Sauncho and the Preserved

This flow follows Sauncho Smilax's fascination with the Golden Fang schooner and his effort to turn a mysterious vessel into a legal and personal possibility.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Maritime Curiosity

The Lawyer's Interest A Reluctant Invitation Sauncho avoids answering Doc's question over the phone, then asks him to meet at the Belaying Pin. His evasiveness suggests that the schooner is a subject of unusual importance to him. A View Across the Harbor Sauncho shows Doc the Golden Fang through old field glasses. His interest has the quality of professional inquiry mixed with a personal longing.

A History of Preserved

A Vessel Reborn A Ship's Past Sauncho explains that the schooner was once Preserved, survived the Halifax explosion, disappeared in the Pacific, and later reappeared in the Caribbean under a new name and purpose. A Maritime Puzzle The transformed ship carries a history of political operations, drug traffic, and missing people. Sauncho's fascination reflects his belief that maritime law might reveal or reclaim what ordinary legal systems cannot.

A Ride-Along at Sea

Following the Lagan A Federal Excursion Sauncho goes out with federal personnel to recover submerged containers of currency. Doc hears how the operation found Nixon-faced bills rather than ordinary money. A Question of Custody The recovery brings the vessel, the currency, and government agents into the same story. Sauncho's legal instincts become more personal as he considers what happened to the schooner and its cargo.

The Sea's Impossible Surf

A Pursuit at St. Flip The Schooner Runs Sauncho and Doc follow the Golden Fang as federal boats pursue it. The schooner heads toward an impossible offshore break identified with Death's Doorsill. A Dangerous Rescue Sauncho's vessel is caught near huge waves, while the schooner abandons its crew or cargo and is left for the authorities. The chase transforms Sauncho's fascination into a practical risk.

A Chance of Ownership

A Legal Future The Abandonment Rule Sauncho explains that if no owner claims the vessel within a year and a day, its ownership may pass through maritime procedures. He has already taken out an insurance policy related to the ship. Hope Without Certainty He may have a path toward owning the vessel, though litigation and competing claims remain likely. His relationship with Preserved becomes a mixture of legal ambition and romantic attachment.

When Doc first asks about the Golden Fang

During their lunch at the Belaying Pin

After Sauncho reports the sunk currency

Near the novel's ending

After the Coast Guard secures the schooner