Saw, but did not wish it. Once we had almost been the same man. He was an artist, and I almost his creation. I mourned him in that instant of his exaltation. Now I remembered Ligeia's words, "Find a way" and I turned from him.
The world had been opened, was totally devouring. What could a man do?
I tried.
A dark unfathom'd tide Of interminable pride—
A mystery, and a dream, Should my early life seem: I say that dream was fraught With a wild, and waking thought Of beings that have been, Which my spirit hath not seen, Had I let them pass me by, With a dreaming eye!
Let none of earth inherit That vision of my spirit; Those thoughts I would control, As a spell upon his souclass="underline" For that bright hope at last And that light time have past, And my worldly rest hath gone With a sigh as it passed on: I care not tho' it perish With a thought I then did cherish.
Imitation Edgar Allan Poe
XII
The tall, dark-haired woman regarded the shorter gray-eyed one there upon the sand streaked orange and sable. A wall of mist passed landward. The sea was a sheet of reflected flame. A sand castle the size of a Georgian townhouse stood half-in, half-out of the fog, a tiny crack flowing up its face.
"So this is your kingdom by the sea," the taller woman said.
The other bit her lip till she tasted blood, nodding.
"Cleverly assembled, my dear. Like all the best designs there is a classic simplicity to it."
Thunder rolled somewhere inshore. A dark cloud drifted into view overhead, its shadow falling upon the bright waters.
"I did not know you could enter here," the younger woman said softly.
"Believe me, it was not easy."
"Do not harm this place."
"Not if you will help me, rather than fight me."
"What do you want?"
"We must bring him back."
Two more clouds came into view, followed by more thunder.
"Which one?"
"The only one we can still save. Or they will both be gone."
The younger woman began to weep, as the rain fell.
"I want them both."
"I am sorry, child, but it will not work that way."
"They call for me again. It is too late."
She stepped backward and the ground opened. She fell into the crevice, but her descent was abruptly halted.
The other extended a hand.
"Now, you must help me now. They've both gone so far away."
"Very well," the younger replied, lowering her hands from her face and reaching forward. "Very well."
The sky grew black and the ocean swirled. They walked upon it.
I came to full consciousness atop a piece of floating wreckage. My memories ceased somewhere before reaching that place. I was cold and the waters dark, though for the first time in what seemed an age the sky was clear, blue... .
I moved, drawing a cold left foot out of the water. I shifted my numb arms about, feeling the circulation come into them again, painfully. I gradually became aware that the back of my neck was sunburned. I scooped a little water with my left hand and splashed it onto it.
If Annie's powers verged upon supernatural manipulations, Poe's upon unnaturally acute perceptions, where might mine—the third member of our trio—lie? It would seem to follow, if we were somehow the same, that I— Of course. Each of them was, in a different respect, otherworldly. But I was a child of this world, the Earth; mine was the religion of life—survival. I was the necessary component for the grounding of fantasies, ideals. I placed my palms flat upon the shifting wood beneath me and I pushed, raising myself. I had, as Ligeia suggested, found the way, again; and I knew that I must turn my head to the left and open my eyes. As I did so, I felt as if some bright presence were departing my company.
I saw a sail, and I struggled to remove my shirt, to wave it.
It was the Eidolon which finally drew alongside, lowered a boat, recovered me. Save for Ligeia, they had given up on me along with the other crewmen who had been washed overboard nearly two weeks ago, back in May. They had been forced considerably farther south since that time, and they had only changed course and come in this direction today because Ligeia had convinced Peters that the two of them must persuade Captain Guy to do so.
As I was taken aboard the boat I saw that the pieces of wreckage upon which I had floated bore the nameplate of a ship, covered until that moment by my body. I reached after, but it drifted away before I could make contact. I was able to read it, however. It said Discovery.
I was carried to my stateroom, where I was brought water, broth, bread and brandy. I had Peters find me clean garments in one of the sea chests and help me out of mine and into them. Captain Guy was present and insisted I get some sleep, and I told him I had been unconscious long enough, that I wanted to hear what had transpired during my absence. I also told him that I could not sleep until my thirst was slaked.
He sent for more water and broth.
Ligeia returned at about that time, also. She had been next door talking with Valdemar. She studied my eyes, checked various pulses and departed.
"What might that signify?" Captain Guy inquired.
"That I'm about to be brought some swamp-water with peculiar things floating in it," I answered.
A little later this prophecy on my part proved correct. As I sipped it, the captain nodded.
"I'm grateful you've sufficient wits about you to talk now rather than later," he said. "I've seen men pulled from the sea after only a day or two in much worse shape than you seem to be in."
"I guess I was lucky all the way around." I said, taking another sip. The stuff was actually beginning to taste good. Maybe my taste buds had been damaged.
"We are reduced to a crew of six men," he continued, "not counting Peters here, who is acting as First Mate. I have all the weapons, of course, and the men are afraid of Peters. But they have been more than a little unhappy over our run of bad luck since we left Spain."
"Can't say as I blame them," I said.
"During your absence," he went on, "a number of the rooms were burst open and inundated during one of the storms we encountered."
"I think I know what you're going to say," I told him.
He nodded.
"Monsieur Valdemar's coffin was washed out into the corridor and its lid torn open. The men know we have this strange dead man with us, and they think he's the Jonah."
It was my turn to nod.
"They'd have cast him overboard had not Peters intervened," the captain said. "So there is this matter between us."
"Will they calm down, d'you think?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"If nothing else happens," he said. "Unfortunately, it well may."
I sighed.
"Please explain."
"We are farther south now than even explorers' vessels have previously penetrated. These are unknown waters. God knows what we might encounter."
"And if it's bad, they'll mutiny?"
"There's a good chance of it," he said. "Your saber's beneath the bed. It was somewhat nicked. Peters put a new edge on it for you."
I nodded to the smaller man.
"Thanks, mate."
He winked at me, and his eye had all the seeming of a demon's that was dreaming.
"'Snuthin', mate."
"Well, I guess we just have to wait and see," I told the captain. "What is our heading now?"