Dead Souls Volume One (Parts 1 to 13)

  Part Five

  I

  The huge black boat moved slowly, its prow cutting through the water of the harbor. As it turned to the port side, the boat's great bulk creaked slightly, but for the most part the voyage was silent: no sailors shouted, no bells rang out; the boat simply did as it was commanded, until it gently bumped against the quayside, dislodging a few errant pieces of old wood in the process. On the bridge, the large, old-fashioned wooden wheel turned first one way and then the other before coming to a rest, while nearby the navigation system whirred briefly and then shut down. And then, slowly, a hatch opened in the boat's side, and a deep groaning sound was heard from within.