Cody took a few days to decide, but his choice was inevitable. He couldn't keep up in the school, and he didn't have any prospects anywhere else. And meeting a bunch of bored and lonely mermaids sounded like heaven.
He didn't have to pack anything, since none of his possessions would be very useful underwater. Dr. Llewell simply told him to report to the same office the next morning.
"Glad to see you made it," said Dr. Llewell when Cody arrived. "Sometimes a volunteer backs out at the last moment."
"Not me. I've made my decision," replied Cody, trying to sound more sure than he was.
"Well then, shall we go?" With that, Dr. Llewell turned to one of the paintings on the office wall. It was a picture of a sparkling lake. He gestured, and the image suddenly expanded to fill the room, and a fresh breeze blew in to blow a few papers off the desk. Dr. Llewell stepped through without looking back.
With one last, uncertain glance around, Cody followed. He found himself on the shore of that lake, with Dr. Llewell standing next to him.
Suddenly, a woman's head and shoulders appeared on the surface of the lake, then ducked back under. With astonishing speed, she appeared much closer, but stopped where it became too shallow to swim. In the clear water, Cody could see why. She was indeed a mermaid, with a blue-scaled tail and blonde hair. Cody could barely believe his eyes. He had another reason to stare: she didn't wear a shred of clothing.
"Cody, I'd like you to meet Nikita. Nikita, this is Cody, our newest recruit."
"Hi!" she said.
"Uh, hi," he responded less certainly. At the same time, another mermaid, with black hair and an orange tail appeared. Dr. Llewell introduced her as Jennifer.
"It's good to meet another recruit, but..."