However, most favored the smaller Chinese style of vessel, which resembled a large junk—three masts with four-sided sails of bamboo matting and spacious quarters for the Captain and his family—with room for ten or twelve cannons. The San Muy Malo was a variation on this basic model, with regular sails and a huge hold for extra cargo. Crimson liked the ship—it only took a crew of twenty and was easy to handle. It had recently been dry-docked and the keel scraped of barnacles and tarred against sea worms. She knew several of the men already and was in good standing with them. Captain Hedrick proved to be a course little snippet of a man but his reputation was of fairness and that's all she asked for. The price of rental was as steep as she expected but she didn't bother to haggle. It wasn't her coin. Let Maycomb argue if he wanted. He didn't. He and his wife arrived on time at the docks and unlike most of the rich wayfarers, they carried little excess baggage. Crimson and Welsh watched them board and each became tangled in private thoughts for a time.
