November-Charlie (12 page)

Staci looked puzzled. “The Canaries,” she said.

“There are several different islands, kiddo. Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma. The bigger ones are more likely to be dangerous. So I would suggest one of the smaller ones.”

“I assume it’s just a refuel?” Lou asked. “This is a rescue mission not a holiday, after all.”

Jim nodded. “Maybe a day, but no more. I want to keep going.”

“How about La Palma? It’s not as big as the others. Jenna from school went there last year. She said it was really pretty.” Lou was quite enthusiastic.

“Sounds good. Is there much to see?”

“A national park, several volcanoes. One erupted fairly recently.”

“I hope they don’t erupt again next week then.” Jim said.

“Next week?”

“Yeah kiddo. Tuesday give or take. Weren’t you listening just now when I explained our speed and position?”

“Course I was. It’s just...next week.”

“We sleep on the boat though. Can’t afford to splurge.”

Lou glanced at the controls and flicked on the running lights. “Yes, Daddy. Like you said, it’s the one night.”

Jim nodded. “The priorities are food and fuel. We have two fuel tanks and we also need the spare cans topped up too.”

“Not expecting bad weather are you?”

“No, just being cautious. Can I have some more cake, please?”

“Here, help yourself.” Lou pushed the plate over to him.

While they had been talking night had fallen and it was cold.

She went below and made more tea. Taking it up to the bridge, she discovered Jim still hunched over the map. “Are you two still at it? It’s getting late.”

Jim looked up. It was totally dark outside. To the port side there was a faint glow. “That must be Madeira.”

“No it’s not. It’s a piece of cake,” Lou told him.

Jim groaned.

Lou looked at Jim. “I’ve just had a thought. Do we need visas for La Palma?”

“No, just a valid passport.”

“We don’t have visas?” Staci asked. “I thought they came with the passports.”

“No, you apply for them separately before you go on holiday,” Jim told her. “You need them for Australia, America...” His voice tailed off and he looked at Lou.

“What is it?”

“Philippines...” he whispered.

“What are you twittering on about?” Staci frowned.

“Nothing, kiddo. It’s bedtime for both of you. I’ll clear up.”

“Night,” Staci yawned.

Lou sighed. “Sixteen and still being sent to bed early.”

“Early? It’s ten thirty and my watch, so get away from my helm, get off my bridge, and go to bed. I’ll see you at two.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n. Thanks for today, guys. It‘s been really good. Night.”

~*~

The girls went below.

Jim cleared up and then settled on the stool at the helm. Again, he wondered why they hadn’t done it before. It was heaps better than literally standing watch all the time.

He liked the night watch. It was quiet. The radio was on almost constantly during the day, with one or both girls singing along to it. If it wasn’t the radio then it was the CD deck or the songs on their phones.

Occasionally, Deefer would come up to see him, but he was definitely a one-woman dog. Totally devoted to Lou, he hardly ever left her side. Deefer had his own passport, which proved he was up to date with all his vaccinations. Even then, if they were away too long, he may need to go into quarantine for six months on their return.

The rain finally stopped and clouds began to break. A full moon peeped through, casting its silvery light upon the vast ocean.

They had been blessed with good weather. Even when it had rained, the sea had remained calm. Considering it was hurricane season, they had had no storms at all.

He didn’t believe for one minute that they would get all the way across the Atlantic without encountering any really nasty weather.

The last few clouds moved away, leaving a star studded sky. This was the best thing about the night watch, Jim decided. He checked the instruments carefully, then leaving the bridge door open, climbed down the ladder to the deck. He stood on the bow pulpit looking up at the stars, naming the constellations. He would love to sail among the stars, join NASA and explore all those strange places just waiting for him to discover.

Cold now, he went back inside and checked the instruments. He sat on the stool and looked out at the stars again. It really was a beautiful sight. All those hundreds of thousands of tiny twinkling pinpricks of light were thousands, if not millions, of light years away. Each a separate world, probably populated by people doing the same sort of things that people on this planet did.

