Sleeping With the Fishes by Diane Vallere

Author:Diane Vallere [Vallere, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-939197-66-5
Publisher: Polyester Press

The Ebb Tide Emporium wasn’t far from Sirenia, but it often felt like a completely different world. The market consisted of booths for home goods, groceries, exotic beauty items, and clothing. Electric eels were in tanks filled to capacity, ready to be rented out to those who desired ambient lighting or a glowing escort on a midnight swim. Whatever it was you might want to buy, you just had to tell Mad Midge and then sit back and wait while she procured it.

Kyra had a booth that was open a few days each week, where she sold hand-crafted musical instruments (Kyra was a gifted vocalist, though her recent injuries had related to the music world and she hadn’t had the energy to perform since then). Mad Midge had taken Kyra under her fin and taught her the ins and outs of business, which had served to soften the perception of the older, maimed mermaid.

I found Mad Midge by the main ticket booth. We were on the cusp of the monthly market and she was gearing up for business. Admission would be one of Midge’s main moneymakers. Fish and mammals would come from all around the ocean to shop. It was an exciting time to live in the area, since the influx of tourists made Sirenia feel exciting.

For the first time, I wondered at the timing of it all. Did Mother’s abduction and Laker’s death have something to do with that? Was someone using the chaos that surrounded the market gathering to distract from a bigger plot?

Mad Midge was bent over an assortment of large, colorful baskets. Next to them were bags of sea glass that she distributed by color between the baskets.

“Midge?” I prompted.

The elderly mermaid straightened up and turned toward me. A tense moment stretched between us, where she studied me with her one good eye. Despite the inspection, I kept my body language strong and I stared back. Finally, she spoke. “Ava-girl. Ya lookin’ for ya sister Kyra-girl? She be by da fountain, testin’ a new set of pipes for da sale, ya.”

Aside from Mother, Mad Midge was the oldest mermaid in Sirenia. She had long white hair that she kept secured behind her head, “for practical purposes,” she said. Her tail had been permanently damaged, leaving her scales a dull, matte shade that lacked the typical mermaid luster and leaving her caudal adductor paralyzed on one side (which sometimes made her swim crooked).

I’d often wondered about Mad Midge’s life before the accident. She’d been one of five mermaids to frolic that night, swimming close to the surface of the water under the light of a full moon, water dancing for the purposes of inspiring tired sailors who passed over our deep and sometimes dangerous waters. Inspiration was one of the universal roles given to mermaids, and until that night, it wasn’t unusual for a bevy of us to trade anonymity for the attention gained from making an appearance. That Midge was one of the five spoke to her beauty and confidence.

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