The house still had much of its furniture. During the day he sat in an easy chair and read books. When he wanted to sunbathe, he climbed out the window and lay on the roof. At night he got into bed and was lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the waves. He drifted for weeks, perfectly content with his new life of solitude.

Then one day he saw a ship on the horizon. He had no interest in meeting anyone new and tried to steer the house away from it, but the ship turned in his direction, sails billowing, and quickly overtook him.

It was a formidable-looking schooner with three masts, and it towered over the house. A rope ladder was tossed over the side. It seemed the ship wasn’t going to leave him alone, and Fergus decided he may as well climb aboard, tell the crew he didn’t need rescuing, and send them on their way. But when he topped the ladder and clambered onto the deck, he was surprised to find the deck empty save one person—a girl about his age. She had dark hair and brown skin, and she was giving Fergus a very hard look.

“What are you doing in a house in the middle of the ocean?” she asked him.

“Escaping from an island in the icy north,” Fergus replied.

“And how did you keep the house afloat?” she asked suspiciously. “And get all this way without a sail?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Fergus said.

“That’s ridiculous,” said the girl. “Tell me the truth.”

“I’m sorry,” Fergus said, “but my mother told me never to talk about it.”

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, as if considering whether or not to throw him overboard.

Fergus avoided her gaze and glanced nervously over her shoulder. “Where’s the captain?” he asked.

“You’re looking at her,” the girl replied.

“Oh,” said Fergus, unable to hide his surprise. “Well, where’s your crew?”

“You’re looking at them,” she said.

Fergus could hardly believe it. “You mean to tell me you sailed this huge ship all the way from—”

“Cabo Verde,” the girl said.

“—all the way from Cabo Verde—by yourself?”

“Yes, I did,” the girl said.

“How?!”

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but my mother told me never to talk about it.” And then she turned her back on him and raised her arms, and a great wind blew up and billowed the sails.

She was smiling when she turned around again. “My name’s Cesaria,” she said, and put out her hand.

Fergus was stunned. He’d never met anyone like himself before. “N-nice to meet you,” he stuttered, and shook her hand. “I’m Fergus.”

“Hey, Fergus, your house is floating away!”

Fergus spun around to see the house drifting away from the ship. Then a rather large wave hit the house, and it tipped over and began to sink.

Fergus didn’t mind. He’d already decided he didn’t need the house anymore. In fact, it just might have been Fergus himself who made the wave that sunk the house.