I left the Escanaba behind as quickly as possible. I hoped my logical self wouldn’t wake up in time to catch me with the book. If I could get far enough away before then, I could easily claim that it was too late to turn around and return it. After all, another hotel on another Great Lake was waiting.
 
Lake Michigan wasn’t nearly as wild or unpredictable as Superior, but the adventures were still great fun. I still recall feeling the ground shake as waves thundered into a cliff I was standing on. There are still fond memories of walking on a stone causeway over to an island for the afternoon. I still smile at thinking about the sleeping sand dragon I made on the beach outside of my hotel room…and lapping waves serenading me through the night.
 
I spent every spare moment staring at the officer’s photograph, hoping beyond reason to work out who he is. Neither his good ship, nor courageous crew offered a suggestion. It was slowly driving me mad, an affliction that planted the seeds of an obsession.
 
I had no luck whatsoever with identifying him or anything about him. For the next eleven years I remained in a darkness that ground deeply into me. Eventually I gave up, convinced that he must look like someone else I knew, a dear friend perhaps. My soul wasn’t buying it and continued to leave me with an unfinished business taste in my mouth.
 
The tall ship’s officer with determined stare never completely left me, however. On many occasions over the following years I had dreams that I thought were linked to him. The first, just as the rest, was the same length and detail. None elaborated or evolved and all were locked and airtight.
 
It was an incredibly blue, cloudless sky. Above me and slightly out of reach was a wooden rowboat. The white hull seemed so stark against the perfect turquoise sky. A handful of dark-suited men were at the gunwales. They were shouting and pointing, one reached down toward me with a hooked pole. I watched them with great interest and curiosity about their actions. My arms floated above me as I sank backward through the water…