My grandfather was born in 1912, and passed back in 2011. We weren’t especially close, but I’d been there to help clean out his estate. I got a whole bunch of stuff, old furniture, and family photos mostly. But I also ended up with a couple of miscellaneous boxes of memories. Admittedly I wasn’t interested in looking through them, I put them in the attic and forget about them until last week when my daughter was asking about him.
We opened the boxes together, and an old copper dropped from one of the boxes and rolled across the floor. It was a strange coin with a crisscrossed symbol on both sides. My daughter was fascinated, but as I looked in the box I found a stack of papers. It was a memoir written in my grandfather’s handwriting and detailed a recount of some of his early days working on a whaling vessel.
I didn’t even know he worked on a ship, ever, considering how the man I knew refused to go anywhere near the ocean. He wouldn’t even come to the beach with us, stating instead that the gods of old ruled the sea, and we should not go near it. He even had a little shrine (which I dutifully threw out), dedicated to a god I wasn’t familiar with.
Because of this, I decided it was better that I read through it all first before letting my daughter read the letters; this is what they said. It wasn’t all in English, but I’ve translated what I could.
*****
The day begins before the sun has risen down at the docks. It’s bitterly cold, ice coats the frozen wood and the damp smell of sea salt rolls off the early morning mist. Men move sluggishly to beat the ice off riggings and prepare to set sail.
It was my first day, I was a greenhand, a mess boy, hired by Captain Johan Eide from a newspaper advertisement. I was only 17 at the time, but I lied and said I was 20. My teeth chattered and my breath steamed in the air as I waited.
“You Timothy? Timothy Horn?” a tall gruff looking man approached me. His hair was light brown and his beard was full orange.
“Yes sir. I’m waiting for Captain Eide?”
“You’re looking at him. Didn’t expect you to be quite so skinny, boy.”
I laughed nervously, “That’s what everyone tells me.”
He glared down at me for a long moment, folding his arms before asking, “You ain’t never been on a ship either have you.”
“My dad took me fishing once or twice.”
“Good enough. Follow me.”
He turned expecting me to follow and I hurried after him. The sun was beginning to rise by now and the oil lamps were burning low. The ship was a decent size and well maintained with a metal hull and wooden deck. A harpoon gun was mounted on the front and the thick sail ropes looked pristine.
We were a whaling vessel. One of the last ones at the time in the north. Most other whalers went south, toward the Antarctic, but Captain Eide insisted on remaining north. Which was quite fortunate for me, or I wouldn’t have gotten the job and I needed it.
My father had passed away the year before, and we were struggling with my five siblings. I was the oldest, so it made sense that I would be the one to work, and whaling was a respected job back then.
Of course my mother wasn’t happy with it after hearing old wives tales of husbands being lost at sea. She was worried she would lose me as well and I can’t say I wasn’t nervous. I’d heard stories myself of whales capsizing small boats, and I was glad to see the ship I was going to be on was bigger than I thought.
Captain Eide toured me around, “The below area is where we sleep, and eat. If a big wave hits you hold onto something tight, and if you’re going to be sick, do it over the side.”
“Yes sir.”
“This is first and second mate David and Roger Finn. If you have any hassles you talk to them,” he introduced me to two light haired men who were obviously brothers.
“Good to meet you,” David shook my hand.
“Try not to fall overboard aye?” Rodger laughed ruffling my hair.
“Yeah, I’ll try,” I agreed awkwardly. They were friendly enough I guessed.
“Simon over there is our gunner, and Hallvard is our meat cutter,” Eide explained, gesturing to two other men who waved back as they worked on the riggings. “You’ll be responsible for spotting whales, keeping everything clean and helping out around, alright?
“Yes Sir,” I agreed without hesitation.
“Good, we set sail in one hour, so if there’s anything else you need I suggest you arrange it before then.”
Captain Eide had me accompany David to get rations for the ship and it was as I was paying for three sacks of potatoes that I fumbled with the coins. My fingers were numb from the cold air and several coins spilled in all directions.
One in particular landed with a clatter on the frozen boards, and rolled quite some distance, coming to an abrupt stop under the boot of a man I didn’t know. He was the younger of two tall men, both with dark hair and striking blue eyes. He couldn’t have been more than early 20’s in age, while his companion could have been mid 30’s with few graying strands in his hair.
