Aurum by Russell B Farr

Author:Russell B Farr
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ticonderoga Publications

* * *

Amber aimed her binoculars at the flat expanse of blue that stood between the bridge crew and the rest of them. She’d invested so much time and effort into researching Luciano, yet had barely glimpsed the man this fortnight past. A troubling development, with the night of the Debutante Ball approaching fast. Doc assured her everything was shipshape, but when did he ever not sprout such consolatory bullshit?

White uniforms were becoming a lot less prevalent on Top Deck than they ought. In place of them, an endless seep of former Russians and nouveau-riche subcontinentals, working their way up, deck by deck. No one was doing anything to stem the tide.

She lowered the binoculars. Not much to see up there on the bridge. Whatever took place behind blue glass was a mystery.

She was preparing to scope the helipad when somebody shrieked out “Land Ho! Land Ho!”

All at once Top Deck became a frenzied hive, with everyone shoving and fighting their way portside, whooping and chittering like monkeys.

Amber’s concentration held fast, despite the jostling and irritation. She didn’t notice Lindsay approach, not until her friend lit one of those dreadful beadie cigarettes, releasing an acrid puff of scented smoke.

As usual, Lindsay was overdressed, tottering around in heels not made for promenading slippery decks. She never tripped--she’d been a catwalk model back in the days before and she was doing that thing they all did sometimes, dressing up in the best of everything she owned. Rings and jewels and pinned-up hair. Just trying to make myself feel human, darling. Those little things one does to feel alive.

Amber flapped at the plume with her free hand.

“Something’s following this ship,” said Lindsay, taking a deep drag. “I can feel it--and I’m not the only one.”

“Rubbish,” snapped Amber, her patience pushed to the limit by a toxic mix of Doc Corduroy and the heat. “And anyway, what if it were it true? No pirates have ever been able to--”

“Not pirates.” Lindsay sniffed, wiped her cheek on the back of her hand. “Something else.”

“Something else? Amber lowered the binoculars. “What kind of something else?”

Lindsay shook her artificial curls. Stared blankly at the smear of black mascara on her wrist. “The creature doesn’t like the helicopters. They keep it scared away.”

“You talk such nonsense when you’re stoned--and when are you not stoned? You didn’t see anything. You couldn’t have because there’s nothing there to see.” Amber returned to her binoculars. Rumours something large was following the Fellini had intensified since the ship pulled out of Papeete, never realising back in those days how much their world had utterly transformed. That the land they’d left behind was gone for good--in some cases literally sunk beneath the sea. In others, reduced to resonance politics and commerce, events beyond all influence and control.

The shoving and swearing amped up as the portside upper deck got crammed. Any glimpse of land, even rumours or mirages, anything at all reminiscent of terra firma brought all those with upper access flocking, no matter the weather or the time of day.

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