The root of her unease quite escaped her, but she listened to her instincts. Through a natural internal mechanism, she adjusted her buoyancy, allowing her body to sink down into a space between two large rocks. She gripped their rough sides with her hands to keep herself stationary. Her only movement was in her hair which drifted from side to side, matching the swaying of the kelp overhead. Hopefully, she would blend in with the various seaweeds and anemones that covered each rock face.
Oddly, the two men did not seem interested in spotting the mermaid. Instead, they studied the tank itself. One of the men looked like he was leading the other around, explaining things much like the woman had done for the group of visitors earlier. The other man nodded periodically. Both men swept their light sticks toward each window, causing bright beams of light to lance through the waters over Princess's head. After making their way around much of the accessible sides of the tank, they finally stepped closer. When they were inches from the glass, the microphones began to pick up their voices.
"So how thick is this glass, anyway?" Asked one man, tapping on one pane with a knuckle.
"About twenty three inches. It's the largest tank in the place, and there's a whole lot of water in there."
"Gives her a lot of room to move around, hm."
"Yep. The scientists figured it'd be a good idea."
"Unfortunately, the size of the tank does present a few challenges for us. We may need a bit more time."
"Suit yourself. It's your money. Anyways, you know where to find me. Long as I keep my head down, I ain't going anywhere. And neither is she." The man speaking checked his watch. "We've gotta cut this meeting short. Boss'll be making the rounds in a short while. C'mon. You'd better take the back exit."
With that, they moved away, and their voices faded out.
Princess had no clue what to make of this. Still, the whole thing disturbed her. Those two men were up to something, she felt sure. It made her feel helpless, threatened, and it frustrated her that she could not even place the reason. Whatever it could be, something had to be done. But what?