They looked too alike not to be related and as the younger one knelt to pick up the coin he spoke, „A Vegvisir,“ he stated sedately.
„Breytir það skoðun þinni?“ (Does it change your mind?)
„Hvers vegna ætti það?“ (Why should it?)
They spoke in a language I didn’t know with an accent I couldn’t place and I realized with dread which coin had rolled to them. It was an old norse coin my mother had given me. She said it was supposed to guide viking sailors, and that I should keep it with me as a prayer to Njörðr, the god of safe seafaring and fishing. I didn’t believe in anything like that, but I kept it with me to humor her.
“Sorry about that, cold fingers,” I spoke up hoping that would be enough to prompt them to hand it back to me.
For a moment they were startled, as if they didn’t expect to see me there or hadn’t expected me to speak to them. However, as they recovered the elder one smiled broadly, slamming a big hand on his companions shoulder, earning him a rueful sideways glare.
“It’s alright, my son here is just as lazy, I mean clumsy. He drops many things,” He addressed me in heavily accented English, before speaking to his son. „Afhentu myntina aftur, Mercury.“ (Hand the coin back.)
In response the younger man allowed the coin to drop from his fingers. By misfortune it happened to land between a crack in the boards and dropped into the water below with a soft splash.
“My mistake, I drop many things,” Mercury responded casually. His English was accented, but unmistakably American and it seemed to me like he was mocking his father’s accent in his choice of words.
Both I and the older man stared after the coin for a long moment in disbelief before I found my voice again, “That’s bad luck ain’t it?” I laughed to break the tension. It in no way felt like a mistake, and my mother wouldn’t like to know it was lost forever.
Neither spoke and an uncomfortable silence passed before the older one pulled a silver coin from his pocket, “As I said, my son is clumsy, take this for your troubles.” he offered but I waved my hand dismissively.
“No, it’s alright. It was just an old copper coin, can’t even spend it here,” I assured.
He looked at me with sympathy, but it was as he was about to insist that David recalled my attention, “Boy! Did you get them spuds?”
“Yeah, coming!” I shouted over my shoulder. I had only turned away for a moment, but when I looked back both of the blue-eyed men were gone.
The air seemed colder where they had been and I shivered involuntarily. I hadn’t heard them step away, and I couldn’t see them anywhere nearby, it was as if they had simply vanished in the mist.
By the time David and I returned to the ship the Captain was arguing with the Harbour Master.
“I told you, you can’t set sail with a crew of only five men!”
“What do you want? I hired another man! Look, there he is right now! Timothy!”
The man turned to look me up and down, “That’s hardly a man!” he exclaimed and the captain threw his arms up.
“He is too!”
“Well, it don’t matter does it? You need at least eight men to man a ship this size!”
“I’ve done it before!”
“So you’re admittin’ to other violations now?”
The Captain paused, “…No.” he answered carefully.
“Right then, when you have the appropriate number of crew members-”
“If you’re in need of more crew members, my son and I are looking for work.” It was one of the men I’d met earlier that spoke up and Captain Eide jumped at the opportunity.
He looked them over once, before agreeing readily, “You’re hired! And I take it that means you got no more problems here?” he addressed the Harbour Master, who looked suitably irritated.
“I guess not.”
“Good day to you then!”
“Yeah alright, but don’t you be sending out any distress signals later. I won’t answer ‘em!” he warned.
“Limey old bastard,” Captain Eide muttered.
I must’ve looked more shocked than I thought because David leaned over to inform me, “They’re brothers, you don’t need to worry about it,” he assured.
“Right,” personally I couldn’t see the resemblance.
As the Harbour Master left Eide approached his new crew members, “Captain Eide, glad to have you with us.” He offered out his hand.
“Eyvindr, Even for short, and this is my son Mercury,” the older of the two introduced them, shaking the Captain’s hand firmly in doing so. I would have guessed they were brothers, but father and son? The man didn’t look old enough for his son to be that grown.
“Is that Mercury like the metal or the poison?”
Even laughed, “Some days it’s hard to say.”
“You got experience on ships?”
“Certainly do. My son and I have sailed every coast.”
“Splendid, welcome aboard!”
