Tayo said, "Then at 10:00, we wheel him down while the whole ship is quiet and dark."
Tayo observed, "The small boat is ready with fuel, and one bottle of water beside him. So nobody can call us heartless people."
Folake said softly, "Look far ahead, Tayo. That shadow is the island."
Tayo replied, "I see it. By tomorrow night, Kayode will be sleeping there."
Kayode woke the following morning expecting the ship to continue its elaborate tribute to him. At breakfast he spoke as though the next meal should be more extravagant than the last, with no memory of the woman he had left drenched and shaking. Folake could scarcely look at him without recalling how the crowd had watched her humiliation. She kept her voice measured, and the calmness of her answer surprised even her. The final evening approached without a confrontation, which made the silence feel sharper.
Kayode said, "Tomorrow, I want a feast at this table! The best dishes your kitchen can make!"
Folake said, "Yes, sir. Tomorrow will be a day you remember for a very long time."
Kayode said, "Bring me a cold drink and a fresh towel, and stop staring at the sea!"
Folake said softly, "Yes, sir, right away. The sea is only doing what the sea always does."
Tayo replied, "9:00 is close. His chair is ready, and the deck is empty tonight."
Folake said, "Your evening drink, sir, made exactly as you like it. The night is calm."
Kayode called out, "At last. Set it here and leave me in peace with the sea tonight. Strange, my eyes feel so heavy tonight... The sea air is making me tired. Just a short rest in this chair. My head feels heavier than the anchor..."
The billionaire's voice faded and his head sank against the cushions. His unusually deep sleep should have been a warning to everyone involved, yet they treated it as permission to continue. Folake felt her stomach tighten as Tayo approached. This was no longer a fantasy born from rage in the crew quarters; it was a human being whose safety would depend upon their judgment. She could hear the water moving beneath the hull and realized that even a calm sea could be unforgiving.
Tayo said, "He is deep asleep now, Folake. He will not wake until the sun rises."
Folake answered, "Then we move now, quietly. Bring the small boat around to the lower deck."
Tayo said, "Easy with this trolley, Folake. The blanket covers him well."
Folake replied, "Wheel him gently, Tayo. The boat is waiting below."
Captain answered, "Lower her slowly now. Steady, steady. Let the water take the boat without one loud splash."
Tayo replied, "He has not stirred at all. The sea itself is keeping our secret tonight."
Folake said, "The ship is shrinking behind us, and he still has not moved one finger in his sleep."
Tayo observed, "Steady now. The island is ahead, and this good moon is lighting our way across the water."