The Secret Sharer Book

The narrator of this novella is captain of a ship in the Gulf of Siam, preparing to sail west to England. This will be his first voyage in command of a ship and, having been appointed only a couple of weeks before and unfamiliar with the ship and crew, he's unsure of himself and tentative in his thoughts and actions.

The plot thickens when, alone on deck at night, while pulling up a rope side ladder, he discovers a naked man in the water hanging on to it, instantly deciding to provide some of his clothes to him and hide him from his officers and crew in his own quarters. He learns that the man, Leggatt, is a fugitive from another ship, having killed a mate.

From this situation, Conrad crafts an interesting psychological drama, as the two decide what to do, setting each on course "for a new destiny".