Peter Cotterell's Treasure

In the quiet New England town of Barmouth, the sea is a constant presence—its harbor a wide, shimmering bowl framed by rocky cliffs, historic sail‑boats, and the ghost of a once‑thriving merchant fleet. Sixteen‑year‑old Tom Hallett spends his summer wandering the shoreline, skating on frozen ponds, and listening to his grandfather’s salty tales from the “widow’s watch” atop the family home. The town’s open fields and winding paths offer him plenty of freedom, yet he can’t shake the feeling that something larger is waiting beyond the familiar tides.

One evening a tall, spectacled stranger appears at Tom’s garden gate, speaking in riddles about a “young and able seaman” for a mysterious venture. He offers a modest boat, provisions, and a promise of adventure in exchange for Tom’s knowledge of the sea. Intrigued by the stranger’s earnest yet enigmatic request, Tom senses the first stirrings of a quest that could lead him far beyond the safe harbor of his hometown.