The Rare Pearl (Broken Water Series Book 1) Page 4

  “Lynn, I need you to look after Harmony. Get her breakfast, clothing, whatever she requires until Calder can take charge of her. He is performing a transition of death ceremony this morning.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” Lynn beamed. She walked as calmly as she could to Harmony’s room, feeling exalted by her huge responsibility.

  Harmony opened her door, and Lynn gasped. Never before had she seen hair the color of honey. Last night Harmony’s hair was wet, camouflaging its light color, and besides, Lynn thought she was a siren and all she could concentrate on was getting out of the room safely. After hearing local reports of sirens luring people to their deaths, she was on alert, even if she couldn’t explain why this siren would be out of the water. But what if humans were dangerous? The thought hadn’t occurred to her before. She doesn’t seem dangerous. And her hair! “Wow, it’s beautiful!” Lynn paused with her hand in midair. “May I touch your hair?”

  Harmony motioned her inside and presented her back so Lynn could lift the wavy locks. “I could use a haircut I guess, but thanks. Also I’d like to talk to Calder. I’ve been up since sunrise waiting for the opportunity to continue our conversation.”

  “He will meet with you later. He is performing a transition of death ceremony. Shall I fetch you something to eat? Tea?”

  Harmony shook her head, pacing the floor. “Do we have to stay in this room? Maybe you could show me around?”

  Morie hadn’t said the human couldn’t leave her room. And wait until the others see I am in charge of a human! Lynn obliged. “Would you like to see the library?”

  6

  Globes filled the top floor library, some marked with geography from the human world. Harmony studied a sphere representing this realm, continents the same, but no countries appeared, only elements: copper, gold, aluminum, and others. Several salt mines were noted.

  A book featuring architectural drawings lay open. When she turned the page she noted the paper felt strange, almost like canvas but not quite.

  Scholarly appearing men and women gathered around tables speaking quietly, each group eyeing her with curiosity as she passed by. In another section rolls of paper, containing geometry, hung like maps in a classroom. Young students copied what their instructor marked. Once one student caught a glimpse of her, shoulder tapping and head turning had the group of kids staring at her. When the instructor cleared his throat gruffly, she sent him an apologetic smile for the interruption.

  “Um, maybe we should head downstairs.”

  There were four main floors to this building and as they descended past the two middle corridors containing similar guestrooms to hers, Harmony heard the clamor of a busy staff below.

  “Part of the main floor has treatment rooms for the elderly. The seniors staying here are awaiting their transition ceremonies. Families are summoned at the end.”

  Harmony glimpsed inside an open door, seeing an old woman reclined by the window. A caregiver set down a tray of pureed food. The woman’s sunken eyes focused on Harmony, and then she gave her a toothless smile. Harmony smiled back, sending her a little wave.

  Harmony and Lynn continued until they reached a large, empty dining room. It reminded Harmony of Wentworth’s restaurant. Baskets of various types of bread were set on a serving table.

  “Help yourself,” Lynn offered.

  “Thank you.” Harmony lifted the small roll and sank her teeth into it, surprised when jelly squirted from its center. “Mmm, it’s like a donut! So delicious.” Harmony took another.

  “I heard there’s a mother in labor. She already has a son, so we can watch her daughter being born. The birthing rooms are this way.”

  “How do you know it will be a girl?”

  “Females produce two offspring. We are born with two eggs, one male and one female. As I said, she’s already birthed her son.”

  That is certainly thought-provoking. Harmony, an only child like her mother and grandmother, wondered how many children her mother might have had if she’d lived longer. She trailed alongside Lynn, peering into the rooms equipped with waist-deep pools.

  “Is it safe to have a baby under the water? What if the baby drowns? Wouldn’t a hospital be the safest place to deliver?”

  Lynn laughed out loud. “Babies don’t drown. Everyone knows even human newborns can hold their breath for upward of forty-five seconds. Plus we have white fat for water insulation and buoyancy. Also, the white creamy stuff babies are born with protects their new skin in water, just like infant harbor seals.”

