Fred waved away his concern. “A silly misunderstanding that led to, uh, the sinking of his last boat.” At Thomas’s incredulous stare, she added, “But this one is much nicer than the Fiona. Bigger, prettier. Insurance paid for the whole thing, too.”

“Dr. Bimm.” O’Donnell had approached her carefully, like she was a rattlesnake. “Please go over there. Sit in that chair. Do not move from that chair until you need to throw up. Those are the circumstances that will allow me to overlook the fact that your name was nowhere on my paperwork for today’s runs.”

“No problem at all, Captain!” she said with a heartiness she didn’t feel. She was getting off lightly, and she knew it. He had the power to order anyone—even Dr. Barb—off his ship.

“Little Rika, what did you do?”

“A trifle. I swear!” She started to head to the chair, tripped over a coil of rope, and went sprawling. She would have skinned her nose on the deck if Artur hadn’t moved like lightning and caught her. “Uh, I hate to trouble you, but if you could carry me over to my assigned chair?”

“It would be my pleasure, Rika.” He set her down in the chair from which she wouldn’t move until the puking started. “There you are.”

“Thanks.” To Thomas: “Stop staring and close your mouth.”

“But—you’re a marine biologist.”

“I’m aware, Thomas.”

“But we’re only in the harbor.”

“I’m aware, Thomas!” She leaned over the railing and tossed the rest of her breakfast into the waves.

“Little Rika, how is it that you’re ill?”

“Seasick,” she groaned, and threw up again. Oh, this was just lovely. Just perfect. Two guys had weird crushes on her and she was sexily throwing up.

“But,” Thomas was hissing in her ear, “you’re a mermaid!”

“I. Am. Aware. Now get away from me unless you want some on your shoes.”

Thomas didn’t back away. Instead he leaned on the rail beside her and rubbed her back. “Why didn’t you take any Dramamine?”

“Because I metabolize it too quickly. I’d have to take forty for it to work and even then I don’t know if—urrgghh.”

“Fascinating. And disgusting,” he added.

Now there were two hands rubbing her back. “Little Rika, perhaps we should go back and do this tomorrow when you are not ill.”

“She’s not coming back tomorrow!” Captain O’Donnell yelled from his cabin, where he and the first mate were frantically counting life jackets, flame arresters, and visual distress signals.

“Not even if you paid me a million bucks,” she snapped back. Then, quietly, “It’s no good, Artur. The same thing would happen tomorrow.”

“Uh—how are you two going to get in with me without these guys seeing it?”