Poul Anderson Writes A Sequel

The Merman's Children. 

OK. I get it, I think. The introductory Author's Note refers to a Danish verse tale:

"...'Agnete og Havmanden' ('Agnete and the Merman...') (p. vii).

In Chapter I, the bishop of Viborg's archdeacon summarizes a version of this story, then exorcises the undersea town where Agnete's grown children live. Chapter II opens with the oldest of those children, twenty-one year old Tauno. Thus, Poul Anderson writes a sequel to the Danish story. Where will the merman's children go when they have been compelled to flee from their cursed town and how will this impact Dalmatia which was introduced in the Prologue? We remember some answers to these questions from previous readings, of course, but there are always unremembered details and we will shortly travel to a family reunion event that will last until some time this evening.

Laterz.