Tarian held out a rein to Jake. "Hold this." Jake hesitated, wary of the muscle power on the other end. "Hold it. You'll never keep up with those!" He gestured at Jake's legs and a smirk crossed his face. Jake looked to Cal for assurance and she gave him an encouraging nod. He took hold of the reins. His hands seemed tiny beside Tarian's fist. Jake braced himself but the sailfish pulled forward at a slow, smooth pace. Cal was immediately at his side.
"Where are we going?" she asked. "Home," said Tarian. "It's been a long time." Before long Jake and Cal found themselves approaching Tarian's scrapyard once more. Jake looked around nervously for Tangler. They came to the sandy clearing before the wrecked submarine. Tarian swung round abruptly and Jake dropped the reins, tumbling onto his back. "Watch out!" The chains of salvage hurtled across the sand, towards him. Cal dived at Jake and pushed him out of the way. The sound of their arrival brought Tangler from the hatch. He almost fell down the side of the sub in his excitement and galloped towards them. As Tarian unbuckled the reins Tangler greeted him with a hard slap, almost knocking him off balance. "Hello, old friend," chuckled Tarian and he returned the blow.
Spotting the chains, the octopus began to gather in the twisted metal and pots, keeping a wary distance from the sailfish.
Then Tangler caught sigh of Cal and Jake. Holding the things he'd collected close to his body, he whipped another tentacle towards Jake, grabbed him by the ankle and dangled him upside down.
"Let go of me!" Jake pummeled him with his fists. "Drop him," Tarian growled at once. For the second time Jake fell with a thud. Tangler moved off in a sulk.
"Don't mind him," said Tarian. "He's strong but he won't harm you."
"Well, he stole something from us and nearly killed Cal," said Jake, rubbing his sore elbow. "And what did you have worth stealing?" said Tarian. Jake noticed a light in his eye. "Come, let's eat and then we shall talk."
Cal and Jake followed Tarian around the submarine to a tent-like shelter build against the far side. Tarian threw down the sailfish reins and disappeared into the sub through a wide gash in the metalwork hung with a curtain of net.
"I don't like him," hissed Jake. "But he knew my father," said Cal. She felt uncomfortable about Tarian too. If he did know anything about her father - or mother - she was sure he wouldn't give his information freely.
Jake wandered round the shelter, which was scattered with more salvage: barrels of small engine parts, heaps of rope, coins and cutlery. Jake picked up an old sandglass. It reminded him of Lil's egg timer.
"What dose he do with all this stuff?" he asked. "He cleans it up and trade it," Cal replied. "We used parr to preserve Creeper things. It comes from whale tears." She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together absently, remembering the waxy treasure of a smudge of parr her father had once given her.
How do you get that?" "You can only collect it at a whale gathering. He probably trades in that too." Cal took the sandglass from Jake and studied it. "Creeper things have always fascinated our people," she murmured. Jake watched her stroke the brass fittings as she turned the sandglass in her hands. Once more he recall the face from his dream. The face of his mother. Their mother.
"Do you look like her... like Syllable's?" he said, blushing as he realized he'd given away his thought. "My father never told me, not really," she replied softly. "I wish I know. He just couldn't bare to talk about her. He must have missed her so much." "You too - you've missed her, haven't you?" Cal twitched her tail back and forth in the sand. "Yes," she said shyly. She had never spoken of it to anyone. "I left home to find out about Syllable's. I had so many questions. I just couldn't bare not knowing any more. Father didn't want me to go and we argued. But if I hadn't gone, if I hadn't found you, I would have never read the message. I can't believe we lost it! Can you remember any of it now? There was something about a Merrow breath and a gift, she said. Til's gift.
Jake stretched his head. "There was a gift... and she was going to find it safe keeping," he said, "because you were too young. I know - she called it your birthright." A loud clatter echoed inside the sub. "Tarian know my father, maybe he know our mother too," said Cal. "Maybe he can help us," Jake scrambled close to Cal. "No," he said firmly. Don't tell him about the message. Don't tell him anything. This thing Sylla hid, you've got to keep it secret. If it's valuable someone like him - a trader - might want it." Cal hadn't considered this, but before she could speak Tarian emerged from the submarine carrying a large lumpy bundle wrapped in brown wreck. Jake gave Cal a stern look and she met his eye with a reluctant nod. Tarian placed the bundle down on a flat-topped rock where it fell open and a feast of shellfish and knotted twists of weed bumbled out.
Cal picked up a stub of yellow and crimson leaves bound together. "What are these?" she asked. "I've never seen them "Comb fans," said Tarian, gesturing at the brightly colored heap, "urchins, slipweed, bursters, oysters, and pollyfish eggs." He grunted with satisfaction at the sight. Then, without speaking further, settled himself down beside the rock table, lying on his side, propped up on an elbow, and begin to eat. Jake and Cal did the same, glancing at each other occasionally , both taking the chance to think once more of what the message had told them. The meal continue in silence. The food was tasty and Cal wondered where Tarian had travelled to find it. But oysters were her favorite. Seeing a big one she reached across the table. Suddenly Tarian raised himself and grabbed her hand. In an instant there were a flash of light as his other hand sliced the water with a shiny dagger. Jake leapt to his feet and knocked the knife out of Tarian's hand. It spun on to the sand.
