When they were satisfied with the location, Arin dropped anchor. Hutch was happy that the water was calm. She wasn’t excited at the prospect of diving to the bottom, but she couldn’t stay on the boat and watch the two guys do everything.

Arin talked for a few seconds, and Ken translated. “He just wants to know where it is.”

She and Ken used the ladder to ease themselves into the water. Arin dove in smoothly, barely making a splash. When Hutch went under, she was glad that the bottom was visible. It wasn’t especially clear, but in any case, the lander wasn’t there. They spread out. Arin, to no one’s surprise, was much more at home in the water than either of the humans.

Hutch saw nothing. She surfaced, farther from the boat than she’d expected, took a deep breath, and went back under. She saw a few fish, and something dark moving across the bottom. But whatever it was, it didn’t seem to show any interest in her.

She went wide around it and extended her search, with again no results. Finally, she returned to the boat. Ken came up as she reached the ladder. “Anything?” she asked.

“No. No sign of it.”

She climbed onto the deck and scanned the surface for Arin. Ken joined her. “Last time I saw him, he was back there,” he said, glancing aft. There was no sign of him anywhere.

“Where is he?” she asked.

Ken went back into the ocean. Hutch watched him head east, into deeper water. She wanted to get back in and help, but she had a problem: The swimsuit was a baggy monstrosity that kept getting in the way. Finally, she climbed out of it and dived into the water. She stayed under for about a minute but saw nothing. She went back up for air.

It was taking too long. She dove, rose again, dove again, looking desperately in all directions. Where the hell are you, Arin? Finally, she returned to the yacht. Ken was on board. As she approached the ladder, Arin surfaced in the distance. Ken waved in her direction and then apparently saw her clothes lying in a pile on the deck. He turned his back while she climbed the ladder and got dressed. “You’re one of the great men of our time, Ken,” she said.

Arin took his time coming in. If he’d noticed Hutch’s clothing issue, he gave no indication. “Where’ve you been?” Hutch said when he finally arrived. “I thought you’d drowned.”

Momentary confusion filled Arin’s eyes and then mutated into a broad smile. He tried to explain.

“He says he didn’t realize we were air-breathers.”

“Ken, he’s an air-breather.”

“He has gills, too. I guess. He says he can breathe in the water.”

“Great.” Hutch looked sternly at Arin. “It would have been nice if you’d mentioned that to us.”