Out for a walk, Maddie pauses at the corner to watch as a road crew lowers one of their fellows, outfitted in protective gear, into the sewer. She marvels as they monitor his progress on a video screen. "What are they looking for?" she asks.

I shrug. "Alligators," I offer. "Maybe crocodiles."

"Really?" asks Maddie, tucking her tail between her legs. "That's unnerving."

I give her a wink. "Might not be alligators. Could be jellyfish. Or giant squid."

"Squid, eh?" says Maddie, wrinkling her nose...