I am a terrible, terrible person for making you wait for the update. All my apologies go to you, my wonderful readers. I promise this lateness will not be a reoccurring theme. Staying true to the rule that I have set for myself, I made you wait longer for the update, so in turn, I give you more.
Liam approached the corner of the hallway, quieting his steps over the squeaking floorboards as a group of guards came into view. He froze and pressed his back firmly against the wall to keep from attracting attention. The men were indefinitely intoxicated; their drunken buoyant laughter filled the dimly lit hallway. Liam huffed a light sigh of annoyance, immediately feeling a twist of uneasiness in his gut from the realization that his father was hiding something from him. What it was, at this point, Liam wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know any more. If it took four men to stand by the entrance, surely it was substantial.
He heard oncoming footsteps thundering down the creaking steps. Liam retreated back further into the shadowed crevice of the closet to allow the pirate to pass by unnoticed. The man whipped around the corner to greet his fellow drunken mates. "The Captain's called for the crew to attend the deck."
"We've been given orders to keep to our post," one of the men answered coolly. "The Captain himself told us so."
"Consider this a new order then," the messenger retorted. "I've been sent down to fetch you lot and there's no a chance I'm going back up there without you."
An uncomfortable pause passed between the group before Liam heard the begrudging footsteps concede towards him. He kept quiet and still. The pirates obliviously walked by him with irritated scowls and made their way towards the narrow staircase that led to the deck, leaving the entrance to the prison room completely unguarded.
Elizabeth stumbled after the pirate that had dragged her by the arm up the stairwell towards the main deck. Milah, Adam and Jack followed en suite with other pirates that led them along.
Nearing the top of the staircase, Elizabeth could see the grey, misting clouds of the Underworld night sky through the open trapdoor. The pirate pushed her up the last few steps, almost causing her to trip over her feet at the base of the deck.
Though Elizabeth had been on the deck once before, her fogged state of mind prevented her from noticing the sheer size of the Dutchman. Its construction and layout was much like any other pirate ship she had been on; however, everything was spread out tenfold. Her experience with the network of hallways in the ship suggested that it was a large vessel though she didn't have the faintest idea as to how large until this point.
It was a pirate ship the size of an ocean liner.
There were more ropes tied to the dauntingly large sails, which were weathered by age. The cannons were larger and in greater numbers, positioned all along the deck towards the bow. Miscellaneous boxes and barrels were pushed to the sides of the deck to make way for the entire crew to stand. They kept coming up from the stairwells, coming and coming until the forming ranks appeared to mass in the hundreds.
Elizabeth jammed her mouth shut as she was led towards the front of the ranks. She could feel the weight of the critical stares bearing down on her back as she found a place in the near center.
"Keep your mouths shut!" The burly voice came from the overseer, overweight and ungraceful as he stomped down the line of pirates awaiting their punishment. The rumble of whispers died down under the overseer's furious glares. His gnarled knuckles were white from his tight grip around the leather whip. Men eyed the tool of reprimand warily as he sauntered down the deck. "Last night, six of our men were found dead in the guest quarters."
The weight of realization set over the entire crew. They glanced up at each other, nervously exchanging looks of apprehension as the overseer continued to make his way down the long line of men. "Last I checked, the rule of this ship still stood. The judgment of our fate lies with our Captain and our Captain alone. Any man willing to break that vow and take matters in his own hands will be punished." He scanned the apprehensive faces until stopping at Elizabeth, who fearlessly glared back up at him unmoved by his threats.
The overseer smirked, stepping forward closer to the girl while wrapping the excessive whip around his palm. "You're looking rather lively for your state."
Her eyes hardened, "Amazing what a good night sleep will do. You should try it sometime."
The overseer forcefully took her chin within his grasp. The calloused cushion of his thumb brushed over her soft skin, which had regained its former flush color since he lasted saw her pale as a ghost. "You're not fooling anyone, missy. A group of our men were killed off last night. Their necks were snapped so forcefully and yet not a mark could be found on their bodies. It's almost as if magic had been the cause."
"It wasn't me," she answered coolly. The men standing on either side of her tried to remain still, though couldn't help but shuffle a few inches away from the building confrontation.
