 and sort of sets the stage for what to expect in the novel. So I'm going to read it to you, and I'll also project it up on the screen, and then we will chat about some of the things that you should notice. Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some, they come in with a tide. For others, they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by time. That is the life of men.