King’s answers to her questions left Annie disappointed about the world out beyond the village in and island on which she'd spent her entire life. She'd hoped for something different, something grand, something spectacular. 

Even his answer to whether he was married disappointed Annie: "I would never do that to a woman."

Her hopes that the two of them might make a happy and exciting couple one day were quickly being dashed. Here told her, “...I'm not the settling down type.”

However, his explanation that he was a [i]wandering adventurer[/i] piqued Annie’s attention. She'd always wanted to see what was [i]out there[/i]. Perhaps King would take her with him when he left?

[I]He is leaving, isn't he?[/i] she wondered to herself. She didn't want to ask the question; she didn't want to jinx herself. King had just gotten here. Annie didn't want him to even contemplate departing until they'd had a chance to … [i]get closer[/i].

They sat and just stared out upon the ocean for a while, until King said, "I think we should look farther up the shore ... down the shore, too,"

Annie felt a chill claw its way up her back as she remembered the corpses on the beach. 

"If I could make it,” he continued, “someone else might have.”

He talked of how the others might be dying, saying. “I want you to promise to ask your father to make an effort to find them ... please."

“He already did,” Annie said, explaining, “The Elder Council met last night and ordered boats sent to the north and south. Going by boat, rather than walking the shore, is easier. There are rocky outcrops that block the way by foot.”

She saw the reaction to the news in King's face and continued, hoping this was good news for him. “They are traveling as far as Black Rock to the north and Cliffside to the south … to look for others from your boat … and to tell the villages about you. [I]Our[/i] Elders thought that [i]their[/i] Elders should know about you.

“Black Rock is more than 30 kilometers,” Annie continued. “Cliffside is even farther … maybe 40 [i]kay[/i]. It will be a couple of days before we hear back.”