"Explain then to me how you managed to regain so much of your former vigor. As I understand it, you shouldn't have the strength to be standing, let alone challenging your superior at this point." He cocked his head to the side with a menacing smile, "Unless of course you used magic to sate your suffering."
"If I wanted to kill anyone, I wouldn't waste my time with a rabble of scum." Elizabeth stepped forward out of rank, closing the distance between her and the overseer. "See I've been raised to take action when necessary, and taking action would mean going straight to the source. Sending a message requires taking meaningful risks. Starting with, let's say my superiors, would be a much more prudent tactic."
The overseer snatched a fistful of Elizabeth's collar, dragging her forward even closer so that she could smell the wafting scent of hard liquor on his breath. "I'd say we found our culprit, men."
Elizabeth smacked the overseer's hand away, though was grabbed from behind by two other men. With an excited twist of the whip in his hands, the overseer nodded over at the main mast. "Get the lassie tied up. It's high time she learns her place while amongst us crew mates. She's no Captain to us."
She tried pushing the men off her but it was to no avail. Their grips only tightened around her shoulders, making it impossible to move only in the direction ahead towards the towering wooden mast.
"It wasn't her!" Adam shouted, aggressively pushing through the men standing ahead of him to face the overseer. "Lizzie is innocent."
The men holding Elizabeth paused, turning back to the overseer to await orders. Adam's boldness seemed to stir an amusement in the overseer, who could not help but let out a hearty laugh. "What's your name, boy?"
Adam crossed his arms, reverting back to the false show of confidence his father was infamous for faking whenever in danger. "You insult me," he muttered easily. "Surely the Captain has mentioned imprisoning the Dark One's son."
Somewhere amidst the rank of pirates, a quiet gasp escaped Milah's lips. Finally, she understood. Everything about the boy that initially sparked her attention suddenly made sense – the hard line of his jaw, the similarly unruly brown hair, the biting wit of his sarcasm, the thin crossing of his temper…
Adam nodded over at Elizabeth, who was still held restrained. "She didn't kill those men. I did."
"Shut up, Adam," Elizabeth growled though was cut short by the edge of a blade pressed over the thin skin of her neck.
"Lucky for me, my father is an advocate of blood magic." Adam deftly twisted his grin in a very Rumplestiltskin-like manner. "I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Snapping their necks was all too easy."
The overseer chuckled through his teeth, "You can't be serious, lad."
"Oh, I'm quite serious." At his final words, the blunt-edged handle of a sword came down on the back of Adam's head, knocking him to the floor of the deck. Three pirates took hold of his half-unconscious body.
"He's lying!" Elizabeth screamed out in protest, pressing against the knife held to her throat as her nails dug into the arms of her captors.
Milah trembled silently where she stood in position. Her eyes blurred as she watched the pirates tie Adam against the mast of the ship, exposing his back in full view of the overseer. The sounds of Elizabeth's shrieking raised the hairs of her arms, reminding her of the voice, his voice, shouting out to her all those years ago before she had lost her heart.
No!
"No!" Elizabeth screamed in unison to the first whip crack that came down on Adam. The boy's body immediately flinched against the strike, heaving against the wooden mast as a bleeding line of crimson soaked through the fresh slit down his white shirt.
Milah's heart raced; a nervous sweat prickled along the pores of her face and neck. Averting her gaze from the two children only made the sting worse as the sound of the second strike whip cracked through the air. Elizabeth half-screamed, half-whimpered out to Adam as he let out strangled groans though his teeth.
"He doesn't have magic! He's lying!" Elizabeth's screams did nothing to give the overseer pause. The pirate's exhilaration was at an all-time high as he forced the sharp edge of his whip down through the Adam's back.
"Ten slashes for every man he sent to the depths." The overseer shouted over Elizabeth's cries to the crew, who remained obediently still, watching in silence as the back of Adam's shirt was torn to shreds and soaked red.
By the eleventh fine lick of the whip, Adam was degraded to slouching against the hard mast of the ship. The muscles along his back were already cut into pieces. His skin tingled in numbness from the blood loss, only to feel the brief cutting slice of the whip after every few seconds. The sounds of Elizabeth's cries lulled in his head.
Milah felt the resolve to take action just before another pirate pushed by her. She didn't recognize the boy; he was well concealed under his conservative sea garb. Hidden beneath a fitted leather hat, the only physical detail she could see were the short ends of his dark golden locks peeking outwards along the back of his neck. She watched anxiously as the boy silently nudged through the lines of men to make his way towards the front.
