The sand caressed her bare feet like warm silk. Several people lolled in the surf. This was beginning to feel like some bizarre holiday programme.
‘Are they tourists or something?’ she asked her companions.
Skye and Pluto looked blank. ‘Tourists?’
‘You know – holidaymakers, people who come to enjoy the seaside. They crowd into these silver tubes which take off into the sky, and then they lie in the sun by the sea, and smother themselves in expensive creams, and drink lots of beer and turn a nasty red colour, and the kids squabble and scream and the women read books ….. ‘
Her companions continued to stare at her blankly.
‘Oh. You don’t do holidays in Ventura then?’
She trailed off as something silver and scaly flashed in the sun. What was that huge fish doing there, right next to those people? It took a few seconds to register. The tail was attached to one of those people. It was part of them. It flipped lazily and slapped against the surf. More silver tails flashed in the sun and a thrill of shocked delight washed over her. They were mermaids, real ones, not storybook ones.
‘Cuh, flipping Mermians,’ growled Pluto, ‘useless lot. They could have evolved if they'd wanted to, grown legs, come out of the water, done something useful with themselves. But no, they took the easy option, downright lazy if you ask me. Not to mention irresponsible.'
'Do you mind?’ said Skye hotly. ‘I find that very offensive.’ His hair was waving about and his third eye glared at Pluto. ‘My Uncle Tilmo married a Mermian. They're googling nice people! They just want to have fun.’
Pluto tossed his black head and sniffed. ‘Oh yes? So what happened to Tilmo then?’
Skye looked embarrassed. ‘Well, he spent so much time in the water to be with her, he sort of grew webbed feet. Then he ran away to sea, or rather, swam away to sea. The family disowned him. But I always thought he was rather cool..’
‘Huh. Good for nothing nee’r do wells all of them.’
Venus wasn’t listening. She was still staring in disbelief at the fishy people idling in the shallows. Their hair swirled like seaweed in the surf and the sunlight played across their shiny scales and alabaster skin.
‘Have you never seen Mermians before then?’ said Skye, sounding surprised.
‘No. They only exist in myth and legend at home..’
‘Well, they’re alive and kicking here, mores’ the pity’, growled Pluto.
Suddenly the Mermians galvanised into action; they began leaping out of the water in an acrobatic display, twisting and cavorting, perfectly synchronised. They started singing, the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, carrying across the waves.
'Galloping Galaxies!’ exclaimed Skye. ‘They’ve seen her aura.’
‘My what?’
‘Your aura – it’s your unique soul signature. They know you’re Sunev returned to us! They’ve come to pay homage! Not so stupid after all are they Pluto eh?’
‘Cuh! So what?’ snorted Pluto. ‘Come along now, we haven’t time to stand around discussing Mermians.’ He gestured impatiently at the sprawl of glass towers on the hills in the distance. ‘We must proceed forthwith to the capital of Amrylla and announce your arrival Serenity. They will want to prepare a banquet fit for a deity of your stature.’
‘Yes, actually, as I was saying …..‘ Venus was about to resume her protest at this mistaken identity, but her voice trickled away as a terrible haunting cry of distress echoed across the beach. Her head whirled round. Oh come on. No. This had to be a dream.
