
Three weeks after a leaking barque sank, you and the terrier Cuffy were the only survivors left on its raft. Not dead yet, old dog, though hunger has made that sound like accusation instead of gratitude. You step into this one-chapter preview with Cuffy at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. The crest curled overhead while the narrow opening shifted out of sight. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
Read Jarwin and Cuffy