Chapter 22

Scrooge McDuck only gave Gyro one hour until he would be back at the lighthouse to interrogate the mermaid. Gyro knew that that wouldn't be enough time. He needed more than an hour to figure everything out. But it would be like hitting a brick wall to ask his employer for more time. However there was another way.

Lil' Bulb did more than just spy on his intern. The little device was capable of sabotage as well. And there were so many things that could go wrong between the McDuck Mansion and the lighthouse.

After sending his invention off on its mission, Gyro turned to the mermaid. "Alright, this is going to be interesting. You have a lot to tell me, but you can't talk. Let's get to work."

Gyro went up to the top of the tank with a pen and paper, only to find out what Fenton did, that the mermaid knew nothing of writing.

"Of course. How can a society that lives under the sea learn how to write?" Gyro said with a sigh. "And I don't suppose you would know how to draw?"

The mermaid, who floated at the surface, shook her head.

"Well, now's the time to learn," Gyro said. "We're running out of time, and if you want me to help you, you're going to have to persuade me. Because I better have a good reason to betray Mr. McDuck."

The mermaid looked concern, tilting her head to the side. Either she didn't understand or she was sympathizing with Gyro.

Gyro demonstrated how to use the pen and paper, and handed them over to the mermaid. However, they came across their first trouble as the mermaid's feathers were soaking wet and saturated the paper quickly, which made the paper tear easily. Trying to dry the mermaid's hands would have fixed the problem, but it didn't seem realistic for the mermaid to keep them dry as long as she was in the tank. Gyro solved this problem by finding a dry erase board. Although the ink ran a little from the extra water and smudged, it worked out just fine.

Once the mermaid was given the board, she started drawing with very surprising skill. Through a mixture of her drawings, some gestures and a little charades, Gyro soon learned that the mermaid was not associated with the sorceress that Mr. McDuck was after. The mermaid drew a chilling picture of the sorceress with a dark tail with a spikey ridge and an evil grin. By the picture, the two could not be mistaken for one another. When asked if there were more mermaids, the answer was yes, although she would not say anything more about the others.

Gyro asked the mermaid her purpose in coming to Duckburg, and the mermaid quickly drew the familiar form of Fethry which Gyro recognized due to the duck's scraggly looks and always present beanie.

"You're here for Fethry?" Gyro asked.

The mermaid acted out as if she were looking for someone.

"You're searching for Fethry?" Gyro changed his question.

The mermaid put a finger to her beak, a gesture she quickly picked up from talking to Gyro.

"Hmmm. Why are you looking for Fethry?" Gyro asked.

This was a harder question to answer. The mermaid made it known that she had met Fethry long ago and had frequently met with him on a regular basis but five years ago he failed to show up at their usually meeting place. Since then, she had been looking for him.

Gyro frowned at this. He may not be very good at reading people's emotions or reading a situation, but he could tell that his intern was smitten by the mermaid. Most would be. She was quite attractive. Add the mystic of her being a mermaid and she was the perfect femme fatale. But it appears she already had her eyes set on Fethry. It was no wonder why she had been looking for him for five years.

Gyro was certain that his old intern would be crushed. That is, if things turned out fine. As the scientist thought this, he felt a chill run down his spine, like someone had walked across his grave as his Grandmother used to say. He didn't normally believe in premonition but he had a gut feeling that the future wasn't going to be all sunny days.

The mermaid continued her use of drawings and gestures, trying to explain something, but for the life of Gyro, he couldn't figure it out. The mermaid kept trying to draw something, but the end of the marker was fat and the board was small, and the details of her sketch were lost in the lines. The two of them continued to go back and forth, both frustrated that communication was being damned by a wall that neither one could breech. It wasn't until the mermaid made a simple drawing of an angular line going up and down that he finally guessed what she was making. It was the Duckburg skyline, or the best one could do on memory from the angle of the ocean.

"Duckburg?"

The mermaid splashed, relief on her face.

It was no wonder that Gyro had a hard time guessing and the mermaid couldn't draw it. As she had been confined to the ocean, she had limited knowledge and views of the city, and Gyro hadn't recognized the city from her POV. Thinking back on her previous drawings, they now made sense.

"Okay, so what about Duckburg?" Gyro asked.

The mermaid hit the board, her wet hand spraying droplets of salt water and causing the ink to run.

This didn't take Gyro long to figure out. "Yes, we know that Duckburg is in danger. That is the epi-point of all of this. And Mr. McDuck believes that you have something to do with it."

The mermaid quickly erased the drawing of Duckburg and began sketching quickly, her technique not so refined. On one side of the board, she drew a mermaid, the sorceress easily recognized by the spikes and wicked grin, then filled the board with quick sketches of generic mermaids. Then she drew a line, dividing the board in half.

