Chapter Seven: Soliciting

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Two high-footed wine glasses were set on the arc-shaped ledge at the front of the captain's cabin, their crystal-clear bodies glistening against the light mist rising from the sea clouds. The base of the oak barrel was quite high, with a movable support at the front end apparently intended for pouring the liquor. The dark brown barrel must have been quite old, as the metallic emblem on the side with an eagle just making out its wings was barely discernible.

The golden liquid swiftly filled the glasses along their sides, with the rich aromas of juniper, lemon peel, and cinnamon wafting through the air released by the alcohol, enveloping the entire captain's cabin in an intoxicating atmosphere.