Crimson Sails (Grin)
Short summary
A seaside village in Russia, early 20th century. Longren, a sailor, was forced to give up the sea after his wife Mary died from pneumonia. She had fallen ill after walking to town in a storm to pawn her wedding ring for money, having been refused a loan by the wealthy tavern keeper Menners who demanded her love in return.
Years later, when Menners was caught in a storm and swept out to sea, Longren watched from the pier but refused to throw him a rescue rope, letting him drown as revenge for his wife's death. This made Longren and his daughter outcasts in their village of Kaperna.
Longren raised his daughter alone, making toy boats for a living. When she was eight, while taking toys to sell in town, she met an old storyteller named Egle who told her a prophecy: one day a ship with crimson sails would come for her, and a handsome prince would take her away to his kingdom.
Meanwhile, Arthur Gray was born into a wealthy noble family but dreamed of becoming a sea captain.
At fifteen, he ran away from home to become a sailor, eventually becoming captain of his own ship, the Secret. Years later, while anchored near Liss, Gray discovered Assol sleeping in a forest clearing and was enchanted by her beauty. He slipped his ring onto her finger and learned her story from villagers.
Determined to fulfill the prophecy, Gray ordered crimson silk sails made for his ship and sailed to Kaperna. When Assol saw the ship with crimson sails approaching, she ran to the shore where Gray met her in a boat.
Just as I imagined you... And you, too, my dear! I've come at last. Do you recognize me? She nodded, holding onto his belt, trembling with a reborn soul and eyes shut quiveringly tight.
Detailed summary by chapters
Chapter labels are editorial.
Chapter 1. The prophecy
Longren was a sailor who served for ten years on the Orion, a rugged three-hundred ton brig. During one of his visits home, he discovered that his wife Mary had died, leaving behind an eight-month-old daughter. A neighbor woman had cared for the infant during Mary's illness and death.
The neighbor recounted how Mary had fallen into desperate poverty after Longren left for sea. When she needed money urgently, she approached Menners, the wealthy tavern keeper, for a loan. Menners agreed to lend her money but demanded her love in return. Mary rejected his advances, saying she would rather pawn her wedding ring in town.
On a cold, windy evening, Mary walked to town despite her neighbor's warnings about the approaching storm. She returned home soaked and chilled, developed pneumonia, and died within a week. Longren quit his job at sea and returned home to raise his daughter Assol alone, becoming a reclusive toy maker who crafted model ships and boats.
Years later, during a fierce storm, Menners found himself trapped in a boat being swept out to sea. He called desperately to Longren, who stood on the pier with a rescue rope nearby, but Longren refused to help. As Menners was carried away by the waves, Longren shouted that this was how Mary had pleaded with him. Menners was eventually rescued by another ship but died shortly after, cursing Longren.
This incident made Longren a complete outcast in the village. The villagers shunned him, and their hatred extended to young Assol. She grew up without friends, as the village children were forbidden to play with her and taunted her with cruel names. When Assol asked her father why people didn't like them, Longren would comfort her with gentle words.
One must be able to love, and that is something they cannot do... This! At which he would swing the child up and fondly kiss her sad eyes which she would shut tight with sweet pleasure.
When Assol was eight years old, she was sent to town to deliver her father's toys. One day, while eating lunch by a stream, she placed a small yacht with crimson silk sails into the water. The toy boat sailed away with the current, and Assol chased it through the forest until she reached the seashore, where she encountered a mysterious old man.
Chapter 2. Gray
Egle, the collector of folk songs and legends, told Assol a prophetic tale. He declared that one day a ship with crimson sails would come for her, carrying a handsome prince who would take her away to a land of happiness.
One morning a crimson sail will gleam in the sun on the far horizon... a brave and handsome prince will stretch forth his hands towards you. 'Hello, Assol!' he'll say.
When Assol returned home and told her father about the encounter, Longren listened seriously and assured her that if she had been told the ship would come, then it would. Meanwhile, a beggar who had overheard their conversation spread the story throughout the village, and Assol became known mockingly as "Sailing-ship Assol."
Arthur Gray was born into a wealthy noble family in a magnificent castle. From childhood, he showed an unconventional spirit that troubled his aristocratic parents. At age eight, he painted over the nails in a painting of the Crucifixion because he couldn't bear to see Christ suffering.
He was born a captain, desired to be one, and became one... a seeker and miracle worker, that is, a person who had chosen... the most dangerous and touching role--the role of Providence.
Gray's compassionate nature was evident when he deliberately burned himself to understand a kitchen maid's pain, then secretly gave her his savings so she could marry. His mother adored her unusual son and indulged his every whim, while his father remained distant, occupied with legal matters and estate business.
At age twelve, Gray discovered the castle library and was captivated by a painting of a ship in a storm. The image of the captain standing on deck awakened his passion for the sea. He devoured books about maritime adventures, and the figure of the ship captain became his ideal of absolute authority and freedom.
At fifteen, Gray ran away from home and joined the crew of the schooner Anselm as a ship's boy. Despite his aristocratic background, he endured the harsh conditions and gradually earned the respect of Captain Hop, who taught him navigation and seamanship. After years of training, Gray purchased his own ship, the Secret, and became its captain.
Chapter 3. Dawn
Years later, Captain Gray arrived in the port of Liss with his ship Secret. He spent a restless day filled with inexplicable melancholy and went fishing at night with his sailor Letika. They camped on a bluff near Kaperna, where Gray fell asleep by the campfire.
