Danitz sharply inhaled the salty sea breeze. His hands, which had been clutching his lapels, froze at his sides as he slowly turned around and looked toward the sitting room door.
The door that had been open was now closed. A young blonde woman in a simple gray dress stood there, smiling at him.
It was that woman who had caused such a scene at Flying Fish and Wine last night... She was actually aboard the White Agate too? The guy who had been with her had to be here as well!
Danitz instantly recognized that beautiful face. Then he remembered the trench-coated man in the black top hat who could transform into his likeness, and that strange "hunger" that had seemed ready to swallow him whole...
Wait, could the Mandated Punishers have found me because that man turned into me and did something bad?
Understanding dawned on him at once.
This was when he should jump out the window. The White Agate had not gone far yet; he could swim back to shore quickly enough. Even if there were a whole squad of Mandated Punishers there, he was confident he could play hide-and-seek with them... Or he could swim to another ship, blend in among the passengers, and go anywhere at all...
Several thoughts surfaced in Danitz's mind. His hands rose and fell, but in the end, "Flame" calmed the fire in his heart. He placed one hand over his chest, gave a slight bow, and forced what he considered his most handsome smile onto his lips.
"Good morning, beautiful lady. It is a pleasure to see you again."
At that moment, Danitz felt immensely grateful for the etiquette lessons Iceberg Admiral Edwina had conducted among her crew.
"Is that so? Then what about him?"
The woman by the