A Sea Tale

“There were five of them, and each one, as if chosen at random, was a handsome sailor. The landlady of the tavern kept changing the tins on the table in front of them for fresh-looking metal cups of sour monferatto, and each time they paid carefully, pulling out heavy-sounding copper coins from their trousers by handfuls. They drank a lot, but they weren’t drunk; they sat quietly and carried on a philosophical conversation…”