We set sail not long after that.
The open ocean was vast. Bright sunlight glinted off the deep blue surface, and sea birds floated lazily on the breeze above. It was shaping up to be a fair day with calm seas and no clouds in sight. The rest of the crew chatted idly among themselves, Even’s distinct accent was notable as he spoke jovially.
However I stayed back a bit, they were all smoking cigars but my mother had taught me not to. She said it was a disgusting habit, and if I’m honest, I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do. They were all friendly enough, but I had nothing to share. I wasn’t old enough for a wife or kids, and I didn’t want them to figure that much out.
Instead I stood toward the stern of the boat, watching the bow slice through the waves. Eventually it was Mercury who came to stand beside me. His eyes were remarkably blue, almost a match to the ocean, and his lashes were long enough that they cast a shadow across his cheeks.
He didn’t say anything, and I wilted in the awkward silence, “So, is Even really your dad?” I asked awkwardly.
“Unfortunately.”
“He hardly looks older than you.”
“He’s older than he looks, I’m the youngest of his children.”
“He must’ve started young,” I laughed, trying to muster the bravo of the twenty year old I was supposed to be.
“I suppose you could say that,” he agreed.
“Have you got any kids?”
“I have a son.”
“Where is he?”
Mercury smiled slightly, “Home.”
“Why didn’t you bring him with you?”
“The boy is crippled, it’s a weakness that makes travel difficult.”
“…Oh.” I felt bad for asking.
The conversation died shortly thereafter, so I was grateful when the Captain sent me up to the barrel to watch for whales. I had never been a particular fan of heights and I clung to each run desperately on the way up.
Each time the ship rolled to the side I held on for dear life, and when it eventually lulled back to the other side I climbed as quickly as I could. It was a relief to reach the barrel and I scrambled into it gratefully. Getting back down was going to be much worse.
Hours passed before I spotted the first whale. I shouted back down and pointed excitedly, I had no idea if they could hear me. However as our trajectory changed and steam billowed out from the engine room the chase was on. A buzz filled the air as we closed the distance between us and the mammal.
When we were near enough to see it from the deck I climbed down to join the rest of the crew, and I was there when the gunner, Simon, released the explosive tipped harpoon. It hit with a wet crack, and to my surprise, the animal let out a soft sound of pain, it was a cry really and I winced. I wasn’t prepared for that.
The rope pulled taut as the whale tried to escape, and Captain Eide gave the orders for Mercury and I to reel it in. We took a hold of the rope and heaved, or rather he did. I’m not sure that I did anything as Mercury dragged the wounded creature back to the ship nearly single handedly.
It writhed in the water beside the boat, red stained the ocean and when it exhaled it expelled a sad spray of foaming blood into the water. I hadn’t really seen anything die before, and I couldn’t help but feel sick. I don’t know how Mercury could stand it. He didn’t seem to care at all.
“Pump it with air, boy,” Captain Eide ordered, and I looked up at him with wide eyes as he handed me what was essentially a giant hypodermic needle.
“W-what? It’s still alive?” I murmured, I could feel myself trembling.
“It’ll die soon enough. Best not to waste time.”
I heard what he was saying, but as I glanced back over the edge of the railing the whale and I made eye contact. It looked helpless, desperate, like it didn’t understand what was happening and I couldn’t do it. Moreover I didn’t understand how anyone else could?
“Here, let me.” It was Even who solemnly took the air pump from me and I allowed it without protest.
He was perhaps the only other person who looked uncomfortable. Without a word he leaned over the side dangerously, and placed a hand on the whale. „Það er allt í lagi, hvíldu þig núna…“ (It’s alright, rest now.), he spoke softly to the animal and it gradually became still. Then he plunged the air pump into it with force and I became closely acquainted with the deck.
When I came back too we were ashore. Stopped at the whaling station, and I was laying on a plain flat bed in the below quarters. My mouth was dry and my head hurt as I sat up.
“Aye! London Bridge is up!” It was David who grinned back at me as I reorientated myself.
“What?”
“You earned yourself the nickname London Bridge, since you fell down.”
There’s a popular nursery rhyme about the London Bridge ‘falling down’ and I understood that was going to be my new title, probably forever. “Right, what happened again?”
