Rathazul nodded, "if it's shiny and it fell into the lake, the Merfolk own it now.  I'm sure they would be willing to 'sell' it back to you..."  He paused and almost didn't look like he wanted to finish the sentence.  But then he looked at your face and could tell that it was quite important.<br/><br/>His mousey face twisted up and he sighed then continued, "Well, let's put it this way.  The merfolk have a way of charging more than you're willing to pay.  In addition, they demand a fee just for entering their territory.  So I wouldn't even recommend approaching them without a significant offering to give them in good faith."