Barbara took a deep breath. “The first task is this: to catch the song of the ocean in a bottle. Is such a thing even possible?”
To Beka’s and Barbara’s surprise, the King threw back his head and laughed, a sound a bit like the barking of a seal. They exchanged glances.
“This is amusing to you, Your Highness?” Beka asked.
“I beg your pardon, Babas,” the King said, amusement still coloring his face. “I do not mean to make light of your request; I am aware of its importance. But I must tell you, this boon you ask, it is too small. It cannot even begin to pay off our debt to you, although of course I am happy to be able to grant it.”
Barbara leaned forward eagerly. “You can do this? Really? I didn’t even realize the ocean had a song, nonetheless that you could actually catch it somehow.”
The King gestured at one of his guards; the two spoke briefly in low tones, and then the man dove cleanly into the water, vanishing beneath the waves. When Beka started to ask a question, the King just held up one hand. Wait.
They stood on the beach in silence for about a half hour, watching the moon rise to glisten off the water. Finally, a dark head surfaced with a splash and the Selkie waded back ashore, something clutched in one pale hand.
He handed it to the King, who in turn handed it to Beka. She held it up so Barbara could see too. It was a large beautiful shell, its peach and pink interior peeking out from a creamy exterior. In the bright moonlight it seemed to shimmer with an opalescent gleam.
“It’s lovely,” Beka said. “But how is this the song of the ocean?”
The King chuckled. “Among the Humans, they have a myth that if you put your ear to certain shells, you can hear the sound of the waves inside. It was shells like this one from which that story sprang. In our kingdom under the sea, our wizards capture the singing of the whales and the melody of the waves and all the other myriad sounds that make up the background harmony of our world, and they attach it to these shells. Every once in a while one of them would wash up upon the shore and be found. Here, listen.”
Beka put the shell up to her ear and a look of pure delight crossed her face, her eyes closing and a dreamy smile lingering on her lips. “That’s amazing,” she whispered.
Barbara was dubious. She, like most other people, had tried once or twice to listen to a shell, but all she ever heard was a faint whooshing sound. So when Beka handed over the gleaming, slightly pointed object, she didn’t have very high expectations.
“Go on,” Beka urged. “It’s like nothing else you’ve ever experienced.”
Barbara raised one eyebrow at her enthusiastic young friend but did as she was told. What she heard took her breath away. It was indescribable; like the sweetest harmony in the world, with undertones of solemn bass that sang a mournful counterpoint. She felt as though every emotion she’d ever known was reflected back to her in the song in perfect balance and unearthly charm.
“That’s incredible,” she said, feeling a single warm tear slide down her face. “A true gift indeed.”
The King beamed at them, pleased with the reception his present had received. “There you are then. All you have to do is find a large enough bottle to fit it in; I’m sure that Beka has some lovely decorative ones she’s picked up on the beach over the years. Use your magic to transport the shell inside the bottle and you will have what you needed—the song of the ocean.”
“I am very grateful, Your Highness,” Barbara said.
“As am I,” Beka added.
“It is little enough after all you did for me and my people,” the King said. “It is my honor and my pleasure to grant your request. I wish you luck with the rest of your tasks, Baba Yaga.”
With that, he turned and walked back into the ocean with his men. In a moment, they had vanished into the sea, and a moment after that, five sleek seals could be seen bobbing on the water as they headed for home.
“Wow,” Beka said. And then looked thoughtful. “Do you think the Queen knew the first task would be so easy?”
“Wow indeed,” agreed Barbara. She shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe not. It depends on her actual intentions when she came up with the three impossible tasks, and I’ve learned never to assume I have any idea what Her Majesty is thinking. Either way, it’s one down, two to go.”
***
Back at the bus, Beka dug out a lovely cobalt blue bottle she’d plucked from the sea a few years before and Barbara snapped her fingers, moving the shell inside with a simple twist of magic.
“That’s great,” Barbara said, tucking the bottle safely away in the bottom of a patchwork tote bag as they sat outside eating s’mores around a small fire pit. “But that’s it for my brilliant plan, I’m afraid. I don’t have any idea where to look for a living representative of a dead species. I don’t even think there is such a thing.” She rested her chin on her hand, feeling vaguely depressed.