Chapter 6
Sea Omen
The ocean was once again placid, and gulls circled the ship hoping to snatch a juicy tidbit. After breakfast, Maren went out on the deck where her father, Wantoro, and Jeremy were leaning over the rail, fishing rods in hand, whispering. "Hello," she said, making her way to the edge of the yacht. "Catch anything?" she added, hoping that she didn't come across as eavesdropping. The sky was clear and the sun was hot, tempered by a periodic breeze. Over the rail she could see shapes swirling in the water. No land was visible on the horizon; they were an island in a wild sea.
"Maren, take Jeremy's rod," said Wantoro.
"Please, do," said Jeremy, smiling. He handed it to her and winked.
"Okay." Maren lifted the rod from Jeremy's hands and looked out at the open water. The rod was unnecessarily ornate, resembling a decorative sword more than a fishing tool. Jeremy watched as Maren gripped it with her slender fingers. There was a nibble on her line, and then a fish made off with her bait.
"He's been lecturing us about the cruelty of fishing for sport," muttered Wantoro.
Mateo was sleeping in a nearby deck chair shirtless with a blob of sunblock on his nose. In one hand was a glass of champagne, and in the other was a pastry. Debates always tired him out.
“Hey, Maren. Can I talk to you in private?" Jeremy motioned for her to follow him and walked across the deck to the bow. Maren reeled in her line, put the rod in a holder, gave a polite smile to Wantoro, and excused herself.
On the prow of the Willow was a magnificent figurehead of an angel with a sword of fire, an image meant to associate the Chikaltos with justice. Jeremy and Maren ducked under some ropes and sat on the edge of the bow with the figurehead between them, dangling their legs over the side.
"I can't conceal my being an angel forever, but I can play their little game." Jeremy leaned in towards Maren. "The Apocalypse is imminent. They're worried about approval ratings and the press; I'm worried about demons. I mean, have some perspective, right?"
The wind-tossed sea gave the yacht a pronounced jerk and Maren fell forward towards the water. Jeremy caught her by the waist, and pulled her into his lap. "How's that for perspective?"
Maren blushed and stood up, bumping her head on a taut rope. "That's the second outfit I've seen you in today," she said, recovering her balance and composure.
"Yes, well, I dress to suit my mood. I'm a compassionate animal rights activist at the moment. Notice the crisp white polo, like a dove, peaceful." Jeremy smiled. "I've visited Earth earlier today."
"Earth! Do you realize how dangerous that is? What if something happened to you! Nobody would know where you were." Maren shook her head.
"Relax. I'm getting much better at traveling through the Haze. And Lyrna helps me—"
At that moment, Wantoro came bustling over, hand-in-hand with Jeremy's five-year-old cousin, Lilac. Jeremy made a pretend zipper over his lips.
Lilac gave Jeremy a big hug. Her ridiculously large, pink bow bobbled up and down atop her head as she nuzzled into his side affectionately. "When I looked up at the sky last night, I saw a crescent moon!" She beamed up at Jeremy. "I thought it might be waning at first, but then I thought, no it's waxing! It's a waxing crescent."
"What were you doing outside last night, you little stowaway?" Jeremy wagged an accusatory finger at her.
"I thought you were out there," she said matter-of-factly. “I heard your name. It came from far away, like in the sky, but it was really close. Like this: Jeremy Chikalto." Lilac had leaned forward and made her voice low and hoarse. Jeremy's face drained of color and a chill went up his spine.
“Please don’t joke like that,” said Jeremy.
“I’m not!”
“What's that?” Maren pointed to an object on the surface of the water in the distance, drifting towards them. It was about six feet long, and lizard-like, except for the huge fins protruding from its back. As it got closer, they realized it was the dead body of some kind of animal.
“Is that a crocodile?” asked Jeremy.
“There are no crocodiles on Watico,” said Maren. “Only on Earth.”
“Maybe a deep sea creature,” offered Wantoro, squinting to see the details of the horned head.
“New deep-sea species are discovered all the time,” said Maren dreamily. “They die when they accidentally swim up where there’s less pressure, and their bodies float to the surface.”
"Death’s after me,” said Jeremy under his breath. “I think I need to go lay down." Jeremy excused himself from the deck.