"Seven feet."

"Now?"

"Ten feet."

"Now?"

"Fourteen feet."

Mitchell pulled the tiller to his chest. "Now?"

"Fourteen feet."

"Drop that hook."

Andy vaulted through the forehatch and plunged the anchor into the sea. The sloop backed until the anchor bit solidly into the bottom. Andy minimized the scope on the rode and dropped the mainsail. They were in a nice spot.

"They found a great harbor," Andy said, stepping down into the cockpit and into the hatch opening to lean on the cabin top.

Mitchell searched the forest. "They found a settlement abandoned by the natives. By March the Pilgrims were less than half. Children mostly."

"From here it still looks like wilderness."

"All that preoccupation with sin and evil, guilt and intolerance. Where else would a wise God send them?"

Andy turned only a little. "They prospered," he said, suddenly pompous, dismissing Mitchell with a sidelong glance.

"Where’d you get that, in one of your books? They founded a nation less than five percent of the earth’s population, armed to the teeth and gobbling up sixty percent of its resources. Welfare for the rich, homeless and sick people left like garbage in the streets. That’s prosperity?" He couldn’t stop it. "What do you think all that graffiti is, just a colorful release for a few poor slob truants? Get new lenses for Christ’s sake or speak up and say something about men and women getting the shit kicked out of them in the name of democracy and progress. Stop kidding yourself with that pledge of allegiance bullshit. In this country you get the liberty and justice you pay for."

Andy swung below, it was the only place to get away. Mitchell looked furiously for a spot to rest his eyes but it was no use. Now I feel like shit he thought. Fuck it, ignorance pisses me off. Why didn’t they tell me he was adopted? Goddamnit! Why?