About this story
When his canoe slides out of the dark, he heads first to parley with your rival Lakamba, not to you — and your daughter Nina says she trusts what a man does under pressure more than what he promises. By the time Dain reaches your stairs, packet still tied against his chest, three of Lakamba's war canoes are already crossing toward your jetty.
How it opens
Floodwater rolled past your unfinished house, carrying branches through a sunset without gold.
Loose verandah planks shifted beneath you while the opposite trading post lit prosperous lamps.
Father, supper is ready, and watching the river will not make Dain arrive sooner.
Mrs AlmayerKaspar! Eat now, before hope grows cold enough to put on a plate.
Choose
He needs this venture as much as we do, so he will return.
If he fails us, I will find the gold route without him.