015 - The Inn of the Two Witches A Find section 1

Set against the backdrop of the South Pacific during the Napoleonic era, Within The Tides follows a self-important English philosopher and his stunningly aloof daughter as they embark on a voyage to clear the name of her wrongly accused fiancé. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a mysterious silk planter with ulterior motives for the beautiful yet dangerously naive daughter. Along the way, a patent medicine salesman teams up with an honest but struggling ship owner, leading to unforeseen complications. A young British naval officer faces a chilling experience involving a bed once occupied by an Archbishop in Spain, and a compassionate captain of a small Far East steamer sets out to reclaim silver dollars from trading stations, only to confront three ruthless rogues, one of whom has no hands and a different vision for the treasure. These four captivating tales, originally published in magazines, reveal Conrads storytelling prowess, even when he’s driven by the need to pay the bills. (Summary by Peter Dann)