“You fainted, hit your head on the bannister on your way down. Knocked yourself right out.”
“Where is everyone else?”
“At the whaling station, they left me behind to look after you,” he stood to go and I reluctantly followed him out.
The station was a chain of several stone buildings with metal roofing. The ground was frozen and patches of snow sat melting slowly over bright green grasses. There were other boats docked in the harbor but as far as I could see, no other people were around.
Our boat was docked beside a long bloodsoaked ramp, and I made the mistake of looking over to see Even, Mercury and Hallvard stripping slices of blubber from the whale. They were using long sticks with blades on the end to cut into the thing before sending the cuts down a small shoot off to the side, and I was sick on the spot.
To avoid being anywhere near the whale I drifted away to look around the rest of the station. It was quiet and cold, and surprisingly empty I thought. I had expected that maybe the other crews were inside or all gathered somewhere, but the area was as good as a ghost town.
It was odd only because it looked like there had been people around recently. Drinks had been left out to freeze in the weather, and used tools sat out on benches as if placed down for only a moment. Open doors swayed gently and the whole station groaned in the breeze.
The commotion of sea birds squabbling further ahead drew my attention and as I entered a new area the smell of rotting whale permeated the air. I gagged involuntarily as I rounded the corner. Some other crew had left an entire whale carcass on the docking ramp and it was semi-frozen, bloated and festering.
As I watched the seabirds suddenly fell silent, and all at once took off into the air in a rush of feathers. They abandoned their feast without a moments hesitation and my blood turned to ice as I realized the carcass was moving. The blubber wobbled as the entire whale jolted as if being tugged.
My heart beat hard and my skin prickled, for a moment I thought I was delusional, the animal was massive. Nothing could move it like that. Then it happened again. The whale shuddered and then began to slide back down the ramp toward the water.
Flesh that had frozen to the dock tore away and in moments the entire thing slipped back into the ocean. Leaving only a trail of visceral remains in its wake. I didn’t waste a single moment, I ran back to my crew as if my feet had wings all their own.
“Something- something just pulled a whale back into the water!” I shouted breathlessly as I reached the Captain.
“What are you talking about boy? The whale is right here!” he responded appropriately confused.
“Not this one, the other one-” I pointed vaguely in the direction I had come and the others moved skeptically to investigate.
When we reached the area it was just as I had left it, only the birds had returned to pick at the stuck flesh that remained. It looked remarkably normal and there wasn’t any other trace left as evidence.
“I swear I ain’t lying.”
“It is a bit odd that no one else is here,” David agreed, as the Captain stared long and hard out across the ocean.
“Well, there’s nothin’ here now,” Captain Eide spoke at last, “So let’s not get ourselves all worked up.”
As we spoke it was Mercury who moved past us to stand at the edge of the ramp.
“Mercury, be careful,” Evyindr warned him.
“Your concern is touching,” he responded dryly. Reaching down to pick something from the edge of the dock. From a distance it looked like he had picked up a giant abalone shell, it was bigger than his hand and I expected that he might bring the unusual find over.
However, after a tense moment he instead tossed it into the water before returning to us.
“What did you find?” Evyindr asked curious.
„Snákavog,“ he responded calmly with a smile.
That was the first time I had seen him smile, and it was unsettling. His teeth were unnaturally perfect, and the canines were pointed. Only rich people had teeth that nice.
“What did he say?” I asked hesitant.
“Just a chunk of ice,” Mercury answered casually, that was a relief.
We spent the night at the station. The wind howling against the tin roofing, and the bitter cold kept me awake for the better part of the night. As I drifted between the edge of sleep and wakefulness I thought I heard voices carrying on the breeze, not that I could make out what they were saying.
When morning came it wasn’t a minute too soon and I was one of the first ones up. Right away I began preparing to set sail, shoveling the snowfall from the night off the deck and beating ice off the riggings. It wasn’t long before Mercury joined me.
He was strong, and worked at least twice as fast as I did while hardly breaking a sweat. He was eager to leave as well I thought. Snow settled in his hair and the silver ring on his thumb caught my attention because I thought it was a bad choice to wear one.
Most of the other men stowed even their wedding bands for fear of losing them or having the skin ripped from their fingers if they got caught on anything. However, I chose not to ask about it, instead I tried to make small talk.
