"Where I'll be if I ever tell anyone this."
"This is a cruel world," he said. "By the way my name is Hrodes."
"And mine is Carol Engelholtz. Now that the formalities are over, what the hell are you doing here?"
"My orders were to make contact with this solar system. My ship is at the bottom of the sea. I have to be near water or die. And every time I try to make contact I'm left alone on a craft of this sort."
"You mean they jump overboard?"
"That's exactly what I mean."
"You're from another galaxy?"
"Yes. My planet is covered with water. Your planet is the best one in this system which has water on it. That's why I'm here."
"But you're not in water now."
"My gills can still absorb it. As long as I'm near it."