Cap'n Mike asked, too casually, "What'd you think of Tom Tyler running on Smugglers' Reef, Bill?"
Bill's cordiality seemed to freeze up. "None of my business," he said shortly. "Can't pass judgment on a fellow skipper."
Cap'n Mike nodded. "Reckon that's right. Bill, how did you find visibility last night?"
"None too good. There was a heavy current running, too."
"That's interesting. How'd you know that?"
"Patch of mist drifted in. Anyway, I lost the light for a bit. When the mist cleared, the current had set us two points off course." Captain Lake's forehead wrinkled as he watched the scoop return for another load. "Mighty funny, too. Usually there's no current to speak of off Brendan's Marsh. But I've said for quite a while that the currents hereabouts are changing and it looks like this proves it."
"Was Captain Tyler directly ahead of you, sir?" Rick asked.
"Not directly. He was three ahead, the way I figure. Brad Marbek was right behind him, then came Jim Killian."
"How far apart were you?" Rick inquired.
"Quite a ways. Jim was pretty close in front of me, but Brad was almost out of my sight. Don't know how close he followed Tom."