The Man Who Laughs Part I, Book the Second, Chapter V - Hardquanonne

In which a restless sea and an ominous sky frame a fragile vessel caught in a tempest's grip, as a weary doctor—absorbed in the careful inscription of a secret message—finds a poignant reminder of a distant comrade in a humble gourd. The scene is one of quiet endurance and subtle human connection amidst the vast, indifferent elements.