Excerpt: Upon the Waves of History

It was a great ship, if she said so herself. But she did build it, so what else would she think? She stood on the aft deck, the wind whipping in her hair. How she loved the open air!
She stood looking out over her ship, as it raced through the waves. Her crew was busy, doing what needed to be done. They were a good crew. She had chosen well.
She looked out at the sea. It was a nice day. There was a strong wind behind them. They sky was clear with only a few small clouds. The sea was smooth, with only gentle swells. Life was good.
Smiling, she went back down the ladder and opened the door to her cabin. The table was set up. She pulled out the hidden trunk and opened it. Pulling out the charts, she unrolled them on the table. These were the bread and butter of her empire. Without the charts, she could never do what she does.
She traced the distances on the map, determining where they were. Ah, there. At the angle they were travelling, they would make landfall … there. She traced her finger up the coast. Dali, Frendi, Tula… She read the names of each name as she came to them. Ah. Grendo. Perfect. She smiled to herself as she rolled up the charts.