You and Caroline sip your tea in silence. Caroline stares out the window, obviously deep in thought.
All at once, she pushes her chair from the table, and begins to look around your kitchen.
"So," she asks says, "have you got an atlas around here or something?"
"No," you answer, "why?"
"I want to find the fastest but least conspicuous route to the ocean. We wouldn't want to be caught driving with a mermaid in the car, now would we?
"I mean," she continued, "how would Topaz ever deliver on her end of the bargin if she were locked up to be experimented on by some scientist?"
"You mean, you'd?" you start to say as Caroline steps forward and puts her finger against your lips to shush you.
"Become a mermaid," she whispers, "don't say it too loudly. I don't want to ruin my chance, but, yes, I want to take Topaz up on her offer. I want to visit her world, meet her people, find out what it's like to swim under the ocean with needing any air, to glide through the water pushed by my, god, I can hardly say it, my tail.
"Will you help me, Neil? Please ..." Caroline pleads as she stares at you with her rich green eyes. "There's nothing for me here, not since I divorced Rich." You grow sad at Caroline's last comment, it seems she did not share the same feelings for you that you had for her. "I need a new start, new experiences, a fresh start on my life, and I think Topaz can give it to me."
"Are you saying you'd become a mermaid and never come back?"
Caroline looks down at the floor for moment, carefully thinking about how to answer.
"I'm not sure," she finally admits. "I mean, it's tempting, isn't it? To drop everything and take on a new life, a new existence, but I wouldn't sign on without knowing everything I was getting into.
"Besides," she says with a grin, "what's the downside, I mean, we could stay wet for a very long time."
"You said, 'we'," you respond.
"Yes, I did," Caroline says enthusiastically, "I wouldn't want to have this kind of adventure alone. I'd want my best friend with me."
You smile at Caroline's description of you as her best friend.
"I use the computer," you mutter.
"What?" Caroline askes.
"To get maps, I don't have an atlas or anything, I just use the internet to plot driving directions."
"Ok," Caroline replies, "then you'd better get to work. We'll need a quiet route to a secluded beach. One that's quick," she adds with a broad smile