Raymond Fairfax’s education has been paid for by his uncle up until now, but he has just received a letter advising that he will need to make his own way in the world from now on. As he gazes out at the ships at Circular Quay in Sydney, he ponders his future. He supposes he might make a career as a journalist, and he thinks he might go overseas. His one asset, as he sees it, is his ability to speak Mota, a Melanesian language. While he thinks through his quandary, he sees a ship that is called, serendipitously enough, the Mota. It is a chance encounter that will determine the path of Raymond’s future.
