Chapter 8

Anselm Trask approached the kneeling Barnabas. "It will be dawn soon." he warned him gently "you should be gone."

Barnabas nodded, but was still reluctant to rise. It had been so long that he had walked into a church and done this.. That he had wanted to. And now that he recognized his hunger, now that it was at last being satisfied, he could no break the hold.

"Mr. Collins... Barnabas.. if you do not leave now, it will be the end of you."

"Maybe that's how it should end."

"That's nonsense. You were not given this... gift so that you could die here, but to live and make something of it. Maybe there is a reason for it, some way that you can put it to use, and it is selfish of you to want to die now."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

Barnabas sighed and got up. "Yes, you are right. But it felt so good here."

"You can always can come back, as you wish."

Adam lost no time looking for diving equipment. A good harpoon would decide the contest in his favor. There was a limit to the size that a diver could carry, but still, there was plenty to choose from. Maybe even a net to throw over the dragon, like the gladiators of ancient Rome did with their opponents. It didn't always work. Many of them got killed in spite of their skill.

Then there were the chemicals. Shark repellent. Other colored chemicals which, in a pinch, could be used as camouflage, the way squids use their ink.

The array of weapons with which to slay this dragon was immense. Now he had to choose wisely.

The mermaid swam around the Bearded Stones, circling more and more closely the small cave where the female of his species lived. Soon she would emerge from hibernation and the mating would begin. All his body demanded this mating, and he dared again to come close to the female, whom it was wise to avoid while she watched over her eggs or herded her young.

And still, when she emerged, hungry after her period of rest, it would not be wise to approach her until she had fed. That's why the mermaid needed the human diver. Having sated her hunger with him, the female would allow the mermaid to mate, and then allow him to depart unharmed.

The vibrations of the water told the mermaid that something was approaching. A creature large enough to be dangerous...

The mermaid disappeared in a crevice as the large black shape moved closer. It was human, with its tail split in two, but it was encased in black skin and carrying a long thing that mermaids had learned how dangerous it was. And there was no mental control on this human... Better to hide from this strange human...

Quentin reached the ring of upright rocks and looked at them.

Yes, they were just as Adam had depicted them. Tall boulders, somewhat man shaped. And the floating kelp created the illusion of hair and beards.

Adam just had to have seen this. He had had to come down. here.

But you could not reach here without scuba equipment. Equipment that he was sure that Adam did not have...

So how had Adam come here?

There was a small cave at the bottom of one of the boulders. And there seemed to be something in there. Some animal...

He saw the long tail. Somewhat more reptilian looking than fish... and at the other end something wiggled.. he tried to make it out.

He pulled out, quickly aware of what he had seen. Snakes, living snakes coming from what seemed a head.

A Gorgon.

Snakes for hair. They petrified you when their eyes met yours.

He looked at the boulders again.

Man shaped? How many of them had been men? And the other boulders, didn't the look like sharks and other predators?

He swam up, dreading to hear that thing stir and run after him. It would catch him and...

But he reached the surface easily enough. And he could swim back to shore without disturbance.

What had Adam gotten himself into?

"It is about time we went back to Collinsport." Maggie said. "I can't neglect the local population for long."

Sabrina nodded. Of course, Maggie still wanted the Senate seat, and a trip back home, touting all she had done for them would help - the Davenport Center had proven a huge success which Maggie milked for what it was worth. - And she was also a local girl who had done well.

But there was yet another reason why Maggie would want to go back to Collinsport.

"Of course, if you don't think that Elena should make the trip, after her cold..."

So it was that. She wanted to go to Collinsport alone, without Sabrina to run interference. And showing concern for Sabrina's daughter was the way she chose to do it.

Maggie wanted to go back to Collinsport to trash the same story with Barnabas...

Sabrina wondered why Barnabas put up with the emotional blackmail that Maggie pulled on him. Well, guilt feelings had a lot to do with it. But she knew that one day Maggie would push Barnabas too far. With luck he would simply slam the door on her nose. Without luck...

"Don't worry about Elena. I can managed. And it is better that I tag along and run interference in case Barnabas gets some crazy idea or other."

"I don't think that there is any danger."

"Remember the last time, how he lost control."

"That was not his fault."

"Have you considered what might have happened if he did not stop in time? There is no political future for someone who cannot make roll call because she is sleeping in a coffin."

Maggie sighed. She just could not get rid of Sabrina...

But in Collinsport she could manage to ditch her and meet Barnabas to tell him what she wanted to tell him.

Sabrina knew what Maggie was thinking. Well, she had to really keep a close watch on Maggie. Or tell Barnabas to leave town for a while...

"Phillip? What is the matter?" Vicky said, alarmed at the way Phillip sighed and stared ahead.

"Nothing is the matter."

"No, Something is bothering you. Even since you fell on the beach you have not been feeling well."

"They say that it will go away by itself."

"But there is something bothering you. Something that is getting to you. Is in in this house?"

"Not this house..."

'Where? Collinwood?"

Phillip nodded.

What was Phillip afraid of?

She knew the answer. The sea.

If Adam had not found Phillip the sea might have reclaimed him...

Phillip had to get away from the sea. And instead he had gone to work in a house that had a wonderful view of it...

And... and there were Adam's paintings. They all said that Adam was painting mermaids. Mermaids from the sea...

If Phillip had seen Adam's paintings, he had seen more sea than he ever wanted to see.

Why had she agreed to let Phillip work for Carolyn? Why had she told herself that the only problem was her strained relationship with Carolyn?

Yes, the relationship with Carolyn was getting better... But at the cost of Phillip's sanity.

They had to move. Find a place farther inland, where no sea could be seen on the horizon. Make a home there. Make a new life there.

Leave Collinsport and its problems once and for all.

"Barnabas discussed it with David" George told Urien. "And he's willing to let you live with him."

"So I can go?"

"You'll have to get admitted to the University, though."

"I know. I already sent my application."

"Already?" George was amused. "You do not lose any time."

"There seemed to be no point to my wasting time."