It's one of those very quiet nights...snatches of songs and guitar music float from Achille Giglio's tavern by the waterfront. Signor Gatto is singing a song of his own, serenading some lady cat somewhere in the upper part of the village...declaring his undying affection for her...

...and out in the old harbor, there is the gentle creaking of anchor cables and soft slapping of small waves against hull planks...and a shape appears from around the headland...

Under the brilliant moonlight, the shape becomes clear. She drops anchor just off the old harbor. A whispered question is heard on the docks..."What ship is that?"

The regulars at the taverna say she is His Majesty's armed brig, the Merope ....no one asks, but all wonder, "is it just coincidence that she anchored off la Rocca Sorrentina on this particular night?

Had anyone been foolish enough to ask such a question out loud, Don Alphonse, the old assistente custode at the Accademia, would have scowled and hissed, "don't be such an idiot, there are no coincidences in this sorry excuse for a world..."

In the morning, she is still there...rolling gently, peacefully at anchor off the old harbor. The sailors on the other ships go about their work while watching her, but without looking like they are watching her...

Dusk comes...and nothing seems to have changed. "Will they never leave?" some young sailor asks. The youth draws in a sharp breath as Don Alphonse slaps him on the back of his head with the palm of his hand, like someone chiding a naughty pup.

"Idiot. Of course they will leave...eventually. In the meantime, practice patience...think of this as a character-building experience.

The young man is about to say something back to Don Alphonse, and then thinks the better of it. His friend next to him is grinning at him. "You're learning," he says softly, not wanting to attract the attention of the assistente custode....

"She's setting sail," one of the old sailors standing by the door says in an offhand manner...sure enough, the crew of the Merope have brought up her anchors and soon, under jib, topsails and driver, begin tacking out into the Bay of Naples...

No one rushes to get back to business...there is time...and it could be a ruse.

***************

The part of the Neapolitan Royal Navy armed brig Merope is played in this little drama by a heavily modified Drakkenwerks "Liberty" class brig, designed by Razi Soyinka. I spent the last few days doing alterations onher, adding some authentic 1780s details and reducing the prims by about 25%. Razi's ships are great SL combat sailing ships as they come off the shelf, but they also make super platforms for modification projects. In addition to the Merope, the three-masted merchant ship in the final picture started life as one of Razi's ships. The Beatrice was made by extensive remodeling of a Drakkenwerks "Alliance" class frigate.