Chapter 15

Rory checked the sentries for the fourth time. Everyone was in their assigned position, and there was no threat of danger, either from humans or other predators. They had not had a shark attack in months, and no human could dive this deep. Still, Rory flicked his tail back and forth in impatience. Custom and law forbade any warrior to attack until the moon passed through the sky at least once. But when Rory thought of those humans and what they did to Finley, his chest began to burn and hands twitched to hold a spear. His tail could not keep up with his mind, so around and around the castle grounds he swam.

The queen found him sharpening his spear.

"Rory," she said.

He kept on sharpening.

"My son." She swam gently to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Sleep. That will still be here tomorrow for you," she said.

"Can't," Rory mumbled.

"Yes, you can. Try." The queen placed a hand on his arm.

"Please. You know nothing will bring him back," she said.

Rory threw down spear and sharpener and swam away without a word.

He flung himself into his kelp hammock. As he closed the top layer off, he was convinced that sleep would evade him on this night. Yet the exhaustion from the funeral and the past forty-eight hours stole up on him like a thief and robbed his consciousness.

Deep into the night, a dream came softly to Rory. He dreamed that he was back in the oyster farm and all the oysters were open, each showing a huge, glistening pearl. He counted twenty-eight in total. At the far end of the bed, he saw a figure. He almost swam away, but something about the silhouette seemed very familiar to him, so he swam closer. The figure's back was turned to him, and he seemed to hover over a grotto.

"Hello?" said Rory.

The figured turned around.

It was Finley.

Rory gasped. It felt like a hole had been ripped through his chest. He felt his eyes fill with tears as he rushed to embrace his friend.

"Stop!" Finley cried. "Don't cross the grotto."

Rory paused. His heart ached to see his friend.

"Why can't I cross?" he said.

"They said not to," Finley replied.

Rory thought for a moment. He knew that Finley was dead, yet here he was.

"You're...alive?" Rory asked.

"Not exactly," said Finley with a small laugh.

Rory understood suddenly.

"This is a dream. This is a dream, and you're still..." he trailed off.

"Dead. You can say it," Finley said.

"Then if this is a dream, it won't matter when I wake up. You'll still be gone, and I'll never see you again," Rory said.

"But we're talking right now. You're seeing me at this very moment. Does it really matter if it's a dream?" asked Finley.

Rory considered that for a moment.

"No, I suppose not. Do you always have to be such a know-it-all, even when you're..." he swallowed.

"Dead? Of course," laughed Finley. "This makes it more believable. I know the mysteries of the earth, the skies, the seas!" he said in a mock serious voice.

Rory laughed, yet his eyes still watered.

"But really...how are you doing?" Rory asked.

Finley smiled. "I'm alright. Really, I am. Things are...they're wild over here, merm."

"What's it like?" Rory asked suddenly.

Finley tutted like he was a schoolfish again. "No time for that now. I have a message for you from them."

"Who's-"

"No time to explain! Listen, Rory, don't attack the humans," Finley said.

"What?" Rory replied. His heart began to beat faster, as his blood began to fill with the familiar bite of anger. "I can't-after what they did to you? No, every single one of those disgusting, murderous, pieces of human filth deserve to-"

"Listen, I know it's hard. I know you want to get revenge for my life, but I'm here to tell you: I don't need it. I'm ok. The humans...they don't understand, and they fear so much what they don't understand."

Rory shook his head. "No. No, I can't let this go. I can't let them get away with murdering you!" He started pacing back and forth against the edge of the grotto.

Finley slapped his hand against his forehead.

"Listen, you stubborn mulefish! If you go after them, you will die."