He looked at the scaly hands, the strangely
webbed fingers and toes. The curse of Glaucus. The adventure was
over. Athena was lost to him forever. Now he was but another
denizen of the deep, a strange monster in the ocean's depths.
The dolphin swam near.
"You are one of us, now. I know not whether the process can be
reversed. In any event, in this form I can take you to Proteus,
if it is your will?"
"Proteus? What matters it now. He would set upon me, for I
resemble nothing but a monster of the deep." Yet, reluctantly,
Demo swam with the dolphin through boundless seas 'til night
darkened the eastern sky.
"Down. We must go down. Here Proteus waits, prepares for the
coming of Oceanus. He works busily, his eight great arms ever
assembling the throne on which Oceanus would sit. Come with me
to the depths."
With each moment they swam ever deeper. The blue-green waters
of the surface darkened, took on a purplish tinge, grew ever
more impenetrable by the eye. Yet, far below, a light gleamed
dimly, or lights. And it was toward those lights they made their
way.
At first the fish had swam and played, delighted with their
company. Butterfly fish flitted by, seahorses danced in a
vertical ballet, and in the distance the sharks circled, ever
accompanied by the pilot fish.
With each fathom they penetrated the fish grew ever fewer, even
as did the light. The warm surface waters were no more, replaced
by chill drafts from far below.
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