             ,,*APT] #AF
  ,? 9CID5T SORELY PUZZL$ ,BILLY
,BUDD4 ,X 0 AN 5TIRELY NEW EXP]I;E2 !
F/ "T 9 8 LIFE T HE _H "E BE5 P]SON,Y
APPROA*$ 9 "UH& 9TRIGU+ FA%ION4
,PRIOR 6? 5C.T] HE _H "KN NO?+ (!
AFGU>DSMAN1 ! TWO M5 2+ /,N$ WIDE

A"P1 "O =W>D & AL(T DUR+ 8 WAT*1 !
O!R ON DECK & AFT4
  ,:AT CD X M1N8 ,& CD !Y RE,Y 2
GU91S1 ^? TWO GLITT]+ OBJECTS !
9T]LOP] _H HELD UP 6HIS EYES8 ,": CD
! FELL[ GET GU91S8 ,:Y EV5 SP>E
BUTTONS >E N S PL5TI;L AT SEA4 ,! M
HE TURN$ ! MATT] OV]1 ! M HE 0 NON-
PLUSS$1 & MADE UNEASY & 4COM=T$4 ,9 8
4GU/;L RECOIL F AN OV]TURE : ?O0' HE
B ILL -PREH5D$ HE 9/9CTIVELY KNEW M/
9VOLVE EVIL ( "S SORT1 ,BILLY ,BUDD 0
L A "Y HORSE FRE% F ! PA/URE SU45LY
9HAL+ A VILE :IFF F "S *EMICAL
FACTORY1 & 0REP1T$ SNORT+S TRIES 6GET
X \ ( 8 NO/RILS & LUNGS4 ,? FRAME (
M9D B>R$ ALL DESIRE ( HOLD+ FUR!R
P>LEY )! FELL[1 EV5 7 X B =! PURPOSE
( GA9+ "S 5LI<T5;T Z 6HIS DESIGN 9
APPROA*+ HM4 ,& YET HE 0 N )\T
NATURAL CURIOS;Y 6SEE H[ S* A VISITOR
9 ! D>K WD LOOK 9 BROAD "D4
  ,HE ESPI$ HM ! FOLL[+ AFN1 9 8 F/
DOG-WAT*1 2L1 "O (! SMOK]S ON T =W>D
"P (! UPP] GUN DECK ALLOTT$ 6! PIPE4

,HE RECOGNIZ$ HM 0HIS G5]AL CUT &
BUILD1 M ?AN 0HIS R.D FRECKL$ FACE &
GLASSY EYES ( PALE BLUE1 VEIL$ )
LA%ES ALL B :ITE4 ,& YET ,BILLY 0 A
BIT UNC]TA9 :E!R 9DE$ X 7 HE- YOND]
*AP AB 8 [N AGE *ATT+ & LAU<+ 9 FREE-
HE>T$ WAY1 L1N+ AG/ A GUN2 A G5IAL "Y
FELL[ 5 6LOOK AT1 & "S?+ (A
RATTLEBRA91 6ALL APPE>.E4 ,R *U2Y TOO
=A SAILOR1 EV5 AN AFGU>DSMAN4 ,9 %ORT
! LA/ MAN 9 ! _W1 "O WD ?9K1 6BE
OV]BUR!N$ ) ?"\S1 ESPECI,Y ^? P]IL\S
?"\S T M/ NE$S 2L;G 6A 3SPIRATOR 9
ANY S]I\S PROJECT1 OR EV5 6! "UL+ (
S* A 3SPIRATOR4
  ,AL?O0' ,BILLY 0 N AW>E ( X1 !
FELL[1 )A SIDEL;G WAT*;L GL.E _H
P]CVD ,BILLY F/1 & !N NOT+ T ,BILLY 0
LOOK+ AT HM1 "!^U NO4$ A FAMILI> SORT
( FRLY RECOGNI;N Z 6AN OLD ACQUA9T.E1
)\T 9T]RUPT+ ! TALK HE 0 5GAG$ 9 )!
GR\P ( SMOK]S4 ,A "D OR TWO AFWS1
*ANC+ 9 ! EV5+ PROM5ADE ON A GUN DECK
6PASS ,BILLY1 HE (F]$ A FLY+ ^W ( GD-
FELL[%IP1 Z X W]E1 : 0XS UNEXPECT$;S1