“How did you sleep last night?”
“I didn’t,” he answered without looking over.
“The wind kept you up all night?”
“…Yeah.”
“Me too-”
“How old did you say you were again?” he asked abruptly.
“Twenty,” I lied quickly.
“You talk too much for a twenty year old.”
He could have just said he didn’t want to talk, that would have been fine. Fortunately I wasn’t allowed the chance to respond before the rest of our crew arrived.
“Looks like the mess boys have got us all ready to go!” Simon laughed as he stepped onto the newly shoveled deck.
“Mercury did most of it,” I admitted reluctantly as he patted me on the back.
“You were here before me,” Mercury stated calmly as everyone boarded.
We had gotten everything ready, all that was left to do was to have breakfast and set off, which I was only too eager to do. So when I overheard Even speaking with the Captain I wasn’t exactly pleased.
“I think we should stay at the station for today. Looks like bad weather on the horizon.”
“Nonsense! There’s not a cloud in sight!” Captain Eide countered.
“Regardless, the sea is upset,” Even tried, “I see misfortune for us if we sail today.”
Eide paused for a moment as if considering when Mercury spoke up, “Don’t let my father’s superstitions get to you. Not a lot of money left in whales these days. Have to catch a few to make it worthwhile, and I saw whale spouts earlier this morning, there’s plenty out there.”
“Can’t miss an opportunity like that, can I?” Captain Eide mused, “If it looks like bad weather we’ll turn back, trust me, I’ve been on the seas longer than anyone.”
Even looked distinctly displeased as he glared over to his son. „Af hverju heimtarðu að gera þetta?“ (Why do you insist on doing this?)
“The same reason I do anything, because it’s going to be fun,” Mercury answered in English and I couldn’t help but wonder what his father had said.
When we set sail the weather seemed as fair as it was yesterday, and true to what Mercury said there were a great number of whales about. We must’ve killed eight or so before mid day. Leaving a trail of floating carcasses stuck with flags in our wake.
By the time we saw the first cloud in the sky we’d made a good haul, although it was Even that seemed increasingly nervous as the day drew on. “We should turn back now,” he reiterated.
“Nonsense! The day is still young!” Captain Eide assured him, but the man took a hold of his arm.
“I said, we should turn back now,” he repeated firmly. It was no longer a request, it was an order and the authority was astonishing.
It was only Mercury who didn’t seem surprised, and Eide faltered, “I’m the captain of this ship.”
“You won’t be, if you don’t turn back.”
“Are you threatenin’ me?” Eide accused with narrowed eyes.
“…No,” the answer came reluctantly.
“Then unhand me.”
Evyindr slowly released his grip on the captain, “This is a bad idea. You don’t know what’s in these waters.”
“Nonsense. I’ve sailed longer than you have.”
“Doubtful…” he murmured to himself as Eide moved away.
Hours passed from then and we spotted no more whales. Simon relieved me from the barrel and I returned to the deck to play cards with Eide, David, Roger and Mercury. Hallvard left the group to check the engine and Even simply refused to participate.
As we each stared at our cards in silence it was only the gentle slosh of waves against the hull that disturbed the quiet. The temperature dropped as the sun fell toward the horizon and a heavy mist rolled in across the ocean. Evyindr offered to take the helm, claiming he was good at navigating through misty conditions.
He steered us away from near invisible chunks of floating ice, how he could even see them was beyond me, but I suspect he took the liberty to turn the ship around in doing so. Eventually we passed by the whales that we had flagged earlier and it was around that time that the engine cut. Momentum stopped at once and the boat drifted with the waves dead in the water.
“Hallvard! What’s goin’ on?” Eide called as he got up to investigate.
However, Evyindr and his son shared a brief glance before Mercury smiled. It wasn’t friendly, it was bemused and he got up to look over the edge of the railing.
„Ekki gera neitt í flýti,“ his father warned. (Don’t do anything hasty)
“Do you remember how difficult it is to swim ashore in frigid waters Father?”
“Mercurius.”
“Just a question.”
His eyes were unmistakably following movement in the water and I reluctantly came to stand beside him to see what it was. Below the ocean was dark and calm. Small waves were crested with white seafoam and visibility was not more and a few meters out with the heavy fog.
