Like a Rock to Water

“It’s easy,” says the one with the gills and webbed toes. His name is Gilbert, and he doesn’t know why everyone laughs when they first hear it.

“Are you sure you know what ‘easy’ means?” Miranda asks. She is of a shapely and attractive form, but she is also made of solid marble, enchanted statue or golem or some such creation.

“Sure, just one arm over the other,” Gilbert explains, “and you let your swim bladder do the rest.”

“I don’t have a regular bladder, much less a swim one,” Miranda says. “What about the bridge?”

Gilbert shakes his head disapprovingly.