The door opens, slowly...onto nothing. No one is on the other side.

In the stillness that follows, there is a soft thump -- and then a deep, resonant voice.

'A Regiment for the Sea, by William Bourne of Gravesend.'

Commodore Lyon of the East India Company is standing on the far side of the cabin, near to the great windows where a small bookshelf holds a neat row of books bound in dark leather. He is mostly facing away from Norrington, his attention on the title page of the book that is open in his hands.

'Rather a useful tome, this,' he adds, seemingly addressing Norrington even though he does not look over at the other man. 'Quite possibly the first work on navigation written by an Englishman, back in Queen Elizabeth's day. Still worth reading, for a book written nearly two centuries ago.'

He closes the book, with the soft thump heard once before.