“Shorten reverse?”
“Shorten,” Chris said. “Then reverse.”
Topher thought for a moment.
“Your name is Llib Rehpot?”
Liam Chris shook his head, earnestly confused, then he laughed.
“Clever! But that’s not what I meant. The ‘Liam’ is short for ‘William,’ just like your last name is short for ‘William’. And ‘Chris’ is short for ‘Christopher,’ just like your first name is short for ‘Christopher’. Now reverse it. Liam Chris. See?”
He threw back his head and laughed. It echoed throughout the empty aquarium. Something splashed in the distance, followed by what sounded like somebody moaning.
“Mr. Bill, I must thank you for leading that horrible woman to us. She always managed to stay just far enough away from my borders, as if she knew I was gunning for her. She must have thought she stood a
