by Jack Dey
“I have heard so much about you, Elizabeth.”
Realising who she was talking to, Elizabeth gave a slight squeal and hugged Sissy.
John said, in a deeply proud tone, “Elizabeth, two weeks from today, Sissy is to be your new sister.”
The excitement of a wedding in the Jennings’ household caught the women up in a furious flurry of chatter. Elizabeth momentarily forgot about the strange incident that had happened with Philip and excitedly embraced the plans for the festivities. John and Sissy were hardly able to contain their excitement. They cabled Sissy’s parents the next morning, from the telegraph office.
All okay with John’s parents. Please book passage aboard the next steamer leaving Brisbane for Thursday Island. A wedding is in the family.
*~*~*~*
A loud knock on the door awoke him from his afternoon nap.
Somebody had better have a good reason for disturbing me, he thought angrily.
He threw open the door and was startled to see Belgrade looking down on him. Davis stepped back and attempted to slam the door in his face, but Patch’s foot stopped the door closing.
“I beg your indulgence, sir,” Patch sheepishly countered the closing door.
“What do you want now?” Davis challenged. “I could have the constabulary down upon you at any turn, sir,” Davis further warned.
“I have come to beg your forgiveness for my stupidity earlier, sir. I acted out of pride, instead of Christian gentlemanly conduct and wish that you would accept my apology.”
Davis laughed. “You come to my lodgings, fully intentioned on doing me ill and you want me to forgive you?!”
“Yes, sir. My actions were not of honourable intent,” Patch pleaded.
Davis angrily spat, “I do not like people of a cowardly disposition and then to apologise for being a coward, just shows you are weaker than a coward. Remove your foot from my door, sir!”
Patch removed his foot from blocking Davis’ door.
The door slammed shut in Patch’s face.
*~*~*~*
Tameka’s face looked stunned, as she listened from her position down the hall. She peered at the tall man as he left Davis’ door. His face was drawn and crumpled. She had no idea why the man who had done such a good job of frightening Davis earlier, would suddenly return a few hours later to apologise.
*~*~*~*
“I am at fault, sir. I feel I have brought a smudge on the Lord’s character and dishonour on the village,” Patch said dejectedly. “It was my intention to do a disservice to the man. I now see my folly,” Patch lamented.
Warrammarra quietly spoke, “It is when we take things into our own hands and interfere in what Father is doing, that is when we are in danger of spoiling his redemptive plan at work. We see things that are wrong, but these wrongs are often what Father uses to bring that person to Himself. We must act wisely. It is always wise to ask Father what He is doing before we interfere. I know you feel protective towards Elizabeth and don’t like what is going on and that is honourable, however, you have overstepped your boundaries.”
Patch stood to leave Warrammarra’s presence.
“Patch, Father has forgiven you and He is pleased at your courage to go and apologise to the man, even if he is not deserving of it. But even though you have been forgiven, there are still the consequences of your actions and they still have to take their course. These are just some of the lessons Father wants you to learn if you are to be useful in your walk with Him.”
Warrammarra put his arm around Patch. “I am proud of you, son. Once you learned the correct thing to do, you went ahead and did it.”
*~*~*~*
The three ladies sat together around the dining room table, chattering about wedding design and planning. Robert closed the drawing room doors to seal out the chatter and speak with John on matters of business.
“We will be starting our new venture tomorrow and I have secured some good crews from among the native people from the village. They have served me well and I think it is good to give them a place aboard the new vessels. Our vessels will be the Rising Wind; Arkina; Precious Pearl, I have chosen; and Morning Rose, of which you will skipper. I intend to stay out a week at a time, anchored over our respective patches of reef. The crews are stocking the galleys on the schooners, as we speak and preparing the equipment for the voyage tomorrow. I am afraid there won’t be much opportunity for you to be involved in the wedding plans, John,” Jennings confessed.
“It’s okay, Father. Mother and Elizabeth will be adequate help for Sissy and her own family will arrive next week,” John assured him.
Jennings continued, “Davis’ vessels will be the Sea Spray; Northern Sky; Ocean Jewel; and Wave Wanderer. I believe he has employed crews from across the harbour at Horn Island.”
John just raised his eyebrows.
Jennings nodded at his son’s response and carried on, “We will all work different parts of the reef and with the new diving equipment, the masters will dive the deeper reef, harvesting the deeper pearl, while the swimmers will dive the shallower reef. The shell will be collected from the schooners by a mother ship and supplies restocked at the same time.”
John nodded his understanding.
Jennings’ stomach churned as he reminisced what was at stake. The partnership would just have to work out, he hoped.
Jennings shook himself from his sullen, distracted stance and remembered the wedding preparations, then directed his comment at his son. “May I congratulate you on your choice, John? Sissy is delightful.”
John bowed his head. “Thank you, Father.”
