Gerard's a Halfling. He's the son of a mermaid and a sailor, and his new home is Cantonsville. He spends most of his days swimming, or watching the boats, or visiting the beach café. Frank's by the seaside for the summer, working as a waiter in his grandparents' café. He watches the boats, the surfers and the swimmers, and he's amazed by one of the regulars, a small, raven-haired boy with a cheeky grin and webbed fingers, who swims like a fish.