20
When a person so wishes, the boat sails. When the wind so wishes, the boat sails where the person wishes.
The Ost Wind—in other words, an east wind—carried the boat from the coast of Africa.
“Excellent!” the captain exclaimed when told. “That means we won’t flounder on the reefs. Don’t furl the sails tonight!”
“But that’s not done! It’s dangerous…” Dirk was taken aback.
“I’m not afraid of danger and I always do what’s not done,” smiled the captain shaking his curly grey locks. “Isn’t that right, Niccolo?”
The hook-nosed physician was standing too far away to hear, but he nodded nonetheless and smiled his ambiguous smile.
The bosun grew uneasy.
“Oh, Niccolo has a great sense of hearing, by the way, as do all Florentines,” said the captain. “He can even hear what we think, let alo
