"Good." Sir Shillingsworth walked into the lab. "I was hoping you'd get started."
"I'm sorry, Sir. I should have been on it long before."
"Pentam, I threw you into waters well out of your depth. Whatever you do will be more than we have now. Do what you can do, and do it well, and you'll be fine."
Working in the lab helped Pentam stop worrying about Cal and her stubborn determination to put herself at risk. There wasn't room in his head for chemistry and that infuriating girl.
***
Through the day, the scientists took samples from the mat, capturing a plethora of tiny creatures with the seaweed. Cal remembered the lens Pentam had given her and used it to see detail on the smaller animals. Using it twisted her heart strangely, but she put the feeling aside and focused on work. She had no time to waste trying to understand Pentam.