and the sailor heft the sails, I find a quiet corner in the back of the ship. I slide down to sit cross-legged and lean against the deck's railing. I careful unsheath the knife that hangs from my belt and pick up a piece of wood that has somehow made it on board. This branch is about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. I begin whittling by running my knife down the wood, cleaning it of it's bark. I repeat this, turning the branch this way and that until the shape of a porpoise starts emerging.

The rise and fall of the ship fades from my conciousness as I lose myself in my art. I take care with his fins as I make them slimmer and more defined. Using my knife's tip, I add small details, like the porpoise's eyes & blowhole. I rub my hands over the whale-like body, checking for any extra bumbs of protusions. As I do my feel-test, something of someone blocks my sunlight. I look up, and see Mari's lovely face illuminated from behind by the sun, creating a halo around her head.

We now return you to Sailing the Aegean...