In the near distance a wave broke with an unusual slosh and the mist swirled unnaturally around movement at the surface.
“Something’s out there…” I murmured mostly to myself.
“If you believe in the gods of old, you had better get on your hands and knees and pray. Maybe I’ll choose to save you.”
I hesitated, was he making a joke? I wasn’t allowed the chance to answer before something nudged the boat. Causing it to rock forward violently and both Mercury and I very nearly fell overboard.
“What the heck was that?” David demanded, as he scrambled back to his feet.
“A whale?” Roger suggested anxiously.
“Ain’t no whale big enough to do that.”
Simon shouted down at us from the barrel while pointing to the portside.
“What was that?” David called back, only to receive a secondary inaudible answer, “What?!” he shouted louder, frustrated.
“He’s saying, there’s something below us,” Mercury commented sedately.
As he spoke I was watching the water. A coil of massive dark scales broke the surface beside the hull and my legs turned to jello. I stumbled, falling back as I tried to process what I had seen. Whatever it was, it was no whale.
The ocean churned as the coils of its body writhed beneath the surface before it gradually rose up to tower over our vessel. It exhaled a spray of seawater and its mass displaced the mist. The creature was a like to a snake with long flat jaws fitted with four rows of backward curved fangs top and bottom. Long tassels hung from its lower jaw and webbed fins protruded from either side of its face.
Its tail was broad and flat, while a sailfin extended down the length of its spine. Slowly its jaws opened as if it were smelling the air through its mouth, then it hissed low in its throat. The sound vibrated as a deep rattle through my rib cage, it was undoubtedly a warning.
“Don’t move, it will go for the whale carcass, not us,” Evyindr instructed tensely.
He didn’t need to tell me. I was frozen to the spot, trembling with every heartbeat as adrenaline pulsed violently through my veins. I couldn’t move even if I had wanted to. The ship rocked to the side away from the serpent as the water writhed, and I slipped across the deck, crashing into the mast as I realized Even wasn’t talking to me.
Rather, he was talking to his son, who stood with one hand holding the railing to keep from falling as the ship rolled. “You’re a coward, Father,” he replied spitefully.
“You can’t fight that!”
“Watch me.”
As he spoke, Mercury brought the ring on his thumb upward. It had a hidden spike extended from the side, and he cut the artery of his own throat without hesitation. Blood spurted from the wound at an alarming rate, staining the deck and dripping into the ocean. I’d never seen someone kill themselves before.
The beast before us must have smelt the blood, for its eyes contracted to narrow slits and its demeanor changed from cautious to enraged as Mercury smiled. He stumbled with the blood loss, then his grip on the railing tightened. An inky darkness leaked from the wound on his neck, it moved like weighted smoke and blackened lines snaked upward over his face from the underside of his jaw.
When the transformation was complete his eyes glowed unnatural blue, his nails were black, and dark lines followed the contour of his skin. He was beautiful, a god in human form.
Mercury took a hold of one of the rigging cables and yanked it free of its securing, breaking off the metal pole it had been attached to entirely. He caught the falling piece of metal in one hand and without hesitation launched it at the serpent like a javelin.
It hit with surprising force, striking the creature just below the jawline and causing it to thrash wildly, sending a spray of ice water over us. Its tail connected with the ship as it disappeared beneath the waves and the vessel rolled dangerously again.
Simon fell from the barrel above overboard and David hit the opposite railing with a sickening crack before his limp body tumbled over the edge. I tried to catch him as he fell past me but I missed, and that will forever haunt me.
The serpent resurfaced not moments later. Blood ran freely down its scales and it coiled tight before striking the place where Mercury stood. However the man moved quickly and its jaws clamped over empty space. The metal bent and the wooden boards splintered under the impact of its teeth.
Its body coiled against the hull of the ship and a milky substance pumped from its fangs into the deck of our vessel. It was a venom so potent it melted the wood like acid. However, as it struggled to detach its fangs, realizing it missed its target, Mercury circled back.
He had taken one of the tipped harpoons and plunged the weapon directly through the serpent’s eye. A mass of black energy followed the impact and the harpoon detonated with a contained explosion within the creature’s skull. Only a small amount of fleshy debris sprayed outward through the open cavities of the bone and the thing became largely still.