*~*~*~*
CHAPTER 30 - PRESENT DAY
Down in the engine room, the vessel’s electrical panel was abuzz with a multitude of tiny indicator lights. Underneath each light was a name tag, explaining its intended function. Some lights were blinking, some solidly glowing, others asleep. It was 2200 and right on time. The light indicating the starboard fresh water pump to the shower room, blinked on and the pump began to whir.
Elishia liked to take her daily shower after the crew had gone to bed. She opened the cabin door with her shower kit and towel in hand, walked to the shower room, opened the door, entered and locked the door behind her.
A tall figure tiptoed into the galley from his cabin, checking no one was in sight. He opened the door to Elishia’s cabin, went in and closed the door behind him. He checked his watch; she would be gone at least ten minutes. He aimed his mobile phone, pressed camera function and began taking pictures of the computers, the cabling, the black box and the disc magnetised onto the vessel’s hull.
Just then, the door to the cabin pushed open, pinning him against the wall behind the door and hiding his frame from view. A woman’s hand reached in and took a small bag from the bed and closed the door again.
He blew out a nervous breath. That was too close for comfort. He listened for a few moments for any sounds outside the door and when he was satisfied he was safe, pulled the door open and slinked out. Safely back in his cabin, he found the number in his address book, assigned the photos and pressed send… done.
*~*~*~*
After settling Daniel Pierce into a cabin, Damon introduced him to the crew. Lastly, he knocked on Elishia’s door and before long, she stood outside her cabin with the door closed, blocking any prying eyes and peering questioningly up at Damon.
“This is Pooch’s replacement,” Damon said sarcastically.
She offered Pierce her hand and he shook it. There was something unnerving about the man and it bothered her, but she could not put her finger on it. They moved on and Elishia went back into her cabin and closed the door.
Damon sat with Daniel Pierce in the wheelhouse, asking him questions about his life and experience with the sea. He could talk the talk, but time would tell whether he could walk the walk. He wasn’t sure whether he liked the man yet.
Pierce had meticulously familiarised himself with Annemarie and her equipment, spending
a couple of hours down in the engine room. “I will find you out. You can’t hide your secrets from me,” he had mouthed to himself against the noise of the engine room.
*~*~*~*
A secretary pushed the two polished walnut doors open into the boardroom. The plush pile green carpet made her high heels sink down, giving her a slight waddle as she battled her way into the room. She peered around the space and at the twenty suited men sitting at a polished teak table. Each of the men sat in a plush, swivelling lounge chair. The large windows were dressed by dark green curtains pulled across; the room lit by a row of fluorescent lights indented into the ceiling. At the front of the room was a white board with figures and graphs drawn on it. She tried to ignore the fiery argument going on, recognised the man she was looking for and quietly approached him, delivering a document.
The mood inside the boardroom was becoming frustrated. Jamie and his half-brother had a thirty percent share each in the company and the other forty percent was divided up between shareholders. Although Jamie was a persuasive businessman, his intention to split the company and stave off a possible law suit was losing support. His half-brother had argued that there was no legal proof to Jamie’s line of thinking and that the company should continue on as one of the region’s largest entities… a crown he was intensely proud of.
Besides, they would be losing millions of dollars into the bargain.
Jamie’s five foot ten frame was solidly built. His brown, curly hair bordered a handsome, square face with determined brown eyes. Jamie was a thirty year old bachelor, though he had many admiring lady friends, but marriage did not figure on his long term plan. His brown suit gave him the appearance of a no-nonsense professional. He had cut many a lesser businessman down with just a look and when he spoke, it carried an authority not many could stand up to, leaving the person cowering in his wake. His decisions were always well thought out and prepared, making him the perfect candidate for chairman of the board.
He needed to make his brother and the rest of the board see sense on this pressing issue. He felt that not only could it ruin the company if it was not handled properly, but it was not ethically right, also.
His brother ridiculed him on his stance on ethics within business, saying, “Since when does ethics figure in today’s business world?”
The vote was fifteen for and five against and the motion was carried. No further progress would be made on the company split until conclusive proof could be found. Jamie peered across at his half-brother and sighed.
His senseless greed could be the end of the company.
*~*~*~*
The red dot on the computer screen had not appeared for a day and a half now, indicating no new information coming in. The data transfer between the computers was showing ninety six percent complete. Elishia gazed at the bar graph on the screen and the remaining four percent, willing the computer to finish.
“Patience, girl,” she smiled to herself, “it has taken five years to get to this point. Another couple of hours and I can start scanning the image.”
*~*~*~*
Damon poised himself on the forward deck, looking out over Bathurst Bay in the distance. The white, sandy shoreline looked inviting and it glistened in the morning sun. The anchor chain disappeared into the green depths and his mind drifted back to Charlie. It frightened him to realise how much he missed her and he wondered if he would ever be able to speak lucidly with her again. Each time he had called the MHU... he shuddered at the term mental health… they said there was no change and that she was still catatonic.
He saw the face of his best friend in his mind’s eye and this new guy just didn’t fit like he and Pooch did. He didn’t realise how fragile life was until the people closest to him were ripped away, leaving him standing alone.
