“Avoid it at all costs.” Shelly had climbed up to the pilot house and was pulling the whistle cord. There was no noise. “Can you take this thing out for rides?”

“Naw, it doesn't drive,” Rune said. “Oh, no wait, I'm supposed to say she. She doesn't drive.”

“Drive?”

“Well, sail or whatever. There's a motor, but it doesn't work. My old boyfriend and I were driving up along the Hudson and we found it — I mean, her — moored near Bear Mountain. She was for sale. I asked the owner to take me out for a spin and he said the motor didn't work so we went out for a tow. We did a lot of haggling and when he agreed to throw in the Formica dining room set I had to get it.”

“You pay to dock it here?”

“Yep. You pay the Port Authority. They still run the docks even though they don't have much ship traffic anymore. It's pretty expensive. I don't think I can stay here forever. But it'll do for now.”

“Is it safe?”

Rune pointed out one of the picture windows. “That's still a working pier so this whole area's chained off. The security guards and I are friends. They keep an eye out. I give them good Christmas presents. It's really neat, owning a house. And there's no grass to mow.”

Shelly gave her another wan smile. “You're so... enthusiastic. And you actually live on a houseboat in Manhattan. Amazing.”

Rune's eyes sparkled. “Come here. I'll show you what's amazing.” She walked out onto the small gray-painted deck. She clung to a railing and dipped her foot into the opaque oily water.

“You going swimming?” Shelly asked uncertainly.

Rune closed her eyes. “You know that I'm touching the exact same water that's lapping up on the Galapagos Islands, and in Venice, and in Tokyo and Hawaii and Egypt? It's so neat. And — I haven't figured this out yet — it may very well be the same water that splashed against the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria and against Napoleon's ships. The same water they used to wash away the blood after Marie Antoinette got the axe... I'm guessing that it might be... That's the part I'm not too clear on. Does water, like, die? I remember something from science class. I think it just keeps recirculating.” Shelly said, "You have quite an imagination.

I've been told that before.“ Rune jumped back on deck. ”Coffee? Something to eat?

Just coffee."

They sat in the pilot house. Rune was putting peanut butter on her toast while Shelly sipped black coffee. The woman may have been a celebrity in the flesh trade but today she looked just like a Connecticut housewife. Jeans, boots, white blouse and a thin, light blue sweater, the arms tied around her neck.

“Find the place okay?” Rune asked.

“Wasn't hard. I would've called first but you didn't give me a number.”