Fathom by L. Standage (spanish books to read .TXT) 📕

accompany us in the larger car? Olivia and Samantha can join us,” Eamon continued. “If that’s all right with the rest of you, of course.”

Uther nodded. “I’ll drive the other car to scout ahead. Keep close behind me.”

“I can go with you too,” said Natasha. “Give the rest of you some wiggle room in the van.”

“I’ll come too, Uther,” said Calder without looking at anyone.

“You packing, Eamon?” Uther asked.

“Always, my friend.”

Uther looked satisfied with Eamon’s answer, so we got up from the table. I watched the two merpeople with interest. Every move the beings made—every stir, every blink—was full of strange, disciplined grace and steadiness. Maybe they weren’t used to walking on legs and had to concentrate to avoid tripping. Still, I knew every guarded movement held a dangerous readiness for attack. In an instant, these creatures could subdue or even kill if they needed to.

We walked out of the restaurant. The rain had picked up again. I glanced at Seidon and Cordelia, wondering if they would sprout fish tails if they got wet like I had seen in the movies.

They followed Walter and Uther into the weather, not even recoiling like I did whenever cold rain drops poured over my head. No sign of fins either. Instead, they rubbed the water over their arms and faces and opened their mouths to drink what they could. Didn’t they get enough water inside? They only went through about five refills each. I was eager to ask questions but intimidated beyond belief. I’m sure that was the effect Cordelia went for, but it didn’t make it any easier.

We slid into the car, Samantha and I taking the back seat again. Eamon took the wheel, Walter in the front passenger seat. Cordelia took the only center seat, which left Seidon to sit in the back on Samantha’s other side. He didn’t seem to mind the seating arrangement; he smiled at her as he sat.

“Here,” said Eamon, passing water bottles to Cordelia and Seidon. They both opened them and drank.

“Why do you drink so much water?” Sam asked. Cordelia looked back at her as if she asked why water is wet.

“We live in the water,” said Seidon next to her. “It’s uncomfortable if we get too dry. Our bodies are used to receiving all the water we need without having to drink it. We absorb it through a membrane in our scales. This same membrane also filters and balances the salts and minerals in the water. That’s why saltwater merpeople have rougher scales than freshwater ones,” said Seidon.

“Seidon, stop,” hissed Cordelia.

“What?” he said. “She just asked a simple question.”

“A simple question requires a simple answer,” said Cordelia with a stern slant in her brow.

“There are freshwater merpeople too?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

“Certainly,” Seidon replied. “Some of them are barbaric and uncivilized though, because they are cut off from the rest of our people.”

“Wow.”

“We are not here to discuss merpeople anatomy,” Cordelia said. “And Seidon, use a little discretion, if you don’t mind.”

Seidon smiled and shrugged. I stared at her. Shouldn’t she be acting more respectful to a prince?

“Now,” she continued, turning in her seat to look at me, “how well do you know Linnaeus?”

“Uh,” I began, shaking my head. “I don’t know him at all. I’ve seen him a couple times. That’s it.”

“Hm. My first plan won’t work then.” She scowled in contemplation, then looked at me again. “We need to get the information Linnaeus has on the merpeople. How well do you know the layout of his aquatic-creature place?”

“Oceana? Um, I don’t know. I’ve only been there once. I could find his office again, if that’s what you mean. It’s getting inside that’ll be hard. The door to the building is locked and only employees can get in. I saw one use a card last time.”

“You’ll have Calder with you,” said Eamon. “That boy can swipe a key card quick as a wink.”

“So, it’s settled then?” said Seidon. “Olivia and Calder are to go get the information from Linnaeus’s office at the Oceana.”

“Yeah,” I whispered to Samantha. “If I can get him to quit hating me long enough to pull it off.”

“He doesn’t hate you,” she whispered back. “He’s just shy.”

She hadn’t heard his tone during his conversation with Natasha. I shrugged.

“He doesn’t hate you,” said Cordelia. I turned my head toward her; I wasn’t expecting her to hear me.

“Huh?”

“He doesn’t hate you. He hates what you are.”

Huh?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“How soon can they go to this place, Eamon?” Cordelia said as if I hadn’t spoken at all. I rolled my eyes. Cordelia’s superiority complex was getting on my nerves. But I still couldn’t help but wonder what she meant. I glanced at Samantha, but she looked just as perplexed as I was, so I leaned back in my seat and watched as the rain spotted the window.

Calder hated what I was? What did that mean? He hated Americans? Blondes? Wannabe marine biologists? It didn’t make sense.

The next day, the rain had stopped and the skies cleared. The beaches crawled with surfers, swimmers, and tourists wearing too-tight swimwear. As the sun climbed high, the crowds calmed as an aroma of barbecue mingled with the ocean’s scent in the breeze.

I, however, spent the morning indoors, watching the activity from the window. Uther, Walter, Natasha, and Cordelia had gone to plant different video cameras around the areas I had described at Oceana Adventure Park.

Sam sat in the family room using one of Uther’s laptops to show Seidon the many wonders of the world wide web. Every now and then he exclaimed in interest at some video or music clip.

“You look like you need something to do,” said Eamon to me from the kitchen, where he washed a few dishes. I looked away from the window with a humble smile.

“I guess so,” I said with a shrug.

“There are a couple cases of bottled water in the garage. Would you mind taking one up to Seidon and Cordelia’s room?”

“Sure.