Aaron was still staring nervously at Lace, though part of that may have been the way her hair only partially covered her breasts. “Can I vote? I'd vote for you.”

Lace smiled sweetly at the boy. “Aww, aren't you sweet! But probably not. Have you spent more than 79.54 percent of your life on or in the ocean in the last five years?”

Aaron gulped. “I've been a cabin boy for his Highness for 4 months.”

David rolled his eyes. “I told you knock off that Highness nonsense.”

Lace smiled at them both. “Probably not then, unless you were a fish before that.”

“No, ma'am. Pa is a cooper, ma'am.”

“A useful skill, that,” Lace replied. “We use barrels too. Though we mostly get them off wrecks. What made you decide to come to sea rather than take up coopering?”

“Four older brothers, ma'am.” Aaron blushed.

Both Lace and David nodded with understanding.

David ventured to bring the subject back to politics. “79.54 is an awfully specific number.”

“I'm pretty sure it was set for getting the sea lions in but keeping the polar bears out. I don't know, it was before I got really active. It's all politics.”

“Of course. Well, I hope we aren’t keeping you. We should probably get back on course so we don't get back to Gillik so late we attract attention,” David said with a sigh.

“Thanks again for the glass,” Lace told him sincerely. “Though I hope you don't get in trouble for giving up something so valuable.”

David just shook his head. “I'm sure it's fine. I will sail along this route again in a couple of days, maybe I'll call again?”

“Sure. It just might take me a while to get here, I have a meeting off the Andi Shoals tomorrow morning,” Lace told him.

The captain just shrugged. “No problem if you can't. It's not far off my route.”

“OK, see you later then.” She took the fruit crate full of glass and sank beneath the surface with it, surrounded by a sheet of bubbles as the air in the crate fought to stay behind.

***

“Should we reduce sail, Captain? Wouldn't want to outrun your friend.” The bosun stood next to his Captain as they both peered over the side of the ship, looking for signs of mermaids.

“I had to look up where the Andi Shoals were. They are north of here enough it would take me a week to sail there. I'm sure she can keep up. Have Aaron keep watch and send me word if she appears, then you can cut speed so it’s easier to talk. She did say she might not make it.” David returned to his calculations until a sailor came to fetch him.

Aaron was down in the dingy, telling Lace about a pirate raid he'd read about in port. All of a sudden he was obsessed with pirates, and was asking Lace if she knew any. She was listening politely.

David swung himself over and climbed down the ladder, after instructing the mate of the watch to take in sail. “Hello again, Lace! How was your meeting?”

“Ugg! It was awful. So annoying. So many plans are screwed up now. Stupid greedy parliamentary jerks!” The mermaid bared her sharp teeth at no one in particular.

“Uh oh. That doesn't sound good.”

“I hope you have more glass for me because I don’t mean to seem greedy myself but they really pulled a whammy on us. They changed the percentage requirements, so now not only are those darn bears in but so are walruses and more importantly so are the dratted penguins! And there are millions of penguins, and they all seem to be on the parliament's side! The bears probably won't even show up to vote, but they made it so the penguins can send representatives, so they don't have to get too warm. The whole thing is a play to swing the vote. Arg! So annoying!” She slapped her tail on the water in frustration, splashing everyone around, but they didn't dare complain.

David sat and listened to her rant patiently, but sent Aaron back to work before he got soaked. He did ask for the newest crate of glass to be sent down, but Lace seemed more interested in venting her anger than in gifts right at the moment. David didn't blame her; above the surface was probably one of the few places she could complain like this and not be overheard. Well, not by anyone or anything that could do anything about it. Finally, she ran out of energy and dropped her head to her arms, which were looped over the sides of the dingy in her usual conversation posture, and sulked.

David let her sulk in silence for a few minutes, then tried to tempt her with the glass. She perked up a bit at some of the prettier bits, but not enough to come out of her funk. She didn’t seem to be leaving though, either. David could hold the ship near idle for a long time, but not forever.

“What is the new regulation number, if I may ask?” It was a calculated risk, bring the subject back up, but maybe he could turn it into motivation for her.

Lace pouted. “66.14%. What a stupid number.”

“Surely there are species included now that weren't before, which YOU could use, though?” David asked.

“Ehh. We talked about it. A lot more of the birds are in now, but they LIKE the storms and don't care a fig for merfolk/human politics and trade. Heck, most of them don't care about politics at all, and getting them to come around in time for the vote would take a miracle," she replied.

“When is the vote?”

“Full moon.” Lace dropped her head again and sighed. “We were so close.”

David tried to sound sympathetic. “Now now, don't panic. Maybe the penguins aren't as solidly parliamentarian as you think?”

“Pfft.” The mermaid was in no mood to be cheered up. “No, they are solidly bought, I suspect. They wouldn’t risk it if they weren't sure which way they would vote. I wonder what they promised them. We did send a few people to talk to them and see, but no word yet.”

“Merfolk?”

“No. Blue whales. We don't go into that cold unless we have to, same for a lot of species. And sending seals or an orca pod would probably be taken wrong.” That got a smile out of at least as her sense of humor restored itself.

David chuckled at the image to encourage her, though he had only seen penguins in drawings and had no idea what seals or orca had to do with anything.

Lace slapped the water with her tail again. “I'm not sure how to go talk to the bears. Oh well, I guess it isn't my problem. Sheesh. They get huge flocks on their side and we MAYBE get an endangered species that is reclusive and won't talk to anyone. Lucky us.” She glanced up at David, who was wiping water off his face from her angry splashing. “Hey, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to dump on you. You have been a seriously great friend. I used you as an example of how nice humans could be at the meeting, by the way. Hope you don't mind. I didn't tell them you were related the King.”

“No, I don't mind. Don't forget your glass,” the prince told her with a smile.

“Thanks. See you later?” Lace asked.

“Feel free to hail me anytime,” David replied.

“Same to you," Lace answered with a genuine smile.

“Good luck!”

Lace just sighed, took care to sink the crate first this time and let the bubbles settle before she dunked her head under water, explaining “They got up my nose last time.”