by Nancy Lieder
potatoes and another bag of a half dozen onions. The fish likewise are
bagged, though some are set aside for the crew’s breakfast. The
daughter is handing the bags up to her mother, then climbs up herself.
Finegan walks backwards to the bike rig at the rear of the houseboat,
never turning his back to the yacht but trying not to look too obvious
about this, and easing into the seat starts a reverse paddle until
there is some distance between the boats. Finegan shouts his goodbye.
Your man got himself shot last night.
The daughter, who has been standing at the rail watching the houseboat
pull away, looks shocked and anguished. The man making the night raid
was obviously her husband.
17
Chapter 4: Peaches and Cream
The houseboat is approaching a large island created by the rising
water. It is a hill surrounded by valleys. On one slope is a pecan
orchard, and on another a peachtree orchard, but from a distance these
only appear as woodlands. This is land formerly in the state of
Georgia.
In between there are some trees and country roads, which dip down into
the water. The island is at least a mile wide, but is clearly
surrounded by water. The distance to the mainland appears to be about a
quarter mile, not far, but too far to swim for those not fit.
Joey is on the roof, looking out for hidden treetops that could cause
problems. Joey paces, shielding his eyes on occasion, and points in the
direction he thinks will be the best approach. They are looking for a
sharp slope, not a gradual slope, so they can use the gangplank and
don’t have to wade in the water.
The people on shore are running along the shoreline trying to line up
with the spot where the houseboat will land. Half the group are white,
half African American, all dressed in similar casual tattered clothes.
Finegan runs the houseboat close to shore and comes forward to anchor
with his grappling hooks.
Stand back. Stand back!
The crowd of about a dozen people shrinks back a few feet.
Stand way back! Way back.
The crowd turns and moves back a goodly way and Finegan heaves his
hooks onto the bank, then moves the plank into place and strides
across. Joey is at his heels, and as always Barney stays behind to
guard the houseboat.
Finegan Fine here, trader. You folks seem eager
to do some trading.
A spokesperson for the group says,
We’re trapped! Can you give us a lift? We waded
over for peaches and pecans, due for harvest.
Stayed too long.
Finegan ponders a moment .
Got any left?
The spokesperson is eager.
Plenty. We planned to take it all back. Uh, we
could give you some.
Finegan barters back.
18
Tell you what. I’ll give you portage with all
you can carry, but the rest is mine.
The spokesperson, the apparent leader of the stranded survivors, looks
from one side to the other among the others and sees that they all feel
they have no choice.
Agreed.
They all start clamoring for the gangplank. Finegan says,
Whoa! Where’s the loot?
The spokesman has his hand up, trying to stop the stamped. He turns,
directing the group to get their harvest and return to the boat. And
Finegan reassures them,
I’m not going anywhere. Be right here.
A legless man has been approaching during all of this, on crutches. He
is just arriving as they all are scampering off to collect the harvest,
and stops, dismayed. He raises one crutch to point at the disappearing
backs.
Well I know I reek but they’re not even trying
to be polite.
Finegan, delighted to have the company, welcomes him aboard.
Common aboard. They just went to get the goods.
I’ll be taking you across.
______________________________
The legless man is seated on some boxes, his crutches beside him and
his one leg stretched out in front of him, bracing. His dark hair is
unkempt and his clothing dirty and tattered. He has a short beard, more
from the lack of shaving regularly than an attempt to have a beard.
Appearance is the least of his concerns.
Joey has come up to sit near him, Barney lying down at his feet. Joey
is curious and finally cannot contain his curiosity.
How’d you lose your leg?
The legless man replies ,
Accident, where I worked. Chain broke.
He has been glancing at Joey during this exchange, gauging his
reaction. Joey meets his eyes, not ashamed of his curiosity as he sees
the legless man is not touchy.
Does it hurt?
Joey jumps off his box and comes over to the leg, his nose a few inches
from the stump. He puts his finger out to poke the stump, then
hesitates, glancing at the legless man.
The legless man pats his stump, showing Joey it is sound.
19
Don’t hurt no more. Sometimes the leg itches
though.
Joey looks up at him and smiles, catching the joke, and then returns to
his seat on the box. He has grown serious, pondering the man’s
troubles.
