Nerine faded.

  “Neris, either what you have told me is true, or we are faced with science beyond my understanding. For the sake of convenience I will accept it for now as true. I take it that as the son of a sea god you wish to abate the pollution the sea is now experiencing.”

  “Exactly. That is my mission in life.”

  “It may be more of a mission than you are properly equipped to handle.”

  “I must handle it! My folk are suffering.”

  “I don't think you properly understand. Have you any idea how to proceed?”

  “Yes. Go to the CEOs of polluting companies and get them to stop.”

  “Hardly! You will make no progress at all that way.”

  “Why not?”

  “For one thing, you won't be able to get in to see them; they are largely isolated from idealistic young reformers. For another, they are dedicated to their way of doing business and not about to stop. They don't care about the pollution of the sea. You will not convince any of them to do anything that will cost them money or power.”

  “She's making sense, Neris,” Rosie said, and Nerine nodded.

  “If they will not be persuaded,” Neris said grimly, “Then they will have to be eliminated.”

  “You are a most remarkable young man,” Hedva said. “Brilliant, dedicated, and it seems magical. But not yet sufficiently versed in the way of the mortal world. You don't want to be a killer; that will promptly get you imprisoned and possibly executed. Even if you find other ways to remove them from their positions, they will only be replaced by others of similar persuasion. We have become a culture of greed: make money now, and to hell with tomorrow. It will wipe out the seas, yes, and then our species itself, but we are locked in, and changing the culture is more than any one person can do quickly, if at all. It has to go to hell in its own fashion.”

  Both Rosie and Nerine nodded. Neris realized that, dedicated as he had been to his mission, he had never really thought it through. Of course the teacher was correct; he couldn't have much direct impact. “Then what am I to do?”

  “You might become a politician, work your way up to president, and then use your executive powers to mitigate the worst of it. But that would likely take decades and probably would not be successful.”

  “What else?” For he knew she was working up to something.

  “You might be more direct: seek ways to nullify the existing pollution and prevent future pollution. You see, the problem is two-fold: stopping the ongoing pollution, and cleaning up the backlogged pollution. Accomplishing one without the other will not suffice. But it will be easier to start with the backlog, cleaning dirty water. That would not stir up fierce resistance, especially if confined to the depth of the sea. The forces of corruption might not even notice. It should also be much faster.”

  “Then I will do that.”

  She held up a palm in a stop signal. “Not so fast, reformer. There is at present no known way to effectively and immediately nullify pollution, and devising a technique is likely to be a considerable challenge in itself. You would need appropriate resources, trained personnel, and a great deal of money. Even then it would be a risky enterprise, because there's always the chance that there is no feasible method of elimination. I am a marine biology chemist, moonlighting as a teacher, and this matter has always interested me. But it has also been a frustration. You will need a new way.”

  The two others nodded again. She was making practical sense.

  “I must ponder this,” he said.

  Hedva smiled. “Of course. I will be here for you if you have ideas.”

  Oh, he had ideas! But they were not confined to marine biology.

  Neris did ponder it, but that turned out to be no rapid task. There had to be a way, if he could only find it, but as yet he was balked.

  “I need a research team,” he said. “To find something that will nullify pollution.”

  Rosie nodded. “But that's bound to cost a lot of money.”

  “So may I need to start with the money,” he said. “To hire the researchers, to find the answer.”

  “I'm no expert, but I would guess that you are talking about billions of dollars.”

  “Maybe that's my first priority, then: to get billions of dollars.”

  She smiled sadly and went on with her business.

  But this challenge proved to be as intractable as the prior one. His mother had used the lucky charm to find a valuable old painting to finance her move. But he needed thousands of times what that had brought. How could he ever raise it without generating a scene that would bring massively unwanted attention on his head?

  Years passed while he studied and pondered. His crush on Hedva slowly faded without entirely dissipating.

  Finally Rosie came to the rescue. “This may be stupid, but a chain of thought gave me an idea. You may laugh.”

  “Never at you, Rosie.”

  “There's something that's almost intangible, but worth more than anything else: immortality. Even a little of it is precious beyond imagination. If you could find the Fountain of Youth, or the equivalent, and manage it carefully, you could get your money.”

  “But that's fantasy,” he protested.

  “So are gods and goddesses of the sea.”

  Nerine appeared. “She's right. An elixir exists. The gods use it.”

  “The Fountain of Youth?” he asked blankly.

  “More properly the elixir of immortality,” Nerine said. “It's not a fountain as such, but a tiny drop bestows longevity or even immortality. Great Aunt Rhea gives some to each god or goddess at birth, and then they live until they die. That is, forever unless killed. But it's not available for ordinary mortals; they'd abuse it.”

  “But they'd pay anything to get it,” Rosie said.

  “Anything is what I want. I'll go see Aunt Rhea.”

  “So you could sell it to mortals?” Nerine asked. “She'd toss you out on your posterior before you even completed the request.”

  “Even if I wanted it to finance research into abating pollution of the sea?”

  Nerine paused, considering. “Maybe then she'd at least hear you out. But you'd need to have a very sensible case. It's a long shot.”

  “I'll get some advice on making that case.”

