"The ways and habits of the undersea fish are of great interest to me," said the man in the bowler hat. "I assure you, I have written several monographs on the subject, and I feel that my presence would be of benefit to your expedition to the seas of Europa."

I paused, trying to think of the right way to put my rejection. His suit was of good quality, as was his hat, and the eye that I could see enlarged through his monocle seemed very serious. He was not the first rich hobbyist who had approached us, but he was perhaps the first who did not pretend to skills that he did not have. A monograph, after all, was not a highly demanding task.

"I should also mention," the bowler-hatted gentleman said coolly, "that I am a 40 percent shareholder in Flying Fish Ships, Ltd. I say this because I fully understand that all members of the expedition must be able to contribute in ways more practical than simply drawing a few sketches and writing a good line of description."

Since he'd taken the words right out of my mouth, I floundered.

"I believe," he said, "that money and equipment is a very practical contribution indeed."


Inspiration: "Another Fish Story" by Daniel Merriam, from my Art of Dreams calendar.
Story potential: Confusing.
Notes: I don't think this plot is inherently compelling, but it is rare that the voice of a story leaps so readily to my fingers. So to speak.