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knew, a
cure for cancer could be one of the many results of his study.
    He received the grant and notified his assistant
of three years that they were off to the South Pacific to make
ichthyology history. James was quietly as enthusiastic as his
neurotic litterateur.
    The trip to Shark Alley Island was an adventure
in itself. Dr. Collins was very direct and strong-willed about all
things in life, not just his work. He abhorred incompetence and
tardiness, was extremely opinionated, and was unwilling to accept
excuses. Naturally, Murphy’s Law struck them on numerous occasions
while traveling from Miami to Micronesia, so James had to play
referee many times. The professor’s neurosis caused an unnatural
belligerence that resulted in heated arguments amongst most people
with whom he had social contact. He was not a “people person.” He
thought better of cold-blooded sharks than warm-blooded humans.
    With the help of the grant, the two scientists
stayed in the luxurious Majuro Majestic Hotel on Shark Alley Island
instead of roughing it at the Bikini resort. James was quite
comfortable with this arrangement. He and Dr. Collins had adjoining
rooms, so they could work together and still have their privacy.
There were only a handful of other divers since the hotel wasn’t
quite ready to open to the general public, but it was still rather
lavish. The grand opening was still a week away, and the team of
shark scientists relished the solitude.
    Dr. Collins still had his nose deep in his
research papers while James undertook the unpleasant task of
unpacking. First, he unpacked their research materials and placed
them in their proper categories. This was a meticulous job, but
when done right, it avoided the redundancy of time-consuming
searches.
    Then he unpacked the suitcases, quickly and
methodically placing the contents into the dresser drawers and
closets. He unpacked and laid out the scuba gear they would be
using. This was a labor of love for James, who was a master diver
and took great care in handling his equipment. He was equally
diligent with Dr. Collins’ rigging.
    James placed his dive apparatus on the bed,
scrupulously dusting and cleaning each piece before hanging it in
the closet. He gingerly handled his hoses and blew dust from his
second stage regulator. His regulators were made by Sherwood, a top
of the line model that could be used in either ice or tropical
diving. He checked the hose to make sure there were no kinks in it.
He also tested the rubber mouthpiece that would fit into his mouth
while breathing through this second stage. It was solid and there
was no dry rot, so he knew it would suffice for the upcoming dives.
He then checked his Octopus second stage. This was also a Sherwood
product. The Octopus was an emergency second stage to use in the
unlikely event that the primary one failed. The mouthpiece and hose
were also in good condition.
    James delicately handled his first stage and
cleaned it. The third hose that was connected to the first stage
held his dive computer. James preferred the U.S. Divers brand of
dive computer because of its simplicity. Some brands had many bells
and whistles but were too complicated to read or understand when in
dark waters or at depth.
    James loved his dive computer because it gave
easy-to-read grafts to prevent him from staying underwater too
long. U.S. Divers was also recognized as one of the more
conservative computers, and James liked this added safety
feature.
    He tested the battery on his dive computer and
was satisfied that it was adequate. Then he carefully hung the
regulator on a hook in the closet and allowed the hoses to hang
freely.
    Satisfied that his dive gear was clean and safe,
he repeated the process with Dr. Collins’ equipment, complete with
a state of the art re-breather bubble free system. With the
research paper, clothes, and scuba gear unpacked, James felt
hungry.
    “Hey, Professor, how about some dinner?”
    “You go. I’m busy. I’m