"I would think so. There was fresh fish for our dinner tonight. I must say you are one of the few children I know who actually likes fish." The boy's grin widened.

"Oh, it's almost all I eat, sir!" With that, he left the room with the guard and Morgan's seneschal. Morgan turned to Derry with a wide grin.

"Well, Derry, are you going to tell me about your friend? Or should I not even ask?" Derry winced and shook his head.

"You wouldn't believe me, even if I did tell you." Moving back over to the table, he set the bag on it gently and stood looking at it. Morgan came up beside him.

"Aren't you at least going to open it?" he asked. Derry reached down and untied the top. Morgan picked up the ties and turned them over in his hand..

"Derry?" he said, puzzled. "Is this. seaweed?" Derry barely looked up from the bag he was opening.

"Probably," he said, and just as quickly realized he shouldn't have. "Syrene's people are. very close to the sea." Morgan raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"Well, let's see what you've got," he said. Derry pulled open the bag and reached inside. He pulled out a shell, bigger than a man's fist and a delicate pink in color. It resembled the shells sailors carved on their boats, being blown by mythical sea gods.