The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen - Delia Sherman [77]
“Neef isn’t just some random landie you can drown now and apologize for later,” he said. “She’s the Voice of the Genius of Central Park. Okay, you’re mad because she tricked you, and you and the Green Lady hate each other because of something that happened before the Genius Wars. But the Green Lady still didn’t kill your Voice, and you can’t kill hers. You have to listen to her and then you have to let her go home. That’s the rule. ”
The Mermaid Queen flipped her tail, sending Airboy tumbling in a cloud of little bubbles. “Nuts to that. The last time I listened to that kid, I lost my mirror.”
Airboy recovered himself and swam back to the throne. “You don’t have to listen to her yourself. Your Voice can do it for you.”
“Yeah? Oh, yeah! I knew there was something I was forgetting.” She raised her voice to a screech. “Ox-y-gen!”
“Here, Majesty.” The Voice of the Mermaid Queen darted from behind a handy pillar and made a complicated floating gesture of respect.
The Mermaid Queen waved a royal hand. “Find out what that pesky land girl over there wants and then get rid of her. She makes my scales itch. And if she says anything about riddles or cats, I don’t care who she is, I’m throwing her to the sharks.” She pulled a large metal rasp out of the depths of the Shelly Throne and began to sharpen her claws.
Oxygen swam over to me. I could see that he was nervous and angry. Not a good combination.
“Greetings, Voice of the Mermaid Queen,” I began. “The Green Lady—”
Oxygen held up a silencing hand. “Shut up, kid. Boy, are you in over your head. Tell me, have you even gotten to Diplomacy yet, or are you still in Basic Manners?”
He reminded me of Abercrombie. I glared at him. “Both, if it’s any of your business. What—”
Airboy wiggled his fingers over Oxygen’s shoulder and folded them down one by one.
“—I was going to tell you,” I went on slowly, “is that if those sharks eat me, your Genius will definitely never get her mirror back.”
Oxygen thought this over. “All right,” he said. “Talk.”
“Make them let me go first.”
Oxygen glanced toward the Shelly Throne, where the Mermaid Queen was filing away, pretending she hadn’t heard every word. “No tricks,” he said threateningly.
“No tricks.”
“Release her,” he told the merguards. They looked at the Queen, who shrugged. Then they let go of my arms and drifted back just far enough so they could grab me if I showed any signs of asking a riddle.
Basic Manners, huh? I’d show him Basic Manners. “The Green Lady of Central Park,” I said, “greets the Queen of New York Harbor and bids me say that she wishes to return the talisman known as the Magic Magnifying Mirror, which her champion won in fair challenge—”
“Ha!” the Mermaid Queen burst out, filing viciously.
“—fair challenge, last summer. Recognizing that the talisman is necessary to the smooth running of New York Harbor, the Green Lady has decided, of her own free will—”
“Double ha!”
“—to return the talisman to its traditional owner, so that the inhabitants of both Park and Harbor can continue to live in safety and comfort.”
Oxygen opened his mouth to answer, but the Mermaid Queen was there before him. “Who ever heard of a champion returning a Talisman before the deadline? She’s doing that thing mortals do, isn’t she, Oxygen?”
Oxygen studied my face. He wasn’t sneering anymore. “Maybe not. Neef of Central Park, do you have the Queen’s mirror? Tell me the truth.”
“I do.” I touched Satchel. “It’s in here, safe and sound.”
“Loonie’s honor?”
I fought a giggle and won. “Loonie’s honor.”
The Queen whooped happily and dropped the rasp. “Gimme,” she said.
Airboy was drifting behind Oxygen, looking miserable. He’d tried to take the credit for finding the mirror himself, after we’d promised to be allies. But then he’d saved my life. And he had to earn his merrow cap. I took a fish-flavored breath. “I’ll give it to you, just as soon as you hear the proposition Airboy and I wish to put before you.”
“Airboy?” said Oxygen.
“Proposition?” said the Queen.
“Yes.” I stared into Airboy’s eyes, willing him to read my mind. “Airboy