Above the canal, white sails fluttered, boats came and went, and the azure-green treasure ship sliced through the waves, sending spray from the oncoming waves crashing into a fine mist, leaving a trail of cargo ships in its wake.
Otter Kai sat in the crow's nest, its brown fur blowing in the wind, curiously fiddling with a single-tube telescope in its paws. It wiped the lens with its fur and tapped the mast, suspecting it was some kind of fragile and awkward weapon.
This was a new gadget on the treasure ship of South Zhili. The kind crew had given it an outdated old model.
After much tinkering,
Otter Kai caught a glimpse of a crew member climbing into the opposing crow's nest, pulling out a long tube to peer through. It pondered briefly, then imitated the action, pulling it open and looking through it.
Wow!
The pupils dilated.
Beneath the single-tube telescope, its furry mouth gaped open.
