CLAY
What happened today?
MARION
They still want us to dive on Navarino, and a few of them are interested in reading my book.
CLAY
They’re calling Dad a thief, but they still want him to work for them?
MARION
The committees that want him to dive have different policies than those that want him in jail.
CLAY
Mom, I’ve got something to tell you.
MARION
What’s up?
CLAY
This is all my fault.
MARION
Clayton, what are you talking about?
CLAY
I did this. I caused all this.
MARION
This isn’t anybody’s fault. These people are just uptight. Once we get this straightened out, we’ll be able to forget all about it.
CLAY
No, Mom, listen, I think I caused this.
MARION
Clayton, stop.
CLAY
Mom, listen. I did. I told Aphrodite I was going to take something.
MARION
What were you going to take?
CLAY
I don’t know, anything, nothing, I wasn’t serious!
MARION
Clayton, relax, just tell me what happened.
CLAY
The night before... this... we were out at a bar, just talking. I said if I found anything, I wasn’t giving it up, I wasn’t going to tell anyone, just hide it away until we got back home.
MARION
Did you take anything?
CLAY
No! It was just talk, I didn’t mean anything. Somebody must have heard me. Dad is going to kill me!
MARION
Clayton, it’s not like that at all. These people have just been burned before. I found out yesterday that Peter Throckmorton was here a couple years ago with an American yachtsman who was stealing artifacts. Now Peter’s here on our ship, so of course they’re suspicious. I wish I knew about that beforehand. John Maytag thinks it’s that Dolphin movie with Sophia Lauren. It just got released here, so everyone is imagining American thieves at every dock. This isn’t anybody’s fault, Clayton, don’t worry. This can’t take much longer. The people at the Smithsonian have been calling every day to vouch for us. Somebody’s got to believe us eventually.
CLAY
But what if it is my fault?
MARION
They’re lucky they got my husband, if these people think they’re taking my son to jail, they’re going to have a fight on their hands.
CLAY
Thanks, Mom.
MARION
What did Didy have to say about all this?
CLAY
I haven’t talked to her. I went to her apartment a couple times, but nobody answered the door.
MARION
I suppose you can’t blame her. If she sticks with you through this, I’ll be willing to reconsider your marriage.
CLAY
Don’t worry about that, I was just being stupid.
MARION
You’re not stupid, you’re 18. You just need to keep in mind that your father and I were there once too.
CLAY
Yeah, Mom. Thanks.
MARION
All right, your father should be asleep by now, I’m going to lie next to him until dawn and try to convince myself this will be over soon.
CLAY
Night Mom.
MARION
Night.
CLAY
We didn’t have anyone on our side but our cook, John the Greek. When he signed on that summer, I’m sure he didn’t expect to find himself employed as an advisor, translator, and lawyer as well. Say what you will about his law-schooling, but it was nice to have a friend. He stayed on with us to Italy, and after that just remained the Sea Diver’s full-time cook. He always said he didn’t want to go back home after he saw what happened to us, but I have a feeling he was worried about the trouble he’d made for himself. On more than one occasion, court proceedings turned into a yelling match between John and the Judge. They ignored his repeated offers to lead them through Sea Diver and search every chamber for stolen goods. He knew as well as any of there was nothing incriminating. We’d logged, photographed, and turned over every artifact we brought to the surface. The only amphorae on board had been given to Dad by the government as a souvenir, but they still demanded we show them our stamped and sealed permission to keep it time and time again. On a brighter note, they all loved Mom’s book. It took almost a month before the police played their trump card.
MAN-IN-SEA
Cast of Characters:
LINK
An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.
ED
As Link remembers himself.
MARION
Ed’s wife.
CLAY
Ed and Marion’s second son.
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