Dr. Plantet’s voice took a graver tone. “Ah, that!” He turned from Polly, to me. “Jeff, we humans, as we call ourselves, have been living for a few thousand years out of millions of centuries. We occupy and know only a tiny fraction of our globe. Yet we have the temerity to assume that what we do not see, does not exist. Other beings are here--human of form, like ourselves. They do exist! Doubtless in the last few thousand years since we came--from them perhaps--to inhabit the surface, they have forgotten us. But now they have remembered--discovered us.” His voice took on a sudden vehemence. “This is theory, speculation--call it what you will. But they couldn’t face me down in London--there is too much evidence. It’s nothing new to me, Jeff; I’ve always been speculating on it. Do you suppose that all the legends of our primitive peoples are founded upon nothing? It is not reasonable. From whence sprang the idea of a world of gods? Supermen. Beautiful women. The oceanids? Sea-nymphs--mermaids--beautiful sea-maidens because that was our human sex instinct to picture them that way. The gods--Titans--the personification of beautiful, virile manhood--that, the picture of them, was a human instinct, too, the outlet of primitive fancies, half fearful, half poetic. “But from whence came the basis of it? All legends of every one of our ancient peoples--all of them picture unknown beings, here with us upon our earth. Too universal to be a coincidence! Some of us say: ‘Why, those ignorant ancients saw the dugongs, with breasts like women, and called them women of the sea! Or saw seals, and thought them mermaids.’ It may be so--but it hardly explains so universal a similarity of legends. “For myself, I prefer to think that throughout the ages, this other race, this other civilization, has made occasional contact with ours. Perhaps their own legends tell of a great ethereal world of brightness with strange men like gods. Occasional, inevitable contact. You and Arturo saw what? A mermaid? If you had lived a few thousand years ago you might have built a legend around her--and sung some immortal song in her praise. Ah, Jeff, we have not advanced very far! They saw a mermaid on a beach in Micronesia last week; and if we let them alone--though this is 1990, Jeff--the newscasters would presently blaze out with doggerel verse about her. Where is the difference?” My head was whirling with it. Not his sarcastic gibes--but this thing, incredible, but proved by every detail of what had already happened. Facts not to be denied. Diversified happenings, so reasonless until the key piece was supplied! Ships drawn under. Ships, always food-laden.