"I'm sorry sir. It's just-" Mr. Oliver fidgeted with his glasses, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Just what?"
"He specifically asked when we hired him that we not list his position. He didn't even want to give his name, but I convinced him it was necessary in order to put him on the payroll..."
"And you didn't find any of this suspicious?"
"Under the circumstances? No. No I didn't"
"What circumstances would make a man who doesn't want to give his name or have his job title be known not be suspicious?"
Mr. Oliver sighed. "In the circumstance that he is claiming to be able to turn himself into a mermaid at will?"
Eric laughed. "That's ridiculous? Why would you believe that?"
"Because." Mr. Oliver paused, "He showed us. The entire board of directors."
"You saw him turn into a mermaid?" Eric snorted sceptically.
"No. Not exactly. He wouldn't let us see the process... He made us provide him with a separate chamber adjacent to one of the show tanks and told us the deal was off if we tried to monitor him in any way."
"And you just agreed to these demands?"
"If you had seen him... You would have agreed as well."
"What is so spectacular about this man's mermaid act that you would allow all of these very, very suspicious behaviors? Didn't you think for one second that a man could find other uses for an unmonitored room than changing himself into a mermaid?" Eric was fairly livid with anger at this point.
"He wasn't in there for more than a minute. Then he just... appeared. As a mermaid." Mr. Oliver stood and stalked around the desk, looking up the extra foot to Eric's face, "It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And I don't regret it for a moment. The show this weekend is going to astound everyone."
The sudden show of bravery impressed Eric, even as it irritated him. He didn't need these peons getting ideas in their heads and standing up to him. Truly he had been too lax with discipline in running the aquarium.
"You're planning to show this... mermaid off this weekend?"
"Yes. Yes I am." Mr. Oliver said, face set firmly in defiance.
"And this requires the use of the unmonitored room again I assume?"
"Just what?"
"He specifically asked when we hired him that we not list his position. He didn't even want to give his name, but I convinced him it was necessary in order to put him on the payroll..."
"And you didn't find any of this suspicious?"
"Under the circumstances? No. No I didn't"
"What circumstances would make a man who doesn't want to give his name or have his job title be known not be suspicious?"
Mr. Oliver sighed. "In the circumstance that he is claiming to be able to turn himself into a mermaid at will?"
Eric laughed. "That's ridiculous? Why would you believe that?"
"Because." Mr. Oliver paused, "He showed us. The entire board of directors."
"You saw him turn into a mermaid?" Eric snorted sceptically.
"No. Not exactly. He wouldn't let us see the process... He made us provide him with a separate chamber adjacent to one of the show tanks and told us the deal was off if we tried to monitor him in any way."
"And you just agreed to these demands?"
"If you had seen him... You would have agreed as well."
"What is so spectacular about this man's mermaid act that you would allow all of these very, very suspicious behaviors? Didn't you think for one second that a man could find other uses for an unmonitored room than changing himself into a mermaid?" Eric was fairly livid with anger at this point.
"He wasn't in there for more than a minute. Then he just... appeared. As a mermaid." Mr. Oliver stood and stalked around the desk, looking up the extra foot to Eric's face, "It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. And I don't regret it for a moment. The show this weekend is going to astound everyone."
The sudden show of bravery impressed Eric, even as it irritated him. He didn't need these peons getting ideas in their heads and standing up to him. Truly he had been too lax with discipline in running the aquarium.
"You're planning to show this... mermaid off this weekend?"
"Yes. Yes I am." Mr. Oliver said, face set firmly in defiance.
"And this requires the use of the unmonitored room again I assume?"
