Rivers of Ice

A weather‑worn seaman, still vigorous enough to fool anyone about his age, wanders the narrow lanes near London Bridge on a bright summer morning. He is on a personal quest, searching for an elderly woman known only as Roby, whose tiny, dimly lit “cabin” lies hidden somewhere in the tangled courtyards of Grubb’s Court. The city’s grime and the river’s chill lend the scene a gritty, almost nautical atmosphere, as the sailor’s sailor’s coat and sea‑spun swagger clash with the soot‑blackened streets.

His path crosses a sharp‑tongued street urchin, a wiry boy whose quick wit and street‑wise slang turn the encounter into a lively bargain for directions. The boy offers to guide the sailor through mud‑slick alleys and past prowling cats, promising a modest penny for his help while hinting at the odd customs of the local “old women.” Their uneasy partnership hints at a larger mystery tucked away in the river‑bound maze, inviting listeners to follow the captain’s steps into a world where the ordinary and the uncanny intertwine.