Earth might be the silent planet but it was the visited planet. How many other planets out there had been visited by their Creator?

His thoughts were interrupted by noise from the galley. He went down to investigate, expecting to find Deefer in search of dog biscuits. Instead, it was Lou. Usually he had to drag her out of bed. “This is a surprise,” he said.

“Not really. It’s gone three. I’m late. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I had no idea. I was watching the stars and thinking. You know how it is.”

“Captain Kirk off among the stars again?”

“Something like that. I’ll see you later. ‘Night.”

~*~

Tea in hand Lou sat at the helm. The stars were pretty yes, but nothing to write home about. Just like Jim to go into raptures over them. Like he did over sunsets and rainbows. Rainbows? Pretty yes, but just the sunlight reflecting, or was it refracting, off raindrops. The same effect came from oil in puddles on the road and no one in their right mind went into raptures over that.

The autopilot was coping fine, and Lou checked their position on the chart.

Although she and Jim hadn’t said too much earlier, the visa thing would be a problem as it was needed to get into the Philippines. That was something they hadn’t considered before. Oh, well. They’d cross that bridge when they got there.

Did she miss anything back home? The long walks in the park with Deefer, her mates at school—well maybe one. Television. Not the news or soaps, but some of the dramas. Mind you, now they wouldn’t have time to watch it even if they did have one, anyway. And she did miss her mother. Mum was always there, the one constant in her life, but when her dad had died, Lou had seen how quickly things could change and the devastating effect it could have.

The first rays of sunlight appeared above the horizon. The dawn steadily grew, chasing away the darkness, until the whole sky was pale blue.

Seagulls glided overhead and Deefer came up to find her.

“Hey boy. You hungry?” She fed him, let him out and cleaned up. Then, she went back to the bridge and wrote up the ships log for the previous day.

It was chilly with the door open, so she called Deefer in. He followed her up to the bridge and sat by her feet. Like a teddy bear, he listened without saying a word. He comforted her when she was sad and put up with her moods and gripes. He worried when she was sick and rejoiced when she was happy. Now he looked up adoringly and she rubbed the top of his head.

“Putting the world to rights, are you?”

Faint noises from below floated up to the bridge. Doors opened and clicked shut. Water ran and then footsteps came up the steps into the galley. The kettle was filled and put on.

Staci, Lou thought.

The radio clicked on. Definitely Staci. Amazingly, they could still pick up Radio Two. When the news came on another piece about them was read. “Police have still found no trace of the missing teens...”

Staci came up to the bridge. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.”

“We can’t let them dredge the river.”

“Sure we can. It needs cleaning anyway.”

A voice from the doorway said, “Staci’s right.” Lou turned to see Jim standing there. “Send Nichola a text message.”

“Is that safe?” Staci asked.

“They’ll trace it,” Lou griped.

“We are on a moving boat. Would you rather I did it?”

“No. I’ll do it. So what do I say?”

“Just that we’re OK and not to worry.”

Lou took the phone from the drawer and turned it on. A minute or so later, it beeped. Sighing, she read the message. “Where are you? Please come home. Nun.” She shook her head. Her mother never did check messages before she sent them, forgetting that predictive text could be really stupid at times. She gave the phone to Jim. “You answer it.”

Jim quickly typed in a message and hit send. He turned the phone off and looked at the girls. “What do you say to increasing speed and trying to make La Palma tomorrow? Quick refuel, food shop, and then head on.”

“OK.” Lou rose and let Jim take over at the helm.

There was a noticeable change in engine noise as he increased speed to maximum.

“La Palma here we come.”

9

The land on the horizon grew larger and less hazy. It was late afternoon by the time they arrived at the island.

Jim had radioed ahead and arranged a berth for one night. He didn’t want to stay any longer.

At customs, they needed their passports and logbook to show their ultimate destination. Then they docked in the large yacht harbor of the island capital—Santa Cruz de La Palma.

In the fading light, he could see houses lining the hillside.

