The sound of a helicopter flying low overhead wakes Carlos, who is on his back on his bunk in the crew’s quarters. The other three men in the shared cabin—Roberto’s son and two other young Spaniards—are still asleep. It’s a different feeling, being down in the bowels of the ship, separated from the wheelhouse by three flights of stairs. One of the crew joked with him that he’d fallen from grace and descended into hell itself, and it seemed the truest thing that anyone had said for days. Carlos stands and walks out into the passageway, but is met by the young South African naval officer and his gun.
‘I just want to get some air,’ Carlos says.
The South African follows him out on to the deck and stands over him as he walks to the rails and grips the cold metal that separates him from the sea. Carlos puts a foot on the first rung, and the South African grabs hold of the Uruguayan master’s jacket.
‘Don’t do anything stupid.’ The naval officer uses his gun to push Carlos’s foot off the rails.
‘I am not going to jump.’ Carlos attempts a laugh, but it sounds more like a cry. He looks out across the pale green sea to the Australian coast. His last dream comes to him. It’s Eduardo again, pointing the finger of blame at him for suggesting this trip in the first place. Life would have turned out very differently for all of them if they’d stayed on shore.
He thinks of home—of Julia, María and the new baby. They need him, but he wonders if he is worthy of their love. What sort of father robs another man’s fish so he can feed his family, only to fail? In the end he has taken the food from his own family’s mouths. How will Julia support the children on her own? And God knows how much he will have to pay in fines and legal expenses before he returns. Migiliaro won’t cough up. Carlos kicks his seaboot against the rails, the same rails that stole Eduardo from him only three weeks ago.
A dolphin appears beside the boat, shooting out of the water and into the air. It spins in mid-flight before piercing the ocean and swimming towards the bow. He can see it, between the waves, just under the surface. A second dolphin appears, then a third and fourth. A family, Carlos supposes, playing together. He tells himself to be patient.