[It's a rubber ball.] George explained. [Here. Catch.]

He threw it at her. Instantly, lightning blazed, even as teeth the size of a wolfcat clamped down over it. [How primitive! What is the point of this… ball?]

[You seemed to be rather bored, so I thought I'd come play with you a bit.] George shrugged. [Want to throw it back to me?]

[Hmmpfh! As if such mundane activity should be considered enjoyable by one such as I!] she snorted, and shot the ball back at him with a blast of lightning.

"Guwaah!" George fell over, knocked back by the impact of the ball on top of being thoroughly zapped with the lingering electrical charges from being too close to the blast.

[George? Human? h.e.l.lo?] Deepsilver inspected George. [What happened to your hair? Why is it standing on end? Is that a defensive response?]

George coughed once, weakly. [The George Human is currently unavailable. Please try again tomorrow.]

Then, he pa.s.sed out.

***

"How's the negotiations with Deepsilver going?" Tim asked Mindy.

"It's going well, I think. We haven't been attacked so far." Mindy shrugged.

"Emergency!" Joshu rushed in, carrying a charred figure in a sorry condition. "Phoebe! Medical emergency! It's George!"

"You were saying?" Tim shook his head. "George! What happened to you?"

"I played ball with Deepsilver." George coughed. "It was a shocking experience."

"NOW, do we blast the lake?" Mindy asked.

"No, no. It was my mistake." George managed. "I need… rubber gloves. And a whole suit."

Then he pa.s.sed out again.

***

The next day, it was Tim who met Deepsilver rather than George.

[You want to play ball, too?] Deepsilver asked.

[Uh… no thanks.] Tim offered her some cooked meat. [I was wondering if you'd like this kind of cooking better.]

[Oh? It smells different.] Deepsilver sniffed.

[I tried a few different spices. Let me know how it tastes.] Tim said modestly.

Deepsilver chugged the meat down in one gulp, and…

[UWAAAH!] BOOM! Lightning blazed all over the place. [Too spicy! TOO SPICY! What did you do?]

[I just… tried… Sand People cuisine.] Tim managed, charred all over with his hair standing on end.

Then, he pa.s.sed out too.

***

"Tim's going to bring food to Deepsilver?" George asked, from his infirmary bed.

"Yeah. He's cooking it himself." Mindy a.s.sured him.

"Oh, that's good. I can relax, then."

Joshu burst in the door carrying a charred and sorry figure. "Emergency! Phoebe! Medical emergency!"

"You were saying?" Mindy shook her head.

"Tim! What happened to you?" George asked, with a gasp.

"I tried to show off my cooking skills to Deepsilver." Tim coughed. "Then she showed off her cooking skills in return."

"Really? What did she cook?" George asked.

"Me." Tim said, and pa.s.sed out again.

***

The next day, Mindy met Deepsilver at the lake.

[Hey, um, Deepsilver? Can you not zap me, please? I'm not as tough as the boys.] Mindy requested.

[Hmm? There is a difference?] Deepsilver peered at her, the electrical currents dimming a little.

[Well, I am a girl. I am female.] Mindy explained.

[Ah. Are you a mate of George, or Tim?] Deepsilver queried.

[No, no, neither. We are still too young for that.] Mindy answered quickly.

[You are still a child?]

[Yes! That's it, exactly!]

Deepsilver paused, lowered her head, then said, [I am also still a child.]

Mindy gulped. [Where are your parents?]

[My parents? Far away. Far in the great, deep sea.] Deepsilver said, with a tone of loneliness.

[But you're here? What happened?] Mindy asked.

[I was born here, like all my siblings. One day, when I am fully grown, I will join them in the sea. But not now. Not yet.]

Mindy began to understand. The Black Depths lake, as far as Deepsilver and her kin were concerned, was just a nesting pool. It was where they laid their eggs and their young hatched. [Are your siblings still there with you?]

[No.] Deepsilver's sad tones increased. [They are gone, now. Some of them tried to explore the river north. Others got too close to the surface at the wrong time. Only I stayed in the depths, stayed hidden, and in the depths I have remained, until now. Only I survive.]

[That's… so sad.] Mindy mourned. The river north of the Black Depths was the territory of the giant crocodiles, at least until Mikai and the East Side had dropped on them.

Sharing that heartfelt moment with Mindy, Deepsilver nuzzled her with some affection.

"Guwaaah!" Mindy fell over, blackened, with her hair standing on end.

***

"Do you think she's all right?" George asked Tim, both of them lying in infirmary beds.

"She should be. She's smart." Tim answered.

Janice burst in, carrying a charred and sorry-looking figure. "Medical Emergency! Phoebe! HELP!"

"You were saying?" George grunted.

"Mindy! What happened?" Tim gasped.

"Oh, we had a moment." Mindy answered. "She's really very lonely. We were becoming friends."

"With friends like these, who needs enemies?" Tim shook his head.

"Hah…" Mindy snorted a laugh, and then pa.s.sed out.

***

The following day, Max went to bring meat to Deepsilver.

He was wearing rubber armor now, rushed over from Fal'Herim by military-grade airs.h.i.+p. Rubber gloves, rubber helmet, everything had been carefully adjusted and modified by Arnold.

"Hey, there, Lady of the Lake!" he greeted her as she rose out of the depths. "I bring you a peace offering."

[You mean, you're paying me tribute to prevent me from destroying you all.] Deepsilver sniffed.

"Looking at the condition of the three who came before me, you seem to be destroying us anyway." Max pointed out.

[Is that why you came dressed like a rubber ball?]

"Pretty much." Max nodded.

[Does it really protect you from my electricity?] she asked, interested.

"It should. I think."

[Let's try and see.]

***

"Emergency! Phoebe! Medic!!"

"Max?! What happened to you?"

"Equipment test. Don't ask."

He pa.s.sed out too.