The Broken Kingdom (8 page)

When the fish people from another wave
entered the wave of his clan, Zap Zap knew.

They came, four of them. Their tails were
held in a submissive gesture, their faces down.

The clan swam out to meet them. They met
before the reef, in that boundless part of the ocean that drifted
away to everywhere. Zap Zap was told by the leader of his clan that
the visitors had asked for him.

Zap Zap swam forward. He saw their words,
the flapping of lips and gills, the opening of eyes and the waving
of hands.

‘…
he swam the storm by the dangerous
rocks. He is Strong Swimmer, but not strong enough. The storm took
him. He was injured, but not so badly, we thought. Now even the
youngest spawn swim better than he, he speaks slowly and poorly. He
flaps, confused. He does not know us. Yet he asks for one of
you.’

Zap Zap’s clan looked towards him.

‘
Do you know Strong Swimmer of Harsh
Wave?’
They asked of him.

‘
No,’
Zap Zap responded, in the
submissive way,
‘I know no one from the Harsh Wave clan. But I
will meet their Strong Swimmer, if you wish.’

And the fish people from Harsh Wave were
pleased, relieved. They had travelled far from their wave to find
him.

And so he swam with them.

Zap Zap was taken to a shallow, cloistered
lagoon. These places his people rarely frequented. It was too easy
to get washed in to the shore. Certainly, they could move on land,
though not well and it was not a place they liked to be, it was not
a safe place for them. At least, not usually.

Harsh Wave’s Strong Swimmer was very close
to the beach, closer than the other fish people were comfortable.
And yet they stayed with him anyway. Zap Zap saw they were
splashing water on him, trying to coax him into deeper water, or at
least to lie down.

What was wrong with him?

Zap Zap swam up to him, the other fish
people made room. Zap Zap was used to being close to shore. He did
not mind so much.

The Strong Swimmer turned his head slowly to
look at him. His skin was going dry. And yet he did nothing to fix
it.

‘
Strong Swimmer,’
Zap Zap greeted,
‘
I am Strange Sounds of Broken Wave, before, I was Smalltail.
You asked for me?
’

Strong Swimmer opened his mouth. A sound
came out. It was harsh, choking. Zap Zap frowned. What was he
trying to do?

Strong Swimmer kept making that sound. The
other fish people were getting concerned. Their loud movements were
making it difficult for Zap Zap to concentrate.

And then, ‘Zaaap Zaaap…’

Zap Zap splashed, startled. He switched to
human speak. ‘Yes?’ he said. ‘How do you know Zap Zap? Where did
you learn human talk?’

‘Zaap Zaap…heelp… meee…’

It had taken Zap Zap many weeks of listening
to the humans to be able to make sounds like they did. It had taken
much longer to talk in the way he did now. This calmed him a bit,
perhaps Strong Swimmer was new to human speak.

‘What is wrong?’

‘It’s… R-R-Rileey…’

Zap Zap splashed. The other fish people had
fallen still. They did not understand what they were saying. To
them, Zap Zap knew, he and their Strong Swimmer were just making
meaningless sounds.

‘Riley is dead. Vann very sad.’

‘Noo… noo… It’s me…. I’m… R-Rileey….’

Zap Zap splashed in disagreement. ‘How can
that be? You are a Strong Swimmer. You Strong Swimmer for Harsh
Wave, where the surface waves are strong and beat the rocks.’

‘No…nooo…’ Strong Swimmer was starting to
panic, Zap Zap saw. He was starting to splash and struggle. ‘Noo…
noo…’

‘Stop, stop!’ Zap Zap cried, ‘tell Zap Zap
how this can be. Then I believe you. Then I help.’

‘I d-don’t… know…. they…. stole… my
body….Zap Zap…. help meee…’

If fish people could cry, Zap Zap thought
Strong Swimmer might have just burst into tears.

‘Zap Zap believe you. Please, you must get
in the water. You’ll feel better.’

‘No-no…’ he shook his head. ‘No-noo… I
can’t… breathe!’

‘Just for a moment, Zap Zap make sure you
alright. Just for a moment.’

When Strong Swimmer didn’t respond Zap Zap
swam closer. The other fish people let him take a hold of Strong
Swimmer. He struggled a bit, but not too much. This was good,
Strong Swimmer was a young male, strong and large. Much larger than
Zap Zap.

Zap Zap pushed him down into the water, til
he was covered. He began thrashing almost immediately. Zap Zap
pulled him up.

‘See? Zap Zap take care.’

Strong Swimmer nodded.

‘Does Strong Swimmer not know how to
swim?’

‘S-Strongswimm-swimmer… not here… Zap Zap…
only I am… here… please….’

‘Zap Zap sees.’ Yet he did not. How could
this possibly be true? And yet it explained everything. ‘Zap Zap
show how to swim. You feel better in water.’

