Sailing

General Forbes was dumbfounded.

He read the memo again to make sure it’s not his hallucination.

No. It was a real nightmare. As the principal of the Royal Naval School, he found Clapperton’s memo no different from an order to close down the naval school that and there.

Later that afternoon, the general paid a visit to the pier manager and discussed the matter.

“I just want to ask a very simple question,” General Forbes began, “For what?”

“For the protection of everyone! People sailing out there will get into trouble when there is a storm.”

“Don’t beat about that bureaucratic bush. I can understand why recreational and voluntary services are banned. They are not essential. However, the naval school is different. It is always better to sail in an uncharted sea than not to go to sea at all. If our students are not allowed to sail even when there is merely a trivial turbulence, how could they become competent?”