The ferry’s captain was not the only one pleased with the restoration.  His first mate was not available for comment, but the merchants from the village on the Isle of the Crown were happy to speak with us.

“My business will be booming once more,” said Hakim, the owner of the Pawn Shoppe.  “Business in my store had slowed down considerably with the ferry was out of service.  I could not receive goods from the other islands, and my merchandise just seemed to pile up with nothing getting sold.  Additionally, I could not replenish my supply of complimentary mints!  In fact, when I first met Alexander, my heart leaped at the sight of a foreign visitor.  I was even happier when he spent his copper coin at my shop.  King Alexander may be the best thing that ever washed up on our shores!”

Ali, the owner of the book store, also spoke with us.  “I hope that the new monarchs will encourage reading throughout the land, especially among our young people.  Reading stimulates the mind and feeds the soul, you know.  And frankly I feel it's beginning to become a lost passtime on our younger generation.  And I have heard that I am not the only book worm in the Land of the Green Isles, but that there is a literal one on the Isle of Wonder.  I would give anything to see his collection of books!”

"Of course the ferry will help my business!" says the lamp peddler, whose real name he declined to reveal.  "With more people coming to the Isle of the Crown from off-island, there are bound to be more people who need to buy lamps, and with lamps to trade!  By the way, would any of your readers have any old lamps to trade for new ones? I'll be at the bazaar all day if they do, and sometimes all night too.  You are going to print that right?"

The Isle of the Crown had anticipated the re-opening of the ferry would be beneficial, and had recently approved expansion of the main street to include new shops including a designer clothing shop, a candy shop and a map shop among other new businesses.

The restorations to the ferry and the dock are scheduled to be completed within a few weeks, and once the Island Queen has been given a proper test sail in the waters of the islands once again, Captain Hassan will be holding a grand re-opening of his business on the Isle of the Crown.  The Four Winds eagerly awaits getting its distribution numbers back up and running as well!