By the time they returned, a number of the passengers had been awakened by the commotion and had crept out onto any section of open deck with a view of the open hatch to see what was happening. Crooker had ordered the deck around the hatch to be roped off, and a number of people from steerage had gathered in growing ranks behind it, trying to rubberneck for a better view. Captain Rostron had come back from the bridge to join Crooker, Lucy, and Quin. He stood there next to them and stared at the hatch, shaking his head. "It appears I owe you good people a sincere apology." He spoke as if he couldn't believe the words were forming in his mouth. Quin shook off the man's request for forgiveness. "No need at all, captain," he said. "I would have felt the same way as you in such circumstances. Until I was confronted with proof myself, in fact, I did." "Thank you for being open minded enough to allow Mr Crooker to verify our claims, sir," Lucy said.
