See Those Legs Up There

It's dive number two, from the Georgette, in the Recherche Archipelago.

Gaius has turned on the camera.

He has lowered Baby Pierre and the camera into the water, on the string.

He has tumbled in backwards gracefully, as before, and is hovering at eighteen metres, hoping for a significant capture.

A leafy sea dragon floats by.

Gaius ignores it.

Baby Pierre has stopped at forty eight metres. This time he can see by the light of the camera.

The chimaera fulva rises from the darkness below him.

Hello jail bait, says the chimaera fulva.

I'm not BAIT, says Baby Pierre. You are.

Hrch! says the chimaera. Got your camera working? Take my picture.

Baby Pierre points the camera. He photographs the chimaera fulva. His thin deciduous skin, silvery pink to pale brownish in colour, his short dorsal spine, his long claspers.

How do I look? asks the chimaera.

Ugly, says Baby Pierre.

Relative to what? asks the chimaera.

To what I'm looking for, says Baby Pierre. A ruby sea dragon. Have you seen one?

I know one, says the chimaera. Why are you looking?

See those legs up there, says Baby Pierre. That's Gaius. He's a natural historian. He's trying to spot one.

Hrch! says the chimaera. So it's for science?

Yes, for science, says Baby Pierre.

Wait here, says the chimaera.

Baby Pierre waits for what seems like minutes.

The water is cold.

His camera is rolling.

A maroon coloured sea dragon appears darting towards him. O magic!

Above him, Gaius tugs on the string.

........

On board the Georgette everyone crowds round the camera.

What's this one? says Gaius.

A chimaera, says Captain Ed. They're commonly caught by the deepwater trawlers.

Gaius turns pale.

A chimaera!

What's up? says Mary-Margaret. You look awfully pale.

It's nothing,says Gaius. Perhaps we should call it a day though. This may be an omen.

What nonsense, says Mary-Margaret.

You may think so, says Gaius.

I do think so, says Mary-Margaret.

Look at this one! says Andrew Dempster. What is it?

That's the ruby sea dragon! says Baby Pierre. I TOLD you.

The ruby sea dragon! Let me see! says Gaius.

He looks at the picture.

So it's true. There are ruby sea dragons down there.

Now all that remains is to catch one.

........

Dive three.

Baby Pierre is once again suspended at forty eight metres by string.

He is holding a net, borrowed from the fishing tackle box on board the Georgette.

It's difficult.

He can hear the sound of one chimaera growling.

Hrch!

And one ruby sea dragon laughing.

ah ha ah ha oh ah oh Didier!

Didier! So that's his name.

Information like that could turn out to be useful for science.