Its body jerked involuntarily as it gradually slipped back into the water, but it was over. Mercury was by then breathing heavily, and glared up at his father, “You see?” he asked coldly.
Evyindr returned his son’s glare with a hard expression, he looked somewhat disgusted. “It was unnecessary, it wouldn’t have attacked if you didn’t first.”
His son snorted, “We’re gods, it’s our right to do as we please.”
“You cost men their lives!”
“You’re the one who insisted on this little trip.”
The tension between them was tight in the air, “I thought it would help you see reason.”
Mercury didn’t answer, and Even sighed as his attention moved to where Captain Eide and Halluvard were emerging from below. Both had heavy cuts and bruises, and Roger, who was across from me holding tight to some riggings, didn’t look any better.
“Clean up your mess then. No witnesses,” Even stated firmly.
“Not so concerned about their lives now, Father?”
“You ended their lives the moment you revealed what you are.”
His son snorted, “What are gods without worshipers?”
When Evyindr had mentioned costing lives, I had thought he was talking about Simon and David, now I understood he was meaning all of us.
“You know the laws.”
Mercury ignored him, turning instead to face us, “Do you hear that? My father would like to kill you all. But I’ll offer you mercy: Bow before me, and I’ll spare your lives.”
I didn’t need convincing. I knew what they were just as they had known the coin I held was a blessing and I shakily crawled to my hands and knees. Daring not even to look up.
However, it seemed I was the only one. Not even Roger, who had seen just as much as I, moved to do as he was told.
“You’ll kill us anyway… You’re not gods, you’re devils!” he hissed.
“Wrong choice,” it was Mercury’s calm voice that answered and I trembled as his footsteps crossed the deck toward us.
I scrunched my eyes closed. I knew the chances that he would keep his word were slim to none, and I didn’t want to see. Instead, I heard it as the rest of the crew were torn apart. Of course I’m sure they tried to fight. But against something like the two of them, it was pointless.
Heavy drops of remains landed on my clothing and as all became quiet again, I knew it was over. Mercury came to crouch before me and I flinched when he tilted my chin up.
“Relax, Timothy, you’ve made the right choice,” he spoke calmly, petting my hair as if I were an animal. “I’ll make sure you survive, so long as you worship me forever.”
“I-I will…” I whispered weakly.
“Good-”
“Mercurius, I meant it when I said no witnesses, kill him.” Evyindr spoke up agitated.
“Now Father, I’ve just promised my protection. I can’t go back on my word so easily.”
“Then I will do it.”
“No.”
A tense moment of silence passed as the refusal settled between them.
“You’d fight me over this human?”
Mercury stood as his father approached, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to fight you for some time. Your ideals are disgraceful, so I won’t turn down the opportunity.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, you’re my son.”
“As if you could. I surpassed you long ago, you were just too busy playing house to realize it.”
Evyindr took in a deep breath, as if he regretted what he was about to do. However, Mercury moved faster. He took a piece of splintered wood coated in serpent venom and stabbed it directly into his father’s chest, catching the man by surprise.
„Þetta er fyrir að reyna að drepa son minn, (This is for trying to kill my son.) Have fun swimming back to shore, if you can.”
„Þú ert skrímsli.“ (You’re a monster).
For whatever he said his son pushed him over the edge of the ship and he disappeared into the dark water.
“Right. Let’s get you out of the cold before you freeze to death, and hope Halluvard fixed the engine before I killed him,” Mercury smiled pleasantly, offering me a hand.
By now the strange markings on his skin had faded and he looked remarkably human again, if not for the blood staining his clothes.
The way back felt impossibly long, and we didn’t speak again. Instead he watched over me the same way a wolf watches a lamb, and chuckled each time I flinched. Eventually we made it to the whaling station and that was where Mercury left me, alone in the abandoned station.
He sank the ship, and walked out into the frozen tundra without saying a word more. I waited for three days before another crew arrived. They were surprised to see me, and I told them our ship had capsized in unusually turbulent seas.
When I returned home, I was surprised to learn that a generous amount of money had arrived for me in the form of solid gold blocks. Sitting atop the pile however was a single copper coin.
*****
I don’t think I’ll be letting my daughter read these.