I used to get a check every month, but don’t no
more.
Then, more a comment to himself than to Joey, he mutters under his
breath.
Wouldn’t do any good anyhow. Nobody wants
paper.
The legless man seems to notice for the first time that Barney is
missing a rear leg. He points at the dog.
How’d that happen?
Joey looks up and over his shoulder to the tall pile of boxes where
Finegan has stationed himself. The lookout post. Finegan tells the
tale.
Lost it to a shark. Small hammerhead. He
had ahold of part of my catch, pulled right up
on deck. I guess he thought Barney looked like
a better meal. I’ve never quite forgiven
myself.
The legless man, being a positive person, puts a positive spin on it
all.
Aw, hey, he looks like he’s doing fine! Me too.
Gets me out of emptying the crap pot, that’s
for sure.
He throws a grin up at Finegan.
The ladies feel sorry for me.
______________________________
The houseboat is making its final run from the island to the mainland,
with the last of the crowd. Only four people at a time were allowed due
to the weight. They are carrying as many peaches and pecans as they can
stuff into their clothing or hang over their shoulders.
Finegan has distributed these last four so that two each are on a side
of the houseboat. His booty from the island has been loaded into boxes
at the front. Joey is distributing the weight from front to back. He
hops over the roof of the house to do so, carrying the peaches and
pecans in a plastic bag which he empties into boxes at the rear.
Finegan says,
20
I’m still riding too high back here. You folks
move on toward the back, please.
While they’re waiting fo
r the pedals to lower fully into the water, a
young woman has moved toward the rear of the boat and is flirting with
Finegan. She has one haunch on a box and has pulled her skirt up,
ostensibly to keep cool in the midday heat, exposing an attractive leg.
She is wearing a low-cut summer dress, but has heavy leather boots on
her feet. She keeps glancing at Finegan, smiling. She is young,
attractive, and buxom.
This place needs a woman’s touch.
Finegan has a half full bottle of whiskey beside him and has been
taking a sip now and then, this being his last trip and the day having
been exhausting. He is trying to be moderate, in consideration of
Joey’s reaction to his last drunk, but sneaks a sip whenever Joey has
his back turned during his many trips across the roof to balance the
load.
Nothing personal, but I’ve got my hands full
already.
The flirt leans forward showing her ample cleavage.
Not like getting your hands on these.
Finegan holds up the whiskey bottle, burping, and shakes his head.
No can do.
21
Chapter 5: Political Connections
The crew on the houseboat is in the house, staying dry, as it is
pouring rain, drumming on the roof, sounding like thunder. The
rainwater flows off to the side of the roof where it collects into a
gutter, thence to the corner of the houseboat where it collects in a
barrel. When the barrel fills to overflowing, there is an overflow
spout that dumps into a second gutter, going over the side of the
houseboat.
Drinking and cooking water is being collected, regularly, as the water
off the coast is seawater.
______________________________
The houseboat is about a quarter mile from the coastline, in open water
where flooded trees are unlikely to be encountered. Further out in the
water by a mile or more are the tops of some high-rise buildings, a
small city, flooded.
Finegan is standing on the front of the houseboat, holding onto a
corner post and looking in that direction. He ducks into the house and
returns with the radio he collected earlier at the farmstead. He tucks
the end of the long wire used as an antenna into the spot where the
corner line is tied around the post, so it sticks up into the air as
far as possible.
Finegan is expecting that the buildings hold a short-wave tower.
Finegan is turning dials this way and that, holding his ear close at
times. Suddenly the radio crackles and a strident voice can be heard.
Mayday. Mayday.
Finegan replies.
What’s your location?
There is a pause, as apparently this is the first response to the call
in some time. The man can be heard over the radio talking to others in
the room.
Got someone.
Then, talking into the radio mic again,
Florida, sinking fast. We need rescue. We’ve
tried to raise the coastguard. Can you send
some boats or choppers? . . Who are you anyway?
22
Finegan is rolling his eyes skyward at the unrealistic requests,
knowing that these people did not pay attention to all the warning
signs and failed to take action on their own when they should have.
I’m a private party and don’t run boats. Can
you see the mainland? Do you have something at
hand that will float?
