“It almost sounds as though you like this Human,” Kesh said with a sneer. “You are the Baba Yaga. He is not for one such as you.”
Beka blushed, or perhaps it was just the reflected light from the bonfire he had built from piles of gnarled and crooked driftwood, glowing off her high cheekbones. “Don’t be ridiculous. He still treats me like I’m an annoying, ditzy pest that he only puts up with because he has to. And I know he’s not planning to stick around forever; he’s told me a bunch of times that he’s only here for as long as his father needs him. But I had to tell him at least part of the truth, and he’s willing to help me because he thinks that whatever is causing the problem in the water might be related to why the fish aren’t showing up the way they’re supposed to. Enlightened self-interest, I guess you could call it.”
“Self-interest indeed,” Kesh scoffed. “That is the only reason Humans do anything. Has it not occurred to you, Baba, that almost all of the imbalances that you are called upon to fix in nature are caused by Humans? And that this one is likely to have been as well. Why clean up their messes for them? Why not simply let them reap the rewards of their callous disregard for our beloved oceans?”
Beka’s lovely face showed her every emotion, as usual: shock, sadness, doubt, and a touch of reluctant agreement. Kesh pounced the moment he saw it.
“There are many of us who feel that the Humans have been allowed to wreak destruction on the seas for far too long. Perhaps, instead of running around picking up after them as if they were children who never learned to play responsibly with their toys, you might consider joining with those of us who would punish them for their harmful ways instead, and teach them better manners when they are guests in places that do not belong to them.”
“Us?” Beka said, a touch of sharpness in her voice that caught him by surprise. “Who is us?”
Kesh shrugged. “Some are my people, or other denizens of the magical places under the sea, where we water dwellers were forced to stay behind when most of the paranormal creatures of the world passed into the greater safety of the Otherworld during the great exodus. Others are magical folk who stayed here by choice, or visit periodically from the Otherworld, although those grow fewer every year as the Humans encroach even further on the rare untouched places left for our kind.”
“I see,” Beka said slowly. “And what kind of ‘punishments’ do you and your friends use to teach these pesky Humans better manners, pray tell?”
Sensing a sudden hint of danger, Kesh backpedaled rapidly. “Nothing drastic, my dear Beka, I assure you. Merely little things, like driving the fish away from their established routes, so that the fishermen will get discouraged and go find some less dangerous trade to ply, one that does not involve the careless and wasteful deaths of thousands of dolphins and turtles and others of our marine brethren, as well as an ongoing threat to all Merpeople and Selkies.”
“Look, Kesh, I don’t approve of some of the techniques that commercial fishermen use,” Beka said, looking troubled. “But there are Humans who are trying to change things so that such tragedies don’t happen as often. And many of these fishermen are good people, just trying to support themselves and their families in the way they learned from their fathers. If you drive the fish away, those families will suffer.”
“And what of the suffering of our families?” Kesh rebutted, letting more anger into his voice than he’d intended. “Are you too Human to care about them too?”
Beka rocked back as if he’d slapped her, and he immediately softened his tone. “I apologize if my words seem harsh, dear one; I am simply concerned for the well-being of my people.”
Not the fools who had stayed behind to follow his father like a mindless school of fish, of course, but those who had more wisely chosen to throw their lot in with him. There were not many, as yet, but once he could demonstrate that he was a strong leader, capable of inflicting harm upon their enemies, more would come. They would carve out a new kingdom upon the parched dry land until he could build up enough strength and numbers to return to wrest his rightful place as king under the sea from the hands of his weakling brother. One way or the other, the Baba Yaga would help him with that plan, whether she intended to or not.
“I understand that, Kesh,” she said, patting him on the arm. “But depriving the fishermen of their livelihood isn’t the way to go about it. Please tell me you’ll send the fish back where they belong.”
She gave him a bright, encouraging smile. His fingers itched to slap it off her face, but he smiled back charmingly instead. “As you wish, darling Baba. I am certain that if we work together, we will be able to come up with solutions that will satisfy us both, and still keep those entrusted into your tender care safe from Human carelessness.”