Elizabeth felt a rush of adrenaline course through her when Adam let out a loud cry. She caught the two men that held her off-guard, reaching for both their wrists and turning them in on each other. Using all the strength she could gather, Elizabeth twisted the joints of the men's wrists in a complete circle, creating a disturbing crunching crackle that made both men shout out in agony. Two following kicks to the groins sent them backwards, giving her the opportunity to leap out in front of the next whip crack to shield Adam from another hit. The painful cut of the whip ripped through her shirt and dug a single rift through her back. She stifled her cries as she wrapped her arms around Adam protectively.
"Lizzie, no," Adam murmured to her in a barely coherent slur.
"Oh so you do want some, then?" The overseer chuckled while pulling the whip back for another go. Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into the nape of Adam's gushing neck, readying for the next strike.
The whistle of the whip sounded, though was cut short when another figure stepped in the way of its intended target. Extending his forearm high in the air, Peter caught the end of the whip and allowed its to wrap around his arm. The overseer did not have a chance to retaliate before Peter jerked his arm away, ripping the whip out of the overseer's grasp and raising his other hand to magically grasp the man's throat.
"This show is over." Peter muttered darkly as his fingers curled inward. The overseer stumbled back with wide eyes, gripping his throat though finding no respite from Peter's choking hold. The boy's hazel green gaze narrowed, a predator singling his prey, as he balled his outreached hand into a fist, finally crushing the entirety of the overseers respiratory tract and killing him in a painful instant.
Elizabeth let out a strangled huff, influenced by the tears running down her cheeks. Peter turned, layering his scrutinizing leer with an urgent gawking glare.
"Lizzie-" Peter's head suddenly flinched backwards in agony as a new whip slashed down his back, the sound of it mirroring the shattering boom of thunder. His body was immediately dragged down to the hardwood floor of the deck. Standing just a few feet behind Peter was Davy Jones himself, wielding his own whip with edges that glowed bright red as if they were doused in fiery embers. Milah suddenly began to urgently shuffle through the men as they stepped back from their Captain's wrath.
"Peter Pan," Davy Jones mused. "I was wondering what it would take for you to come out and face me like a man." Peter got up slowly, slower than Elizabeth would have hoped, and turned his attention to the Captain towering over him.
With his free hand, Davy Jones reached out to acquire the necklace dangling from Peter's neck. The vial of dust magically disappeared from Peter's chest and reappeared in the Captain's grasp. "Who would have thought the King of Eternal Youth would find his weakness in my granddaughter?" He chuckled before crushing the vial of pixie dust, letting the powder disappear in a light gust of wind.
Davy Jones tilted his head to the boy, "Did you honestly believe your presence would go unnoticed on my ship?" His light smile twisted into a carnal snarl just before he brought his enchanted whip back down on the boy's spine, forcing him hard against the deck.
Elizabeth jerked forward, but was held back by Milah's two enveloping arms. Peter lifted his hooded gaze up to Elizabeth as the merciless whip came back down onto him with brute magical force.
"No!" Elizabeth cried hysterically as Milah began to pull her backwards, away from the horrific display that she knew would end all too gruesomely. The crew broke their ordered rank out of sheer nerve. Every whip crack that came down onto Peter's back rattled the entire ship and shook the composure of every full-grown man on board. They shuffled towards the stairwells in retreat.
Jack Sparrow was quick to pace over and throw Adam over his shoulder. All Adam could do was let out a low moan of protest at the stretching of his already filleted skin.
"Get a move on, Milah," Jack shouted urgently before disappearing below deck.
Milah tried to be gentle with Elizabeth; however, with every thunderous boom of the Captain's whip that came down on Peter, Elizabeth fought back more aggressively. "Come on, child," Milah muttered. "You don't need to see this."
"Peter," Elizabeth cried against Milah's forearm, causing Peter to fight his waning strength and glance up at her. Swallowing back the tremors of agony, Peter managed to mouth the word Go to her before yet another slash came down on him, this time strong enough to crack the floorboards of the deck. Elizabeth shook her head with wincing, watery eyes, letting out a single choked sob. Milah managed to drag her back towards the entrance of the stairwell of the ship, gripping Elizabeth in a tight enough hold to keep her safe from the Captain's harm.