& EQUIVOCAL;S "U ! CIRCUM/.ES S
EMB>RASS$ ,BILLY T HE KNEW N H[
6RESPOND 6X1 & LET X G UNNOTIC$4
  ,BILLY 0 N[ LEFT M AT A LOSS ?AN
2F4 ,! 9E6ECTUAL SPECUL,N 96: HE 0 L$
0 S 4TURB+LY ALI5 6HM1 T HE DID 8 BE/
6S"M X4 ,X N"E 5T]$ 8 M9D T "H 0 A
MATT] : F XS EXTREME "QA#;S1 X 0 8
DUTY Z A LOYAL BLUE-JACKET 6REPORT 9
! PROP] QU>T]4 ,&1 PROBABLY1 _H S* A
/EP BE5 SU7E/$ 6HM1 HE WD H BE5
DET]R$ F TAK+ X 0! ?"\1 "O ( NOVICE-
MAGNANIM;Y1 T X WD SAVOR OV]M* (!
DIRTY "W (A TELLTALE4 ,HE KEPT ! ?+
6HMF4 ,YET ^U "O O3A.N1 HE CD N =BE>
A LL 4BUR!N+ HMF 6! OLD ,DANSK]1
TEMPT$ "!TO P]H 0! 9FLU;E (A BALMY
NI<T :5 ! %IP LAY 2CALM$2 ! TWA91
SIL5T =! MO/ "P1 SITT+ TGR ON DECK1
_! H1DS PROPP$ AG/ ! BULW>KS4 ,B X 0
ONLY A "PIAL & ANONYM\S A3.T T ,BILLY
GAVE1 ! UNF.D$ SCRUPLES ABV REF]R$
6PREV5T+ FULL 4CLOSURE 6ANYBODY4 ,^U
HE>+ ,BILLY'S V].N1 ! SAGE ,DANSK]
SEEM$ 6DIV9E M ?AN HE 0 TOLD2 & AF A

LL M$IT,N DUR+ : 8 WR9KLES 7 PURS$ Z
96A PO9T1 Q E6AC+ =! "T T QUIZZ+
EXPRES.N 8 FACE "S"TS WORE18,DIDN'T
,I SAY S1 ,BABY ,BUDD80
  8,SAY :AT80 DEM&$ ,BILLY4
  8,:Y1 ,JIMMY ,LEGS IS D[N ON Y40
  8,& :AT10 REJO9$ ,BILLY 9 AMAZE;T1
8HAS ,JIMMY ,LEGS 6D ) T CRACK$
AFGU>DSMAN80
  8,HO1 X 0 AN AFGU>DSMAN !N4 ,A
CAT'S-PAW1 A CAT'S-PAW60 ,&) T
EXCLAM,N1 :1 :E!R X _H REF];E 6A LI<T
PUFF ( AIR J !N -+ OV] ! CALM SEA1 OR
SUBTL] REL,N 6! AFGU>DSMAN "! IS NO
TELL+1 ! OLD ,M]L9 GAVE A TWI/+ WR5*
) 8 BLACK TEE? AT 8 PLUG ( TOBA3O1
V\*SAF+ NO REPLY 6,BILLY'S IMPETU\S
"Q1 ?O0' N[ REP1T$1 = X 0 8 WONT
6RELAPSE 96GRIM SIL;E :5 9T]ROGAT$ 9
SKEPTICAL SORT Z 6ANY ( 8 S5T5TI\S
ORACLES1 N ALW V CLE> "OS1 R P>TAK+ (
T OBSCUR;Y : 9VE/S MO/ ,DELPHIC
DELIV].ES F ANY QU>T]4
  ,L;G EXP]I;E _H V LIKELY BR"\ ? OLD
MAN 6T BITT] PRUD;E : N"E 9T]F]ES 9

AU<T & N"E GIVES ADVICE4


