Allyn did neither, though he was tempted for a moment. But he sort of understood that she wasn't in charge so it wasn't her fault.

"Talk to your superiors," he said. "Explain to them."

"Explain what?" Primrose replied. "That there's royalty in the tank and I know this because I'm not human? The only thing that would accomplish is getting me fired and thrown into the tank as well."

"Rose!" Lilac hissed from the other edge of the tank. Because she could see more around them, and she could see that one of their supervisors had just walked in and had probably overheard too much already.

Primrose jumped and darted over to the edge of the tank, getting out and sitting on the platform. Her heart raced as she saw the director come closer.

"Is it true?" the director asked, looking at Primrose in a whole new way. "You're not human?" Because this explained a lot of things, like how her "costume" for the mermaid act was so great.

"I... don't suppose I'm allowed to plead the fifth anymore?" Primrose responded, grimacing a bit and picking at a seam in her bathing suit.

"I suppose not." The director's eyes gleamed at the idea of having a female mermaid in the tank too. But this was Primrose he was talking about; he'd known her for years. "I'll need to think about what to do now."

"While you're doing that, I'm going to go put dry clothes on," Primrose said, standing and wrapping her towel around her waist. She glanced at Lilac.

Lilac got up as well and headed back to the bathrooms with her.

"If you leave now you could get home," she said quietly. "Get in the water and head back to the city. You'd be safe there."

"I know I could," Primrose replied softly. "Go out with the tide and not look back." She sighed. "But that won't help them. And what about you? If I disappear... They might start looking at you a bit closer."

"I can plead ignorance," Lilac said with a little shrug. "Say I didn't know anything." And she could probably get away with it too. Probably.

"I hope it works," Primrose replied sincerely. She stalled for a bit more time, spending a few minutes adjusting her shirt and shoes before finally sighing and leaving the bathroom.

Lilac followed her out, watching her to see what choice she'd make. It would be safer to head out to sea. But she figured Prim wouldn't do that.

Primrose cautiously made her way back towards the tank.

"Is there a verdict?" she asked the director.

"Not yet." The director looked at her. "If you were anyone else, I would have tossed you in there already. But I've known you for a while. So I can't do that."

"Anyone else would have tossed me in," Primrose agreed, nodding. "And I would have climbed right back out and been gone. I can leave, and nobody up here would ever find me." She was quiet for a moment. "But I can't do that in good conscience, not when they're still here." She gestured to the two in the tank.

"And I can't let them leave," the director said. "So it seems we have a dilemma here."

Primrose was quiet for a moment. She looked at the two in the tank, and back again.

"What about a trade?" she asked finally. "They can't stay here, and you still need a display." She hesitated. "And I already run the mermaid show in the summer..." She trailed off.

"That's only one," he said, looking at her speculatively. "I could likely arrange for one to get back."

"I can only offer myself," Primrose pointed out. She glanced at the tank. "The one with the biggest fins. I can replace him." Because if she could only get one of them out, it would be the highest ranked one.

The director raised an eyebrow but nodded. He could arrange that. "Alright," he agreed. "We'll close the exhibit for a few days and I'll arrange for him to be put back."

Primrose was quiet for a moment, and then nodded.

"Alright," she said.

The director waved them both away, pulling out his phone to start making some calls.

Lilac was quick to move away, looking rattled still.

Primrose stood there for a few moments, and then climbed back up onto the platform at the top of the tank.

The director looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Well? Go home. There's nothing else to do here tonight."