S.O.S. by Joseph Connolly

Author:Joseph Connolly [Connolly, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Published: 2007-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

PART FOUR

Deep Waters

I’m pretty sure that Tom, thought Marianne, is the sort of person who’ll be terribly punctual, so nine a.m. on the Boat Deck means, I should think, exactly that: no more and no less. Which is fine – I’ve got a couple of minutes in hand and I’m just about, what – half a corridor away? Not much more. And from what I can see of the weather, it looks like it’s going to be another glorious day. I don’t know what the Captain was going on about the other night – maybe he was joking, do you think? I mean, surely their … whatever they have – I don’t know, instruments, computers, however it’s done: they can’t say Uh-oh – storm brewing, no question, and then it just doesn’t … can they? So maybe it was just some sort of rather heavy-handed and not very witty joke; well if it was, he certainly got a lot of people wholly needlessly worried – which isn’t really, is it, quite what a Captain should be for.

My God. Look at this! Wonders will never … no … no – it can’t be, can it? Not at nine o’clock in the morning? Can’t be. But – God – it is, you know, it jolly well is. God Almighty – can’t believe it.

‘Dad! Hey, Dad! Where are you rushing off to? How amazing to see you up so early.’

David whirled round to face whatever new and fearful thing this could be now, and managed to leap into the air as he did it – this the reaction to some grossly invasive though as yet unspecified terror that already was done with softening him up, and now was earnestly working him over.

‘Hm? Hm? Oh, Marianne – hello, hello. Yes. Hello.’

‘What is it, Daddy? You look awful. Couldn’t you sleep?’

‘Hm? Hm? Sleep? Don’t know. Haven’t tried. I’ve just, uh – well yes, you see – I’m not so much up early as, um – still up from yesterday, if you see what I mean.’

Marianne nodded, quite sadly. ‘Yes, Dad. I see.’

‘Well you probably don’t, actually – it’s not, well … it’s not the usual, if that’s what you mean. It’s just that I’ve had one or two, um – surprises, really … yes …’

‘You haven’t shaved. You sure you’re OK?’

‘Yes, I am. Of course. And no, you’re right – I haven’t.’

No. Haven’t shaved. Went down to the cabin to change, very rapidly – and it’s a, Jesus! Small old world, isn’t it, really? I mean – did I for one minute imagine I’d wind up the evening not just sipping with Dwight but coated pretty much from head to toe in my mistress’s vomit? That is my mistress Trish, you see – who is actually back in London, isn’t she? Because I never ever take her anywhere, do I? So it can’t, can it, have really been her? Can it? Well yes it can, actually – yes indeed: it was, oh yes – no mistake.

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