For a moment on one moved. Then Tarian spoke. "Take it," he said, with a half smile, placing Cal's hand gently on the table, "unless you can open an oyster with those Creeper hands?" Jake cursed silently. He'd made an idiot of himself again. "I taught," he mumbled, "I was afraid-" "Yes," Tarian, "you were afraid, but not for yourself. For her. Why should she need your protection I wonder? What should she fear?" Tarian picked up the dagger slowly, took the oyster Cal had been reaching for and began to rise it open. He beckoned for Jake to sit once more. "I saw you back there long before you heard me," he continued, breaking the shell apart with a gentle crack. "I could feel your depression. You are searching for something," he offered the oyster to Cal, "Something necessary, something vital. It must be of great value indeed."
Cal took the oyster from him. His eyes met hers and revealed instantly that he knew many things. That he had more to tell. Cal wanted to trust Tarian, but she felt numbed by the water that moved around him. Her instinct, like all those who live in the sea, was to be guided by its fluid truth. The water never lied. But she couldn't read it near him. It was curiously slack, streamy, without definition-as if he maid no impression in it, gave nothing away. Tarian turned to Jake who was looking at the knife. Its handled was inlaid with ivory and the blade itself appeared as bright and sharp as new. It was a fine weapon. Jake remembered the Bloodfin spears. He and Cal had nothing to defend themselves with. He'd be a fool not to take it.
"What do you want for it?" Jake asked. Tarian held it out to him.
"You've already given me much," he said, "more that you intended, maybe." He gestured at the salvage scattered around. "These things you see are all base merchandise. There is far more vital tase in knowledge. Knowledge is power. See the beasts there-" he pointed to the sailfish cruising like sentinels around the sandy clearing "-those sails of theirs are gathering knowledge. Every swell, every small threat, they smell fear. And those ears of mine here secret, unspoken things."
Jake was reminded of Batesy, the blind man who sat at the bar of the Anchor Inn day and night. He could hear unspoken things, so people said - like the cry of the catch tumbling in the nets far out at sea. "Plenty of herring for supper," Batesy would mutter. He was never wrong. "The knife is fairly exchanged, Creeper boy." Tarian put it firmly into Jake's hand. "Just remember: show wisdom in how you use it - knowledge and knife." With that he swam around the nose of the submarine, out of sight. Jake took Cal's arm. "Let's get away from here," he said. "No! Not yet!" she gripped his hand tight. "I have to ask him about Sylla."
But Cal didn't have to ask Tarian about sylla. He returned, almost immediately, carrying a large nautilus shell, the size of a skull, striped with a sunset of gold, purple and pink. Cal had never seen such a beauty. Tarian put the shell into her arms. "You want to know about your father. I have been along away in Jade Turtle Valley and beyond, where this Bloodfin terror is yet unknown. I have heard nothing of Pelin." Her heart jolted, as if in that one beat in had turned to stone.
Tarian lifted Cal's face gently. "But you mother - she came here once, long ago." He paused and his expression softened. "She was fading, dying, but even then her beauty persisted."
"Why did she come?" Jake asked as he say Cal was unable to speak, blinking back her tears. "She wanted a vessel. A shell. What could she need it for, so near the end?" Again he looked deep into Cal's eyes. They gazed with a trance-like expression. Tarian stared deeper. "I see the face of Sylla, I see her spirit in you. Why did she want the shell?"
Cal stuttered. "I think she wanted to - to--" Jake interrupted. "How could she know?" He moved in front Cal to break Tarian's gaze. "She was a baby. She doesn't remember her mother."
Tarian liked his tongue. "Secret and shadows. Both dissolve away."
Cal recovered herself. "Please tell me," she asked, "did you gave her a shell?"
"You hold his brother in your hands," replied Tarian. "But this is promised to another." Without a further word he look the nautilus shell from Cal and wrapped his cloak around it.
Suddenly an avalanche of rocks tumbled down the cliff at the edge of the clearing. Sand and rubble billowed up, scattering dozens of crabs and a pair of startled triggerfish. Tangler shot out of a dark hole nearby and in a twitch the sailfish dashed after him. In the same instant Tarian was gone, swimming up the cliff face to investigate the rock fall, the nautilus still in his arms. "Now's our chance," said Jake. "Let's get out of here." This time Cal didn't object. She darted onto the clearing, flipped a somersault as if to shake herself free of Tarian's sway and followed Jake into the scrapyard maze.
When Tarian returned some time later the sailfish were nowhere to be seen. Tangler slouched in the shadow in his trunk. Tarian inspected the gash.
"You'll live," he said dismissively. Tangler lashed out but Tarian caught the end of the tentacle in his fist." Where's the Creeper?" he asked. "Where did they go? "Tangler pulled away from him. "Listen to me..." Tarian sopke softly. "One will come, of our kind but not of our kind. He shall be called the Tide Turner." His eyes flashed. "What power is that! You must find the boy. Come, I will instruct you..." Reluctantly, Tangler followed Tarian into the sub.