It took Fin thirteen swim lessons in Thomas' underground pool before she felt ready to answer Ellar's question: "sink or swim?". By the fifth lesson, she had successfully gone beneath the surface without taking in water through her nose and mouth. By the ninth lesson, she could hold her breath for almost a minute. And finally, on the thirteenth lesson, she had the best experience of all: she could get in the water without the tight knot of fear in her stomach. Up until that moment, she had continued swimming despite the knot, but now she could swim and splash and kick with total freedom. She could finally have fun.This was Fin's first experience in doing something totally on the hope that it would turn out well in the end. Much much later, when Fin became a grownup and people would compliment her on her diligence and trusting spirit, she would just smile and remember her lessons in swimming.
Thomas and Fin faithfully reported to Ellar at 4:13 exactly two weeks from the day that he had asked Fin the ultimate question. On this mild March afternoon when he popped his head above the surface, Fin promptly answered: "I think I'd like to swim...please."
"Very well, then," Ellar said, nodding after the "please" which Fin only remembered to give when Thomas nudged her. Ellar edged closer to the bank to issue the next few orders. "Do not worry about removing shoes and socks and all that sort. You'll find when you enter the water with someone like me..." Here he paused and took a small bow. "Ahem, as I was saying, when you travel with me you will find that the water will not get you wet. However, do NOT forget that all its other properties still apply and you must never never take the business of swimming lightly."
Fin and Thomas nodded solemnly, though Thomas had to hide behind Fin for a moment to stifle a laugh.
"Now, if you please, kindly immerse yourself into river up to your shoulders, but no further."
Fin and Thomas found themselves in the very center of the river. Despite her new-found swimming skills, Fin did not like the fact that the banks seemed so far away on either side and that she could not see her feet in the murky waters. To keep the knot of fear away, she decided to look only at Ellar and pretend that she was still standing on solid ground. This wasn't as hard as you may think, since she did not feel the wetness of the swirling waters.
"Now, on the count of three, you must both swim towards me and KEEP SWIMMING no matter what happens. Do you both understand?" They nodded.
Thomas whispered to Fin, "What do you think he means by that last bit?" But before she had time to respond Ellar was off and they were dog-paddling in his wake.
It was rather pleasant after a while, as the sun came out from behind the clouds and as long as Fin kept her head above water, she could hear the birds chirping and the breeze blowing just as it had on the first fishing day with Thomas. She did not know how long they had been swimming when the change happened. In the beginning, Fin just thought that they had begun to swim faster. The wind had picked up and the trees along the bank seemed to be passing by at a quicker pace. But when she looked back at her arms and legs and then at Thomas', they seemed to be moving at the same speed. Even Ellar's tail swished in the same leisurely motion.
The change wasn't very noticeable at first until the wind was so loud that she had to shout when she asked Thomas what was going on. He didn't answer, but instead nodded toward the trees which were now going by so fast that they were one big green blur. It felt like they were on the moving walkway in the airport where you could whiz by people who weren't moving with you. Thomas reached out and grabbed Fin's hand.
Just when they couldn't go any faster and Fin was about to cry out for help, everything stopped. Fin and Thomas found themselves standing in the middle of a very still and shallow pond staring at a very thin man who was sitting amidst the tall grass directly in front of them. Fin felt Thomas squeeze her hand beneath the water.
"Who are you?" said Thomas as Fin glanced frantically around for signs of Ellar. The thin man stood so that they could see that he was very tall. He wore a gray suit and silver glasses. He walked to the edge of the water and held out his hand, but still he did not speak.
"What have you done with our friend?" Fin said, looking around for a way to escape. But the pond was so small that she could not imagine how they would get back the same way they came.
"Your friend?" The man asked with a small smile.
"Yes, our friend, Ellar." Thomas replied, moving forward towards the man. Fin couldn't be sure, but she thought he was trying to be intimidating. This would have been more impressive if he hadn't tripped on a rock beneath the surface and fallen into a sitting position.
"I have never had a friend before." The tall man said, kneeling to help Thomas on to the bank. As he moved, his glasses caught a glint of sunlight and reflected rays of multicolored light in all directions.
"Ellar?" Fin whispered. She looked the man up and down, noticing for the first time that the grayness of his suit was the exact grayness of Ellar's scales and he was just as tall and thin as Ellar had been long and slender. Her friend and fish had become a man.
He smiled, made a small bow, and held out his other hand to her. "Welcome to Animal Land, my dear."