The truth was, his trip that morning had been fine. More than fine, his bins were full before noon. He’d steered back into the harbor sunburned and grinning, calling out to anyone listening: “Looks like the monster forgot to eat me!” A couple of teenagers clapped sarcastically, but most people just looked away. The mood onshore was too heavy for jokes.
“It doesn’t show up during the day,” Marta muttered later, when he passed her stall again. “It comes when the church bell rings at night. That’s when Tomas lost his gear. That’s when Anders said he felt something pull at his oar.”