“Mr. Simmons. He did spit in my eyes, didn’t he?”

She smiled. “Daroth was always fond of poisons. I merely took precautions against such.”

I looked out over the infant lake, wondered what it would look like in fifty years, in a hundred. There’d be boats, I decided. Boats and docks and tanned kids laughing on the shore and patient fishermen hunched over their lines.

“Was it true what you said, about the times when the summer-born critters walk? That the world is a waking nightmare?”

“Yes.”

I let out the breath I’d been saving. Maybe it was true, that we’d struck a blow against slumbering monsters. And maybe, if that was true, I could forgive the odd lie, or three.

“I think we should name it Victory Lake,” I said. “Before someone starts calling it Mud Bend or Reek Hole.”

“Victory Lake,” said the erstwhile Corpsemaster, whose name I realized I would probably never know. “I believe I like that. Very much indeed.”

Laughter and cheering sounded as the Queen’s casino doors flew open. Darla’s voice rang out, and she walked a tad unsteadily toward me, a pair of tall beer glasses in her hands.

Stitches, Stitches once more, rose.

Good evening, Darla, she said.

“Stitches! So good to see you up and about. Are you rested?”

I feel a thousand years younger. Perhaps more. She picked up her plate and teacups, and after a moment she cast them all over the rail. Good evening, you two. I believe I will go watch Mama Hog and Mr. Prestley pretend to despise each other.

Darla sat and watched her go.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” she said.

“Not at all.” I took a sip of beer and grinned. Darla had found the good stuff. Even the Dutson-imposter hadn’t cracked the best casks.

Poor Dutson. We’d found him in the false boiler Evis had given me the key to. Evis and I did the best we could, laying him to rest.

Darla tweaked my nose. “Uh uh,” she said, grinning. “No poignant reflecting tonight. We’re both here, both alive, and as soon as we have a lake under us we’re both heading home.”

The doors opened again. I heard Mama bellow Buttercup’s name, heard Evis and Gertriss laughing, heard footfalls on the deck heading our way.

I lifted my glass in a toast.

“Together, my dear. To the Queen’s maiden voyage. To victory over the forces of evil. And mainly to our thousand crown fee, forever may it wave.”

Darla raised her glass with mine. “Captain Markhat, I will always drink to that.”