"If you're trying to spare me my dignity, I don't have much left," I say when I look up and see Nerys has turned away. "Now, if you're sparing yourself looking at me, that I can understand. But nine months at a time stuck on a ship with the same five people kind of inures you to having no privacy. And I promise the undershorts are staying on."

I take a moment to rinse the shirt off again and hold it up. I'll have to wash it again later with the stronger soap, but this will do for now.

"I've been thinking we should start having little seminars for people. Teach them the basics about things like gardening, making fires, first aid. It's just been such a busy season." At this rate, I might not get to it before next winter.