The only sound around them was the gentle rhythm of waves lapping against Ulysses, who remained motionless in the water like a reef rising from the sea. After a while, he lifted his head and pointed toward the sky without saying a word.
Eli followed the direction of his finger, looking up at the night sky. There was nothing particularly unusual about it, at least not at first glance. When he turned back toward Ulysses, the man finally spoke in his usual calm, unhurried voice.
"Look at the stars."
A question mark might as well have appeared above Eli's head. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, struggling to find a response. Had Ulysses really dragged him all the way into the middle of the sea with the demeanor of someone preparing to murder him and dispose of his body, all because he wanted to look at the stars?
