I said nothing, still clinging to my sack, contemplating jumping out of the ship. But where would I escape from Fate in a sea he claimed he controlled? Was there a tide that'd protect me? A fish that'd guide me? A good mermaid that'd help me? I really wished for the Moongirl to be real now, as I realized these were not only the Seven Seas we were sailing across—they were the Seven Seas of Sorrow.
"You can only create so much sorrow"—he enthusiastically waved his long hands sideways—"from only one thing." He stepped closer, blocking all light again, shading me with Fate's misery. "From joy." He smiled like a child. "The more the joy, the better the sorrow." He reached for my hands with welcoming eyes. I pulled away. "And you, young lady, have so much joy in you, so much hope and strength." Then he finally said what was on his mind: "I want it. You can fuel my addiction."
His smile didn't fool me. I was surprised his addiction to sorrow had made him so friendly he would have almost gotten to his knees and begged me…
Wait! What was Fate asking me?
"You want me to sell my soul to you?" I said, almost euphoric about his weakness, and my temporary power. How did I have such power? What was it, exactly?
This time, Fate nodded, saying nothing and getting down on one knee, as if proposing.
"Why would I do that?" I let out a feeble laugh, looking up at him—he was still taller than me while kneeling—as if I were looking down at him.
"You want to find the Tower of Tales. No man or woman I came across in the Seven Seas would dare to take such journey. None of them would defy the world, their family for love," he explained, and I assumed Fate knew all about me, too. "No one believed in True Love as much as you. No one would leave behind a lush and luxurious life, being the 'girl who brought apples to the world,' and leave on a swaying ship in the sea for love." He hesitated but then said, "No one would be trusted with such a sack"—he pointed at it, and I gripped it harder—"unless they see so much power in you, young lady. So much joy." He closed his eyes, as if imagining how much he would enjoy weaving my life into threads of sorrow if I agreed to sell my soul to him.
I sighed and looked up at the moon, really wishing the myth was real, that there was a girl up there that would help me from the dark Fate of the Seven Seas. But I knew there wasn't. I'd begun learning that the world outside the comfort of my castle was much darker than I had imagined, and that everything came with a price.
This time, Fate wanted me to trade my happiness for sorrow. A price I was about to pay to reach the Tower of Tales.
"You think Captain Ahab, I mean Long John Silver, isn't looking for the Tower of Tales?" Hook said. "Why do you think he is obsessed with whales?"
Was I finally going to know?
"One of the whales has the key to the Tower of Tales inside it," Fate explained. "And he will never find it. You will never find it."
"Why do you say so?" I asked.
"You will be so close to it." He narrowed a fat forefinger and a thumb. "So close, but will never find it."
"Why do you say so?" I insisted.
"Because whoever told you about the Tower of Tales didn't tell you about the price you have to pay," he said. "The only way to find it is in this endless sea is"—he stretched his hands wider—"through me." He smiled widely, showing a set of silver teeth upfront.
Was he the silver-toothed man from before, playing games on me and Captain Ahab? I didn't ask.
"So my soul is the price for the Tower of Tales?" I wanted to be clear about it. My heart beat in my throat. What are you going to do, Carmilla?
He nodded, happier than ever, stretching out his hand. According to the tales I know now, this very much felt like Beauty and the Beast. Was Hook actually Fate and the Beast?
"What does selling my soul to you mean?" I needed to know the details.
"It's a simple ritual." He shook his shoulders, trying to make it sound easy. When I didn't buy into it, his face dimmed and he told me the truth. "After we perform the ritual, I will leave you be. You can roam the world, live your life, do whatever you want. But you will always, no matter how hard you try, be submerged in sorrow, misery, and pain. Horrible things beyond your grasp will happen to you. You will always struggle in the most unusual ways." He rubbed his chin to consider something. "Some people simply call this life," he said. "Well, I managed to steal some souls for my benefit. I don't need to buy poor and weak souls, because it's easy to send them to their misery." He was proud of himself again. "But my real kick"—he sighed—"is people like you. I will get you to where you want to go, with the person you want to be with, and the life you choose to have. And in exchange, I will always watch your misery, day by day, fueling my addiction."
The devil's words made sense now. Selling your soul to Fate was the worst thing that could happen to anyone in the world. He would take all the joy and hope from one's life. None of my doings were going to affect me anymore. There would be no hope for me if I sold my soul to him, but I had no other way to reach the Tower of Tales.
Words of approval were about to escape my mouth while tears flooded my face.
36
Fable's Dreamworld