"You should never have left Neverland, Peter Pan." Elizabeth heard Davy Jones state before forcing the strongest whip crack down the boy's back, shaking the ship with the crashing sound of thunder.
Emma and Belle simultaneously fell through the portal together, coming through the other end at a mercilessly fast pace that had them crashing against the wooden door of the closet they had been sent into. It was a broom closet of sorts; obviously a closet belonging to a pirate ship based on the tools that were messily stowed along the slates of shelves. Emma reached out to cover Belle's mouth with her palm, stifling any noises she would make to be absolutely quiet.
It was only then that the two women were able to listen outside of the closet and hear the consecutive sounds of whip cracks and accompanying cries. Emma felt the chills creep up her back at the recognition of her daughter's pained screams of protest. They stared at each other in horror when Elizabeth finally screamed out Adam's name.
With a flick of Emma's wrist, two murky white clouds of magic appeared at their feet and magically redressed them in masterful pirate disguises. Belle reached her shaking grasp out and turned the knob of the closet for the both of them to emerge out onto the deck.
They were in the back of the ranks, thankfully, though could still make out the horrendous show near the front. Elizabeth was curled over Adam's bleeding frame. A long streak of crimson soaked through her shirt from the bottom of her neck down to her waist.
Standing in front of the two of them was Peter, gripping the whip with fire in his eyes. Emma and Belle were frozen where they stood, unable to form a coherent plan to respond to the startling situation they walked into. Neither one of them could hear the heated words being exchanged.
"Oh no," Emma muttered when catching sight of the Captain emerging from behind the fallen overseer. "We can't just stand here. We need to do something."
"What can we do?" Belle snapped urgently, her heart already set at a fast rhythm just by the sight of her son withering away against the mast.
Emma stepped forward, eyes trained on her sobbing daughter, when suddenly a silent hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Without a second thought, Emma ripped the blade sitting in the sheath of her belt and raised the pointed edge up to Felix, who had been standing beside her the entire time.
"You're late," he muttered indifferently.
"What the hell is going on here?" She growled, "Peter said he'd take care of her."
"And he is." The first sound of imitated thunder shook the ship, rattling the nerves of all the pirates around them. "Peter's been a bit preoccupied these past few days."
Belle glared at the lost boy, "Are you not going to help him?"
"We've been given specific orders to wait," Felix eyed Emma, amused by the woman's evident show of concern. "Don't you worry, Savior. We've got this handled."
The next shatter of thunder came down on Peter, which in turn, caused Elizabeth's screams to rise up a pitch. She ripped her arm out from Felix's grip, "What part of this is being handled?"
"If you go up there now, you'll ruin all chances of getting your daughter off this ship."
"You forget who you're talking to," Emma answered, feeling her magic begin to course through her.
"You're only fooling yourself if you think you stand a chance against him right now," Felix spoke indifferently as his leader took another thunderous whip to the back. "I guess you'll just have to take my word on this."
Emma trembled with anger as she watched Pan endure the whipping of who she assumed to be the Captain of the ship, Davy Jones. It wasn't long before Adam and Elizabeth were pried off the mast. Emma noticed a woman with unruly raven black, curly hair hold onto Elizabeth in a surprisingly gentle manner as she was dragged away from Peter's shriveling form. The whipping commenced as Elizabeth was pulled out of Emma's sights, away from danger.
Felix led Belle and Emma back into the crevices of the ship as the rest of the crew departed off the main deck to give the Captain a moment alone with the boy-king. Though Emma and Belle could not make out distinct words or phrases that the Captain seemed to mouth down at Peter, they continued to watch with a heavy heart as Peter took the thunder-booming whips, one after the other.
It was to everyone's relief when the Captain seized the whippings. He stowed the enchanted whip back into his belt and took a step away from the boy's mangled form, covered in a disarray of lashings and bloodied skin.
Three pirates emerged out from the lower deck as if on cue and picked up the unconscious Lost Boy, carrying him down into the depths of the ship to a room where he could be securely held. The Captain watched as Peter was carried away with a triumphant smirk, relishing in his first victory over the great Pan before turning on his heels and departing down another route into the ship.
