"No, about the furthest from it," he shakes his head. "I met her in the desert," he says. "By happenstance, truly. I was a traveler seeking shelter, and she happened to be along my path."

He glances over at Kreyu, who is sleeping soundly while still maintaining her well-gripped perch on the railing of the ship, rocking gently with the motion of the sea beneath them.

"Who are you indebted to? This Captain, or someone else?"