  A closed door swung open and a girl carrying clothing stepped out. Lynn pointed past the girl’s shoulder. “There’s the birthing mother. Do you want to watch?” Before Harmony could protest, she clasped her hand and entered the room. Lynn greeted the woman laboring in the pool and the other women who conversed, waiting for the baby’s arrival. The chattering died down as one by one all eyes rested on Harmony.

  Lynn said, “This is my friend, Harmony. She has never seen a water birth.”

  They sucked in air at the shocking statement, seeming confused. No one appeared to want to talk to Harmony, but they politely tolerated her presence.

  Harmony smiled politely and they slowly continued their conversations.

  The pregnant mother bared her teeth and moaned, “She’s coming!”

  The women moved to the pool’s edge for a better view. An older woman, the only one with white hair in the group of brunettes, entered the water. The elder chanted a prayer and then guided the group in a meditation ritual. She called upon the water god to send healing waters. The laboring mother blew long, loud puffs of air. After one great, strangled cry, the water turned murky. All cheered as the elder guided the newborn girl into the mother’s arms. The mother stood, clutching her newborn as the baby gave several lusty cries. The elder released a plug in the pool; the murky water drained and was replaced with fresh water.

  Lynn and Harmony congratulated her before slipping from the room.

  An hour later on the veranda, Harmony and Lynn watched a procession of people in flowing white robes snake down the hill toward the dock. If only Harmony noticed that dock last night after she swam ashore and climbed the overgrown hill with difficulty. Two men loaded a stretcher containing a linen-wrapped body into a small unadorned boat. A single passenger climbed in and rowed with the outgoing tide.

  “Does everyone come to here to bury their dead?”

  “People will travel a great distance to bury their family members off the coast here at our most sacred place, but some bury them closer to where they live, always returning the bodies to a water source.”

  Harmony watched the rower, now out a good distance, stand and lift a stick. “What is he doing?” She stepped up to the railing, shielding her eyes from the glare.

  “That stick plugs the hole in the bottom of the boat. They are made to sink easily once the vessel is out to sea. He will swim back.”

  The young, bare-chested man dove off the boat. Harmony squinted, waiting for him to resurface.

  The group on the dock turned and made their ascent toward the Wellness Temple. Harmony recognized Calder’s white hair. He lingered, possibly saying a prayer. Harmony again searched for the man who dove from the boat. No one seemed concerned that he hadn’t resurfaced. About ten minutes later, when the last of the people reached the building, the man’s head finally broke the surface—much to Harmony’s relief. Being told someone could hold his breath for fifteen minutes or more was totally different from actually seeing it.

  Harmony stepped forward when Calder returned.

  “Good-bye Harmony. I hope to see you again,” Lynn said with a nod in Calder’s direction.

  “Thank you, Lynn,” she uttered before turning her complete attention on Calder. “Can we talk now?” The words rushed out. She felt a pang of guilt for being rude, but her anxiety managed to overtake her manners.

  “Good morning, Harmony. Are you well today?”

  “Sorry. Yes, yes, I feel much better.” Glancing at the dock
, she remembered he’d just finished a funeral. “How are you?”

  “Grateful to be of service. Now I know you’re looking for answers. Let me put away my robe and get my satchel and we will be on our way.” He left the porch and entered the building, Harmony on his heels.

  “On our way? Where are we going?” She followed him through a set of doors into a corridor. “What about sending me home?’

  “Do not fear. We are going to my family’s dwelling. It’s not far. We can talk about it there.”

  They entered a comfortable room where Calder hung his robe on a peg next to others. He collected his satchel. She blinked after a long hard look. It was identical to the one she found in the wall at the Wentworth-by-the-Sea. Calder is a Linker, could he have put it there?

  “Okay, I’m ready.”

  They exited the back of the building and followed a path through spruce trees as she considered what that meant.

  “My dwelling is on the other side of the island, so we’ll drive.” The path jogged, and then opened up to a gravel parking lot. Instead of cars there were covered four-wheel bikes with double bench seats that sat up to four passengers, like a golf cart with pedals.

