| |
LENA WENT TO BED EARLY on the instructions of the doctor. Her bed was always beautifully comfortable, despite the navy issue pillows and sheets, unlike the bed she worked from on the bridge, which though still comfortable, had an obvious indent for her to position herself in. Her real bed seemed to adapt itself to whatever she needed as she settled each night and in the morning was different, if she’d shifted in the night. She didn’t know if it was a piece of the ship she was actually sleeping on, or one of the fields that Rowie could employ, but when she got to bed every night, Lena was too tired to care. It was however, the most agreeable bed she’d ever slept in. Which was a very good job, on this ship.
There was a rip and Lena woke with a start, unable to speak as something covered her mouth. She sat up to think the lights on, then a bag was over her head. It smelled of canvas and oil and it was very, very dark. Two sets of hands lifted her roughly and gripped her tight, no matter how much she wriggled. Lena’s breath came shallow and fast. She briefly went still and then kicked out, freeing a foot, but her assailants quickly grabbed it.
“Shhh!” A voice loud in her ear. Male, but she couldn’t place who it was.
Should she let her mind panic now? It certainly felt like the right time to. Her heart banged against her ribcage, trying to get out. If they were going to throw her out into space, she might only get one chance to escape. But if she let Rowie loose, someone would really get hurt. And then, no-one would trust her or the ship ever again. At least there was no point wasting her energy struggling. The two sailors, she knew that at least, she could tell the soldiers from the sailors by the smell of their kit, the two sailors held her firm. Why she found it reassuring she was being kidnapped by the navy not the army she couldn’t say, but she guessed it was that she’d spent far more time with the crew of the ship. The marines seemed to keep themselves to themselves, exercising and drilling continuously, eating, and sleeping to a different clock kept by their shouty sergeant.
She heard a door creak open. Where the hell was there on board Rowie that would creak? With no chance to process that, there was a warm waft of smell that made her gag. It smelled like, what? Road surfacing? She could hear waves and creaking of wood. It was humid and she could feel the presence of other bodies in the space before her. Her two captors deposited her on her feet but held her arms firmly.
“Silence!” It was the loudest voice she had ever heard. It resonated through her bones. It was not natural and if her brain would stop panicking for two seconds, she’d work out who it was. Deep, resonating.
Lena felt a stab in her chest, she flinched. Not a stab. A sharp poke. Three points were pushed against her, not quite enough to hurt, but quite enough to know that she would be hurt if she moved.
“Who comes before Neptune’s Court?” bellowed the voice.
Neptune’s what? The bag was grabbed from Lena’s head as fast as the weapon withdrew from her. The room was still dark. Where were Rowie’s walls that always seemed to have a reassuring, living glow to them? All Lena could see was dark. It was dark underfoot too. In her bare feet, Lena registered cloth underfoot. Whatever was stuck to her mouth was sharply ripped away, “Oww!” There was an answering ‘hiss’ from farther in the dark.
“Who comes before Neptune’s court?”
Then another voice, from maybe, two metres away from her, “Richard. Richard Purves!” Uncle Richard! At least she wasn’t alone in this lunacy. She made to shuffle closer to where she heard his voice from, but a firm prod in the leg from a boot told her not to.
“You!” a prod in Lena’s back this time, “what is your name?”
“Lena.” The voice seemed to come from a shape that loomed in and out.
“And you!” The booming was now near Uncle Richard again, “Where are we?”
“What?” Richard said.
“Where! Are! We?” Did the booming voice have the trace of an accent? Whose voice was that deep? Not Fazar, his voice was thin and sharp.
“I have no idea?”
“Not good enough!”
There was an intense, brief noise, and flecks of spray hit Lena. She heard Uncle Richard make a groan underneath what sounded like a deluge of water. Where the hell had that come from? Water was scarce on a spaceship. Even washing was with disposable wipes, she’d been given specific training by Lyn Lee in how to do it.
“Where are we?” boomed Neptune’s voice again, this time in Lena’s face. Lena was about to blurt something nonsensical, but kept her lips closed. She hoped a correct answer might allow her to avoid her uncle’s fate.
“In space!” Lena said.
There was a brief pause. Lena thought she’d gotten away with it, “Not good enough.” And the water came. It was so cold her breath left her lungs in one blurt.
“Eurgh.” Lena was wet through to her skin.
“I think that’s quite enough Neptune!”
Lena had never been so pleased to hear the captain’s voice. There was a bang, the black fell away, they were in the hold, but it had been decorated in bunting. Music boomed out and there was the smell of food. A huge cheer went up. Jenny the engineer grinned, still holding a rope, Lena found a towel in her face. All the crew were there, the captain was in ceremonial dress, a proper hat, and epaulets. Neptune turned out to be the bosun. Fazar was dressed up too, helping the bosun out of an enormous, hooded costume.
“Dry yourself off,” I’ve got another T-shirt and slacks here, said Lyn, putting an arm round her.
“What—what just happened?” Lena towelled her hair roughly.
“Crossing the line.”
