We had a field day when we reached our port near the Vila Sant Antoni on the Mediterranean island of Eivissa. This did not indicate, as I had briefly hoped, so much an opportunity to take some exercise on land as assigned cleaning of every inch of our submari, which only coincidentally happened to include removing some items to the surrounding pine-strewn hills. The scenery was not entirely unlike some parts of Long Island and its outer barrier isles, but the air and colors were quite different.

Early in our day, I could not seem to help being distracted by the setting, but my crewmates all reminded me to continue with my share of the work. There would be time later, all promised, for play. When the sun was high overhead, Alpha ordered a break from cleaning to pitch our tent. This structure made of parts dark haircloth and hempen sailcloth, as if older shelters had been sacrificed in its making. It was supported by a number of wooden poles and many lengths of ropes, and metal pegs which we were obliged to hammer into the rocky terrain if there were not trees and shrubs enough to tie-off the lines.

These supplies had been stored on site in the grouping of wooden sheds or shacks near the dry docks that housed the Narcís and its two brother submari under construction. The sheds also contained a quantity of bocking and oriental rugs, as well as stacked and folded camp furniture. Once these were placed beneath the tent's roof, and the tent walls were rolled to allow the sea breeze to enter, it became a welcome shelter from the sun.

I saw Dolores sit down on a carpet, legs splayed before her. The others had not come inside, but I sat down beside her, and then lay back and put my right arm across my forehead to shade my eyes. Prim arrived with a small group of men and said they were some of the Chief's workers from Sant Antoni. These men delivered jugs of water and boxed food. I righted myself, not thinking it proper to greet them lying on the floor, but the men quickly left. Prim stayed, and we were soon joined by Alpha.

He carried into the tent a small wooden crate. He lifted a copper bowl and pitcher from the top of his crate and passed it down to Dolores as he moved past. "Wash your hands. Eat," he said.

I nodded, but followed where he walked with my gaze as the sound of pouring water came form Dolores' place. Alpha took from the crate a collection of small figurines and set them atop one of the low folding tables.

Murphy arrived with Sina and Garin; I noticed the shifting light before I saw or heard their approach. The first two carried our collected clothing, which was promptly dropped to one of the woven rugs that made our floor. Garin carried a spool of wire and a printer.

"Come eat," Dolores invited.

"Soon" Garin said. He was occupied with the printer.

"I will pray first," Sina said, "Murphy?"

"I'll pray when there's no sun," he said. Murphy then stooped beside me and a small vial from his jacket. It looked similar to that he had once brought into the dhobitorium. I must have flinched from it. He grinned, "It's going to look like I'm going to poke your eye, but I'm not."

"Oh, Murphy, do you still have that sitar?" Prim asked.

"Of course." Murphy pulled a wand from his vial and brought the side of it toward my eye. I did my best not to move. It felt like he touched my lid or lashes. "One more," he whispered.

"Come with me a moment?" Prim asked, "when you're through?"

"Ha...there." He'd touched my second eyelid then tucked the wand back in the vial. "Helps with glare." Blinking, I watched him leave with Prim.

I stood, seeing Garin and Dolores at lunch and Alpha and Sina at prayers. I had seen Sina in meditation or prayer while on the Narcís, and knew some of my crewmates whispered blessings at shared meals, but had not seen other displays of worship aboard our boat.

I went to kneel beside Alpha. "Local gods?"

"Some. At sea, everyone worships Neptune. If I am in Cairo or Alexandria, I go to the masjid for Friday Salat. If I am alone, I call on my namesake. And if I arrive in a new place, I give thanks for a safe journey to all my gods along the way, and those of my host or shelter. Do you know the god of Eivissa?"

"I know it's said Saint Anthony helps us find things that are lost."

Alpha tipped his head and shrugged. But, he also pointed to the small figure of the robed monk. "Bes," he said, pointing then to the stone figure of a dancing dwarf. "Tanit. The Chrisitian God. The Muslim God, the calligraphy says, 'Al-Musawwir,' it means, 'The Fashioner.'" I recognized some of these symbols, like the Madonna and Child.

"Who is this? Like a Pharaoh with a halo?"

"It's a form of Thoth, his old Egyptian name might have been Iah-Djehuty-- did I tell you my grandfather worked with the Rosetta Stone? --Murphy calls him Sin."

I'd only heard of the Rosetta Stone as some manner of contested artifact. I shook my head. "Sin?"

"Not the English word," Sina said, "like the peninsula."

"The Sinai," Alpha said, "Near the canal. That's where they're from. Murphy didn't say?"

There was a lot he did not reveal. I looked across to Sina. "Is it meant to be private?"

Alpha quietly left us, but Sina remained and smiled at me. She shook her head. "Not from you, but it is not always easy to talk about family matters."

I heard Murphy's voice and turned to see him enter with Prim, speaking about music.

"Our family wants him to be a priest," Sina whispered.