Edogawa walked past the wrecked ship, continuing a little further before stopping and simply staring out at sea. Sleep had been fitful. He was about to leave the Empire, something he had always wanted. But, he would never return. There had been a time when he would have been fine with that. Things had changed, however. He had been different since the moment he'd washed up on this sand.

"SENTIMENTAL, SENOR?"

A voice came from the shadows of the wrecked bow, hollow and booming.

He turned quickly, studying the shadows as his hand found his blade. The voice was familiar and not one he welcomed.

"Reveal yourself!"

"I AM NOT HIDING, CORNEJO. I THOUGHT WE HAD A DEAL TO BE CIVIL TOWARD EACH OTHER. FEELING LIKE BEING A TURNCOAT AGAIN?"

The figure of a large man loomed there in the dark, lit by the moon.

He left his blade in its sheath, crossing his arms.

"That doesn't mean I won't seek to defend myself when approached unexpectedly in the middle of the night, Amarillo."

"It's a different head." he admitted. "And, these are different times. We will return to the sea soon. Are you ready?"

"I'VE NEVER STOPPED BEING READY, SENOR!" Rey laughed through Ringo's blood-stained mouth. "I'VE LEFT TOO MUCH OF ME AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. IT'LL BE A WELCOME CHANGE TO FEEL A DECK AND A HULL BETWEEN ME AND THE DOMAIN OF THE MERCILESS."

"Just keep your bloodthirst restrained." he cautioned. "It is one thing for you to sate your hunger here. Out there, we cannot afford the loss of crew."

"I'll FIND MY WAY ONCE OUT OF THIS ACCURSED LAND. ARE YOU SUDDENLY CONCERNED ABOUT MY FATE?"

The bloodied teeth that had burrowed in the geisha just an hour ago shone maliciously in a wide grin.

"It is your host I wonder about." he shook his head. "But, his fate is his own. What do you think we'll face out there?"

"WHERE? IN THE HIGH SEAS? ON THE ISLAND?" Rey started plaiting Ringo's hair into a mariner's braid.

"Both." He answered. "It has been a very long time since we've been out there."

"YOU DON'T REMEMBER, RIGHT. THE ISLAND WAS NOT INHABITED THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE, OR LOOKED LIKED IT. WHICH WAS THE ONLY TIME. THERE WERE SOME OTHERS TO THE NORTH, BUT THAT ONE HAD A NATURAL HARBOUR, FRESH WATER, LOTS OF JUNGLES WITH ENOUGH FRUIT AND GAME, AND A DEAD VOLCANO IN THE MIDDLE. HAWTHORNE INSISTED THAT WE MAKE LAND THERE. HE HAD EXPLORED THE ARCHIPELAGO A BIT MORE BEFORE HIS FLEET AND OURS MET AT SEA." Rey paused. "THE WATERS TO THE NORTH WERE TREACHEROUS TOO. SUBMERGED ROCKS, SHOALS. WE DIDN'T HAVE MAPS, SO IT WAS AN UNNECESSARY RISK. I AGREED WITH YOU ON THAT."

"Most of my memories are lost." he nodded. "I'm fairly certain that I've been there since then, but don't recall. It is curious that Hawthorne had such an interest in it."

Rey laughed ominously. "THAT LAMPREY HAD HIS SECRETS, PLENTY OF THEM. NO OFFENCE, TEODORO, BUT YOU NEVER WAS HALF AS CUNNING. HE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS GETTING WHAT HE WANTED FROM YOU. HE LOST THE LAST ROUND BECAUSE HE GREW TOO FULL OF HIMSELF, TOO VAIN. HE DIDN'T EXPECT YOU NOT TO FALL IN LINE FOR HIS MASTER PLAN."

"HE MIGHT WELL HAVE HAD. YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND OUT BY YOURSELF." Rey pulled on the braid to check if it held. "HE HAD BEEN FILTHY RICH EVEN BEFORE EMBARKING ON THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE OCEAN. HE HAD PREYED ON THE SPICE ROUTE FOR YEARS. HE CERTAINLY HAD TREASURES TO HIDE."