“What about to New Destiny?” Edmund asked.
“New Destiny considers the mer to be abominations,” Jason said, bitterly. “Let’s just say that I disagree.”
“So do I,” Talbot said with a nod. “And, speaking from past experience, New Destiny tends to spread its feelings far and wide.”
“Well, from all reports New Destiny is winning,” Jason said.
“Reports are often wrong,” the duke replied. “They’ve never won anywhere that I’ve had a hand.”
“You’re only one man.”
“True, but I said ‘had a hand.’ Herzer is, often, my hand.”
Jason bleated something that the computer changed to a tuneless chuckle.
“I suspect that being your hand is probably where he lost his. Well, Edmund Talbot, who never fails, welcome to Whale Point Drop mer-town.”
The town spread out before them was larger than Edmund had expected. The area of reef had deep crevices gouged through it, generally trending from the shore to the deeps. In the center the crevices came together into an open sandy area with a prominent coral head in the middle. And the area swarmed with mer.
There were mer-men and mer-maids as well as children, although none of the latter were less than a year or two old. Edmund noticed that the mer-maids were just as naked in the upper regions as the mer-men and tried to keep his eyes away from the display of, in the main, perfect breasts.
In the open area, he could only think of it as the village square, the mer were especially thick. Some of them had food for trade, others had handmade goods. But the pickings were slim; there was far more communicating going on than trading. At the sight of the hunting party, many of the people swarmed upwards, but there was obvious distress at the shortage of food they were bringing back. There was also a great deal of surprise at the visitors. The computer picked out the words “Freedom Coalition” but the rest was apparently a jumble.
Jason tugged Edmund through the crowd and down to near the bottom where a group was floating, arguing about something. The argument stopped as they neared and the group saw that Jason had a visitor.
“General Edmund Talbot,” Jason said, gesturing at one of the mer, “Bruce the Black.”
Edmund nodded at the mer and smiled.
“I’ve come a long way to see you,” Edmund said.
“And for no good reason,” Bruce returned, brusquely. “We’re entering no agreements with anyone; we’ve enough troubles of our own without bringing others down on us.”
“Well, there are some troubles we can help with,” Edmund said, opening up the heavy package and letting fall the edge of the net. “This is a woven monomolecular net. There’s nothing on earth that can break it and it will last far longer than you’ll live. I’ve others coming on a ship, not woven mono, but made of good, sturdy cosilk. Those will last for nearly a generation and are, admittedly, easier to fix.”
“Gill net,” Bruce said. The AI gave it as toneless but it was clearly a spit of sound. “Great for randomly picking up innocent, and many of them inedible, fish. Very much what we need.”
“Bruce,” Jason interjected. “We weren’t able to get more than a couple of hogs and a few damned crayfish. We’re starving. A gill net is what we need!”
“Why? To strip the damned reefs again?” the leader replied hotly. “Woven monomolecule! What happens when it gets caught? You won’t be able to cut it, you’ll have to tear the reef itself! And what happens when a dolphin gets caught in it? It’ll drown while you’re off gallivanting!”
“Gallivanting is it?” Jason replied. “I don’t see you bringing in any fish!”
“There’s sea plum,” the mer-leader replied.
“There’s always bloody sea plum,” one of the group behind him said.
“You’ve come on a fool’s errand,” the leader repeated. “You might as well go back. We’ve nothing for you, and you’ve got nothing for us.”
“Well, I’ll leave you the net,” Edmund said. “And we have to stay in the area for a few days; our transportation is having to sail around the banks.”
“How did you get here, then?” one of the group asked.
“On dragon-back,” Jason replied to a series of clicks. “Pete went with them down the coast to fish.”
“The dragons were fishing?” Bruce asked.
“They can swim,” Edmund said.
“Mister Black,” Daneh interjected. “I’m Daneh Ghorbani and this is my daughter Rachel. I’d like to at least see how you are surviving and how you are doing it. We’ve had hard times as well and I’d like to see if you have anything that you’re doing that we can pick up. We might have a few new ideas to share as well.”
Bruce considered that for a moment, then shrugged.
“I can’t exactly kick you out,” he said, finally. “But I’m not going to join any alliances. Not with you, not with New Destiny.”
“Especially with New Destiny,” someone behind Edmund said.
“New Destiny isn’t so bad,” a black-haired mer-man said, pushing to the front of the crowd. He was one of the largest of the mer and even compared to the crowd around him heavy-set.
“New Destiny considers all Changed to be abominations,” Edmund replied. “How can they not be bad for the mer?”
“If they consider all Change to be abominations,” the mer-man asked, “how come they’re Changing their own people?”
“Edmund Talbot,” Bruce said with a sigh. “This is Mosur.”
“Well, Mosur,” Edmund replied, just as reasonably. “There’s a broad difference, that most people grasp, between being voluntarily Changed into whatever you choose, versus being turned, against your will, into an orc. They’ve Changed most of the population of Ropasa against their will. I’ve seen the results and, trust me, you don’t want that happening to you.”
“How do you know it’s against their will?” the mer replied, angrily. “Have you known someone who was Changed the way that you describe? And let me give a more accurate description, one less filled with malice. They are Changed so that they are tougher and more able to withstand the strain of the post-Fall world. Stronger, tougher and knowing how to survive. I think that counts for something. Most of the population of Ropasa has survived. They’re not living on the ragged edge of starvation.”
“You don’t look starving to me,” Edmund said to a general laugh.
“One’s the same as the other,” Bruce said, loudly. “They’ll fight each other and they’ll both lose.”
“You’d best hope so,” Edmund replied, sadly. “That we both lose. Because while we won’t have any issue with you sitting things out, New Destiny will. And if we lose they’ll come looking for you.”
There was a mutter of agreement and Edmund noticed for the first time that there were delphinos at the edge of the crowd. They weren’t entering the discussion, just observing and trading apparently carefully aimed sonar bursts with each other.
“So we have your permission to look around?” Edmund asked.
“It’s a free ocean,” Bruce said. “It’s a free town. That’s the point. Look around all you want. But you won’t find me changing my mind.”
“I understand,” Edmund said, sadly.
“Where are you staying?” Bruce asked, suddenly. “Not down here, it’s too cold for you.”
“You’d be surprised what I can do,” Edmund replied. “But we’ll be staying up on the land. We landed near the lighthouse; the others will be meeting us there.”
“The lighthouse?” Bruce challenged. “Why by the lighthouse?”
“Because it’s a landmark,” Edmund said, shaking his head. “Look, can I talk to you a moment?” He looked around. “Alone?”