“Peter does trust me. We’re old friends.” James could see the mermaids didn’t believe him, and he couldn’t blame them; he wasn’t sure he believed his own words. “And if he doesn’t, then I am sure he will soon. I will prove to him I am his friend.”

The mermaids laughed. “Is that what you think you’re doing here, James? Making friends?”

James wished he had just stayed back at the ship. With every encounter he had in Never Land he felt more alone, and the mermaid was right—he was there to make friends, but now he felt foolish for thinking Peter or anyone in Never Land would embrace him as such. He had spent his life alone, he had no friends growing up except for Mr. Smee, he didn’t have time for them, and the few people he did try to get to know didn’t understand him or his obsession with Never Land. Now he was starting to wonder if he had wasted his life, and missed opportunities because his entire focus growing up was finding Never Land again, and now he was an adult and no one there liked him. It was like he was the villain of a fairy tale, the dreaded pirate, and that was not the role he wanted to play in this story. He wanted to talk to Circe, even if it meant facing her disappointment in him.

“You have no friends here, James, with no way home. You might as well see if you can find your way back through the labyrinth. If you listen closely you can hear all the mothers of the Lost Boys crying for their sons, endlessly searching for them,” said the dark-haired mermaid. “Their mournful song carries on the wind to our lagoon.”

“Where is this place?” asked James.

“You should remember. You wandered in there. That is how your mother found you so many years ago,” said the impish mermaid, laughing at him.

“Tell me where it is!” he demanded, getting angry. “Don’t play games with me.”

“It’s hidden, of course. Peter doesn’t want the other Lost Boys wandering in lest they be claimed as well,” said the fair-haired mermaid.

“Then why was I allowed into the labyrinth?” demanded James.

“That is a question for Peter,” said the bunny-faced mermaid.

“You lie!” said James. “Peter didn’t send me away!” He turned his little boat around to leave the lagoon.

“Believe as you like, James. But if you want to know the truth you simply have to listen carefully, and follow the sounds of the Heartbroken, and you will find the labyrinth.”

“Poppycock!”