Gulf of Thailand
T
he Indonesian master of the oil tanker MV Churowan had an upset stomach and painful gas cramps as he climbed the port side ladder toward his bridge. He warned the Filipino cook repeatedly, but the man insisted on using flaming hot peppers from his native country in everything he made. When his ship reached port in Sasebo and he’d dealt with the expected hassles from the authorities, the Captain was determined to hire a new cook. There were always plenty of merchant sailors looking for work, and he was confident he could find one in Japan.
His Chief Engineer, the only countryman the Captain had on a ship manned by a polyglot crew from several Asian nations, was waiting for him, eyeing the sliver of moon that dodged scudding clouds to the east toward Sihanoukville on th
