Tiaki Pomare stood at the bow of the ship. The few passengers cross the gangplank to board the ship Punga. While most of the handful of passengers turned at the railing to wave a shout further farewells to their families and friends, one man stood alone. He did not turn to offer any farewell to his family that stood silently upon the dock. As the cabin boy wrestled the man's trunks down to his cabin the man turned to watch the Maori tribesman at the bow of the ship.

Tiaki reached his arms out towards the waiting sea. His face, darkened by spirals of tribal tattoos faced the horizon as he sang a prayer. He asked Tangaroa, the Maori god of the ocean to grant them a safe journey through His domain. The man's stare darkened, his hold upon the leather bound bible in his hand tightened as did the set of his lips. Without a word he turned away and proceeded down to his cabin.

The Punga got underway not long after. Tiaki had returned to the galley to begin his duties as the ship's cook. The crew set about coiling lines and unfurling sails. On the docks the families and friends had already left the docks after the ship had set out to sea. One family remained. Silent in their vigil until the sails of the ship was a mere rumor on the horizon.

Over the next couple of weeks the crew and passengers fell into the routine of such a long voyage. The passengers would spend hours on the deck trying to stay out of the crew's way while they enjoyed the feel of the ocean winds and the excitement of a voyage at sea. A couple spent quite a bit of time at the ships railing to the amusement of the crew until they got their "sea legs". One of the passengers did not take part in the daily routines. He did not come up to the deck to watch the skies, the birds or the pilot fish that raced with the ship. His walks on deck were rare and usually came at twilight. There were whispers amongst the crew that the man was sick. Many had heard the sounds of hellish fits of coughing through the walls of his cabin. Tiaki, the cook had received written requests that the man's meals were to consist of broths and bread. His meals were delivered to his cabin. The man declined the invitations to sup with the captain. The crew was more than happy with this arrangement.

On those rare occasions when the man was seen he seemed a little paler, a little weaker. Until he would level that gaze of his at you. Sickness aboard a ship was bad enough but the sailors would swear that when the man stared at them it felt as if he was looking straight through to their souls. When he did emerge from his cabin everyone kept their distance and avoided him as much as possible. There was no complaint of this behavior from the man.

The Punga was three days out from the port of Rhydin when it happened. There was no breakfast. Tiaki Pomare was nowhere to be found aboard the ship. The ship was searched from stem to stern. There was no sign of him, nor any signs of foul play. The steward had no reports of anything untoward from the night watch. It was a mystery.

One of the passengers volunteered to act as cook for the remaining days. This close to the end of the voyage the food supplies were nearly exhausted. But the woman managed to make a few filling stews over the remaining days. That first night after the disappearance they were joined for dinner by that reclusive passenger. The cabin boy had seen him with a bible when he first boarded the Punga and had heard him reading, what he thought were bible verses, at the times he had delivered the man's meals.

The man read a few passages from the bible. Led a prayer that God would forgive the heathen nature of Tiaki and grant him peace. A few of the passengers and crew commented over dinner and the coming days that he looked to be feeling much better. The rest he had gotten on the journey must have been well needed. He smiled politely and agreed. The voyage had left him revitalized.

The ship entered the harbor in the late afternoon. Before the Punga was even tied off the cabin boy had vaulted over the side to hurry up the dock and flag down a carriage. He returned just as quick and clambered back onboard to disappear below. The man had promised him a gold coin for his help with the trunks. The boy drug the pair of chests down the gangplank and along the pier to the waiting carriage. The passenger paused on the gangplank to gaze at the city that lay beyond the port. As when he arrived on the boat, he carried a bible in his hand. The man strode down the pier to the carriage. He stopped to hand the promised coin to the cabin boy. He placed his hand then upon the boys head. The man bowed his head and intoned a prayer for the young one's soul. Stepping past him with no further words, the man climbed into the carriage and the driver flicked the reins to start the horses on their way.

Thomas Tippet had arrived in Rhydin.