  “Wow, does everyone have one of these? Do you have cars?” She climbed onto the bench seat next to him and placed her feet on the pedals, as he did.

  “This is our only mode of overland transportation in the coastal regions. Many of us travel via waterways in canoes. However, we will use the roads today.” Calder added, “We know of your technologies and how they affect your race. As spiritual people we choose things that benefit us without harming nature or people and live a simpler life.”

  Harmony recalled last week’s newscast and knew all too well what he meant. But how exactly did his race know of her kind? She hadn’t noticed any televisions so they could watch otherworldly broadcasts. Lost in thought for some time, the breeze tugged at her hair and the sun warmed her as the overcast skies cleared. The air smells the same as home. One deep salty breath usually calmed her, but much was at stake—and so many questions had to be asked.

  “So how long have your people been traveling to our world? How did they even figure it out?”

  Calder chuckled. “Accidentally! A Linker was making herbal blends for tooth pain. When he lit the herbs, he found himself in ancient Mesopotamia.”

  “Oh no kidding,” she laughed, but felt grateful to have Calder here to help her. “You’re a Linker. Have you been in my realm?”

  “Yes, I traveled there long ago.” He held out a hand, signaling for her to stop pedaling as he applied the brake. The bike slowed as it rolled downhill. “It is a difficult crossing, as you’ve experienced, and gathering the herbs needed to travel between worlds can be just as perilous.”

  “Wow, so you know what it’s like where I’m from. This is…surreal.” She studied his profile. Again, something about him seemed familiar. “Were you there recently? Have we ever met?”

  “No,” he answered evasively. “Besides, I’m too old to travel now. I am approaching my hundred and twenty-seventh birthday.” He chuckled when she gasped. “Our lifespans are slightly longer here. The oldest person on record is one hundred forty-two.” After a short pause, he changed the subject. “You may find it interesting that many of our animal species are different. In your world, for instance, the bird species have flourished, but here we have no flying birds.”

  Harmony’s gaze flicked upward and her ears perked. She hadn’t seen any birds. No crying seagulls, no sandpipers, nothing.

  Calder continued. “Our seafaring ancestors brought flightless birds over by boat from the east. In your world that area is known as Great Britain. They are domesticated, so we eat their eggs—very tasty. You will spot them in the village. There!” He pointed into the brush along the roadside, houses just feet away. “There is a pair.”

  The birds pecked at the ground like chickens, similar in size. Harmony swiftly turned her attention to the houses. Roads made of packed gravel and ground shells led them into a complex of dwellings. On the inland side, the houses were built on the ground, each containing a turret attached to a box-shaped building. The tiled rooflines sloped upward at the corners in the ancient Asian fashion. Behind them, up the sloping hills, were large gardens, being tended by numerous villagers and their children. The dwellings on the shore side were constructed on stilts, like boxes stacked upon boxes. Each of the two or three level homes were wrapped by decks and docks, with canoes and longboats tied up at most.

  “These houses are unusual,” she commented.

  “Yes, Linkers spent a considerable amount of time in the Orient throughout the centuries. Later others visited extensively during the Victorian era. The builders cleverly blended the styles from the journal drawings.”

  She admired the details, considering his words.

  “We have arrived.” Calder pulled over and stepped out. “Come,” he instructed, walking toward a water dwelling. As they approached, a young man rested his tool on the deck and waved.

  “Hello, Rio,” Calder bellowed. “I’m glad you are home.”

  “Yes, Grandfather. I did not go fishing because I had some repairs to tend to.” He pointed to the broken railing on the deck which he abandoned to greet his guests. He approached them in an easy manner, his handsome face friendly, and his reflective eyes regarding her with curiosity.

  “Rio, this is Harmony. Harmony, this is my grandson, Rio.”

  They exchanged a greeting.

  “Are your mother and sister here?” Calder inquired. “I need to speak to all of you. Time is of the essence.”

  7

  “Grandfather’s here,” Rio announced, entering the dwelling. His shoulder-length hair parted to the side and he wore clothing similar to the people at the Wellness and in the fields—undyed, lightweight fabrics in the tunic fashion.

