By the following morning, the vessel had reached open water. The eastern passage lay clear, though the coastal route would take several days. Mei Qiao stood with Han over the chart, pointing out two islands that did not appear on the old military map.
“The one with the pale ridge has a sheltered inlet,” she said. “If a storm closes the eastern passage, we can wait there. The other one is all rock on its north face. Don’t mistake it for a landing.”
Han marked both locations. “How many days can the water casks cover if we wait?”
Mei gave a realistic estimate, then named the point where they would have to turn back if the weather worsened. Qinghe checked the water stores with her and asked how long they could keep the medicine case dry. They agreed to move it to the cabin’s inside wall if spray reached the deck.
A shout came from the bow. The lantern’s glass was cracked, and its flame guttered whenever the vessel pitched. Without a steady light, the ship would be hard to see at night and harder to guide around the shallows.
Yan brought the replacement pane from the supply chest. “I thought sea travel would involve more sailing and less climbing.”
