Page 24 of Oceansong
Just when she thought they might be getting along, he had to make a jab. Angie’s jaw and facial muscles tensed.
“And just how the Hells would you know what’s ‘typical’ of us?” Her body was a hodgepodge of emotions. Fury and irritation at Kaden. Lingering horror and sadness, a dizziness in her head that wouldn’t go away from seeing Luke. “What are you, some kind of expert on humans? A spy?”
“Do you think I’m the only one who comes to the surface? You don’t think any other mer have had that curiosity and sated it? Caught sunlight, get a change of scenery? Observed your two-legged kind and shared stories? We just make sure you don’t see us.”
“Until I did.” Angie tapped her foot on the ground and checked her phone. No word from Baba yet, but it had only been forty minutes since she called him. He wouldn’t get here so fast.
“I was careless.”
“Believe me, I don’t always agree with the way people act.” She locked in his hard stare with one of her own. “But if you didn’t hold the fish hostage, then maybe nobody would have died.”
“You started this. Don’t be upset that we’re finishing it.” Kaden’s words bit at her.
“The seas are practically empty of life. The more of us you kill, the more we retaliate.” Angie swept her arms out to her sides in a gesture of frustration. Typical male, who didn’t listen to anything she said. Seemed like that was one similarity both their species had. “You want to stop this? Release the fish, wherever you’re hiding them. Or are the mer so ravenous that you’re eating them all?”
“Why?” His voice raised to a thunderous roar, jaw set and eyes blazing.
She refused to back down under his death stare. “You would know if you had heard a word I said. Or is your hearing not so good on land?”
“I heard everything you said. I asked why you want the sea life back. Tell me, what do humans do with them? You take much more than you need, trap them in tiny tanks, content to let them suffer until the day they’re cooked and eaten. The smarter animals are imprisoned for your entertainment.” He paused, a wave crashing onto the rocks and splattering it. Seafoam coated his caudal fins, curled downward and held stiff, though his upper body looked relaxed. Angie recoiled as if he had hit her.
What the Hells was he going on about? Surely, if he knew anything about human life, like he claimed he did, he would have seen that not everyone was as terrible as he thought.
He continued his rant before she had a chance to rebuff him. “Your kind overfishes and destroys entire ecosystems, affecting those who call the sea their home. You pollute the oceans with plastic and waste and trash, and your loud, obnoxious watercraft disturb and kill all who dare to swim at the surface. Entire species of sea life are becoming extinct. Apex predators are over-hunted and prey species are overrunning the seas, destroying swaths of plant life and coral.”
The sarcastic response Angie had prepared withered away and died.
He didn’t give her time to reply, even if she wanted to. “Nothing to say? Good.” He spat out his words. “We’ve seen people killhaitunsby the pods and capture the most docile ones for entertainment.Hujingsare caught for the same purpose, dooming them to a life of misery and loneliness in plastic prisons no bigger than them.Longxiaare boiled alive, an atrocious way to kill someone. Never has there been a species so cruel as yours. And you believe you are entitled to these precious animals? You do not deserve them.” His death glare turned into a fireball searing a hole through her body.
Once Angie figured out the animals he was talking about—dolphins, orcas, and lobsters, respectively—her immediate thought was to smack him, even if he made many valid points. If there was something she hated more than wet socks, it was being talked at. It made her feel as if like she was being treated like an emotional trash can, or in this case, a verbal punching bag.
She took a deep breath to calm herself before responding. She wouldn’t give him the benefit of knowing he had flustered her.
“What does this have to do with us? We don’t do those things. We don’t even have an aquarium.” She was genuinely perplexed. “Like I said before, we only take what we need. We’re not doing most of the things you’re complaining about.”
“But nobody is stopping those people who are.” He looked at his hands, still planted flat on the rock.
“We’re trying. Besides, don’t you eat fish, too?”
“No, most of us primarily eat sea fruits and vegetables and only eat animals when we must. We never take more than is needed for survival. And we ensure that their deaths are quick and merciful.”
Angie’s chin trembled with resignation. “I know. In other countries and towns who depend on fishing for survival, commercial fishing has cost so many small-town fishermen and women their livelihoods.” Her voice dropped a notch. “My point is, I know about overfishing and what happens when people take more than they need.”
“Human greed truly is the root of all evil.” Kaden slid off his rock and cut through the water until he reached the beach. “No other species has wrought the destruction that humans have.”
“We’re still figuring things out.” Angie sat and crossed her legs. “Undoing our mistakes. People are fighting back for animals’ and oppressed groups’ rights, and protecting the environment. So many good people want to do the right thing and dedicate their lives to it.” She interlaced her fingers together. “I know how big a problem the trash in the sea is. I went on ocean cleanup trips with my sister when we were younger. And once I go to gradschool, I want to start a project to advocate for less pollution in the ocean.” She wet her lips.
“I wish we had come across more people like you. But we have to save our home too. I hope those groups can push for true change.” His countenance softened, eyes wide and clear underneath his thick lashes.
“Same.” Angie shifted her weight, her hands falling onto her lap and shoulders relaxed. “But it’ll take time.” She cleared her throat. “Some people survive on seafood, and it’s all we have. We, and other fishing villages only take what we need. Why should we suffer collectively for the greedy actions of a few?”
“You make a fair argument.” He gave her a halfhearted shrug and punctuated his words with an audible sigh. “I will see what I can do. Speak with my family.”
First sentinels, now apparently an important family. She arched a dubious eyebrow. “You can stop the war? Your family can make a difference? You all must be really influential in mer society.”
“I might be able to help release the fish, but the war started because you killed some of us first. And yes, erm, we are influential.” He said no more and avoided eye contact with her.
A beat passed, but he didn’t elaborate. Angie let out a long, slow exhale. “All right. I’ll take your word for it.” Another look at her phone which revealed a message from Baba, saying he would be there in ten minutes. “While I have you here, why would the patrols kill that boy? He was minding his own business.” She choked on her words. “Right?”
