The Lust of the Sea King

There's a special time of the moon when the crabs and the mantis make their love. High above William a slim crescent hung in the sky. His small rowboat plied the ocean waters. The sound of the oars and the low lapping of the ocean against his boat were the only things to hear. Coral reefs lay just a foot under the bottom of his boat. Short rocky juttes poked their heads above the water close on either side. The night was cold and he wore a thick woolen coat with a hood that hung just above his eyes. The man sighed. Here was the place. This was her home. Getting her attention wouldn't be difficult. He stared at the sea. Far from the surface he could see ghostly lights that moved slowly. The deep ships of the Mer haunted this place.

From his coat pocket he pulled a heavy gleaming white object. Like all her kind she was a thing of greed and avarice. What she coveted most were the possessions of her sisters. The man held a perfectly round pearl in his hand. He had won it at great price and for her. This was a dark business he was about. From his belt he took a long silver knife and slashed his arm. He held the cut over the boats edge and let his blood drip into the ocean. With his other arm he grabbed a short cane and began pounding the bottom of his boat with the eight part rhythm of the sea ancients. The king of the sea had a lusty nature and his not-so-tender-caresses had graced all manner of sea denizens. The daughters they had borne him were a most unnatural lot. From a distance they could be mistaken for the most beautiful of women. But they were all horrors.

The first sign of her coming was a soft sound at the edge of hearing. Like a ship's keel beginning to crack, the slow sound of tormented wood filled his ears. Then the level of the ocean dropped precipitously. Rocks that had been just under the surface now stood a foot tall. Her hair appeared first. A wild mass of red strands that spread out in all directions like sea kelp. Finally a giant pale hand, rose above the sea. It was neither a man nor a woman's hand and the moon made it seem to glow. He placed the pearl in the cup of her palm and the hand withdrew. She raised her entire body above the surface of the water. He beheld her and shuddered. Her skin was as pale as a shell of abalone. Her body had the most perfect heavenly curves, as long, graceful and subtle as the orbit of the planets. Her breasts were heavy and hung low on her chest. After he had looked to his heart's content, she raised her voice. If only crabs or starfish could speak ... "Name your price".

William Henry Blue tried to speak and failed. He made another attempt. "The sea king's price is mine. I take you as my wife for two years and you shall bear me a daughter." She looked perplexed. Her face was wrapped in a puzzle. If her eyes had been capable of blinking they would have. With one hand he held out a small posey of violets tied with a pink ribbon. With the other hand William patted the empty space on the seat next to him.