by Jac Eddins
"Welcome aboard," he said, still smiling.
Gina glanced back over the rail and had a moment of panic. "The boat is leaving!"
"You’ll be here a couple of hours. They have more to do than sit down there and wait on you. Look. There’s another boat just starting out from shore, bringing more cargo. There’ll be a boat for you when you’re ready to leave."
Gina shook her head, laughing at her own fears. "Sorry."
"No problem." He took her hand. "Let me show you the Seabird."
* * * *
Early in their tour, Dano showed her to a cabin. "This is yours for as long as you’re onboard, in case you need to freshen up or powder your nose. That way you’ll have complete privacy."
"That’s very thoughtful of you." Gina took a few moments to explore the comfortable stateroom and its private bathroom. "Oh! A shower!"
"The modern navy believes in baths and cleanliness," Dano chuckled.
"The room is larger and more comfortable than I imagined," she admitted. She’d stayed in many good hotels that hadn’t been as well furnished.
Gina had been fascinated by tall ships since her childhood. Back then she held tightly to her father’s hand, perched on a balcony overlooking the river, while they watched a parade of the graceful craft sail up from New York Harbor. The Seabird outclassed any other sailing ship she’d ever seen, even the Coast Guard’s majestic ‘Eagle’.
The cabin she’d been given was one of six staterooms. The ship also boasted comfortable crew quarters, a fine galley and salon. Cargo filled most of the hull; bales, boxes and bags were stored neatly below. An entire section held refrigerated goods. Was this where most of the mail plane’s cargo went? Although Gina’s curiosity burned, she refrained from asking questions. Dano didn’t offer any information as to what the cargo was or where it was bound.
One thing surprised Gina – very few crewmen of the Seabird seemed to be aboard and most of the loading was done by island workmen. On their way up from below deck, she remarked on it.
"They're sailors," Dano chuckled. "Most of our men are on shore leave, enjoying our last night in port. From here we have a week at sea and plenty of work."
"No play on board?" she teased.
Dano laughed aloud. "We have our breaks, but no alcohol for the crew once we hoist sail. On shipboard, weather may change rapidly and accidents happen all too easily. A tipsy crew can spell disaster."
* * * *
They finished their tour in the ship’s salon where Alaro awaited them. For the first time, Gina had a clear look at him. Except for the slight bluish tint to his skin he appeared quite normal, although he would have stood out in any crowd. Gina guessed Dano to be about six feet tall; Alaro topped that by a good four inches. Any actor would have envied Alaro’s classically handsome features and powerful build.
Alaro led them to a table already set with an array of appetizers and glasses of wine. Dano, the complete gentleman, held her chair while she seated herself.
"Well," Alaro smiled, "what do you think of the Seabird?"
Gina had no difficulty expressing her admiration for the sleek, well kept vessel. Alaro had a justifiable pride in his ship and answered all her questions without hesitation. With the greatest of patience he explained some of the terms such as ‘tacking’ and the names for the various sails. The two hundred fourteen foot ship with its twenty-five foot beam had more to it than she’d dreamed. One needed to know a good bit about many things to operate such a ship.
The ship’s cook served the meal. The chubby islander looked as if he thoroughly enjoyed his own cooking. Salad and vegetable dishes complimented the steaks, cooked to perfection,
"I thought you’d be dining on fish," Gina teased.
Dano made a wry face. "Plenty of that when we’re under sail. Beef is a treat."
"I see." She noticed Dano meant what he said, if his appetite reflected his pleasure in the meal. The man ate with gusto. Alaro, on the other hand, barely touched his food. He did enjoy the wine and kept their glasses filled.
At the conclusion of the meal the cook brought in a tray of after dinner drinks. Dano proposed a toast to the vessel and Gina sipped hers.
"Delicious," she declared.
"Mandarin Napoleon," Dano grinned. "Only the best for our guest."
Gina blushed and would have answered but a wave of dizziness swept over her. She gripped the table to keep from falling.
