Prologue

Wendy wife to David; the name is found in United States records from the 19th century; the name Wendy appeared over twenty times in the Census of 1880.

In Britain, Wendy appeared as a boy's name in the 1881 census of England, and was occasionally used as a diminutive for the Welsh Gwendolyn.

It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century.

However, its popularity as a girl's name is attributed to the character Wendy Darling from the 1904 play Peter Pan and its 1911 novelization Peter and Wendy by James Matthew Barrie. The name was inspired by young Margaret Henley, daughter of Barrie's poet friend William Ernest Henley. With the common childhood difficulty pronouncing the consonant R, Margaret reportedly used to call him 'my fwiendy-wendy'.

David husband to Wendy; Hebrew: דָּוִד. Modern, David. Tiberian Dāwîḏ has the meaning of "beloved", from a root דּוֹד dôwd, which had an etymological meaning of "to boil" but survives in Biblical Hebrew only in figurative usage "to love"

Artturi first born to David and Wendy; Artturi, the strong man, is a Finnish variant of Arthur. The true origins of the name Arthur are not known. It is probably of Celtic origin and is possibly related to the word "artos", which means 'bear'.

Inkeri second child to David and Wendy; Inkeri, beautiful goddess, a Finnish variant of Ingrid. Ingrid originates in Old Norse language and means "beautiful goddess". In Norse mythology, Ing was another name of Freyr, and important god of farming, weather and fertility.

"David?" said Wendy.

I looked inquisitive.

"You've retired? From the air force?" she asked.

"I've resigned ... it's not the same thing. Not exactly," I replied.

"How not exactly?"

"I'm still in the Reserves," I explained.

"For how long?" she asked.

"Technically? Until I'm 60. Practically? They've never called anyone back older than 45 and that was because the recalled had a needed skill,"

"Like a living high scoring ace of a fighter pilot?"

That gave me furiously to think.

"Probably," I agreed ... mostly.

In a lighting fast change of subject, Wendy said, "We haven't been sailing in years."

"True," I said. "Do you miss it?"

"I was thinking of the children," she said. "Art is 10 years old and Ink is almost nine. They both swim and sail the little boats. I'd like them to get some experience with something bigger.

The Baltic would be a good size but there's really only the one stateroom. The vee birth is available but..." A long pause. Very long.

I took the hint, "Don't want them living together?" I asked.

Chapter 1 »