The girls were all for going ashore now, but Jim insisted they wait until morning, so instead they spent the evening playing a vicious card game which Staci eventually won. It was nice that they could all be together for longer than ten or fifteen minutes without having to be on the bridge. But the nicest bit was yet to come—the whole night in bed. Although he still woke early by force of habit.

The next morning over breakfast they decided to explore Santa Cruz first. Jim bought a guidebook in the first shop they passed, and amazed the girls by speaking fluent Spanish.

“Where did you learn that?” Lou asked.

“School. It was offered as a second language. I thought it might be useful.”

“It says here that it doesn’t rain at all between June and August and apparently some of the beaches have black sand because of the volcanoes.” Lou thumbed through the guide.

“Let’s find a food shop,” he said. “And we’ll start restocking the cupboards.”

As they walked down the street, Staci pointed at each site. “Look. A concrete ship.”

“Don’t be silly, kiddo,” Jim said without looking.

Lou scowled at him. “No, she’s right. It’s a replica of the Santa Maria—even though Columbus never actually landed here. It’s the maritime museum.”

“I knew it was a mistake to give you the guidebook,” Jim said.

“Can we go in please, Jim?” Staci asked. “I know we’re not sightseeing, but as we’re here and not likely to come back again. It won’t take long.”

“OK, kiddo. Deefer, you stay here.”

“Next, I want to go see the black beaches and the volcanoes.” Staci folded her arms across her chest. “I’m gonna keep asking until you give in.”

Jim rolled his eyes. This wasn’t a holiday. This was why he hadn’t wanted to bring her in the first place. He put his foot down. “We’ll come back,” he promised. “I want to get going, find Mum and Dad.”

“OK,” Staci sighed.

“Before lunch how about I go and food shop? There’s a beach just down there, according to the road signs.” Lou pointed. “You can take Staci to see her black sand, and I’ll meet you back on the boat. We can have a late lunch and then set off.”

“Seconded,” Staci said quickly. “We should make a list. I’ll make the suggestions while you write them, Jim.”

“OK.” Jim pulled out a pen and paper.

Staci quickly rattled off a list of food, which included dried milk powder.

“Eyuk.” Lou interrupted.

“Even if we freeze milk it won’t last five weeks the rate we drink it. The freezer isn’t big enough. Anyway, Mum used to make up a pint at a time and keep it in the fridge. Dad never could tell the difference.”

“OK. Dried milk powder it is.”

“Righty-o,” Jim said and added that to his list. “Anything else?”

“Can’t remember what we said.”

Jim read back the list to them.

Lou yawned. “Paper and pencils for the logbook.”

“OK. Anything else? Cleaning stuff?”

“Wouldn’t hurt. Cereal, preferably something different.”

Jim added that and a couple of things he thought of. “Anymore for anymore, chaps?”

With no more suggestions, Jim handed Lou the list and he and Staci headed toward the beach.

~*~

Lou finished the shopping and walked back to the boat. The others weren’t back, so she and Deefer walked slowly along the quay towards the old town. She had taken her camera, which was just as well as she discovered a beautiful stone fountain. As she took a few shots, she noticed a newsagent in the background.

Finding an English paper, she walked in and paid for it. The man behind the counter looked at her strangely. She assumed she’d got her Spanish wrong and left it at that.

The smell of fresh bread at the baker’s shop was inviting and tempting, and in her spattering of Spanish, she placed an order. The baker also looked strangely at her.
It must be my Spanish
. The baker told her how much it was, and she automatically paid, responding in kind. It was only as she untied Deefer, that she realized he’d spoken to her in English.

She turned the paper over and glanced at the date—yesterday’s. Not that old then.

The photo on the front page caught her eye. It was her. Her own photo and that of Jim and Staci gazed back at her. She quickly read the report which mentioned the text message they’d sent, and the fact it had been traced to the vicinity of the Canary Islands.

Lou scrambled to her feet. How could she have been so stupid? She gathered her shopping and walked back to the boat, hoping she appeared normal.

No wonder people were looking at her.

The trip back seemed to take forever and when she arrived it was locked. “Now where have they gone?”