Chapter 80

Such an amount of money can fix you up for life! It will turn your life around for good and you can marry any woman of your choice! You can even marry ten beautiful women if you want and no one will hold you to ransom! But the only way we can have these kinds of fulfilled lives is only if that mermaid is captured!" He pointed a finger at the river.

Vincent slowly shook his head in disappointment as he stared at the bishop in utter disgust. "To think that I've always revered you and held you high as a father figure, I'm terribly ashamed to have known a human like you! I was wrong! I failed to see how sly and greedy you are! I failed to read all the handwriting on the wall before I left the East! You are not different from the other priests who abuse their powers and commit many atrocities with them! 

Bishop Joseph, you are a beast! You have let the love for money becloud your judgment! You have sold your conscience for money and I hope you rot in hell for this! You are going to sell off the only woman I've ever loved like some bag of goods, just to satiate your greed?! I can't believe this! You have shown me why other creatures can never trust humans and once I get out of here, I'm traveling back to the East to report all you have done!"

The bishop scoffed. "You can't be serious!"

"You have no idea how dead serious I'm!" Vincent said coldly.

"Well, son, I won't stop you from embarking on such a stupid quest. This thing is going to end two ways in my favor whichever way you choose to see it. One, it's either I'll already be out of the country by the time you even pass any information across to the church; or two, I couldn't simply just wait back just for the fun of watching you make ridicule of yourself! 

Tell me, who's going to actually believe anything you say? Who? Who actually believes that mermaids exist? These creatures have always been a myth and if you have no evidence to attest to your claim, you could be penalized for leading the church on a wild-goose chase and also trying to slander my name.

 Listen, boy, it's your words against mine. I have been in this priesthood even before you were born and I've got my connections and can pull all the strings I want to get the people's favor on my side. Think about it too, just giving the bishops and other parts of the panel cheques of hundred thousand dollars each could forever seal their mouths and rule against you even if the corpse of a mermaid is right before them. 

Vincent, when will you understand that money answereth all? You can win this war against me because I've got more weapons in my artillery than you do in yours... To further disgrace you, I could simply hand all your letters to the panel so that they know all the thoughts that you have been harboring and how you had let that girl secretly spend weeks in your room.

 I could go ahead and tell them that you already broke your oath of chastity by sleeping with her and you know what that means- inevitable dismissal from priesthood! So, son, do you really want to wage a war against me? Do you really want to lose both ways? Is it really worth it?" Bishop Vincent asked.

Vincent was about to reply when he was cut off.

"Joseph!" Mr. Smith called, interrupting them as he approached from the river with a displeased look on his face. "She has gone into hiding and we might not find her in this darkness and rain which gets heavier by the minute! We don't have much time and the last thing we want is to attract the locals. We need to capture her as soon as possible and be on our way! Is there a way to lure her out?! What do you suggest will be the easiest bait?" Mr. Smith asked, his hair flattened against his head by the rain.

The bishop slowly turned his head to look at Vincent and said, "Use him as bait! If she truly loves him like he foolishly claims, she'll give herself to us! Let's prove the young man wrong perhaps."

"What! Are you out of your mind?!" Vincent started to protest but two men suddenly seized him and forced him to his knees, holding his hands behind him so that he couldn't fight back.

Pulling out a dagger, Smith moved to stand behind Vincent, pulling his head backward and placing the blade of the dagger across his throat. "What's her name?" He asked Vincent but when Vincent stubbornly refused to speak, Smith pressed the blade harder against his throat, making him bleed a bit from a little cut the pressure of the blade caused. "You'll be watering the sand with your blood if you do not speak, priest!" He threatened.

"For your own sake, just do what he wants, Vincent!" The bishop scolded him. "Do not waste your life for a mere fish!" He said in a demeaning tone.

Shooting the bishop a cold look, Vincent reluctantly murmured. "Ewatomi."

"Good." Mr. Smith looked up now at the river and said our loud, "Ewatomi, I know that you can hear me loud and clear! And if you understand English, you might want to listen to what I've to say! I've got your boyfriend here and I'll slit his throat if you do not show yourself right now!" He threatened, scanning the surface of the water.