"Are you all right?" Dano asked. He stood and moved to her side.
"Just … dizzy. Must be the wine. I don’t usually have more than a single glass."
"Do you want to lie down for a few minutes until your head clears?"
"I – can’t. I have to catch my flight out–"
"I’ll see you’re awake in time. You have a couple of hours before then."
The world around her spun. "Maybe it would be a good idea to rest a few minutes."
She allowed Dano to help her toward the cabin. Once there she sank down onto the soft bed. Panic touched her mind for a brief moment. What if Dano–?" She sighed with relief when she heard the cabin door close behind him.
Gina sank into a comforting, deep sleep.
CHAPTER 7
Gina awoke and glanced about the room in confusion. Where was she? Memory flooded back. – On the ship. Her first need was the rest room and she made her way there.
She washed the sleep from her eyes, then returned to the stateroom. It seemed she had slept soundly for some time, but the sunlight streaming through the porthole assured her it was still daylight. She hadn’t missed her flight. Still, something was wrong.
Light fell across the carpeted floor, too bright and at the wrong angle. By now the evening sun should have been reddish and low in the western sky. She frowned and, feeling uneasy, made her way across the cabin to the porthole. Where the island should have been, lay nothing but a wide expanse of rolling blue water. The ship moved smoothly, but she detected the dipping of the vessel, far more than the gentle movement at anchor. They were at sea!
What had happened? Why hadn’t Dano called her as he’d promised? She ran to the door and tried it. Locked. Her first impulse was to pound on the door and demand an explanation. Reason told her that was unwise; she was on a ship at sea and there was nowhere to escape and no one on board she was certain she could trust. She had to remain calm until she found out what was going on – before she made matters worse. There had to be some explanation, although she had no idea what it might be. Several possibilities came to her mind, none of them pleasant. She took a deep breath and slowly released it. There was time enough to panic and scream if any of her fears were correct.
Her next surprise came when she discovered her luggage, neatly stacked at the foot of the bed. Someone had brought her bags from her hotel. The suitcases hadn’t been opened; their combination locks remained in place. The fact her bags were there meant, for whatever reason, her abduction had been deliberate. If only she had some sort of weapon in one of those suitcases! Some of her business associates carried unloaded and dismantled pistols in one suitcase, with ammunition in another. That idea had always made her uncomfortable. Next time, if there was a next time–
A rap on the door startled her and Dano entered carrying a large silver tray.
"Hungry?" he asked.
He had a sheepish sort of smile and avoided her eyes. Gina asked bluntly, "What’s going on here?"
Dano placed the tray on the small table near the porthole and brought a chair over to it. "Sit down and have some breakfast while it’s hot. I brought mine, too. We can talk while we eat."
For the present Gina went along with it. What else could she do? A screaming fit wouldn’t help and, perhaps, if she cooperated, she’d get some explanation of her situation. She sat in the chair while Dano dragged a second seat over to the table.
The aroma of bacon and freshly baked rolls awakened her appetite in spite of her apprehension. A woman did have to keep up her strength!
They ate without speaki
ng for a short time. A thousand and more questions filled her mind, but she hesitated before her curiosity led her to break the silence. "Why have I been shanghaied? Where are you taking me?"
Dano gave a sigh and laid aside his fork. "We had to speak with you and explain. There wasn’t time on the island. You’ve stumbled on to a really big secret, one we couldn’t chance having you accidentally reveal."
Gina’s eyes went wide. That could explain why the island was so little known and discouraged visitors. "Are you with the government?"
Dano chuckled. "Sort of. But not from your United States. Let’s just say we are friendly toward your country."
"I see." She really didn’t, but she had to say something.
"I’m asking you to give us three weeks. We must convince you this secret has to be kept. At the end of that time, regardless, we’ll return you to wherever you want to go."
"Do I have a choice?"
Dano lowered his gaze. "Now?" He shook his head. "We can’t risk it. All I can do is assure you that you won’t be harmed in any way. In fact, you’ll be treated like royalty. All we ask is that you keep an open mind."
