Evening fell, and the Gallant left the sunset behind her as she turned, made a broad loop around the island that was the Spaniard's prison, and headed once again for deep water.

Jones and Caruso sat together on the broad deck, mending a torn sail. Jones thought to himself that if he'd seen the boy gather his health on this vessel, he had also seen the bandy Italian lose his. The man was pale and looked as if at any minute, he expected the sky to fall in on him. They sat quietly until Caruso raised his head from his work and concernedly asked Jones: "The boy? Where is the boy?"
"Ben? Down below getting a lesson in map-reading from the Captain, I expect..."
Caruso made the sign of the cross over himself and muttered "Dio mio, protegge il bambino" before looking over both shoulders and leaning towards Jones to whisper "Bertoli is no sea captain..."

In the Captain's cabin, Bertoli and Ben sat at a cramped table surrounded by maps and the smell of tallow candles.
"You see? If this length is a day's fair travel, and you want to go from here to say...here? How long then?"
Ben cautiously measured the distance and proudly proclaimed: "Three days."
"And your heading, young captain?"
"Nor' noreast."
Bertoli smiled and chuckled lightly. "Correct, young sir, and I predict that if you keep on this heading, some day you will have a Gallant of your own."

The boy beamed and returned to his maps as Flora entered the cabin. Bertoli turned to her and shrugged "Eh?" to which Flora smilingly replied "The scurvy dogs are alive and well, Captain."
"And fed?"
"The cook and I will see to it." she kissed Bertoli on the cheek and hustled from the room in a flurry of skirts.

Bertoli's glance returned to the table to find Ben Bragg blushing to the soles of his boots. "Ah, the spell of sweet Flora! You are fond of her too, I see.."
"She wrapped up me hands--when the ropes cut me-- she's a nice lady."
"Si," said Bertoli, thoughtfully, "A nice lady."
"I can see why you'd marry her."
"Marry?" Bertoli laughed "Oh, clever boy! I did not marry her-- she came to me in England. She had killed a man who attacked her, him being rich and she being poor, well, she would have hanged for certain. After all this time, we are affectionate, si, we give each other what we need to survive, but above all, she is my confidante. I can tell her anything..."
"Like me and Mister Jones."
"Si, exactly." Bertoli thought a moment and spoke: "A question then, clever one. Who do you suppose is Signore Caruso's confidante?"
Ben looked at the captain, quite puzzled, and answered "I don't know."

The sail and needle rested motionless in Richard Jones' hands as he sat back and absorbed the ridiculous tale that Caruso had told him. "You must be out of your mind, mate." He then shook his head and went back to his work. "It makes no sense at all....what about the rest of the crew then?"
"All under the witch's spell."
Jones stood up and rolled the sail as he sternly looked at Caruso. "Be careful, with talk like that..."
"I will be very careful." replied a dreamy Caruso "I have God on my side, and I can wait."