"So, there are mermaids who sided with the sorceress and others who are against her," Gyro said.

The mermaid nodded. Then she pointed to herself and then to the other mermaids that were opposing the sorceress.

"You are not an ally of the sorceress," Gyro said.

Another nod. And through more gestures and drawings, Gyro found out that the mermaid had come to help.

"But how? And what about the other mermaids, the ones that are your allies?" Gyro asked. "Are the others coming to help? And do you know where the sorceress is?"

The mermaid tried to answer these questions, but once again they ran into a block of understanding. Nothing the mermaid did or drew made any sense to Gyro. In the end, she started drawing circles on the board and pointing to it over and over again. Gyro guessed all the things he could think of that were round, but he was wrong every time.

"We're wasting time," Gyro finally said. "What else? What else can we do? We need something to convince Mr. McDuck that you're on his side."

"Convince me of what?"

Gyro spun around at the voice, nearly falling off the platform next to the tank. "Mr. McDuck. You're…you're here."

"Aye, and not without a lot of effort," Scrooge said, walking slower than usual. He also looked unkempt and unruffled. His top hat was askew and there was a bend in his cane. "I had a bit of trouble trying to get here."

"That's unfortunate," Gyro said, looking at the clock. It had been almost three hours since they last spoke. Lil' Bulb had given him two extra hours. "I suppose there's nothing I can say to convince you to not go on with your interrogation at this moment?" He looked to the mermaid, who had not gone back under the water.

She looked afraid, her body trembling a bit, but she remained still. Her eyes were locked on Scrooge, her beak set in a firm, grim line. Perhaps when she came to Duckburg, she knew exactly what she was getting into, including meeting Scrooge McDuck face-to-face. She obviously knew the tension between him and her species. She seemed resigned to this confrontation, perhaps steeling herself for it.

But what kind of interrogation could it be? Even if the mermaid wanted to answer Scrooge's questions, she couldn't talk. Just how far was the millionaire going to take this?

And was Gyro just going to sit and watch? Or was he going to leave?

Gyro detested violence, and while he understood that violence was part of the world and a necessary evil in certain circumstances, he was certain he couldn't stand for whatever Mr. McDuck had in mind for the mermaid.

"Mr. McDuck, I don't think this is a good idea," he said, trying to exude confidence.

His usual confidence wasn't there but he was able to feign it. He knew what his goal was—the protection of the mermaid—he just wasn't sure how to persuade his employer of the cause. What words would be needed to convince him? It would have to be good because Mr. McDuck was rarely wrong, if ever.

"Gyro, are you going to stand there with your mouth open like a bass or are you going to help me?" Scrooge said, rolling up his sleeves.

"I just don't think that… 'interrogation' is the right strategy to get whatever information you need," Gyro said, feeling his confidence ebbing. He was practiced in the art of defending his theories and projects, but he had little experience defending someone else, especially someone—or something in this case—that he knew very little of.

"What are you blathering about?" Scrooge growled.

"I just think that before you do anything to the mermaid, you might try talking to her," Gyro said, being direct.

"I don't have time for this," Scrooge said. "Every minute wasted might be the minute we needed to save the city."

"I just think that you may have gotten the wrong idea about this particular mermaid," Gyro said. "It's not reasonable for you to assume that a whole race of beings is against you based on the actions of one individual."

"I cannot take that risk," Scrooge said, heading to the ladder to the platform that Gyro was standing on.

Before the elderly duck could scale the ladder, Gyro slid down it, landing just in front of him. "Wait just a minute. I think it would be beneficial," Gyro said, holding out his arms. He hoped that this wouldn't get physical. Not only did he detest violence, but he was certain that he wouldn't be good at it, even against someone smaller than he.

"Beneficial to whom?"

"She seems to be willing to cooperate," Gyro said, being honest. "My attempts at communicating with the mermaid have been interesting and informative. It's a bit rough, but I think if we take a little time—"

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm absolutely serious."

"You're as infatuated with the siren as Crackshell-Cabrera," Scrooge accused. "She's put you under a spell."

"You know how I feel about magic, even if you have conclusive proof that it exists," Gyro said. "And I'll assure you, I'm not infatuated. I have determined with logic and acute observation that this mermaid is not the messenger of destruction you made her out to be."

"Bah, I don't have time for this nonsense," Scrooge said, pushing the scientist aside. When the taller man refused to budge, his voice turned dangerous. "Get out of my way, Gyro."

"I—I can't let you do this," Gyro said. "What you are about to do is inhumane and—and—wrong." And this was from someone whose moral compass didn't always point north.