Liam waited to enter the room until after the shatters of thunder died down. Someone was being beaten; hard. It wasn't common that his father would take matters into his own hands and serve the punishment himself, though Liam knew the severity of what had transpired the night before.
He had spoken to his father about the matter. It was the universal rule among everyone on board that the Captain was to be the only one serving death sentences while in his charge. Anyone bold enough to defy that law, well, wasn't treated in such a merciful manner.
He was never keen on witnessing his father's wrath. He tried to convince himself that his father was a man living out a noble cause as the ferryman of the dead. Days like these came the times Liam felt the need to avoid his father and the sore reality of his now accursed life.
Liam hesitantly turned the knob of the door, which to his surprise, was left unlocked by the gullible pirates that had been attending as guards. The room was dark, save a sliver of light that came through the floorboards of the ship onto the decrepit form of a prisoner chained to the far side wall. The man chained against the wall was heaving heavy groans laced in emotion, clearly having heard the commotion from deck above his head. The prisoner, Killian, tilted his head just slightly to the side so that he could look his guest in the eye.
Both Liam and Killian froze at first eye contact. They glared at the other as if they were witnessing a supernatural sighting (which to an extent, of course, they were). Killian's jaw lowered; his tortured blue gaze widened in anxiety. "Liam?" He finally gathered the nerve to break their silence.
Killian lifted his head higher into the light, revealing more of himself to his older brother that still lurked in the shadows of the room. "Liam…"
"God." Liam stepped forward hesitantly though quickened his pace close to his brother's side as the realization set in. He knelt in front of his young brother, who was still chained to the wall. Oblivious to anything but his own blatant shock, Liam placed both hands over Killian's cheeks and gawked incredulously, "Killian, is it really you?"
"Brother," Killian swallowed, wincing from the painful weight of his shackles. Liam read into his brother's wrecked expression and took little time to draw out his set of master keys to unlock the restraining shackles, sending Killian falling forward into his arms. "Gods," Killian groaned against Liam's shoulders.
"How long has father been keeping you here?"
"Since my arrival, right about the time Rumplestiltskin's boy was brought on." Liam helped Killian up against the wall where he could sit and ease the muscles that had been strained in his days of imprisonment. Killian looked back up at his brother, who was still staring as if he were conversing with a ghost.
"You've been here, with father, all these years?"
"Since my death aboard the Jewel," Liam nodded solemnly. "Though I think you'll find that time doesn't work naturally while aboard the Dutchman. The arrival of some family aboard this ship has got me realizing the true testament of time I've spent." He let out a nervous laugh, resting a hand on Killian's shoulder, "But by God's man, for all those years spent alive you're certainly looking well for your age."
Killian smiled, unable to suppress the glint of happiness arising in his chest from having his brother back. At the recollection of family, however, the realization hit Killian all at once. "Elizabeth," he muttered. "My daughter, I heard her shouts from above desk just a moment ago." He paused, "Liam, tell me she's alright."
Liam raised a hand to his brother, "Father's not going to allow her to die. She's of too much importance to him, luckily."
"What's happened on deck? I heard shouting and screams and… I couldn't help but recognize my daughter's voice amidst all the commotion."
"It would appear she's attracted a band of hooligan boys on board the vessel in pursuit of her rescue. I fear that father might have finally caught on to their presence. You remember that boy we met in Neverland all those years ago?"
"The boy from Neverland…" Killian frowned. "You're not referring to Pan?"
"Peter Pan," Liam nodded. "He's gone and followed Elizabeth here to the Dutchman, and as it would appear, he's most adamant to get her off the ship. I fear after hearing the commotion on deck, that father hasn't taken too kindly to his presence." Killian stared at Liam in confusion for a long moment before they heard three taps on the door.
A tall adolescent lost boy entered the room, garbed in pirate attire, "Mind if we speed things along? The guards are coming back."
Liam glared up at the lost boy questioningly, "Were you aware that my brother was being held prisoner down here all this time?"
The lost boy shot a quick look over at Killian before shrugging his shoulders, "Pan made it clear to let you find out on your own."
Liam let out a huff of annoyance, turning to begin working the shackles along Killian's feet. "And what of the matters on deck?"
"Peter has taken care of all that. The main deck has cleared out, that's all that matters."