Johnny had said that Jesus may have been trying to get his attention and what would it take for him to listen? Johnny had been a steadying influence in his life and filled the hole that his own father created when he walked out on his mum and him, twenty five years back.
The sea had also thrown out its challenge to him at an early age. He had been on boats since he was fifteen. He took a course doing his master’s ticket at twenty one and had pit his determination to conquer the sea ever since, staying one step ahead each time. It was like the sea represented his father and he was determined to keep it in bondage, always fighting for his life, eager to win the next battle.
He pondered how long Elishia would want to stay anchored here and what her next move would be, then smiled to himself at the thought of busting into her cabin to see what she was up to.
There was a distant sound of an engine and Damon searched the horizon. The noise was coming closer quickly, so it had to be an aircraft. He finally settled his gaze on a single engine fixed-wing aircraft flying at high speed, just above the waterline, obviously looking for something. The plane followed the shoreline into the bay and then banked around and headed straight for them. The aircraft buzzed over the top of Annemarie, banked and circled around again. Damon noticed a cow insignia blazoned across the door.
*~*~*~*
Elishia jumped up from the computer, pushed back the old fitted curtains on her cabin window and peered out, cringing as the aircraft passed by closely enough to see the insignia.
How on earth did they find me? she thought, panicking.
*~*~*~*
Daniel Pierce heard the noise of the aircraft from the aft deck and grimaced. Looking up and recognising the insignia, his mouth uttered something distasteful, covered by the sound of the aircraft engine buzzing past. The aircraft banked again, executed a low pass and headed back the way it came at a higher altitude.
*~*~*~*
CHAPTER 31 - PRESENT DAY
Debbie stood at the foot of the bed watching her daughter, tears welling up in her eyes. Charlie had been in a catatonic state, just staring, since she was brought in three days ago.
Gwennie put an arm around Debbie’s shoulder. “The doctor will be in soon,” she said softly.
The door behind them burst open and Doctor Fields, a young psychiatrist, strutted in.
“Hello, Gwennie,” he said. “Mrs Myers, I presume?” Fields continued, without waiting for an answer from Gwennie.
“Yes,” Debbie said in a mousey voice.
“We believe that... Charlie, is it?... is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The catatonia more than likely has been brought on by the shock she suffered when she witnessed the loss of her friend. The catatonia should have lifted with the medication she has been prescribed, but unfortunately, it appears that she is not responding. We would like your permission to give Charlie a course of electroconvulsive therapy."
“What’s that?” Debbie asked, getting more disturbed.
Fields sighed and searched for a layman’s explanation that this simpleton would understand. “It’s a small, controlled, electric current that is passed through a probe on the outside of Charlie’s skull. It interferes with the brain’s electrical activity, putting Charlie’s brain into a controlled convulsion. The electric current interrupts Charlie’s current brain activity, and stimulates different pathways for the electric signals to travel. Look at it this way… the brain’s electrical impulses have several million wires - if you like - it can travel down. By superimposing an external current, the brain’s electricity is forced to travel a different wire, bringing Charlie out of catatonia. Then we can treat her PTSD. It is all done while Charlie is anaesthetised, so there is little danger of Charlie hurting herself.”
Debbie looked shocked and confused. “What do you mean, hurt herself?!”
“When the stimulation causes the brain to convulse, her hands and feet may jump a little, even when she is anaesthetised. In previous years when this therapy was little understood, a patient violently jerked around, causing injury to themselves if they were not anaesthetised,” Fields stated, feeling he had done a great job on the explanation.
“Are there any side effects?�
� Debbie was processing Fields’ story and getting more uneasy.
Fields sighed, as Debbie’s sudden understanding found the gaps in his spiel.
“Some people experience short term memory loss, but that should disappear after a couple of weeks. In some cases, longer term memory loss has occurred, but only on rare occasions. Some people even experience increased intellect through altered brain activity,” Fields assured, trying to push this point and sell her on his only positive.
Debbie was feeling stressed. “What if we just leave her to come out on her own?”
“She may stay catatonic,” Fields said dryly.
“I..I need time to think about this,” Debbie worried.
“Fine...! Take your time. Charlie isn’t going anywhere.” Fields turned on his heels and stalked out of Charlie’s room.
Gwennie could see Debbie was having trouble processing all that Fields had said. “Is there anyone that you can talk to about this, Debbie?”
Debbie shook her head as she began to sniffle, “No.”
Gwennie had an idea. “What about her partner – the man who rings in every day?”
“Damon...? He’s stuck on a charter boat out from Bathurst Bay.”
“Is he contactable?” Gwennie coaxed.
Debbie suddenly brightened at Gwennie’s suggestion. “Yes, I have his number in my mobile phone.”
“Let’s try and talk with him and explain the situation, and maybe he can help make the decision with you.”
*~*~*~*
Damon had just entered the wheelhouse after the strange behaviour of the aircraft buzzing Annemarie. He was just about to lift the hatch and go down into the galley when his mobile phone started ringing. He looked at the number and began to panic. It was Debbie.