He expected Scrooge to continue to argue with him but the duck instead hooked his cane around Gyro's knee and pulled, unbalancing the scientist. Caught off guard, Gyro fell harder than he should have, his knee slamming to the floor and his wrist twisting wrong as he tried to catch himself.

Hearing Scrooge on the ladder, Gyro twisted around, grabbed ahold of the back of his employer's coat and pulled. There was resistance as Scrooge had a good hold of one of the rungs, but after a few more strong tugs, the elderly duck was back to square one.

So much for detesting violence.

"Don't test me, Gyro."

"An academic scholar like myself loves a challenge," Gyro said, trying to be witty but it sounded so cheesy, he wondered if he had stepped into a children's show.

"If you don't let me by, you're going to regret this," McDuck threatened.

Gyro had already accepted that he would be fired. If that's all that happened to him today, he would be lucky. But there were some things that were more important that a job. "No, I won't."

"I warned you." Scrooge reached into his coat and pulled out a device that fit easily in his grip. The end of it had two metal nubs reaching out, like the pincher of a crab. It was a taser.

Gyro had wondered how Scrooge was going to "interrogate" the mermaid. There was no way he could reach the mermaid, not without getting into the tank. There was equipment in the lab used to secure marine animals so that they could be examined safely, but Scrooge would not know how to use it. However, a taser made it so that Scrooge didn't have to be close to the mermaid to persuade her to give him the information he wanted.

Gyro held his hands out, both as a way to defend himself and be on the offensive. "There's no need to use that."

"Is there, Gyro? I thought you were loyal," Scrooge said, aiming the taser at the scientist.

There was the sound of splashing behind him, and Gyro was barely able to perceive out of the corner of his eye that the mermaid was swimming erratically in the tank, most likely destressed by what was happening.

"I think it best that you leave," Scrooge said. "Your services are no longer needed, or wanted, here."

The loss of his job had already been predicted, so this didn't faze him. "Oh, I'm needed here. I'm needed to protect you from yourself."

"Tripe," Scrooge spat.

"Please, if you could just keep an open mind. She's not the enemy. She could help you," Gyro said. "She may know something that can help save Duckburg."

"She's lying," Scrooge said. "Now move before I do something you will regret." He pressed the button, and the taser snapped and crackled with electricity.

Gyro realized he was arguing with a brick wall. Mr. McDuck had made up his mind long ago, and there seemed to be nothing that could change his mind. He had been shocked many times when he was fixing his inventions, but what the elderly duck had in his hand was about ten times worse.

Unless he stepped aside. Was he willing to have that many volts surging through his body just on a hunch? Was he certain that the mermaid was innocent? He was a man of science. How did he get in this situation in the first place?

He spread his arms wide, guarding the ladder to the tank. "Do what you have to do?" he said boldly.

Before Scrooge could react to Gyro standing up to him, a cascade of water rained down on the two of them, saturating them down to the skin. More and more water poured upon them until they were standing in a miniature lake. They both looked to the tank, and the mermaid glared at Scrooge. With another whip of her tail, she was able to splash another couple of gallons onto their heads.

Gyro realized that she had saved him. He turned to Scrooge, sounding more confident. "Go ahead, Mr. McDuck. But you probably already know that water conducts electricity. Shock me, and you'll just hurt yourself, too." He couldn't help but smile. The mermaid was clever.

Scrooge threw the taser as far away as he could, afraid that even without pressing the button, he could be shocked. But he reached into his coat and pulled out another device. Before Gyro could stop him, he had already pressed the speed dial and was talking into the phone's receiver. "Yeah, Della. It looks like I'll need your help after all."

Gyro's shoulder's slumped. It was one thing to best the aged Mr. McDuck, but it was another to take on Della. And once she arrived, there would be nothing he could do. If he was going to save the mermaid, he had to act fast.

Then he remembered the tube that lead to the ocean. All he had to do was open the gate, and she would be free.

"I don't know where the boys would have gone. They're old enough to take care of themselves," Scrooge said, his voice tinged with frustration. "I need you here, pronto."

Gyro eyed the lab computer that controlled all the tanks. Luckily, the settings for the mermaid's tank were already on the screen, but he would need some time to work the program and open the gate. And he couldn't count on Mr. McDuck being distracted for much longer.

He lunged at the computer, only slipping a little on the water pooled at his feet. His right-hand fingers encircled the mouse as his left hand typed. Slamming a finger on the enter key, he heard the machinery working as the gate to the mermaid's tank started opening.

"Go!" he shouted to the mermaid.

The mermaid heard the gate, and she went into the tube. The gate opened slowly, but she was already trying to help it with her hands and wiggle through. She had just gotten her head and shoulders through when the gate stopped. It wasn't enough. Where her hips flared out and her fish parts began, they were too thick to get passed the gate.

