A summary of "Whisper of the Sea" by Alexey Pekhov Automatic translate

The romantic and tragic story of a young man named Til unfolds in a small seaside town on the shores of the Sea of Grapes, and the work itself was created in 2006. The distinctive feature of this intimate fantasy novella lies in its profound psychological insight, where the mystical setting serves merely as a backdrop to demonstrate human vices, selfishness, and the true nature of loyalty. The text of the work, presented in its entirety, is not part of the author’s larger cycles, but stands alone as a complete story with a concise yet emotionally charged plotline.

Two passions of young Til

Eighteen-year-old Til enjoys a reputation among the superstitious inhabitants of a fishing village as a strange man with a stolen soul. Three years ago, during a severe storm, his flimsy boat capsized, the young man drank too much water, and nearly died. He was saved by the gentle, enchanting singing of a sea-folk woman, whom the people contemptuously and fearfully call Coldblood. Til awoke on the shore, completely healthy, and a week later returned to a secluded rock called the Finger, where the siren was already waiting for him.

From then on, every summer, Til would regularly come to the rock just before sunset, making dangerous leaps across the slippery coastal boulders. The siren would arrive just as the sun touched the horizon and depart immediately after sunset. Her appearance resembled that of a thirteen-year-old drowned girl — a milky-white, slender body, a silvery fishtail, webbed fingers, blue lips, and sparse white hair. However, her enormous ocean-colored eyes possessed incredible beauty, and her pure, powerful songs combined the wisdom of the deep with the lament of a departing sun.

The young man’s second, earthly passion was the black-haired Miika, the daughter of the respectable, wealthy owner of the local tavern, the Golden Anchor, Master Rugo. Til was madly in love with the girl, but her stern father viewed his poor suitor with obvious suspicion, regularly hearing the regulars’ dark gossip about the boy’s connections to evil spirits. The settlement was small, harsh, and smelled of fish, and Rugo was considered a man of influence here.

A Cruel Test of Love

On the eve of the traditional town festival, Pisces, Til ventured into the deserted tavern to ask Rugo for permission to attend an evening dance with Miika. Inside, the innkeeper was playing cards with two of his old friends and servants — Dugach and a blue-eyed, taciturn sailor. Rumors circulated that the trio had once been piratical, wielding cutlasses, and that Rugo himself had allegedly brutally disposed of his unfaithful wife and her lover.

Hearing the timid request of the lovesick youth, the innkeeper flatly refused, citing that Til had ceased to be human due to his friendship with the siren. When the desperate youth declared his readiness to prove his feelings, the blue-eyed servant proposed a test to the innkeeper who had orchestrated the plot. Rugo pulled a heavy crossbow from under the counter and demanded that Til kill the sea creature singing to him.

The young man was initially horrified, reminded of the life he’d saved and how sirens were so sensitive to a killer’s intentions. Dugach cynically explained the weapon’s mechanics and assured him the shooter would have a few seconds before the victim figured out his thoughts. In exchange, Rugo promised not only to bless the marriage with his daughter but also to leave his entire thriving establishment to his son-in-law. Til asked for time to think.

Soon, Miika herself intercepted him at the cobbler’s shop. Dragging him into a narrow passageway between the buildings, she kissed him passionately, leaving a minty taste on his lips, and begged him to undergo this foolish trial, destroying the Coldblood for the sake of their future together. This kiss completely deprived Til of his sanity, plunging his thoughts into a viscous, foggy swamp haze.

Choice on Finger Rock

Late in the evening, pale and reeling from the strain, Til returned to the Golden Anchor for weapons. Dugach reminded him that the townspeople would need irrefutable proof of the murder and demanded he bring the precious pearl, which, according to legend, is hidden inside the body of every siren. The blue-eyed sailor handed the young man his sharp, curved fishing knife, offering to rip open the victim’s belly like a common mullet.

Til set off for Finger Rock, not over the boulders, but straight along the bottom, waist-deep in water, holding a loaded crossbow. On the way, his thoughts briefly returned to clarity, and he was overcome with a terrible fear at the realization of his impending crime, but he stubbornly insisted that he had to prove his humanity.

When the sun was halfway below the horizon, the siren didn’t appear, the first time in three years. Til realized the creature knew of his plan. However, soon she slowly swam toward him, deliberately giving him a chance. Instead of a headlong leap, she meekly approached and sang a completely new song — smooth, forgiving, and filled with oceanic wisdom.

The gazes of the man and the mermaid met. Dusk fell, the stars came out, the wind raised waves that crashed against the granite finger of the cliff. The siren fell silent but remained in place, meekly awaiting the decision. Til quietly whispered words of apology and raised his heavy weapon.

Tragic ending and mysterious disappearance

The next morning, the townspeople discovered Master Rugo’s body on the floor of his own inn — the former pirate had been pierced through and through by a crossbow bolt. The guards were summoned and, without further ado, they arrested Dugach and his blue-eyed companion, who were fast asleep among empty rum bottles. An unloaded crossbow lay nearby. The drunken servants tried to claim that the master had given the weapon to Til for a siren hunt, but their testimony was deemed a foolish lie, and they were soon mercilessly hanged in the fish shed.

They managed to put a search warrant out for Til himself, but he was never found either in the city or on the coast. The guards questioned Miika, who was found sleeping peacefully in the bed of the fisherman Pans. Through tears, the girl claimed that Til had come to the square in the midst of the festivities, seen her dancing with Pans, turned away without a word, and vanished forever. She dismissed his morning calls for the murder of Coldblood as a stupid, insignificant joke.

Many rumors arose among the locals: some believed the boy had gone off to seek his fortune in the Free Lands, others believed he had drowned while drunk, and still others insisted that Cold Blood had dragged him to the bottom. The mystery of the young man’s disappearance remained unsolved. The Siren, too, never again approached these shores, leaving the Finger completely alone. Only during the fierce autumn storms does the old rock seem to hear, amid the roar of the waves and the howling wind, a song or an inconsolable lament.