Finegan is aware that they can see the mainland and are not as helpless
as they imply. He is used to former captains of industry and lazy city
folk and politicians demanding they be treated in the manner to which
they were accustomed and is having none of it. The man in the flooded
buildings again talks to his companions.
Not a boat. He’s asking if we can do it
ourselves. Yeah, well.
Finegan continues.
You got bottled water there? Water coolers? Any
empties?
The man is missing Finegan’s point.
Yeah, we’re about out of drinking water. We
need help here, dammit!
If they are ignoring his point, Finegan is ignoring their demands.
You got extension cords, wire, around the
place? Wire some of those empties together,
like a raft. Turn a table upside down on top
and wire that too. There’s your boat.
Finegan hears the discussion on the other end.
Wants us to do it ourselves.
The houseboat has finally been noticed.
Hey, are you that floating house out there?
Finegan has caught them in a lie.
I thought you couldn’t see the mainland. I’m
not in the rescue business, but I’ll stay here
while you come across, keep an eye out.
Demands and lies having failed, manipulation is tried,
There’s sharks out there!
But Finegan resists
They’ve got too many dead to feed on these
days. Not likely.
______________________________
A window just above the waterline has been broken out. A couple men,
one of them portly, are pushing the water bottle and table raft out the
window, easing it down into the water. They have a line tied to one
23
side of the water bottle raft, and are holding onto the other end of
the line. The faces of a couple women can be seen behind them, bobbing
up and down.
One of the men tosses down a couple chair backs they intend to use as
paddles. The men climb down, the portly one first, being assisted from
the window by the slender one who holds onto his hand so he won’t drop
down too suddenly. Then the slender one jumps down, taking the line
with him. The bottle raft then pushes off from the side of the
building. The women behind him look alarmed, as they are clearly being
left behind.
______________________________
The bottle raft is half way between the houseboat and the high-rise.
The two men are on either side, paddling unevenly, so the slender one,
who is more energetic, has to pause now and then to allow the portly
one to move his side of the raft forward. Else, they tend to go in a
circle.
Suddenly, the radio, which is still in Finegan’s hand, crackles.
I think this is the button here. Hello?
Finegans says,
I’m with you. Are they sending the raft back
for you?
A frantic woman says,
They left us! Those were the only bottles we
had. They left us!
Finegan says,
I’ll be over to pick you up shortly. Is there
anyone else there, stranded?
The woman replies ,
Just the 3 of us. He kept saying the coast
guard would come if we got in trouble. Kept
saying it was all arranged.
Finegan says,
24
I want to see those two closer to shore before
I come for you. Don’t want them chasing after
me, if you follow my drift.
______________________________
The houseboat is approaching the broken window, which has one of the
women half out already, seated on the edge, ready to jump. In the
distance we se
e the bottle raft, very near shore. The men are standing
and pointing toward the high-rise, obviously angry that they were not
picked up in similar manner.
______________________________
Three women are seated on boxes to the rear of the houseboat, eating
peaches. One has one shoe on, one shoe missing. She is still seething.
I’m giving that man my notice!
Barney is sniffing up the skirt of one of the women and gets batted
away. It’s been awhile since they’ve bathed. Finegan is at the paddle
wheel, moving the houseboat up the coastline.
______________________________
The sound of clapping and singing, and a guitar, are heard floating out
over the water. A blazing bonfire can be seen, and people dancing,
hoedown style. This is a party, celebrating or just having fun.
The three women from the high-rise are seated on boxes at the front of
the houseboat, and Joey is at his usual place on the roof, pacing back
and forth, watching for trees or objects under the surface. They will
moor for the night here. The houseboat is not even noticed at first by
the party, gliding up to an open spot along the water’s edge to the
side of the party, anchoring with the grappling hooks, and finally
plopping down the gangplank.
About this time their approach is noticed and a couple comes over to
greet them. The camp mistress is stout but friendly, her man thin as a
pole and quiet. Finegan introduces himself.
Finegan Fine here, trader. I’ve got some
passengers who need directions to any
government base that can help them locate their
relatives.
The camp mistress smiles.
You’re kidding, right? We have those?
25
Finegan has made this statement only to impress on his women passengers