you were wiser than to mix with such creatures. And today of all days!' She pulled up the lifebelt which had fallen round her knees and continued. 'Come away this instant, the prayer is ready to be spoken.'
'Don't blame her,' Ben piped up. 'I made her talk to me.'
Hesper's crinkled face studied him distastefully for a moment before turning back to her niece. 'Give thanks it was I who found you,' she said. 'Old Parry desired to come, and you know what a barbed tongue she has. Return with me now and we shall speak of this no more.'
Nelda threw her arms around her aunt's neck. 'You mean you won't tell? Oh, thank you.'
Hesper gave a little gasp as she struggled to get free. 'Come away! Words must be said by all the tribe over the black boat before it burns.'
'Won't I see you again, then?' Ben asked miserably.
Nelda shot a hasty glance at her aunt. Hesper pursed her lips and shook her head firmly. 'Our worlds must not mix,' she said with force. 'Tragedy has ever occurred when such attempts are made.' She gripped her niece's hand and squeezed it urgently. 'Would you have the curse tighten ever more about us?' she asked. 'Is the doom that awaits us not enough, that you would seek more?'
Nelda hung her head and prepared to say farewell to her human friend. She knew Hesper was right—it was wrong for her to hope to see Ben again. And yet...
A strange feeling swept over her, like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her head swam and the light of the setting sun faded to darkness. Nelda's eyes opened wide and they were blacker than jet, black as the pathless voids into which her thoughts voyaged. Out of her body she drifted and visions of things to come flashed past her. She saw a white, billowing shape high on the cliff-top and heard the beat of pagan drums. A glowing form shimmered from the depths of the sea and she uttered a cry of astonishment when she recognised... With a sickening lurch, the scene was snatched away and her blood turned to ice. A huge, gaping maw rushed towards her. She heard the vicious hatred in its voice as a nightmarish growl issued from the scarlet throat.
Nelda screamed and tumbled backwards, waving her arms before her face to fend off the evil which attacked her.
Hesper and Ben knelt down by the aufwader's side. Hesper rummaged quickly in one of her satchels and produced a leather flask. 'A little liquor distilled from limpets,' she explained to Ben as she poured it into her niece's mouth. In her concern, all suspicions about the boy were forgotten.
'What happened?' asked Ben fearfully. 'Will she be all right?'
Even as he spoke, Nelda's eyes flickered open. Hesper examined them; they were soft and grey once more. 'All will be well,' she said, nodding with satisfaction. 'It is the strain taking its toll, nothing more.'
Nelda choked back a cry and she clutched her aunt's arm. 'I have seen!' she exclaimed frenziedly. 'I saw it, Hesper, out under the waves. The time is near—you were right all along.'
Hesper caught her breath and leaned back. 'What did you see?' she asked in a trembling voice, not daring to hope.
Nelda took hold of her shoulders and shook her joyfully. 'That which you have sought so long—the moonkelp!'
Hesper gawped at her in disbelief for a second, then let loose a terrific squeal of glee.
Ben covered his ears and wondered why they were so excited. Finally Nelda remembered him and hurriedly told her aunt, 'I know not how
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