"You keep saying ‘we’. Who is ‘we’?"
"Alaro, my people, and me."
Gina nodded. Of course, Alaro had to be involved. Dano could not have secreted her aboard without his consent and compliance.
Dano sipped his coffee and his dark eyes held a mischievous twinkle. "I’m really glad it worked out this way. I was wishing for a way to get to know you better."
Once again a frisson of fear caused Gina to shiver. Dano didn’t seem the sort of man who’d take advantage – but then, if criminals all looked like criminals, they’d be much easier to catch.
Dano didn’t appear to notice her fear and finished his breakfast. Gina lost her appetite, but she managed to drink her coffee.
"Lunch is at one o’clock," Dano informed her. "I can serve you here, or you can eat with some of the crew in the salon." He paused a moment as if unsure whether to say more.
Dining in the privacy of her cabin was all very nice, but a little too cozy if this man had any funny ideas. He was attractive. True; she admitted that. Under the circumstances, she wasn’t quite ready to succumb to the attraction. "I’ll come to the salon," she said.
"Good. But there are a few things I should warn you about."
"Warn?"
"Not dangerous, but you could be startled or frightened."
Those butterflies reawakened in her stomach. "Frightened?"
Dano smiled. "I like you. You have courage. Most women I’ve met would be screaming or fainting about now. I think you’ll actually enjoy this. It’s Alaro and his people. They are … different."
Gina frowned. "What do you mean?"
"For one thing, their skin color. They all have that blue tint to their skin, some much darker than Alaro." He chuckled at her disbelieving stare. "I am serious. They are…" He hesitated again, as if trying to find the right words. "They’re of a completely different race of beings."
"You expect me to believe that?"
This time he gave her a broad grin. "You don’t have to believe me. You’ll see for yourself."
"Okay. Let’s say, for the moment, I accept it. Where are we going? How long will we be on this ship?"
"Depends on how the weather holds. Usually we make it in five days, but squalls can slow us by a day or two. Alaro doesn’t like sailing through storms and we skirt them when we can. We're going to a place called Dath."
"Another island?"
"Sort of."
She nodded. Alaro’s caution made a lot of sense on the vast expanse of the Pacific. She had never heard of Dath, but there were so many small islands she wasn’t surprised she didn’t recognize the name. Of course, it was possible that, in a tiny population, a genetic mutation had become prevalent. This experience could lead to a remarkable story when she got back. She refused to face the chance she might not come back.
"Unfortunately, this isn’t a pleasure cruise. We don’t have all the games and activities cruise ships have. The work of a sailing ship keeps the crew pretty busy. If you get bored, you’ll find a number of books on the dresser in the corner. There’s a tv in the cabinet over there. We can sometimes pick up the American networks from the satellites, if you’d rather watch than read. I’ll come escort you to lunch."
Gina frowned. "Does that mean I’m confined to my cabin?"
"Not at all. I think it best, though, if you allow me to introduce you to everyone before you go wandering around. The door will be unlocked from here on." He smiled, once again sheepishly. "Unless you lock it from your side. That might not be such a bad idea. You know sailors."
"Like you?"
"I never go where I’m not wanted."
The conversation had turned awkward. "Very well," Gina said, dismissing him. "I’ll see you at lunchtime."
Dano gave her a smart salute. "Aye-aye, ma’am. Lunch."
She watched him go and locked the door after him.
* * * *
Gina found several books of interest and read, curled up in one large easy chair. A knock at the door startled her again. Was it noon already? Yes, if the emptiness in her stomach was any indication.
Dano escorted her to the salon, where they sat in a leather upholstered booth similar to those in many stateside restaurants and diners. The same islander chef served them a fresh salad topped with shrimp.
Gina opened her mouth to express her satisfaction with the dish, but fell silent when she noticed another group of six sailors enter the room. All were tall and dark haired, pleasant to look at, but had the same blue tinge to their skins as Alaro. Dano introduced them to her by name before they gave courteous bows and went to their own booth.