  First he went to the teacher Hedva. “Oh, that would bring in money,” she agreed. “All you could ever use. But you couldn't do it openly; you'd be mobbed, probably killed for the secret of the source. So even as a tempting thought experiment, you're not ready.”

  “I'll get ready.”

  “Apart from that, you're a minor, Neris. You can't legitimately sign a contract on your own. You will need an adult partner. Such as your mother.”

  “I hadn't thought of that. For a genius I'm pretty stupid.”

  “I have an analogy for that: you're flying instead of walking. That is, you can cover a lot of distance in an airplane, but you miss the details on the ground. In life you need to walk at times, even if you can fly.”

  “I will remember,” he promised. He knew it was good advice.

  Neris broached the subject on his next visit home. “My mission requires a lot of money. I may have a way to raise it, but I'll need an adult co-signer. Will you do it, mom?”

  “By 'a lot,' how much do you mean?”

  “Maybe a billion dollars. Maybe a trillion.”

  Doris frowned. “That's way over my head. Better have Crosby do it.”

  Neris had been afraid of that, but he was stuck for it. “I'll ask him.”

  Crosby was surprisingly sanguine about the prospect. “I don't believe in magic, but if it exists, you have it, Neris. I would not bet against your raising that kind of money.”

  “What do you want in return for your help?”

  “Only some respect.”

  Neris was surprised. “No commission?”

  “That is the commission.”

  “Then you've got it.”

  “I will set up an account for you, and co-sign any disbursals you choose, provided they are not clearly illegal.”

  “That's fine.” They shook hands. It was the end of their tacit enmity.

  Then he went to Kelsey, who knew to pay close attention to anything Neris had on his mind. “Now of course magic is nonsense, and an elixir of immortality is magic,” Kelsey said. “Even the dumbest marks wouldn't believe it for long. But assuming you had it, you'd have to handle it carefully. No one would be allowed to know the source, and you'd be the only supplier. Even then, caution.”

  “Why?”

  “Because even if you took precautions, the underworld would be determined to get it from you, if they even knew your identity, and they're not limited by decent considerations. Also, say you had a vial of such elixir, you'd need to cut it for marketing. That takes skill and care.”

  “Cut it?”

  Kelsey smiled. “You're not much into crime, are you? Take high grade cocaine: it's not sold in the original form, it's diluted with inert ingredients to expand its volume and make it more manageable for distribution. Immortality elixir would probably still work to extend life, even if cut to a hundredth of its original potency. That's the way to maximize its potential.”

  Neris realized that he did not want to get into the problems of distribution. “Do you have the connections to set up distribution for such a product?”

  They boy looked at him. “Anyone else, I'd figure was trying to tease me, and cruising for a bruising. You're not joking, are you?”

  “Not joking,” Neris agreed. “But I don't have the product. I just want to know that if I could get it, could you help me?”

  “For a fair cut of the gross, yes. My father has the connections.”

  “We could negotiate for a fair deal, when. You understand, I have ways of verifying whether the terms are honored.”

  Kelsey glanced at Nerine. “You can track me anywhere, anytime, doll, and read my mind; you've proven it. You could turn solid and wield a knife if you wanted to, right?”

  She nodded.

  “And you'd cut off my balls if I even thought of cheating Neris. Maybe my eyeballs too. After that you'd stop farting around and get serious about making me regret it.”

  She nodded again, unsmiling.

  Kelsey returned his attention to Neris. “I believe you. I couldn't guarantee that every stiff down the line hews the mark perfectly, but it should be close. Our people have their own ways of enforcement you don't want to know about. You could trust me to do my best for you. I wouldn't want to cross you or Nerine, and it's not just because you have your ways. I actually like and trust both of you.”

  Now Nerine smiled.

  Neris nodded. “I will be in touch, when.”

  “I will query dad, without promising. This could be the biggest thing ever.”

  “Will be, if,” Neris said, departing.

  “If,” Nerine echoed dubiously.

  “Time to go see Aunt Rhea,” he told her.

  “Through channels,” she agreed. “No one just drops in on her.”

  “She'll know we're coming. But yes, let's follow the protocol.”

  Nerine took him to the sea, and they swam to Nereus' castle. Neris explained his project to the sea god. “It won't stop the pollution directly, but it should set in motion a process to stop it. I believe this is the expedient course, considering what we are up against.”

  “Go for it, son.”

  “Now am I ready to learn to sing? It might be useful as I deal with mortals in this project.”

  Nereus laughed, as he did when Neris made a point he liked. “Useful for more than that, hey? How old are you now?” Of course he already knew.

  “Fourteen, almost.”

  “And getting hot for the girls. That lesbian in your bed won't do. Okay, it's time. Tell Nerine.”

  Victory at last! “Thank you, Father.”

  He didn't need to tell Nerine; she already knew. “When we have a moment,” she said. He knew she would follow through.

  They swam for Rhea's abode. This was hidden more effectively than Nereus' castle, and was grander in style. Rhea was after all the queen and mother of gods. They could never have come close without her knowledge and consent. Neris had no idea where in the sea the goddess was, and wasn't curious; he knew she wanted it that way.

