Summary

A woman named Comptia traverses the rugged Washington coast, her actions described in a third-person narrative. Comptia, introduced as an ancestral relative to LaPointe in the previous chapter, existed during the tumultuous era of Pacific Northwest colonization. Residing in a traditional fishing village, Comptia's people adhered to historic ways of life, crafting canoes and baskets, while fishing and hunting.

During her stroll along the coastline, Comptia's gaze falls upon what initially appears to be towering mountains in the distance. However, upon closer inspection, she discerns that these magnificent forms are, in fact, colossal canoes, their sails resembling pristine snowcaps. Using her natural intuition and language, Comptia poetically describes these foreign vessels, which carry the weight of the unknown.

Observing with a childlike curiosity, Comptia witnesses men embarking rowboats and approaching the shore. At the age of eight, she possesses a profound connection to the...