this vision came to be, but I am sure this human child is caught up in our plight. Hesper, do you not see? It is written for him to play a part in this. Do not ask me how, but my heart knows his life is entwined with that of the tribe. Spurn him now and the curse will engulf us all.'
Her voice and her words were powerful, and Hesper did not doubt that Nelda had been shown a glimpse of the future. The wisdom of the cold deeps had touched her for a moment. 'Then we must tell the child of our woe,' she said simply.
Hesper struggled to her feet and looked at Ben. 'Listen to me, unhappy man-pup,' she told him soberly. 'All that you hear from this moment on must not cross your lips into another's hearing—you understand?' Ben mumbled that he did, not sure if he was prepared for what she was about to tell him.
Hesper pulled the oilskin hat further over her eyes so that they were lost in its shadow. She gazed into the distance and began. "The land has changed since our remote grandsires first harvested the waters here and wandered by the shore. It was wild hereabouts; the rocks were sharper and the cliffs reached further into the clean sea. Your kind was scarce then, I believe, but there were many tribes of our folk.' She faltered, regretting that she had not been born in such a time. 'But all things must change,' she continued. 'The stones of your dwellings were laid here and more of your folk made their way over the moor and over the water to settle at the river mouth. It is said that when first they came, our tribes welcomed them, but the two races were never at ease with each other. There were quarrels and fights. Never was there a more frightened creature than Man—like a rabbit he is, afraid of anything which walks under the moon.'
At this point Nelda interrupted. It was decided that we should withdraw from your world, Ben,' she said. 'The tribe elders asked the advice of the Lords of the Deep and so the prime laws were made.' A frown crossed her face as she wondered how much he needed to know.
'If he is to aid us the child must be told all!' Hesper muttered gravely.
Nelda swallowed and resumed the tale. 'For many years my people obeyed the strict rules of the elders and Man forgot us, or we were consigned to stories for the amusement of children. All was well and we prospered, but not as quickly as you. How crowded became the harbour and how tall became your ships. Yet you knew nothing of the sea; though you girdled the world, still you learnt nought. You were ignorant of the mysteries which lie in the deeps, of the Lords who could end everything if they so wished. Yes, your kind grew strong but your might was used for bloodshed and conquest, as you slaughtered all who dared to oppose you. Our forefathers were glad indeed that they had retreated from your race.'
'Until that fateful day,' Hesper broke in, 'that day which all rue now.'
'What happened?' asked Ben, overawed.
'The two races mingled,' Nelda answered darkly. 'A fisherman with the same sight you possess took to wife one of our kind and a child was born.'
'A creature that did not belong in either world,' said Hesper sadly. 'The moment it breathed its first breath, the Lords of the Deep were aware of it and knew the laws which they had made had been broken. When the fisherman next set sail to cast his nets they rose against him and dragged his boat under the waves. On hearing this, the child's mother became mad with grief. She threw herself off this very cliff and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below.'
'There is more,' said Nelda. 'Cheated of their revenge, the Lords vented their wrath on all women of our race. We were cursed and the fate of our kind was sealed.'
'What did they do?' ventured Ben.
'Our doom is a grim one,' said Hesper tearfully. 'Nelda's mother was one of the many who have fallen victim to it.'
Ben did not like to ask any more questions, but it was Nelda herself who explained. 'The curse of the Deep Ones is thus, Ben: they condemned
Her voice and her words were powerful, and Hesper did not doubt that Nelda had been shown a glimpse of the future. The wisdom of the cold deeps had touched her for a moment. 'Then we must tell the child of our woe,' she said simply.
Hesper struggled to her feet and looked at Ben. 'Listen to me, unhappy man-pup,' she told him soberly. 'All that you hear from this moment on must not cross your lips into another's hearing—you understand?' Ben mumbled that he did, not sure if he was prepared for what she was about to tell him.
Hesper pulled the oilskin hat further over her eyes so that they were lost in its shadow. She gazed into the distance and began. "The land has changed since our remote grandsires first harvested the waters here and wandered by the shore. It was wild hereabouts; the rocks were sharper and the cliffs reached further into the clean sea. Your kind was scarce then, I believe, but there were many tribes of our folk.' She faltered, regretting that she had not been born in such a time. 'But all things must change,' she continued. 'The stones of your dwellings were laid here and more of your folk made their way over the moor and over the water to settle at the river mouth. It is said that when first they came, our tribes welcomed them, but the two races were never at ease with each other. There were quarrels and fights. Never was there a more frightened creature than Man—like a rabbit he is, afraid of anything which walks under the moon.'
At this point Nelda interrupted. It was decided that we should withdraw from your world, Ben,' she said. 'The tribe elders asked the advice of the Lords of the Deep and so the prime laws were made.' A frown crossed her face as she wondered how much he needed to know.
'If he is to aid us the child must be told all!' Hesper muttered gravely.
Nelda swallowed and resumed the tale. 'For many years my people obeyed the strict rules of the elders and Man forgot us, or we were consigned to stories for the amusement of children. All was well and we prospered, but not as quickly as you. How crowded became the harbour and how tall became your ships. Yet you knew nothing of the sea; though you girdled the world, still you learnt nought. You were ignorant of the mysteries which lie in the deeps, of the Lords who could end everything if they so wished. Yes, your kind grew strong but your might was used for bloodshed and conquest, as you slaughtered all who dared to oppose you. Our forefathers were glad indeed that they had retreated from your race.'
'Until that fateful day,' Hesper broke in, 'that day which all rue now.'
'What happened?' asked Ben, overawed.
'The two races mingled,' Nelda answered darkly. 'A fisherman with the same sight you possess took to wife one of our kind and a child was born.'
'A creature that did not belong in either world,' said Hesper sadly. 'The moment it breathed its first breath, the Lords of the Deep were aware of it and knew the laws which they had made had been broken. When the fisherman next set sail to cast his nets they rose against him and dragged his boat under the waves. On hearing this, the child's mother became mad with grief. She threw herself off this very cliff and was dashed to pieces on the rocks below.'
'There is more,' said Nelda. 'Cheated of their revenge, the Lords vented their wrath on all women of our race. We were cursed and the fate of our kind was sealed.'
'What did they do?' ventured Ben.
'Our doom is a grim one,' said Hesper tearfully. 'Nelda's mother was one of the many who have fallen victim to it.'
Ben did not like to ask any more questions, but it was Nelda herself who explained. 'The curse of the Deep Ones is thus, Ben: they condemned
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