‘Zap Zap… help… me…’

‘What does Riley want Zap Zap to do?’

At his use of that name Strong Swimmer
relaxed.

‘I want… my body… I want it…’

‘Where is it? Did you lose it?’

‘S-stolen…’

‘Is it in the water?’

‘N-no…’

‘Then Zap Zap not much help… if Strong
Swimmer really Riley… Zap Zap must tell Vann.’

‘Vann… Vann… Vann will help…’

‘Vann be pleased. He thought Riley
dead.’

‘Please… take me to… Vann…’

‘Zap Zap will. Zap Zap show how to swim on
the way.’

Chapter 11

‘
V
ann! Vann!’

Vann turned as a young man nearly collided
with him and grabbed his arm.

‘What is it?’ he demanded. It was one of the
other apprentice fishermen.

Today was Vann’s day off. He only had one,
and right now he was far from the docks, wandering the back streets
of Coastside.

‘It took so long to find you!’

‘For a reason! What do you want?’

‘You need to come quickly, down to the bay!
Come on!’ The boy started dragging him.

‘No, why?’

‘The fish people, Vann, it’s full of fish
people, and they’re all calling your name!’

When Vann reached the docks he saw it was
true. Fish people had filled the bay, their grey, seaweedy heads
bobbing just above the surface. Hoarse, rough voices called
‘Vaan….Vaannn….’ They filled the air with an unsettling din.

His eyes scanned the faces. He didn’t
recognize Zap Zap anywhere.

Then, a splash.

‘Zap Zap!’ he cried, ‘what’s going on?’

His name, chanted in hoarse voices cut off.
The fish people began disappearing.

‘Zap Zap couldn’t find Vann anywhere! Zap
Zap waited many nights!’

‘I told you to leave!’

Behind him Vann was aware of a big crowd
gathering. ‘Look, meet me by the side beach.’

Zap Zap nodded and disappeared beneath the
waves.

Vann stood and faced the crowd. ‘It’s
nothing, just move along.’

‘Why are they back?’ he heard someone
call.

‘Why did they leave?’ another voice
said.

‘Because they didn’t want to get blown up!’
he snapped. ‘Now move!’

Vann stormed through the crowd. People
mostly got out of his way. No one followed as he headed towards the
side beach.

When he reached the side beach he saw Zap
Zap and another fish person waiting in the waves. The other
fishperson was large, Zap Zap looked quite small next to it.

When the other fishperson saw him it started
splashing. Zap Zap tried to calm it.

‘No worry. Zap Zap talk. Zap Zap explain.
You stay in water.’

The other fish person subsided. Soon only
its nose and eyes were visible above the water.

‘Zap Zap, what is it?’ Vann asked.

‘Zap Zap… not sure how to say. Zap Zap
thinks very strange.’

Vann said nothing, but he sat down by the
water’s edge.

‘Vann say Riley dead.’

Vann nodded, tried not to think.

‘This fishman, he say he Riley. He say his
body stolen.’

Vann stared at the fish person, his eyes
wide.

‘Zap Zap not understand.’ Zap Zap
finished.

‘I don’t think I do either…’ Vann said
slowly. ‘Tell me, who are you?’

The other fishman slowly lifted his head
from the water.

‘Vann. Help… A-arlid…’ it seemed Aerlid’s
name was difficult for him to pronounce, ‘…stole body…some…someone
else use… help…’

‘What are you saying?’

The fishman flapped in frustration.

‘Vann. I… Riley. T-they… put me… here. Took…
my body… pl-please… help…’

Vann edged forward on the sand, until the
water was wetting the knees of his pants. ‘You’re telling me you’re
Riley?’

The fishman’s long tail flapped against the
water in frustration. ‘Y-yes! Me… Riley…I d-don’t…like it here…want
body! Want my own… body!’

‘How can I possibly believe this?’

The creature made a sound that might have
been a scream of frustration. ‘You slow! B-bad… student! Y-your
fault… couldn’t.. teach… slow!’

Vann leant back. He shared a look with Zap
Zap and then looked back to Riley. If it could really be her. ‘Do
you know where your body is?’

‘I… know… where it was…’

‘Alright. We’ll go there. It must be near
the ocean, right?’ He looked back towards Zap Zap.

‘Swim along coast, reach Harsh Wave. Far,
but not difficult. Vann swim?’ Zap Zap looked confused.

‘No. No. I’ll get a boat. I’ll need
supplies. Zap Zap, meet me tomorrow morning between here and Arling
Island. I’ll be in a boat. I think you should see me.’

Zap Zap nodded. ‘Zap Zap find. But might be
dangerous. Ehlkrid in sea.’

‘I know. But it’s a risk I’ll have to
take.’