“We reached land. That was when we learned how far apart we were.”
— Captain Eddy de Graaf
A coastline is not yet a safe harbour
When you have spent time at sea, you look at a coastline differently. The first land on the horizon may bring relief. Yet the voyage does not end simply because you can see shore. You still need to know where you are, what the conditions allow and how to make the next approach safely. Land in sight matters. It is not quite the same as arriving.
That distinction drew me to this line. It begins with something tangible: land. Then the attention shifts to the people. Two people can make the same crossing and step ashore with very different expectations. What feels like a beginning to one person may mean something else entirely to another.
Why this line belongs to book two
Dead Reckoning carried the line: “When the world went dark, the sea kept moving.” To me, that spoke of keeping a course when familiar bearings disappeared. For Divided Shores, I wanted a different note. The title already suggests division, but I would rather let readers discover what that means for themselves.
So the quote stays close to Eddy. He makes an observation in two short sentences, as a captain sometimes does after a long passage. What he has seen, and why he says it, belongs to the story.
The manuscript is still taking shape. For now, this is enough: the coast may be drawing nearer, but the distance between people is not measured in nautical miles.