“Maybe you can talk to donkeys, too," Dr. Milligan smiles. Emma nods. "I can sometimes Galen can be a jackass.""That hurts my feelings, Emma," Galen says, trying to look hurt.”

“The penguins love Emma. They waddle around, dive in and out of their pool, call out to her. She laughs. "They sound like donkeys!""Maybe you can talk to donkeys, too," Dr. Milligan smiles.Emma nods. "I can. Sometimes Galen can be a jackass.”

“What does that mean? Making out?" Galen says between bites. Emma puts her fork down. "It means, Galen, that you'll need to force yourself to kiss me. Like you mean it. For a long time. Think you can do that? Do Syrena kiss?" He tries to swallow the bite he forgot to chew. Force myself? I'll be lucky if I can stop myself.”

“Galen?”“Hmm?”“You can put me down now.”“I’m not ready yet.” He tightens his hold.“You don’t have to hold—““Emma? Can you hear me?”“Uh, yes. I can hear fine. I just can’t see—““That’s a relief. Because for a minute there, I thought maybe you didn’t hear me when I said I’m not ready yet.”“Jackass.”

“I said, you'll have to prove that I ran into you on purpose. That I meant to cause you harm. And besides, I checked with you at the time---" "Emma.""---and you said you didn't have injuries---""EM-MA""Did you hear me, Galen?" I turn around and yell at the remaining spectators in the hall as the bell rings. "CHLOE IS DEAD!”

“Why don't you ever call me my prince?" Galen says, feigning insult."Shut up, my prince. There, is that better?”

“Emma this is not a joke. Look at your hands! They're... they're... wrinkled!""Yes that's because-""No way. I'm not going down for this. This isn't my fault.""Toraf-""Galen will find some way to blame me though. He always does. 'You wouldn't have gotten caught if you didn't swim so close to that boat, tadpole.' No it couldn't be the humans fault for fishing in the first place-""Toraf.""Or how about. 'Maybe if you'd stop trying to kiss my sister, she'd stop bashing your head with a rock.' How does my kissing her have anything to do with her bashing my head with a rock? If you ask me, it's just a result of poor parenting-""Toraf.""Oh and my favorite: 'If you play with a lionfish, you're going to get pricked.' I wasn't playing with it! I was just helping it swim faster by grabbing its fins-""TOR-AF."He stops pacing along the water, even seems to remember that I exist. "Yes, Emma? What were you saying?”