10Dmitri was sitting in the cabin poring through the same book he’d been going over forever. This one volume that he had searched for in the place where he had found Alexei some time ago. There was something missing from it, certain aspects were alluded to at the beginning and then never mentioned again. He ruffled through his notes and Alexei’s translations. Was there something else that was supposed to be there?
The door burst open.
“Adeline?” Dmitri questioned.
“It’s . . . there’s something wrong with . . . Alexei,” she stammered. “He came over to my cabin and he was crying.”
“He?” Dmitri took off his glasses.
“Yes, he . . . he told me.” She shuffled in and shut the door, holding her arms behind her back.
“You know everything?”
“Well, some things.”
“Is he okay?” Dmitri’s eyebrow
