MERMAN AND MERMAID.
(Grand Operatic Phantasmagoria)
Act I—Scene 1.
THE ARGUMENT.
Owondlo searches the staterooms and other places of the Gigantic for a weapon. While he begins his search he has visions, and also sees ghosts dance before him. Then the captain of the ship appears, waiters, messenger boy, two stokers, a vision of his former sweetheart left in England. He (Owondlo) searches on, converses with the bartender's ghost, and two detectives who are guarding the ship's treasure. He sees five real Sea Nymphs, and watches them as they converse and make dresses from sea-weeds and plants, golden chains, gold rings and diamond rings from the ship's lost souls.
The Nymphs converse with each other, one of them apparently is in love, while one Nymph tells her to lay a golden ring on the Magic Table Rock in the Garden of the Gods, in Nature's Submarine Garden. She wishes that the sea, by magic, may bring her a lover in her own image. Owondlo eagerly listens, and talks to himself, but at times he becomes frightened at a strange noise (seemingly of an earthquake or eruption). But one Nymph tells an inquisitive companion that it is only a monster fish, that measures in length two miles or more, gritting his teeth and scolding. This frightens Owondlo, who wishes now that he could have a spear or sword. At times Owondlo is almost tempted to go within, as the Nymphs almost charm him.
Suddenly Owondlo hides in a stateroom as one of the Nymphs leaves and goes to the Garden of the Gods, to place a diamond ring on the Magic Table Rock.