  “Hello, Father. I didn’t expect you until next week,” said the brunette woman who abandoned her beadwork and joined them.

  A young woman entered the room hugging a canvas-bound book. “Grandfather!” She sounded delighted and rushed over, but when she noticed the blond stranger her expression became guarded.

  “Hello. Yes, I came because something of great importance has happened. And I will need your help.”

  “Please sit.” Nami said.

  The family gathered on the edges of their seats. Calder introduced his daughter, Nami, and his granddaughter, Binda. “This is Harmony Parker.”

  “Welcome to our home.” Nami flashed a tight smile, but turned to her father, alarm raising her voice, “What has happened?”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Harmony smiled apologetically, knowing her secret would shock them.

  “Harmony has traveled a great distance.”

  “She is obviously a stranger to this land, Father. Everyone knows only humans have hair the colors of sunshine, coal, or fire.”

  The siblings exchanged glances but said nothing.

  “Yes, she has come from the other realm. And has warned us the sacred land is in danger in her world. This may have grave implications for us.”

  “Can’t Suijin do something?” Rio asked.

  Binda spoke up. “No, he can do nothing! You should know most humans do not recognize Suijin. His power is weak in their realm.”

  All gazes landed on Harmony, who tried not to squirm under their scrutiny.

  Calder defended her. “She came here quite by accident…and all because of me.”

  “Because of you?” Harmony asked. “Why? How could it be your fault?”

  “I put the satchel in the wall at the Wentworth-by-the-Sea back in 1905.”

  Shock crossed the faces of his grandchildren, but Nami averted her eyes, as if she were aware of this information.

  Everyone talked over each other. Calder held up a hand to silence them. “Let me start at the beginning.” His audience settled.

  “As a boy, born with the mark, I trained with the Linker of my generation.” He pulled aside the collar
of his shirt for Harmony’s benefit, exposing a tattoo. A circle with three waves was inked below his collarbone.

  “I’ve seen that!” Harmony injected. “On the tin I found. So, it really belongs to you.”

  “It is the symbol of our race—earth and water,” Binda explained.

  Calder nodded, releasing the fabric. “We traveled this realm for two decades collecting organic specimens, drying and preserving them. One morning my master woke me and said I would go on a solo journey.” He pressed his fingertips together steeple-like. “It was my first visit to your realm.”

  The youthful faces of his grandchildren looked bored, they heard this before. Nami announced she’d get them tea.

  “The year was 1900. I boarded a merchant ship and traveled east. My mission was to gather and learn about healing herbs from your realm. In the Orient I discovered many. After five years, I was ready to return home. So I made my way to our sacred place, by way of a Japanese political group on their way to that very spot for peace negotiations. When I returned to the island of New Castle I discovered the transformation of the hotel, Wentworth-by-the-Sea. A man by the name of Frank Jones bought it and spared no expense reshaping the Colonial Revival hotel. It now had steam-powered elevators, electric lights, and flushing toilets.”

  “They have only had the conveniences of electricity and flushing toilets for less than one hundred years?” Rio questioned with disbelief. “And what is an elevator?”

  Calder’s mouth curved into a smile. “Mmm, yes. I will tell you of elevators and otherworldly inventions at another time, Rio,” he promised. “Harmony, that summer I met your great-great-grandmother, Pearl.”

  Harmony gasped. “Wow, I’ve heard stories of her working for the hotel during the signing of the peace treaty. That’s incredible—I can’t believe you met her. What are the chances…” The words failed as a thought occurred to her. “How did you meet her? How well did you know her?”

  She recalled the story her grandmother told her. Pearl worked at the hotel for a few summer seasons, one of the most famous being the summer of 1905, her final year there. At the end of the season a wealthy local asked her to marry him. Pearl was beautiful and very young. She married a man twenty-two years her senior. Pearl moved into his brick house and soon gave birth to a daughter, the only child they had. However, there had been rumors the child didn’t belong to her husband.