On the deck, all fifty to sixty crew members were assembled, including the sailors from below deck and the engine crew.
The old captain, holding a curved knife, looked intently at the three night patrol sailors, while the other crew members also watched them with guarded eyes. The three sailors stood there trembling, not daring to speak.
After a moment, the old captain gestured, and a sailor handed over a piece of cloth smeared with mucus. Tossing the cloth onto the deck, he said:
"Something mingled aboard just now, right among you."
The three sailors looked terrified, and one of them immediately said:
"Someone was awake the whole time. If something had gotten aboard, I wouldn't be alive, but here I am, still alive."
He tore open his shirt to reveal his chest, and, subconsciously, everyone stepped back, raising their guns at them, even the two sailors beside them.
