Of Poseidon

“Really?”
    He shrugs, uneasy, as if my full attention suddenly makes him nervous. “I have some private buyers, too. We give them first pick, since they tend to pay more than most nations.”
    “What about shipwrecks? Pirate treasure?” The possibilities are endless—or at least, only restricted by the boundaries of the Triton territory, which spans from the Gulf of Mexico to dead-center Indian Ocean.
    He nods. “Plenty. My biggest was an entire Spanish fleet carrying gold.”
    I gasp. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other. It occurs to me that I might be the only other person he’s told, besides Rachel. “How much gold? Did they question how you found it? Where was it?” My questions bubble up like a shaken soda.
    He pinches the bridge of his nose, then laughs. “Rachel has everything saved on the computer, including pictures. You can go through it all you want when we get home.”
    I clap like a trained seal. I also ignore the flutter in my stomach at hearing him say, “When we get home.” As if home could be on dry land.

18
    THE SECURITY guard lets them into the Gulfarium and ushers them inside The Living Sea exhibit to wait for Dr. Milligan. In awe, Emma shuffles to the floor-to-ceiling tank and taps on the glass. Galen stands back, leans against the wall. He watches her coo at the tropical fish grappling for her attention. A sea turtle lazily treads over to investigate.
    She paces back and forth in front of the glass, tracing her hand along the surface. The tank transforms into one giant multispecies school of fish. Stingrays, sea turtles, eels. More kinds of fish than Rachel puts in her seafood-surprise casserole. Even a small shark joins the parade.
    “She’s amazing.”
    Galen turns to Dr. Milligan, who’s standing beside him and staring at Emma as if she were floating in midair. “Yes, she is,” Galen says.
    Dr. Milligan looks at Galen, a knowing smile plastered on his face. “Looks like she’s enchanted more than just the little fish. In fact, looks like you’re worse off than any of them, my boy.”
    Galen shrugs. He’s got nothing to hide from Dr. Milligan.
    Dr. Milligan lets out his breath in a whistle. “What does Rayna say?”
    “She likes her.” The good doctor raises a thin gray brow. Galen sighs. “She likes her enough .”
    “Well, can’t ask for more than that, I suppose. Shall we, then?”
    Galen nods. “Emma. Dr. Milligan is here.”
    Emma turns. And freezes. “You!” she chokes out. “ You’re Dr. Milligan?”
    The older man bows his head. “Yes, young lady, I am. You remember me, then.”
    She nods, walking slowly toward them as if she smells a trap. “You tried to give me free season passes. You talked to me at the petting tank.”
    “Yes,” he says. “ Of course I offered you season passes. How else could I study your fascinating interaction with the specimens?”
    She crosses her arms. “I didn’t know I could talk to fish at the time. How did you?”
    “At first I didn’t,” he says, closing the distance between them and gently taking her hand. “But when I saw your eye color, I knew you had to be Syrena. I remembered Galen telling me about that gift, but I never really believed it. Which is silly, I suppose. I mean, if I believe in mermaids—ahem, excuse me Galen, Syrena —then why not a gift like that?”
    “And what do you think now, Dr. Milligan?” Galen says, a little perturbed at the revelation that his friend thought he lied. Also, “mermaids” was uncalled for.
    Dr. Milligan chuckles softly, rubbing Emma’s hand. “I think I stand corrected, as usual. Emma, how about a private tour?”
    She nods, excitement dancing in her eyes.
    They follow Dr. Milligan into the hallway and to a set of stairs. He shepherds them to each exhibit, spouting off facts and statistics about each animal. Every one of the creatures remembers Emma. The sea lions bob their heads and make a noise only Emma could find charming. The otters do the same. Even the alligators respond to her commands, rotating in a circle like synchronized swimmers.
    The doctor leads Galen and Emma into an exhibit called Dune Lagoon. He explains it’s a sanctuary for injured birds cared for at the Gulfarium. Emma walks around, talking and murmuring to the winged creatures. None of them care. In fact, they seem more excited to see Dr. Milligan. A duck walks right past Emma and quacks at Dr. Milligan’s feet. “Fascinating,” he says.
    Emma laughs. “There’s