Captain Miniature and the Red Moll Conundrum

The Sea Sapphire

Carey's narrative continued for Amy's benefit, but for reader simplicity, it is presented here as a flashback with the dialogue intact.

"How many have you eaten?" asked Ivan.

"I only ever caught one, along with two girls, but I let them go," said his girlfriend's mother, "My mother lives not far from here, and she's cut down their male line a lot in this generation. She's been very successful in diving for them with nets and then eating them on the rocks when nobody's around."

"No wonder they needed me to partner with," said Ivan, "But I'm in love with your daughter and I'd never leave her for them."

"You're very sweet, and she's been lucky to have spent these last few months with you," said the mother, "But you do realise that you've taken on the flavour and characteristics of the Ocean Mites. If my daughter knew about it, she would undoubtedly want you for her first Ocean Mite meal, regardless of whatever you two have felt for each other up until now. I won't let her find out what's happened to you though."

"Thank you," said Ivan, not sure if it was such a good thing.

"I should really thank you," said the mother, "I have a friend coming over for morning tea, but after she's gone, I'm going to eat you myself."

"Really?" asked Ivan.

"You're in exactly the same boat as the Ocean Mites now. Nobody else knows about you, and you taste the same as they do."

"Well I'm not in any position to say no, and your mouth looks nice like your daughter's. So I won't give you any attitude about it. I'll just have to go to your belly without her ever finding out."

"Thanks for being so sweet about it," she said, "I'll be as nice as I can about swallowing you too."

She took him inside and emptied a large bag of chips into a low bowl, picked him up and lowered him into an open half used box of tissues.

"You can lie softly on them until Carey's gone," said the mother and then heard the doorbell ring.

While his girlfriend's mom answered the door, Ivan quickly climbed out of the tissue box and into the bowl. He hid himself beneath the chips and waited until his captor took the chips to the table. He remained concealed as each woman occasionally took a chip from the bowl and munched on it.

"I just want to check on something in the kitchen," said the mother at last, and left the room.

Ivan quickly revealed himself and hurriedly explained his entire situation and everything he'd learned, to Carey. In fact it was this explanation, which had given Carey the knowledge that she was now sharing in the present with Amy and the Marine Musician.

Carey concealed Ivan in her pocket and waited for the mother to return, guessing correctly that the woman had gone to see how Ivan was feeling and found him missing and tried unsuccessfully to find and recapture him. As long as she didn't guess that he had hidden in the chips, their ruse would work.

The mother soon came back looking slightly perturbed.

"I've lost something important in the kitchen, and I really need to concentrate to find it," she said, "Will you be able to see yourself out, Carey?"

"Sure, I understand," said Carey, who understood better than the mother realised.

Carey took Ivan back to her shop and put him on the table.

"I don't know what to do now," said Ivan, "Both my girlfriend and her mother would want to eat me."

"You'll have to flee far into the ocean," said Carey, "The mother knows of your shrunken existence, and she'll never stop hunting you. The daughter would be just as enthusiastic."