After Chief Al’s men were done searching the wreck for clues, Raam was able to relax. He escorted Marvin and Chief Al to a small dining area that was the original galley of the boat and offered his new guests some kelp tea. Marvin was dying for some crab cocktail, but he begrudgingly obeyed one of the primary rules from The Book of Ocean Etiquette: never eat a crustacean in front of another crustacean.
You see, Marvin was one of the few creatures in the ocean that still complied with The Book of Ocean Etiquette, and he had vowed to obey its rules as a matter of principle. Unfortunately, the book’s adherents were gradually disappearing due to their being eaten. It turns out that, despite Marvin’s wish to the contrary, good manners cannot delay death in the ocean. And the ocean is very practical.
“So, Raam,” Chief Al began, “Do you have any idea who could have done this? Got any enemies?”
“Me? No! I couldn’t imagine!” said Raam, obviously shocked by the question. “I mean, my musicals haven’t been doing as well lately, so I have a few irritated producers, but they are all so successful otherwise, I would think they would have bigger fish to fry.”
Marvin pondered this information. Maybe his musicals weren’t doing well because they were…musicals, in the ocean.
Chief Al persisted. “Anyone you know more personally that could perhaps be holding a grudge?”
“Well,” Raam reflected, “A couple of months ago, I did have to pass on casting Gustav in my latest musical. He’s been in almost all of them over the past few years, but this time he wasn’t right for the part. I mean, no one would believe a barracuda was a sea anemone in tragic, unrequited love with a conch. It’s hard to tell how well he took the news – he’s always so rigid.”
“Where can I find Gustav?” Chief Al asked.
“Usually he is hanging out under catamarans in the shallows. But if he isn’t there, he’s in Manny’s place, The Seady Bar, hovering and staring at people. You know, he —”
Raam was interrupted by a terrible gagging noise. Susie, who had been inching along the boat’s floor, looking for clues, suddenly stood upright on two of her legs and spit something out.
“What is this?” Chief Al excitedly examined the pink bit of cloth.
“There it is!” Raam exclaimed. “That’s Poppy’s missing bow!”
“Who’s Poppy?”, asked Marvin.
“She’s my girlfriend. I wouldn’t make her a suspect. She couldn’t have stolen the bracelet or the lions – she has no exoskeleton. She’s all softness and water, just how I like ‘em. She needs that bow so people don’t mix her up with her brother, Pip. Oh, I must get it back to her!,” Raam frantically explained. “She gets so upset when people think she’s Pip. He has such a bad reputation!”
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