The Priest's Tale - Père Etienne From "The New Decameron", Volume III.

A ship bound from Dar‑es‑Salaam to Bombay carries a group of first‑class travelers settled into their routines of morning decks and evening smoke‑rooms. Into this world steps Père Etienne, a middle‑aged priest whose unassuming black coat and quiet bearing set him apart. He keeps to himself, and the narrator—young, curious, and oddly drawn to the man’s subtle aura—finds the priest’s presence both puzzling and magnetic.

As the vessel draws into Zanzibar at sunset, the harbor glows with the soft light of fading day, the cathedral’s spires rising against an opal sky. The priest is spotted alone in a deck‑chair, gazing toward distant mountains. Compelled by an instinct he cannot name, the narrator approaches, sparking a tentative conversation that hints at hidden motives and the quiet mysteries a man of faith may carry aboard.