The Case of the Fickle Mermaid by Brackston P. J

Author:Brackston, P. J. [Brackston, P. J.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Pegasus
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

By the next afternoon, Gretel had to admit to herself that they were in something of a tight spot. Despite valiant rowing on Hans’s part, and carefully chosen words of encouragement from Gretel—after severe blisters had forced her to down oars—they had found not so much as a rock. They had passed a cramped but tolerable night in the boat, time spent in their cabin having at least prepared them for sleeping in limited space. The weather had been mild, and the sky clear and star-studded, so that there was no fear of a storm to blow them farther off course, nor giant waves to swamp them. The next morning, however, these clement conditions had passed beyond pleasantly warm into horridly hot. The rations had provided a meager breakfast and a pitiful luncheon, and now only a flagon of ale remained. Hans had rebelled against rowing a stroke more without a nap. Gretel had attempted to persuade him into action, but he had become agitated and worryingly pink beneath the harsh sun, bandying about such words as “slave” and “galleon” so that she was forced to let him sleep. There was now not a whisper of wind, and the lifeboat merely sat upon the water, not even bothering to bob or pivot. The mer-hund kept itself cool by plunging into the sea at irregular intervals, returning to shake salt water over its companions, who soon came to welcome the refreshment this provided.

As her brother’s snores rumbled out over the open ocean, Gretel took stock of their situation. They were adrift on the wide, wide sea, with scant supplies, having informed no one of where they were going. Or rather, where they had intended going. They may well have missed the islands and now be rowing into a hundred leagues of empty water. Or they might be traveling in circles, given the disorienting effects of the wind of the previous day. It was sobering to realize this was their best hope. The heat was becoming an issue. So much so that Gretel had already removed her dress and corsets and sat in her petticoat and chemise. Her shawl she had fashioned into a surprisingly stylish headdress in order to keep her brains from boiling. The glare as the relentless sun bounced off the surface of the sea was making her squint. Sitting there, she wondered if there were not a less taxing manner in which she could earn her living; something that did not involve quite so much peril.

She thought briefly about Ferdinand. What would it be like to be the wife of an Uber General? She would no doubt be required to accompany him on formal occasions, to step out decoratively on his arm, to entertain minor dignitaries and army officers in their—one would hope—comfortably appointed quarters. He might expect children. That was a worrying thought. She could not call it an unreasonable expectation, but the resultant ballooning of her already capacious waistline, followed by, as she understood it, the withering of all parts previously full or taut, repulsed her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.