Merriman could, if he chose, make a point about it being an East India Commodore on a former (if reluctantly and temporarily) East India vessel. But that piece of news is not exactly his to relate. The effort of climbing is a good enough excuse to keep silent, and Wellard's extended hand is accepted with a nod of gratitude.

'Even with all that remains to be done,' he says, looking round as he dusts off his coat, 'there has been a definite improvement. Quite a lot of hands have been at work here.'

The thought makes him pause, and a faint but noticeable tension sharpens the lines of his face.

'Do you know who else is working on repairs to the Pearl?' he asks, carefully. 'Or what they happen to be working on, for that matter?'