"Right," Liam nodded as he unlocked the last binding shackle. Weaving his strong arm under that of his younger brother's, Liam hoisted Killian up on his feet. "Are we ready then?"
"You can't be seriously working for the Lost Boys?"
The fallen Captain smiled grimly, "I'm working with them, brother. It's been a long time since I've had hope for a life beyond this ship. For so many years I thought you had passed on, leaving no family for me to return to if I were to regain my former life. Having the opportunity you and my astonishing niece after all these years has made every moment worth the wait."
The lost boy cleared his throat, "The Savior has just arrived with the map, so the plan is a go."
"Emma?" Killian frowned. "She's here, on the Dutchman? How?"
"She didn't die to get here, if that's what you're asking. She's much more imaginative than you, Captain." The lost boy shifted the weight from his heels impatiently, "C'mon we need to get this show on the road."
Liam walked Killian over to the lost boy, and transferred his brother's weight onto the adolescent boy's shoulders. "Take him upstairs to the quarters nearest to the deck. I'll distract my father long enough for the ship to be taken through the portal."
"Portal? What bloody portal?" Killian stammered in confusion, though was cut short by Liam's tight enclosing hug.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there all those years. Allow me this one opportunity to make it up to you." Liam pulled away from Killian with an warm smile, full of determination and promise. "I won't lose my family again, not if I have anything to say about it."
"Liam…-" Killian started but was cut short by his brother's hand.
"I will see you soon, brother." Giving him nothing to hold onto but a final grin, Liam turned and paced out of the confines of the dark room, leaving Killian begrudgingly slung over the shoulder of a lost boy.
"Well Captain," the boy muttered while starting to walk the two of them over to the door. "I hope you're ready for the fun to start."
Emma crossed her arms furiously, "Remind me again how idly standing by to watch Peter get beaten helped move along our plan?"
"Pan can take a beating. That's the least of our worries," Felix sauntered over to the ship's wheel, gripping one of the pegs firmly with one hand. "Look around you, Savior. What do you see?"
She glanced across the main deck of the ship, noticing nothing more than stowed cannons, crates, barrels, and a grey fogging horizon that stretched on infinitely beyond the ship's anchor. "What, all that for a chance at an empty deck?
Felix grinned maliciously, "An empty deck is all that we need, just so long as you've come bearing gifts." He extended out his hand for the map sitting in Emma's back pocket.
She reluctantly pulled out Calypso's map from her back pocket. The boy accepted the parchment and unraveled it, quick to get to work in deciphering the sliding plates that shifted the map's layout. Emma peered over the lost boy's shoulder, "You know how to read this gibberish?"
"It's not hard to find the place you need to reach as long as you've been there before. The map moves under experienced hands," he answered robotically, quoting what Pan had told him word-for-word.
After a few more shifts of the slates, Felix pulled away to reveal a coherent layout of what seemed to be a small mass of land spitting in the middle of an ocean.
"I'd say it's time to take this party a little closer to home," he smirked darkly before turning back towards the edge of the ship and whipping the magic bean Pan had given him far out into the grey abyss of the ocean. Emma gripped onto the map and watched in awe as the line sketching over the paper map magically shifted on the page. Felix turned back to grip the pegs of the wheel, letting the ship turn in accordance to the direction of the red line coloring over the blue ocean.
Just as the line neared the Enchanted Forest, it changed direction. The edged arrow cut downward, far down the page away from its intended destination towards an even smaller spit of land.
"Where is it taking us?" Emma glared up at Felix, unnerved by the malicious curve of the boy's lopsided grin. "You said we were going home!"
"Who says I was referring to your home?"
Emma let go of the wheel, dropping the map onto the hardwood deck before drawing her dagger up to the boy's throat. "You lied to me."
"Do you really want to win this fight?" Felix murmured against the edge of her blade. "You'll have to be willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if that means bringing Pan back to his strongest. That means bringing him back to his world; bringing back his shadow."
"The only thing you're going to bring back is a monster."
Felix nodded, "A monster strong enough to beat Davy Jones."
"You can't do this." Emma growled in defiance, though was already reaching out for something to hold on to as the ship slowly slipped through the electrified green-lighted portal. Felix did not get the opportunity to put in a final word before the Dutchman fell down through the lighted portal, down, down, down further down…
Sailing straight on to morning.