Gyro turned his head to find Scrooge standing by the wall, his cane hooked around the surge protector that had been plugged in the electric outlet nearby. The computer screen was completely blank. Without the program communicating with the gate, it was no longer opening up.

"Nice try," Scrooge said, brandishing his cane at Gyro. "Now get off of my property, you ungrateful deviant, before I call the police."

Gyro wondered if Scrooge was bluffing. "Fine, call the police. I'm sure they'll have a lot of questions about why you have a mermaid in your lab."

Scrooge looked to the mermaid who was still part-way through the gate, wiggling to get more of her fish tail out.

"And I'm sure they'll be interested in some of the things I have to say," Gyro said. "Mostly about the location of your nephew, Fethry Duck."

At this, Scrooge gave him a pure look of rage. But he was stuck.

"In fact, I think I'll call the police right now," Gyro said. "Oh, I know a few of them are quite loyal to you and your organization, but I wonder if you are familiar with one specific detective, Maria Cabrera? She's the mother of my previous intern, Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera. I think she'll be interested to know just why you are hunting her son."

"You know what's at stake. Are you willing to risk the lives of everyone in the city for her?" Scrooge accused.

Gyro was about to say that Scrooge was taking the same risk, but he saw the millionaire slide his eyes just slightly to the right, as if he were looking at something behind Gyro. The scientist turned just in time to see Della leaping at him.

He struggled even though he knew it was futile. He was no match for the tomboy who had grown up climbing trees, playing sports and competing against her masculine peers when he had spent his life challenging his mind over his body.

Della knocked him down flat and restrained him with a pair of handcuffs roughly, the metal cutting into his flesh even through a layer of feathers.

"Wow, I did not see that coming. Who would have thought that Gyro would have to guts to stand up to you, Uncle Scrooge?" Della said, slapping the back of Gyro's head.

"More guts than you have," Gyro grumbled. "How did you get here so quickly? Mr. McDuck barely called you a few minutes ago."

"I was just across the street to that one coffee place," Della said.

"Oh, I love that place. Especially when that one girl is working. You know, the one with the purple stripe in her hair."

"Oh, yeah. She's got a heavy hand so you get a full pump. Not like some of the workers who barely gives you any flavoring."

"And have you had the gluten-free muffins. To die for."

"Gluten-free? Yuck."

"No. No. Don't knock 'em until you tried them. You can hardly tell the difference."

"Well, I just might have to—"

"Enough," Scrooge interrupted their banter. "Della, make sure he can't escape. He's said he'll go to the police."

"Okay," Della said, grabbing her captive and dragging him away.

"You can't keep locking up everyone who disagrees with you," Gyro shouted. "You may have gotten away with Fethry, but people are going to notice that I'm gone."

"Who? Who do you have in your life who will notice you're missing?" Scrooge challenged. "Friends? Family? People in the coffee shop? Aside from me and mine, does anyone in this city even know your name?"

"Uh…" Gyro stuttered, his confidence plummeting. It was true. He had no family left. As for friends…who needed friends when you had science? That's how it's always been. He hadn't needed anyone…until today.

Then something moving in the back of the lab caught his attention, something that was dimly lit.

It was Lil' Bulb! He was back from his sabotage mission. There was somebody who had Gyro's back, someone he could count on. But he couldn't let Scrooge or Della find out.

But there was a second person that would say something if Gyro disappeared.

"My intern will tell someone," Gyro said, hoping this to be true. He was rarely a good judge of character, but if he was certain of anything outside of science, it was that Fenton was a good person. "You may have him running scared now, but just wait and see. He'll eventually bring all your secrets to light. Men of science have a way of discovering the truth."

"You are not anywhere close to the truth," Scrooge said. Then he waved a hand at Gyro as if writing him off. "Bah, why do I bother arguing? Della, keep an eye on him while I take care of business." He turned to the mermaid, who had abandoned trying to escape through the gate.

"Men of science have a way of discovering the truth, eh?" Scrooge said, putting a hand on the tank. "I've not had much to do with science except when it comes to business, but I'm sure I'll come to the truth eventually."

Just as he was about to climb the ladder, his phone went off. But it wasn't a normal ring tone, or any other sound that anyone would associate with a cellphone. It was more like an alarm, loud and blaring.

"What's that?" Della asked, cringing at the loud, obnoxious noise.

"Secure that unscrupulous scientist, now. We've got to go," Scrooge said, making his way to the elevator as fast as he could.

"Why? What is it?" Della asked again.

"That's the house alarm. Someone has broken in," Scrooge said. "They're after my coin."