Sea Songs (Teaser)

Journal #2 of Booker Theodore Williamson, Medical officer of the HMS Reconnoiter

June 15, 1783

As outlined in my previous journal, I am the only surviving (to my knowledge) member of the crew of the HMS Reconnoiter.  After the wreck of my ship, I washed up on the shore of this (relatively) small island in the Caribbean (?)

Upon settling myself on this unknown isle, I very quickly discovered a pod (?) of mermaids.

Doubtless any of those finding this journal alone, without its predecessor, will doubt my sanity and chalk it up to the ravings of a man driven insane by solitude.  In truth, I likely would have succumbed to madness were it not for studying the social constructs of these sirens.

In a quick recap, the group consists of roughly thirty individuals, all - to my eyes at least - female.  They vary in age from elderly to one small child of six to ten years of age.  The child seems to be an anomaly.  Her mother is not very attentive, though.  The other mermaids make sure she and her child have enough to eat but it seems the mother gobbles the lion’s share and leaves little for her own offspring.  The rest of the pod – according to human expressions – seem angered by this injustice, but they have so far to intervene.

And now my exciting news comes in two parts.

Part #1: I believe I have deciphered (not the language as a whole) but at least the sirens’ names.  The red haired one with the copper scales and the large very large breasts – the shark chaser – whom I had previously dubbed Bryony - I believe her name is: (please forgive my ignorance of music) gs hghh jgQ jgW It is the tune she sings constantly and I noticed today that the other mermaids singing that particular tune caused her to look towards them, as though they had called her name.  I have been trying to decipher the other sirens’ names, but was distracted by the other events that occurred today.

Part #2: After a shark scare that ventured further into the mermaids’ kay than normal, the inattentive mother – who I called Isla - shoved her poor child off of a rock that she was sheltering on, clearly hoping the child was eaten first.  The other sirens appeared absolutely livid at this turn of events, but the shark watcher –Bryony - after escorting the shark in question out of the kay promptly returned to the rock, raised herself up on her tail like a dolphin and slapped the inattentive mother soundly.  After lowering herself back down to normal swimming level she grabbed the child and swam away – clearly starting that this was her child now.   Isla looked shocked, but promptly tackled Bryony.

I cannot say what prompted her to attack the pod’s main warrior.  The status from being the only mother in the pod must be considerable.  As it stood, I could only watch through my spyglass at the dark shapes roiling under the water.  The child – who I have referred to as Alice – stared numbly, as though her whole future wasn’t dependent upon the result of the fight. Presently, and of shock to absolutely no one, I’m sure, Bryony hoisted Isla out of the water entirely, rolled her across the beach to the slope of volcanic rock and pitched the poor mother down the slope before rolling back down the sand to make her way back into the water.

Poor little Alice continued to stare until Bryony surfaced next to her with an armload of oysters.  Byony dragged the child to a comfy rock and began prying open shell after shell, all of which she handed over to her new child.  Alice was too hungry to do more than suck them down at first.  Bryony, I can’t help but stress, did not take a single oyster for herself, unlike Isla.  Perhaps this is my own opinion coloring things, but I cannot help but think the other mermaids were pleased by this turn of events.  One of the elderly mermaids – old enough to be Alice’s grandmother – I dubbed Madeline after my own grandmother.  She approached Alice and started to . . . .well, examine her as a physician examines his patient. I suppose in a society dominated by females a female physician is not outside the realm of possibility.  Madeline seemed disturbed by Alice’s
showing ribs and sang to Bryony.  Bryony seemed equally distressed by these lines.  Before either could react, the remaining mermaids in the pod dove back into the water. Before long they were surfacing with Sergeant Majors, angelfish, half-grown groupers and more fish I couldn’t begin to identify.

All of which were promptly offered to little Alice.

Which makes me wonder if Bryony isn’t the alpha rather than the resident shark chaser.

Still, all mermaids seem to adore children.  Isla kept her place in the pod with the simple fact that she had a child.  Bryony could become the alpha (if she isn’t already) by simply being a proper mother to little Alice.  While the rest of the pod offered the child food, Bryony drew a mermaid’s comb shell from her belt and made it live up to its name as she carefully combed Alice’s hair.  When the child turned towards her in puzzlement, the shark chaser kissed the child’s temples and combed her hair more.  Little Alice blinked as though she’d never received affection before, but continued powering through the fish offered to her.  Good for her!  She deserved to be the sole recipient of the pod’s maternal instincts.  Poor little thing; it made me wonder if there were some toy I could make that she could play with underwater.