CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - Ben
The Port of Eriana Kwai
Ten Years Later
The HMS Rozina, a luxury cruise ship, departed Vancouver every week between May and September. It sailed the coast of British Columbia and Alaska, stopping at major ports along the way so tourists could explore the richness the landscape had to offer.
But the real allure, and the reason the cruise had attracted not only tourists from North America, but also those worldwide over the last ten years, was the new destination in its itinerary.
The Reeves family stood inside the Eriana Kwai Cultural Centre, gaping at the enormous serpent overhead. The original corpse had been restored, calcified, and suspended from the ceiling by thick cables. It encircled the main hall, one set of open jaws welcoming people at the entrance and the other descending in the middle of the hall as if it might snap closed over the dais.
“You feeling all right?” said Fern, grasping Ben’s hand.
He gave a half-smile. “It’s dead, so yeah, I’ll be fine. You?”
“I expected panic when I stepped off the ship, but you know, it feels good. I never appreciated how green everything—” She looked down at Spencer, who was tugging relentlessly at her pant leg. “Yes?”
“What does it say?” Spencer pointed at the plaque on the dais.
The family walked over.
“Sisiutl,” said Fern. “It tells the story of how it was found, and how your daddy fought it.”
“What are those letters?”
“That’s how you say it in Eriana.”
Spencer turned away. “I wanna go to the beach.”
“Now wait a minute,” said Ben, picking up his son before he could escape. “We waited two hours in that line to see this thing. We’re going to look around, all right?”
“But—”
“Spencer, stay still and smile for a picture,” said Fern. “We’ll buy you a toy from the shop when we’re done.”
Ben whispered something in Spencer’s ear. Spencer laughed and nodded.
“Ready for our picture, mom!”
Ben hefted his son higher as though offering him to the leviathan’s jaws. Spencer opened his mouth and clapped his hands over his cheeks in a pretend scream. Fern took a few pictures and shook her head in exasperation. The boys laughed.
“Listen to this,” said Ben, reading the plaque. “‘The leviathan was said to play host to the soul of Eriana, goddess and discoverer of this island thousands of years ago. The chasm in the middle of the island formed when the earth split to release this ancient monster. Only by killing the monster could the soul of Eriana be freed, permitting the island to return to peace once more.”
“Who killed it?” said Spencer, eyes wide.
“Why don’t we keep looking and find out?” said Ben.
The family pushed through the crowd to see each exhibit, learning about the leviathan’s birth, reawakening, and death. They agreed to hike to Skaaw Beach later to explore the famous lava swells.
Though Spencer pretended not to care about mermaids, Ben caught a glint of awe in his eyes at the mention of pretty girls turning into sea demons.
Fern covered Spencer’s ears. “Ben, you’re going to give him a complex.”
Ben waved a hand. “It’ll give him a healthy respect for women.”
They left the museum and headed for the beach, where Blacktail and Tanuu were due to meet them with a picnic.
Spencer watched the kids playing in the water with open envy.
“I want to do that,” he shouted, pointing at a young couple parasailing.
Fern laughed. “One day.”
Ben couldn’t help thinking of the fishing trips he’d get to take his son on in a few years’ time.
Fern found a clear patch of beach and set up the blanket and umbrella while Spencer pulled out his toys.
As Ben wandered the shoreline, he watched the families swim in the cool Pacific water. Something caught his eye in the distance, and he stopped. Far across the waves, he swore he saw two women surface—one blonde, one dark. The faint sound of laughter carried towards him on the wind. But when he raised a hand and squinted out at them, he saw only waves.
Ben liked to believe in legends more often these days. He believed everything about this one. He believed a girl and a mermaid, through a stubbornness to believe anything but what their hearts told them, had made all of this happen.
Looking around at the smiling families, Ben decided he would live by their example. Because of them, the ocean was again free and pure, a place of innocent wonder. Eriana Kwai, this Pacific Northwest paradise, finally had the peace it deserved.