The river boat’s owner, Albinet, had told Joffroy and Sébastien to report to him at his berth on the Seine by midmorning to set sail downstream by noon.
“Ah, here you are, gentlemen,” Albinet greeted the two men. “As soon as my hands show up we can be off. They went ashore some hours ago to taste some good Paris ale. And why did that not surprise me? But as long as they’re fit for work, how they spends their money is none of my business. Anyway, enough of that, pass me your bags and come aboard.”
taste some good Paris ale. The men obeyed. They were both very unsure of what lay ahead. Albinet, a sensitive soul beneath a rough sailor’s exterior, smiled gently and said, almost in a whisper,
“I’m pleased you’re joining my small crew, good to have fresh faces. Your sleeping quarters are belo
