condensed master

Will Bonner
problem returned with a vengeance.
His vacant chair at the dining-room table puzzled those who were not affected,
as they now knew that he had been to sea before. It was a relief to finally pass
through the Straits of Gibraltar into the calmer waters of the Mediterranean and
Will was aware that it would be at least a couple of weeks or so before they
would be in the Indian Ocean giving him some respite until then. The inclement
weather seemed to have very little affect on Dorothy which was a blessing,
considering Will's affliction.
The ship arrived at Port Said only to find to everyone's disappointment that the
port was experiencing some civil disorder and under martial law consequently, no
one was allowed ashore. The ship only stayed overnight before entering the Suez
Canal providing a welcome interest for the passengers. Will watched as the ship
passed through the sand dunes and he knew what to expect during the next three
days or so, sailing down the Red Sea. He wasn't looking forward to it.
As predicted, the heat was unbearable, placing the utmost strain on those who
had never experienced these adverse conditions before, and everyone breathed
a sigh of relief when the ship sailed into Aden. It was still hot, but being able to get
ashore for the first time since leaving England was a big relief.
Standing on the boat deck, looking across the harbour at the now familiar
town, Will's previous experiences came flooding back to him. There could be no
tangible excuse for him not wanting to go ashore, and he could not entertain the
thought of Dorothy going alone. He would have to try and keep away from the
area where Omaha's shop was located, but they would definitely have to go up to
the Queen of Sheba's Wells. Knowing that they would probably see the sights on
their own made him feel more vulnerable. His feelings about Aden were all
negative, and his thoughts turned to the possibility of something going wrong.
For the first time he was experiencing the fearful thought of Dorothy
inadvertently getting involved. It had been some years since his last episode with
the organization and hopefully, his thoughts were unfounded. Dorothy appeared
at his side, excited about going ashore, but by the time the port authorities had
completed their formalities, it was too late in the day.
After breakfast next morning, Will took Dorothy to the bazaars and she
became totally engrossed looking at the large variety of goods on display. As they
moved slowly through the crowds, Will constantly scanned both the moving and
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