" Course Shanghai is just the end of the run. " Captain Johncocks smiled as he poured black coffee into his cracked mug, he nodded to me, indicating the pot. Mr. Theodore Riley smiled and shook his head."No, I've had quite enough." Johncox laughed and said "well, one cup's more'n enough for most people. Tastes kinda like crankcase oil most folks sez. I can't even taste it meself, but I do like it hot. And I'll need it to keep awake tonight, beins there's weather comin in." Mr Riley grimaced momentarily. This was his first voyage, and the fact that the old steamer had even gotten them to mid-Pacific was astonishing to him. He felt that there was almost no chance that she could survive a gale. The Captain seemed to read his thoughts." Don't ye worry bout this ship. She's seen far worse'n this'll be." He fished the butt of a cigar out of his pants pocket, lighting it with a battered Zippo."Like I was sayin, our main stops nowadays are Jakarta, Bali, Saigon. That's where the bulk o' the cargo unloads and all the passengers. Shanghai gets the dregs o' the cargo, but that's where Owen gets the bulk o' the profits. Don't even bother askin cause I don't know what's in them crates. Don't wanna know neither."

The Shanghai Ghost gave a sudden lurch as the bow dropped off the crest of a steep wave, then bashed into the trough. Whitewater covered the starboard portholes for nearly 10 seconds, and Riley felt a moment of terror thinking the entire ship had submerged.The Captain opened a locker and produced a quart of dark rum, pouring a good portion into Riley's coffee cup." Make ye feel better," smiled Johncox. Riley gulped the rum and took a deep breath." You know Captain, there've been a lot of stories. Can you tell me..."

At that moment a large iron skillet seemed to jump from the cabin wall, landing at the startled passenger's feet. Johncox grinned and drew on the cigar butt."Sure" he said, the word hanging between them in the cigar smoke,"I'll tell ye bout the Ghost."