NINETEEN
Sativa hugged the mast as she did the one part of her job she actually liked – keeping watch. Captain Zydrunas' Barbe had a sort of man-sized bucket built at the top of the mast for the lookout, and Sativa would stay there all day, if she could.
It also meant she'd be the first to spot... "Land!" she cried, pointing. It looked like a just a shadow on the horizon, but it was growing larger, and she was sure...
"Check and see if the boy is right," Captain Zydrunas ordered.
Sativa's face grew hot. Last time she'd thought she'd spotted land, it had been a bank of storm clouds. They'd steered well away from them, but the waves had been big enough for her to realise why the lookout had what the crew called a crow's nest: when the ship canted from one side to the other, it was easy
