Evening claimed the seas, and nightfall gave way to starlight.

It had been a busy day, turning the ship towards the island on that map. We reckoned five or eight days travel; depended on the wind.

I took charts down below deck, where I found Bea. The woman she tended was asleep. Bea told me the news about her, that she was unwilling to talk. I looked over. The woman was definitely still weak, probably truly asleep right now.

Well, no witnesses, anyhow. I gave Bea a firm hug and a kiss, to which she responded. It turned out longer than I'd planned, but these things happen.

We withdrew to a corner, and sat, our minds most decidedly not upon our lessons.

It was awhile before we looked at the charts, but look at them we eventually did. No doubt the ship's navigator would drop quizzing questions upon Beau, and she would not want to appear as if she knew nothing of maps after our session tonight.

Bea was a quick study. We checked over the maps by lanternlight, I tracing the route we hoped to take to the coordinates listed on the paper we'd procured at such a cost.

One thing and another, our hands began to stray again...

Suddenly, I heard the hatch above open. It was the physician, name of Thomas, according to Bea.

"Has the woman spoken yet?"

"She sleeps," said Bea, Beau, after a few moments to compose her voice into a lower register.

"Very well. I'm turning in," he said, closing the hatch.