The first time he saw him step onto the gangway and stand there, Sak was fairly certain Chap was freshly out of themonkhood. Skirting by him you’d get the scent of saffron robes and feel the refreshing emanations merit earns intemples. He was lanky and lean as a herringbone on legs. The hair on his head had hardly grown back half an inch.His skin was so pale you could see the sinews.
On the strength of a mere glance, Sak would have staked his life on Chap never having gone out at sea. Maybe hewas some hard-luck Chinese half-breed whose needy parents had had to borrow left, right and centre to have the appleof their eye ordained and who now had to wander distressingly in search of a job to do.