Luckily, someone did have a wand, and the girl was soon back on the ground, but no one seemed to have any idea how she'd gotten there in the first place. She hardly looked as though she'd just drifted up out of the sea, and Alfred thought he had enough experience with the various humanoid sea creatures to recognize one if it flopped down onto the deck of his ship — nevermind that none of the ones he'd ever met had legs. No, this appeared to be a very human girl.

Make that two very human girls; although in the hustle he hadn't noticed another one join the crowd, the floating girl had spotted her and now the two were hugging each other and speaking something that sounded like French. Alfred knew a bit of it, but not enough to follow what she was saying.

"Merlin's beard, there are two?" he asked incredulously. He glanced over at his first mate, who had risen with the commotion and was now standing just off to Alfred's right, as though to signify that this was somehow his fault. "Or perhaps ten, or twenty? Exactly how many French children did we decide to onload with the stores?"