' Tell us one of your tales Cap'n Jack.' an old friend asked. The Pilot Boat Inn was full that night. Cap'n Jack looked up, he put his pipe down and smiled. He looked at his companions and thought: I've only one tale left to tell for my time is short. A true story nonetheless but I doubt if they would believe me if I told them the whole truth. The usual crowd it was, talking, drinking, laughing and reminisce about sail and sea. Sailors for whom reminiscence was all that was left in an age that beached their weathered toil by a sea shorn of sail.

The evening shadows were closing. I listened, I watched as this reliquary was swept by a storm of crassly screaming youngsters borne on a tide of wild cacophonous music. I looked and saw the salted sand of their time tumbling into an hour glass of their necropolis. I sensed their unease as they vainly sought confirmation of their present.

' I'll tell you a tale lads I've never recounted before of the morning I carried a stranded sea child down to the waters edge.' His listeners laughed.

'Mermaids Cap'n Jack?' An old friend asked.

'Aye a Mermaid, ' a long time ago, I remember it well. The first soft rays of the morning sun were slowly tumbling over the horizon nudging their presence upon our little world. Very quiet it was, as the gentle waves coasted to and fro as listless seagulls stood and stared. Down in the harbour fishing boats lay lazily at anchor their bows barely nodding their responses to a gently quivering sea. The third quarter of the moon it was; the neap tide had turned and was on the ebb. I was a hundred yards or so past the old jetty by the beached wreck on my way to check my nets when I heard an unusual cry coming from the lee of the rocks. 'Twas no animal cry; it sounded so distressingly plaintive it made me take a closer look. There on the rock sat a mermaid , not my imagination mind you , but a real live mermaid. I had heard my father tell of such creatures and here, within a few feet from where I stood, sat this pathetic little sea child. Fear was written on her face, she was stranded fifty paces or so from the water edge. She must have thought her end had come when she saw me. Without much thought as to whether she understood me or not, Welsh being my tongue, I said, Don't worry lass, I will carry you back safely down to the sea. I made to pick her up in my arms, she recoiled in fright. I smiled at her and said, there is nothing to worry child, and picked her up. As I strode towards the waters edge I was surprised to find how frail she was; weighed very little in fact. After all the years I can still taste the brine as strands of her wet golden tresses brushed against my face. I waded into the water and as I gently released her from my grasp she looked unto my eyes, from that moment I knew our lives were inextricably linked. I watched as she swam slowly away, she turned, smiled , and waved as she disappeared deep into the fog that was rapidly creeping in from the sea.

' What happened then Cap'n Jack. Did you ever see her again?

' What happened then? I'll tell you. I was still in a state of great wonder as I went to tend to my nets in the hope of a good catch.'

' Were your nets full of mermaids Cap'n Jack?' They laughed, He continued. 'I was disappointed to find my nets empty lads and as I was dragging them on to the shore to dry I heard a cry from the fog, I instinctively knew it was her. She had returned.'

' Is that you Cap'n Jack? she shouted.'

' Aye, 'tis me, I answered, I wanted to see her once more to convince myself I had not imagined it all. I'm here, I shouted, on the shore. The fog parted and there she was bathed in a green light not more than twenty paces from the waters edge.'

' I want to thank you Cap'n Jack, she said, as does my father the Ruler of Caer Siddi, the kingdom of the Western seas. Ask what you will of us and it will be given you.'

' I seek nothing for doing what I did, I said, but I thank you all the same. She seemed to stand in the water, her features were fairer than any maiden I had ever seen. Her long golden hair cascaded over her bare shoulders. As for her complexion it is hard to find words to describe it's perfection. I had never seen such beauty, a Goddess I thought, and so it was, a Goddess, whom I had once held in my arms.' Others had now stood around the table and laughed at his tale. He knew they would never understand and decided against telling what followed for fear of further ridicule. It was before their grandfathers were born, aye and before that even. It was back in 1773 that he saw her. The snows of two hundred and twenty four winters had whitened these shores since that day but the memory of that moment was as fresh as if it were yesterday.

' In return Cap'n Jack, she said, four lives of our Moon Mother shall you live, from this day forth no sea will ever harm you, no sea fog will blind you nor will danger sail with you. We shall meet again one day. Farewell, Cap'n Jack.' As suddenly as she had come she disappeared into the deep. He called to her but received no answer.

' Your mind was wandering Cap'n Jack. You've been quiet for a while.' Another Jamaica appeared before him he picked up the glass but did not drink. He had mind only to stare.

' They say you could steer a ship safely in the thickest of fog. My father swears it's true Cap'n Jack, he sailed the seas under your command. He says in one storm down at the ' Horn' you laughed as other men prayed. Had you no fear of those mountainous waves?'

' As I remember it was no great feat lads. I steered for Magellan's to shelter in the lee of Brunswick and on to Punta Arenas and Nor' Nor' East to the great open sea, then North to Gallegos where we took on water and rested.'

'But were you not afraid, my father said the ship was fog bound for days on end?'

' Of the sea and fog lads?, I was luckier than most. As for the waves, they grow each time in the telling. It's on land that I fear, I fear the

cold, and the long lonely nights, the cry of the owl as it heralds in death. I fear the night of Thursday following the full moon and I fear the black dogs of

Annwn as they roam in the woods. I fear our old Gods whom I've ignored, I fear the reckoning that comes to us all.'

'You're steeped in melancholy this night Cap'n Jack.'

' There is one fear which out -weighs all.'

' What could that be Cap'n Jack?'

' The fear lads, that I shall never set eyes on her once again .'

' Her?'

' The young sea child, tomorrow is the anniversary of that very day I carried her down to the sea.'

They laughed, ' Good tale Cap'n Jack, ' It was late, they bid each other goodnight and made for their homes.

Early next morning Cap'n Jack was down on the shore. He strolled among the fishing nets left out to dry on roughly constructed fences and the broken discarded lobster pots that littered the pebbly beach. The smell of rotting seaweed, brine and sea together with the shrill incantation of the hungry sea birds greatly comforted the senses, nothing had changed as the world's dark side had presided over their slumber. He walked past the jetty to where he first saw her and gazed longingly at the rocks where she once sat. His time was short and in desperation he shouted ,

'Tis I, Cap'n Jack, I'm here on the shore,' and waited long to hear her call. With a heavy heart he returned to the village and made his way to the Pilot Boat Inn where he knew he would be alone.

' Bit early for you Cap'n Jack, Jamaica? Sit yourself down old friend I'll bring your drink to you.,' the landlord said.

'Thank you kindly lad, I'll sit by the window facing the sea. He was tired and drooping with heartfelt sorrow as his mind wandered back to that blessed day so long, long ago.

' I heard you call Cap'n Jack, you were down on the shore.'

Startled, he turned and there stood a beautiful young girl with long golden hair.

' It's been a long time dear friend Jack, four lives of our Moon mother on this very day.'

' 'Tis you dear sea child, I've lived for this moment every day I've drawn breath. '

' The tears in your eyes says it all Jack, How fare you old friend?

' I'm tired and lonely and I long to be like other men.'

' The world has changed since we first met, dear Jack.'

' Beyond all recognition.'

' The moon is in the third quarter, Jack.'

'Has the neap tide turned ?'

'Few minutes more old friend, let me take your hand.'

' I'm stranded my child, stranded out of my time.'

' Don't worry I'll carry you back safely, friend Jack, back....'

' I heard him shout lads, very strange it was. He shouted , " It's a foggy morning my love. I can see like other men see, " and that's how I found him, sitting there a smile on his face holding a strand of wet seaweed in his hand. His last voyage it was for Old Cap'n Jack.'