He paused again, but this time for dramatic emphasis.

“If you ask me, I’ve always thought this argument to be bollocks. After all, we’re not talking about a single eyewitness report. We’re talking about thousands, from isolated geographical regions around the world, and over the course of five millennia. Can all these scholars and scientists and explorers and entire townships be wrong? All making the same misidentification? All confusing mythology with reality? Which, it’s important to point out, are not always diametrically at odds with one another.

“In other words, just because something is considered a myth or legend doesn’t mean it’s not based in science. Eyewitness accounts of giant squid, for instance, have been common among mariners since ancient times. They’re the basis for the Kraken and the Lusca and the Scylla, in Scandinavian, Caribbean, and Greek folklore respectively. Mythologies based on realities. And speaking of giant squid—despite being the largest invertebrate on Earth, it was only in 2004 that researchers in Japan snapped the first images of one. You’d think such a large animal would be hard to miss, wouldn’t you? But we must remember that most of our planet is covered with water—and only about five percent of that has been explored. Indeed, most of what we know about giant squid comes from dead carcasses that have floated to the surface and were found by fishermen. Now, imagine if giant squid were not solitary animals but social ones. Social animals like us that perform death rituals such as burying their dead. Intelligent animals like us that learn and adapt. Intelligent animals that have learned and adapted to keep far away from fishing nets—and encounters of any kind with humans.

“So if you ask me, yes, the universal misidentification of merfolk is hogwash. Merfolk do exist. Their mythology arose from the reality of their existence. Live specimens have been recorded in the past, and it was just a matter of time before they were recorded with modern technology. And that time is now.”

“And that’s a cut!” Fat Mike bellowed, heaving himself to his feet. “I knew you were the man for this doco, Double M! I just knew it! You’re going to be a smash hit, mate. People around the world are going to love you.”

∆∆∆

Marty woke at a little past midnight in the chair in front of his computer desk. A video he didn’t recognize was playing on YouTube. He remembered sitting down to watch the Netflix documentary, though he didn’t think he got through more than ten minutes before he passed out.

He slapped the laptop lid closed, shuffled below deck to the master stateroom, and flopped down on the antique four-poster bed. Despite being bone-weary and still drunk, he found it difficult to fall back asleep.

In the end, he tossed and turned into the early morning before waking at five a.m. to his radio alarm blasting AC/DC’s latest single. He cranked the volume and began packing a small carry-on.

Part 2