"Do all names end in ‘O’" she asked quietly when they had gone.
"All men’s names do. All women’s names end in ‘A’." He laughed. "That makes it easy to know what sex a person is when you’re speaking about him. Or her."
Gina swallowed the bite she had taken and smiled. "Here I am right in custom without knowing it."
Four more men entered, two blue-skins, one islander, and the last a lanky young blond youth who looked as if he were fresh from a Minnesota farm. Dano introduced them before they, too, went on to another table.
"About a fifth of the crew are Terran," Dano told her before she could ask. "The men like Alaro are called ‘Aquans’."
"Terran...?"
"Land dwellers."
And, if she recalled the bit of Latin she had in high school, ‘aqua’ was water. That would be an appropriate name for those whose lives were mostly spent at sea. She nodded her understanding.
The midday meal finished, Dano led her out onto the deck to enjoy the fresh sea breeze. "Better enjoy it today," he told her. "There’s a squall line and we’re going to hit some rough seas by tomorrow."
By dinnertime the rolling of the vessel affected Gina’s appetite considerably. Dano arrived to escort her to dinner and smiled in compassion. "Wait a moment," he said. He left and returned shortly with a small blue pill. "Take this."
"What is it?"
"Would you rather suffer the seasickness? This storm will get worse. I have no idea what’s in the pill, except it’s an Aquan medication and it works."
Gina took the pill. Within minutes the queasiness vanished. They again dined in the salon and chatted about books, her work, and the places she’d visited. Alaro did not join them. Dano made a charming dinner companion and gave her his complete attention. When dinner ended, he escorted her back to her room and left her at the door, behaving as the perfect gentleman.
For a brief moment Gina thought he might kiss her goodnight and found herself a little disappointed he had not. This would not do! She recalled stories of kidnap victims falling in love with their captors and she’d have to make the effort to see it did not happen to her. Dano’s pleasant mischief and good looks made her determination all the more difficult.
* * * *
The following day she again spent most of the morning reading. The store of books in the cabin included several familiar classics and a number of books on astronomy. One fat volume caught her eye and she found it full of delightful short stories and poems, none of which she had ever read. The authors had unusual names and were also unknown to her.
At lunch, in the salon, she found herself alone. The cook served her and mentioned that the crew was busy with a small mechanical problem and would eat later when they had corrected it. He assured Gina they were in no danger.
Gina finished her meal, thanked the cook, and made her way out onto the deck. On her way to her cabin she found the crew working to secure a longboat which had somehow come loose from its position. It dangled from the davit, held by a single end to the mechanism which held and lowered it.
Alaro worked along with the rest of the men, lifting the longboat so another of the men could refasten its bow in place. Gina watched his graceful movements, the power and play of muscle under his thin white shirt. What a magnificent figure he was!
"Whatever you do, don’t fall in love with him."
Gina spun about to find Dano at her side, a wistful sadness in his usually laughing eyes.
"I can admire a man without falling in love," Gina stated.
"Good. Admire, but don’t fall. That’s a hopeless situation."
"I had no intention of doing so. Is he married?"
"Very much so, and that’s not the half of it. Sometimes people fall in love before they know it and without meaning to at all. Just be careful."
"Oh, I will."
"Good."
Gina watched Dano turn and walk away. It wasn’t to Alaro she was afraid of losing her heart. Was that warning meant to include Dano, too? Either way, from here on she’d try to stem the racing of her heart whenever Dano appeared. She had to remember he was just being nice to her for his own reasons, the same as Alaro’s. From here on she’d stay away from him as far as she could.
CHAPTER 8
Dano made his way forward on deck. With his shift over, he intended to make his routine report to the captain before retiring for the night. The squall line had passed and stars shone brightly in a moonless sky over a calm sea. He considered stopping at Gina's cabin to see if she needed anything. Since their last meal together he had been too busy to spend much time with her. She probably didn't miss him; she seemed to have adjusted well to life on board. By now she was most likely sound asleep.