Sister Bea Wilder Mermaid and the Carved Bird — Kim Antieau

Sister Bea Wilder Mermaid is restless after the Old Mermaids walk out of the Old Sea and into the New Desert. She wanders the desert near the Old Mermaids Sanctuary. She can't seem to find peace or rest until she meets Annie, the Woman Who Loves Birds. Annie knows almost everything. She can even hear a spider spinning her web, and she was once called the Woman Who Loves Giants. (short story)