The<em>Dusky Lady</em>was, more or less, how Kuno remembered it.  There was the foremast, main mast, the mizzen mast, the yardarms, the booms, the bowsprit with its figurehead, a bare-chested mermaid; there was the gangplank, the gunwales, the three cannon on starboard and port<sup>*</sup>.  There were some new faces, but some--<br/><br/>"Evenin', Kuno," grinned Hamish, the boatswain, as he tugged on the windlass.  "Good t'see ye aboard."  He touched his index finger to his forelock as she passed.<br/><br/>"Ah, look who's back now," smiled Demetrius, the portly Jamaican cook, his teeth shining like pearls between the dark shoals of his lips.  "It be good to be seein' ya again, miss Kunoichi."<br/><br/>"H-h-hello!" stuttered Runt, the freckled cabin boy, blushing behind his flame-red forelock.  When Captain Remiel looked at him, he blanched and turned back to his duties.<br/><br/>Kuno, it seemed, had come a long way from being a lowly cabin girl.  All seemed to be aware that she'd gone up in the world, that she'd married some rich nob, had wrapped him around her finger.  Nevertheless, almost without exception, the prevailing current of opinion seemed to be that she belonged on the<em>Dusky Lady</em>.  However, most of the crew respected a lady's choices, and at least were subtle about it.<br/><br/>Captain Remiel, on the other hand, was anything but subtle.<br/><br/>Ushering her to his cabin, he plopped himself down on a chair, and kicked his boots up on a desk, crossing one leg over the other.  He picked up a bottle from somewhere and pulled the cork out with his teeth, spitting it somewhere on the floor.  He fished in the dark recesses of his desk and produced two goblets, and commenced pouring the amber contents of the bottle into each.<br/><br/>"This calls for a celebration," he announced.  Handing one of the goblets to the Oriental woman, he regarded her over the rim of the other.  "the prodigal Kunoichi returning home at last.  To freedom, and no longer having to play housewife to some spoiled nonce of a lord."  He raised it, and tilted it back, his Adam's apple bobbing as he drank.  Regardless of whether Kuno joined him or not, he refilled his goblet, eyeballing the amount of rum left in the bottle.   If he knew Myobi as well as he thought he did, she would demand the rest of the bottle once she got back.  Her performance was exceptional, and he knew she wouldn't wait to remind him of it.<br/><br/>Speaking of which... he stared expectantly at the hatchway, counting down under his breath.  "Ten...nine...eight...seven..."<br/><br/>---<br/><sup>*</sup><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">Nautical terms can be found here (http://phrontistery.info/nautical.html), among other places.</span>