Page 56 (1/2)
"That’s madness," Daddy says "You cannot know that will be the result"
"We cannot knoon’t, either," Zostero argues
"Ridiculous notion," Gadus gruht," Queen Sula says "Maybe this is our best chance"
"Our best chance?" Queen Otaria argues "Perhaps our best chance of beco human science experi extinct as the oceans die around us"
"We’re not going extinct"
"We will if things don’t change"
The roouments Some of the rulers see Dumontia’s plan for the craziness it is, while others think it’s a plan worth considering As the debate grows louder and less controlled, I turn around and flip on the TV I drag ertip over the touchpad on the laptop Brody set up this , and I pull up the video we shot yesterday
I click play, turn the volu, and I cross ers behindat each other, and their voices drown out my video
Then Tellin, who is the only person in the roo on, shakes his father’s shoulder and points to the TV The two queens Gadus had been arguing with follow his gaze, and all three fall silent as they watch me, Peri, and the not-so-terrible trio dive into the pool
Gradually, the other kings and queens notice By the tilued to the s and starts again Brody did alook like a series of news broadcasts The rulers watch in silence as I ure mid-dive, and climb back out onto the deck
When the clip reaches the end and loops back to the start again, I click pause
"Is this ant?" I ask, pointing at the frozen ireen screen behind him that reads MERMAIDS ARE REAL! "Videos ofon every channel in every country around the world? Because you know the news of our existence would not stay confined to our region of the ocean We would be outing every merperson in every body of water on the planet"
Ten pairs of eyes stare, unblinking, at the screen Only Tellin looks atnod, and I continue
"Because if this is ant, I can do it without its costing a single human life" I hold up my cell phone "My friend who helped e from me All I have to do is send the word, and he’ll email it to every neire on the internet They’ll have it in broadcast-ready HD in Paris, Dubai, and Hong Kong before you’ve made it back to Seaview Beach"
Everyone looks too stunned to react, even Du at me like I’m some previously undiscovered species of poisonous blowfish