Mrs. Ames stiffened in her overstuffed chair and said a bit tensely, "Fleming, I simply will not tolerate—" But Margie put a hand on her mother's arm and said, "Now, Mother, don't be a spoilsport. I'm sure Bill wouldn't let Dad try it if it wasn't all right."
I smiled at Margie gratefully.
Then Mr. Ames turned toward the mermaid tank behind him, and Slane O'Graeme said quickly, "Be careful, Mr. Ames. Don't drop—"
And then it happened.
The opened vial slipped from the liquor magnate's hand as he lifted it over the rim on the tank. It hit the top of the water with a soft plop, sank and struck the coral with a faint clink. Diffusion in the water must have been almost instantaneous; it was light blue throughout even before the vial hit bottom.
I heard a low exclamation from O'Graeme, and then he yelped excitedly, "Quick, everyone, get out of—" His voice trailed off there and a beatific expression came over his face. I was only a bit farther from the tank than he, and it hit me almost at the same time.
It was the same sensation I had experienced in my office. Not much stronger, but far more sudden and complete.
My eyes were still on the mermaid tank, and I thought for an instant that it was empty, that the mermaids and goldfish had mysteriously vanished into nothingness. Then a pair of golden streaks, faintly visible, followed by the flash of a mermaid's body, showed me my error.
Suddenly it came to me: This was the time to tell Mrs. Ames about wanting to marry Margie. Now! Tell her, and tell her to go to Jupiter if she didn't like it.