"Why wouldn't you want to learn to swim? It's way better than walking."

"Not on land it isn't."

"But water is way better than land!"

He starts counting on his fingers. "No fire. No recorders. Apparently no technology or electricity. Are there books?"

"There are stories. And we do have technology!" Michael starts counting on his webbed digits. "Swimming, fish, ADVENTURE, no shoes, no pants..."

"Stories aren't the same as books, they're slow. What technology do you have?"

"Spears, nets, paint..."

"Ah, okay, so stuff humans invented five thousand years ago."

"At least we aren't stuck to the stupid ground..."

"We aren't either, we have rockets and air tanks to breathe underwater and submarines."

"So you need to be either inside a big, ugly metal thing, or have one strapped to your back? Real fun."

"The sea is actually pretty fun."

"Okay, so swimming is slightly less fun, but there's books and computers and rockets and fire and electricity and stuff, that makes up."

"Rockets are for the weak."

Maurice shrugs, sipping from a soft drink can. The rainbow patterns of his skin have darkened slightly.

"I don't get why your technology is so bad, though," he continues to the mer. "Do you just not buy and sell things to humans?"

"I'm EIGHT YEARS OLD!"

"You don't need to shout! And I didn't mean you personally, I meant mer."

"Why would I know these things?"

"I dunno. 'Cause it's history? Are mer new or something?"

"I've only lived in the water for three years."

He looks at Nemo.

"The grown ups were stupid and left him on a beach when he was weaned."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because they're really stupid and mean."