“It looks as though her power works in the sea and not on land,” Astrid murmured to Lasgol.
“Or else she may not want us to see.”
Astrid shrugged. Lasgol signaled her to stay observant, just in case.
The Queen stopped, and at once twenty turquoise warriors came to surround her. Lasgol saw that instead of bows they carried those curious tridents, and in some cases a kind of short javelin, together with the strange shields, and armor of seashells. They must know nothing of archery. He found it strange, although looking around, he realized that living off the sea, as most probably these turquoise people did, it made little sense to develop that particular art.
When they landed, they were able to better appreciate the natives who were staring at them with great curiosity, as if they had never seen anybody like them before. These were not warriors or explorers, like those who had come to meet them, but the inhabitants: women, children and elders. The men wore something like a very short skirt of dried seaweed, which covered their genitals. On their feet they wore strange shoes, large green soles with cords in the form of two loops, one at the front and the other behind the heel, with their feet inserted in between.
“What d’you think they wear such strange, oversized shoes for?” Gerd whispered to Nilsa.
“Not a clue. But they’re ugly and primitive, and I’d imagine they’re quite uncomfortable for walking or running.”
Astrid spoke into Lasgol’s ear: “They look a little like our snowshoes. I think they must use them for the same thing, but since there’s no snow here, they must use them to help when they’re diving.”
Lasgol nodded. “That makes sense. But why would they wear them on dry land?”
“I get the impression that these people spend most of their time in the water. They probably live off it.” She pointed to several natives with containers hanging from their waists, who were getting into the water.
“They must have adapted their shoes so they work in both environments.”
Astrid watched them diving with great thrusts of their feet. “I guess so.”
“That’s what it is,” Lasgol agreed as he watched them vanish into the depths and not reappear again.
Viggo was staring at the native women with great enthusiasm. They had an exotic beauty, with their turquoise skin and their intense green and blue eyes. Their hair, like that of the men, was green, with a texture that resembled long strands of seaweed, but unlike the men, they wore theirs in braids. They wore striking coronets of coral on their heads, no two of them alike. They wore skirts like those of the men, but in vivid colors: green, orange, blue, yellow and white. They also wore pendants in the form of shells of all kinds: cockles, clams, conches and other kinds of marine mollusks. But what was most surprising was that instead of wearing tunics or jerkins, they covered their breasts and navels with three shells, and these magically, and without any kind of support, stayed in place without falling off.
“What on earth are you looking at with that goofy expression?” Ingrid whispered in Viggo’s ear. She sounded annoyed.
“What d’you think? Don’t you see these marvelous creatures?”
“You mean those girls in skimpy clothes?”
“How much more clothes would they need with this scorching sun and these crystal-clear waters all around?”
“Don’t get started on that! I know you!”
“They’re a real bunch of exotic beauties.”
“And you’re an idiot. Close your mouth, you’re drooling.”
“I don’t know why it bothers you so much that I should admire such delightful creatures,” Viggo said, and made a slight bow to three girls who were staring back at him. The turquoise savages laughed at the gesture, sweetly and melodiously.
“We’re not here so that you can flirt with the first savages you see!”
“I’m trying to look friendly,” he replied, ignoring Ingrid and smiling from ear to ear at the three savages, who were whispering to each other and giggling under their breath.
“Stop trying to look anything!”
Viggo went on bowing and making friendly gestures to all the girls he saw, which infuriated Ingrid to the point where she was barely able to contain herself.
The Queen, accompanied by her warriors, now went among the huts of what seemed to be the center of this city-realm. At Eicewald’s gesture, they followed her. The city was made up of what must have been thousands of huts, stretching around the entire circular beach. There must have been several thousand turquoise savages living there.
As they went on from the beach to the jungle, more and more natives came closer to see them. Gerd and Nilsa stared in astonishment at the strange clothes and ornaments they wore. Viggo went on smiling at all the girls he saw, and spoke a word or two to them here and there. Ingrid, beside him, was red with rage as she walked. Lasgol and Astrid, who brought up the rear, gazed at this people and their world, so strange and at the same time so beautiful and exotic.
Keep close to me and tread carefully, Lasgol transmitted to Camu and Ona.
I close, Camu confirmed, and Ona chirped beside him.
They came to a huge cave, which to their surprise, turned out to be the Queen’s dwelling. The walls were covered in moss, and moisture spattered their faces and bodies at every step. On the floor they could see openings which looked like puddles, but once they were beside them they could see the water beneath the island, with its corals and schools of fish.
“This is a strange palace,” Astrid said to Lasgol.
“Really strange …”
Through several openings in the roof in the center of the cave, the sun shone in and lit up the whole space. The Queen’s guard was posted against the walls.