"Do not come out!" Vincent yelled and one of the men punched him hard on the face, making him grunt in pain, his hands flying to his bloody nose.

"That should teach you to keep your mouth shut, priest." Mr. Smith smirked then reverted his attention to the surface of the water again for any signs of the mermaid. When he saw none, he said out loud again. "Do not call my bluff, little mermaid! I've killed too many men to have a conscience now! 

If you value his life, you'll show yourself or I'll kill him and his blood will be on your hands! You'll forever have to live with the guilt that you let an innocent man die because of your cowardice! And not just any innocent man, the one man who could have genuinely loved you! Come out-come out, little mermaid or his head shall roll into the river!"

They silently waited again, every one of them keenly watching the surface of the water for as much as a bubble or ripple that will give away her presence. After waiting for five vain minutes, Mr. Smith said to the bishop in dismay. "I don't think this mermaid loves the priest well enough to take such a risk. She's not going to fall for this."

"Then do what you ought to do." The bishop gave him a go-ahead. "I'm convinced that she needs to know that you mean your word. Do what you must do, Mr. Smith."

"Very well then." Mr. Smith said, sighing. Grabbing Vincent's hand up and making his men hold it in place, Mr. Smith placed the dagger against Vincent's thumb and suddenly cut it off. Vincent yelled out in pain as his thumb fell on the sand and blood began to spurt out of the stump on his hand. He bent down, placing his head on the ground and holding his hand between his chest and his knees as he continued to scream out in pain.

"Sorry son..." The bishop said as he stared down at Vincent, half-remorseful. "This is the only way we can possibly draw her out and I hate that you have to be at the receiving end. I'll have you flown out to the best hospital for surgery. They could get you a new thumb." He said wryly.

Mr. Smith turned to look at the water and said aloud when Ewatomi still refused to reveal herself. "His ear is next! And then his tongue and his eyes too! How would you like a deformed man who will be tortured till he dies for your sake?! You can keep hiding in there all you want, for I might as well carve your name with my dagger across his pretty face and offer the head to you as a souvenir!" When he waited and still saw no sign, he got angry, frustrated and impatient and said to one of his men. "Hold him the priest up!"

Vincent was forced to straighten up, and as they held his head in place to cut off his ear, Ewatomi suddenly sprang out of the water into the air, screaming "Noooooo!", but the men were prepared. Six men fired their harpoon guns at once! Two harpoons shot into her tail; two got her in the chest and stomach region; one got her in the arm and the last one pieced her right shoulder and she fell heavily on the river bank; her blood draining from her severe wounds and being washed down to the river by the rain.

"Finally." Smirking, Mr. Smith let go of Vincent and turned to saunter towards Ewatomi who was now slowly writhing on the bank in her own blood and in anguish. "She's not so tough after all. Love can make the strongest, the weakest. A lot of people have made a lot of bad choices simply because of that emotion, love." He mocked then pushed Ewatomi with the sole of his feet so that she turned sideways on the bank.

Very weak and in despair, Ewatomi slowly lifted her head and looked up at Vincent. 

"Did you do this?" She asked in a frail voice, tears slipping down her eyes.

Before Vincent could reply, Mr. Smith beat him to it. "Yes darling, he was a big help even without knowing it." He hunkered down to smile wickedly at her. "He sold you out...don't be heartbroken, we will take very good care of you." He slowly caressed the side of her face with the back of his hand.

"I did not!" Vincent yelled in defense. "I only told my mentor about you and he did this to us! He used me! I had no idea what he was up to!"

"Oh c'mon!" The bishop grunted, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to explain yourself to her. Before you know it, all these will be over and you'll be fine. In fact, you'll even forget that this ever happened."

"Yeah... you'll forget all about it, priest." Mr. Smith said then straightened up and sheathed his dagger at his side. "Boys, bind her up and put her on the truck. We have got a ship to return to. Let's hope that Mr. Dankworth will be pleased with this one." He said as he stared down at Ewatomi.

The bishop tried to help Vincent to his feet and set him free from the hold of the men, but Mr. Smith stopped him. "Not yet, Bishop. We'll only let him go after we have gotten the mermaid safely onboard... We just might need him again just in case she decides to make a run for it."

