It was eerie biking around the harbor. Murray and Cassie led the way, and Ali pedaled hard to keep up. Every now and then she fell behind, and they’d disappear into the mist, only to reappear so suddenly that Ali would almost crash into them. A foghorn’s plaintive call reminded Ali of Emily’s story about the women waiting for their husbands and sons to come home from sea. Thinking about how Emily was mad at her made Ali melancholy.

“My dad says that at least five ships are stuck in port, including a cruise ship,” Murray said. “The fog extends five miles into the Bay of Fundy, and all the way up the Kennebecasis River to Hampton. He said the whole world is talking about our fog. We’re famous!”

Ali shivered and pulled her windbreaker hood up over her head. She’d rather see the sun and be warm than famous.

There were no scientists on the beach today. In fact, the fog was so thick it took them a while to find the seals, whose gray forms were hard to differentiate from the rocks. When they finally spotted them, Ali was surprised to see only five. What had happened to the rest?

“You said there were a lot of them,” said Cassie, taking tentative steps forward.

“The rest must have gone back into the bay, unless they’re farther down the beach?”

“I’ll go check,” said Murray. Seconds later, he was swallowed up by the fog.

Cassie crouched down to watch the seals. “They’re beautiful.”

Ali took a seat on a nearby rock. “That one’s sick.” She pointed to the one in the middle of the herd, the blind one with the patchy coat. All of the seals appeared to be asleep.

“I hope the zoologist is helping it,” Cassie murmured.

Murray emerged from the mist. “I don’t see any more on the beach.” He smiled at Ali. “Will you do me a favor? Change into a seal. I’d like to really watch how you change. It’ll help me build my theory.”

“Your theory that the world will never know about,” reminded Ali.

Murray shrugged. “Whatever. My genius theory that the world will never know about until you give me permission to share it. Now will you please change?”

Since the beach was deserted, Ali dutifully became a seal, focusing on one of the healthier ones in the herd. She tried to move slowly, but once the change began in earnest, she discovered that her ability to control the speed was nonexistent. When she finished, she used her flippers to shuffle over to Murray.

“Can you understand me?” he asked her.

She bobbed her head and barked yes.

“Cool,” said Cassie, turning her attention away from the seals to look at Ali the seal. “She understands us perfectly, but sounds like a seal when she tries to speak to us.”