At dawn, Gray discovered a sleeping girl in a forest clearing. Enchanted by her beauty and the mysterious circumstances of their meeting, he slipped his precious ring onto her finger while she slept. The girl was Assol, now seventeen, who had fallen asleep after an early morning walk to the sea.
Gray and Letika then went to Menners' tavern in Kaperna, where Gray inquired about the girl. The tavern keeper's son, Hin Menners, mockingly told him about "Sailing-ship Assol" and her belief in the prophecy of crimson sails. A coalman in the tavern defended Assol, saying she was perfectly sane and kind-hearted.
When Gray saw Assol walking past the tavern window, he was struck by her beauty and grace. Her appearance dispelled any doubts about the village gossip. Gray realized that fate had brought them together, and he began to formulate a plan to fulfill the prophecy that had shaped Assol's life.
Chapter 4. On the eve
Seven years after Egle's prophecy, Assol returned from the toy shop in Liss feeling distressed. The shopkeeper had refused to buy more of Longren's toys, saying imported goods were now in demand. Assol had tried other shops but was rejected everywhere. The family faced financial ruin.
Longren considered returning to sea to earn money, though he was reluctant to leave Assol alone. That evening, Assol tried to comfort her father, and he reassured her of his love. She went to bed but couldn't sleep, feeling an strange excitement and anticipation.
She was made of two girls, two Assols... One was the daughter of a sailor... the other was a living poem, with all the marvels of its harmonies and images, with a mysterious alignment of words.
Before dawn, Assol felt compelled to walk to the sea. She made her way through the sleeping village and into the meadows, feeling as though everything around her was alive and magical. She reached the bluff overlooking the ocean just as the sun began to rise, painting the horizon with golden light.
As Assol watched the sunrise, she imagined seeing a ship with crimson sails rising from the depths of the sea. The vision filled her with joy and anticipation. Exhausted by her early walk and the intensity of her emotions, she fell asleep in the grass. When she awoke, she discovered Gray's ring on her finger.
The mysterious appearance of the ring convinced Assol that her prophesied destiny was approaching. She returned home with a heart full of hope and certainty, though she told no one about the ring. That same day, she visited the town and said goodbye to the coalman, hinting that she would soon be leaving forever.
Chapter 5. Preparing for battle
Gray returned to his ship and ordered his crew to move to the mouth of the Liliana River. His mate Panten was confused by the captain's strange behavior and mysterious orders. Gray went to town and purchased two thousand meters of crimson silk, carefully selecting the perfect shade that glowed like joy and regality.
The flaming, cheerful colour burned so brightly in her hand she fancied she was holding fire... the clear water immediately reflected the crimson of the sails; the light streaming through the cloth lay as a shimmering pink glow.
Gray also hired a group of musicians led by Zimmer, a violinist who played at the local tavern. He commissioned them to provide music for his romantic plan. When Gray finally revealed his intentions to his crew, he explained that he was going to marry and needed crimson sails so his bride could recognize his ship from afar.
Gray shared his philosophy with Panten, explaining the importance of making miracles come true for those who believe in them.
You must make so-called miracles come true yourself. When a person places importance on getting a treasured copper... when the soul cherishes the seed of an ardent plant--a miracle, make this miracle come true.
The crew, though initially puzzled, accepted their captain's romantic mission with enthusiasm. A naval cruiser even stopped them at sea, but after Gray explained his purpose, the cruiser's crew celebrated with a salute. Gray's plan was set in motion as the Secret sailed toward its destiny.
Chapter 6. Assol remains alone
Longren left for his new job on the mailboat, leaving Assol alone for the first time. She felt strangely elated and restless, unable to focus on her household chores. Driven by an inexplicable urge, she walked to Liss, moving through the town with newfound confidence and grace.
On her way back, Assol encountered the coalman and mysteriously told him she would be leaving soon, though she couldn't explain where or when. The coalman was puzzled by her strange behavior and the otherworldly quality she seemed to possess that day.
There are miracles of no less magnitude: a smile, merriment, forgiveness and... the right word spoken opportunely. If one possesses this--one possesses all.
That night, Assol experienced vivid dreams and woke before dawn with an overwhelming sense of anticipation. She felt as though her entire life had been leading to this moment, and every fiber of her being told her that something miraculous was about to happen.
Chapter 7. The crimson secret
The Secret sailed from the river into the open sea, its magnificent crimson sails unfurled and glowing in the morning sun. A hunter on shore witnessed the extraordinary sight and rubbed his eyes in disbelief before the ship disappeared around a bend.
Assol was reading by her window when she glimpsed the white ship with crimson sails in the distance. Overcome with emotion, she burst into tears of joy and ran toward the sea. The entire village erupted in commotion as people rushed to witness the impossible sight.
The villagers gathered on the beach in stunned silence, moving away from Assol in fear and awe. She stood alone on the sand, stretching her hands toward the approaching ship. Gray lowered a boat and rowed toward shore with his crew, while Zimmer's orchestra played triumphant music.
Assol waded into the water to meet Gray, and when he lifted her into the boat, she whispered that he was exactly as she had imagined. Gray carried her aboard the Secret, where the cabin was decorated like a heavenly garden with rugs and flowers beneath the crimson canopy of the sails.
As the Secret sailed away from the stunned village of Kaperna, Gray and his crew celebrated by drinking the legendary wine that had been buried in his family's cellar for over a century. The prophecy was fulfilled, and Assol's fairy tale had become reality through Gray's determination to make miracles come true.