                                                                                 ★★★

"Something is not right." Osun said, pacing around restlessly underwater where the other Queens were gathered after leaving their maidens at the surface to keep an eye on the ship.

"I think you should just relax. You're getting yourself all worked up for nothing, Osun!" The Cuban Head told her. "We have our scouts watching, if something is up, we'd know."

"Know?" Osun paused now. "Haven’t you noticed that they have been on my waters for almost four weeks now and yet, they have not struck! Something is amiss! They are probably aware that we are waiting to ambush them and are playing smart. Something is just not right!" Osun stated.

"Your anxiety is doing us no good, Osun, please relax." The Brazilian Queen said wearily.

"I think we should be more concerned about why your granddaughter is yet to join us! She promised that she'd come, she ought to be here by now!" The Scottish Queen said.

"I think you all should come to the surface now..." Labake who had just swum in, said. "You might want to see this."

When the mermaids reached the surface, a far distance away, they noticed the lifeboats being rowed back to the ship, but none saw Ewatomi because she had been tied down and forced to lie in the bottom of the boat. As the lifeboats were reeled up into the ships, Osun felt more uneasy.

"I can sense my granddaughter..." Osun said. "I can sense that she's here somewhere." Then she turned to Adunni and instructed. "Adunni, swim closer and let me know if Ewatomi is on that ship!"

                                                                                       ★★★

When Ewatomi who was still bound and gagged was uncovered on the deck, Mr. Dankworth stepped out of the cabin and stared down at the bloody mess she was in and there was displeasure written all over his face as he lifted his head to look at Mr. Smith.

"Smith, why is she all bloody? What use is a dying mermaid to me? Couldn't you all just bring her in unscathed? These creatures are invaluable!"

"I apologize sir, but she gave us such a hard time capturing her. We even had to resort to using blackmail." Mr. Smith explained.

Mr. Dankworth turned to look at Vincent who was sitting on the deck with his bloody hand still held in his other hand. "And who's this?"

"The priest...presumably her lover...he was the bait." He explained.

"And why is he on my ship? You know better than to bring others on board!"

"I know, sir but, I'm just being cautious. I believe that if he's here, she won't attempt to make a run for it."

Mr. Dankworth sighed now, squatted down beside Ewatomi and gently pushed her wet hair away from her face and he scrutinized her. "She's the most beautiful of them all and I can sense that she has the very thing I want." Trailing a finger down her rib cage, he suddenly forced a finger into one of her injuries above her hip, making Ewatomi, squeeze her eyes and grimace in pain. When he pulled his finger out, it was covered in a dull shimmering green gall liquid and without taking his eyes off Ewatomi's face, he brought the finger to his mouth and sucked on it then closed his eyes and gave an exhale as he reveled in the taste.

 "So much power..." He moaned. "What I've long sought for! I feel so alive again." Then he opened his eyes and Mr. Smith was surprised to see that some of Mr. Dankworth's wrinkles had vanished, making him look five years younger. 

"She's priceless!" Mr. Dankworth said with a pleased smile. "She's exactly what I want!" He said, smiled at Ewatomi and whispered, "Don't worry dear; you are in safe hands and I take very good care of you. I shall treat you like a Queen on Earth has never been treated before and I shall name you Pearl. You shall live by my side for almost eternity." Craning his head forward, he softly placed a kiss on her forehead while Vincent helplessly watched. Rising to his feet, Mr. Dankworth called, "Mr. Smith?"

"Sir?" Mr. Smith stepped forward.

"This is a job well-done."

"Thank you, sir." Mr. Smith smiled.

"Pay off the bishop. The priest should be disposed and call this hunt to an end! We are never sailing the seas again!" He said then stared down at Ewatomi. "Take her below deck and have her wounds tend to. Keep her in the glass tub of water." He said.

After eight men carefully carried Ewatomi below deck, Mr. Dankworth took a handgun and aimed at Vincent's head when something suddenly rammed into the ship, causing it to shake violently and causing most of the men to lose their balance and fall. When most of the men could get back on their feet, Mr. Dankworth's eyes were wide with confusion.

"What was that?" He asked as Mr. Smith helped him to his feet.