  Rhea was an absolutely lovely older woman, regal without sacrificing sex appeal. She was Nerine's great aunt, and related to Neris through Gaea and perhaps others. A goddess indeed! He couldn't help but be impressed.

  “Thank you, nephew,” Rhea said, reading his mind. “What you contemplate is chancy but perhaps worthwhile. We have not been able to stop the pollution, in part because few mortals still believe in us, and their greed drowns out any care they have for the environment. A way to nullify the pollution directly would be lovely.”

  They waited tensely. Was she endorsing the effort?

  “I am, children,” Rhea said. “But there remain challenges. The first is to locate the head of Ouroborus.” She pronounced it yu-ROB-orus.

  “The dragon whose body encircles the globe and clasps its tail with its mouth?” Neris asked, surprised. He had encountered references in the course of his researches, but that was all. Few dictionaries even had the word, and those that did spelled it Uroborus and suggested that it was a symbol for infinity. It might even relate to the cosmic lemniscate, the symbol that looked like the figure 8 lying on its side. That could be a twisting serpent. The old lore certainly was being forgotten. How did this relate to the current problem?

  Rhea smiled, and the chamber brightened. “Ouroborus dates from the first substance of Chaos, at the beginning of the world. When the world formed it was unstable and likely to fall apart. So Nox, the goddess of Darkness, wife of Chaos, set Ouroborus to stabilize the globe by circling it and gripping his tail to maintain the tightness of his coil. He constantly consumes himself and regenerates himself; this gives him something interesting to do. If he ever lets go of his tail, even now, the world will split apart. That would be awkward.”

  Awkward indeed!

  “To be assured of doing his job,” Rhea continued, “the global serpent must be immortal, so Chaos made him so. His blood preserves him in perpetual youth, despite being four and a half billion years old. What you need is a drop of his blood. But you will not be able to take it; you must make some sort of exchange with him for it. I will not say what manner of exchange I offer when I need the elixir, but it is not available to you.” For an instant her body flashed provocatively, hinting at its nature. She could of course change form at will. It seemed that even a monstrous serpent had carnal needs; he was after all perpetually young.

  “I will talk with him,” Neris said. “Perhaps there is some exchange I can provide.”

  “First you must locate his head. That can be anywhere around the world; he never lets go of his tail, but he does slide around somewhat.” Rhea grimaced. “When he moves even slightly, earthquakes result, so we try to discourage it. But perhaps the dullness of his duty makes him restless on occasion.” She shrugged.

  “Thank you,” Neris said, realizing that the interview was winding down.

  “You may require help,” Rhea said. “It is arriving now.”

  “My sisters!” Nerine exclaimed, delighted.

  Indeed, the nereids were swimming in from all directions, each lovelier than her siblings. Their figures were identical to Nerine's, but their hair differed, being ever so many shades of brown, red, blue, orange, yellow, gray and black, in contrast to her green. Their faces were distinct from each other only when two were seen together; they were definitely all of a family. They clustered around Nerine, greeting her like a long-lost sister, which in a manner she was; she had been away from them for fifteen years. Several, arriving late, could not get in to her, so they went for the secondary target, Neris.

  “Welcome, little brother!” one exclaimed, hugging him. Neris was used to Nerine and not at all turned on by her, but these were unfamiliar sprites and so had the novelty of newness. Sibling or not, he was much aware of her bare splendor.

  “Uh, thank you,” he said awkwardly.

  The others, catching on to his discomfort, quickly buried him in lovely bodies. “How handsome you are!” one exclaimed, chucking him under the chin. “And muscular,” another said, squeezing his arm. “And manly,” a third said, reaching for his groin.

  “Desist, girls!” Nerine said severely, forging protectively to his side. “He's your brother!”

  “Indeed,” another nereid said. “And a fine one at that. I might marry him.”

  And of course the gods did marry siblings. This was getting worse.

  “He's young, only fourteen.”

  “Oh, how much we can teach him!” another exclaimed, delighted. “Youth is like virginity, such a pleasure to debauch.”

  “He's half mortal,” Nerine reminded her.

  “Oh. Too bad.” The nereid made a wry face. Then they all laughed; they had of course been teasing him. But he suspected that one or more of them might indeed set out to debauch and marry him if he showed the slightest inclination.

  “We have a job to do,” Nerine said. “We have to locate the head of Ouroborus, so Neris can talk with him.”

  “That won't be easy,” a nereid said.

  “So let's get started.”

  “Let's get started,” Neris agreed. It was past time to get serious, intriguing as the hinted distractions might be.

  Hedva

  The nereids knew where the great serpent's body passed this region, so they swam to it as a group. “He circles the globe,” one said, swimming just ahead of Neris so that he could admire her bare flexing legs and nether torso. “And slides around it some in the course of consuming his tail. So we never know exactly where his head is at any particular time.”

  “So we simply have to search for it by tracing his body,” another said, swimming just above him so that he could get a proper view of her taut belly and full breasts.

  “Which could become tedious,” another said, swimming cleverly backwards so that he could appreciate her head, neck, and bosom. He found it harder than ever to believe that these nymphs were thousands of years old.