“I’ve heard that,” said the Captain. “Well done.”
“Thank you, Captain,” said Hardtack.
“And this director,” said the Captain. “Tell me a bit about him.”
“He’s famous,” said Shark. “He told us about some of the movies he’s made. He told us he’s won prizes for them. Oscars, even!”
The Captain nodded. “And this one he’s making at the moment – what do you know about it?”
“It’s about pirates,” said Shark. “They’re spending a lot of money on it.”
“I see,” said the Captain. “And did you notice anything unusual? Anything not quite right?”
Hardtack shook his head vigorously. “No, Captain, nothing. They were all good to us.”
“So you saw nothing suspicious?” the Captain went on. “When you went below, did you see anything odd?”
“Nothing at all, Captain,” said Shark.
The Captain glanced at Mr Rigger, who fingered his moustache thoughtfully. “Anything to add, Mr Rigger?”
“No,” said Mr Rigger. “Nothing to add.”
The Captain made a sign that indicated that Hardtack and Shark were dismissed. They saluted the Captain briefly and turned to leave. As they did so, Hardtack looked at Ben through narrowed eyes. As he walked past, he said under his breath, “You just watch it, MacFish. I’ll hear if you say anything about my new famous friends.”
Ben did not have time to reply – nor did he know what he would have said, had he had time. And once Hardtack and Shark had gone back out, the Captain cleared his throat.
“You did the right thing bringing this to my attention,” he said. “But the truth of the matter is this: you have no evidence, not one single piece of hard evidence, to show that there is anything unusual going on. You can’t be sure that the camera was empty – Seagrape has admitted as much – and what else do you have? A suspicion? A feeling in your stomach? I’m sorry, but that is hardly enough for me to act on.”
The Captain watched as the effect of his words sank in. “And here’s another thing,” he continued. “We’ve heard from Hardtack and Shark that as far as they could see there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about. So at the end of the day, what am I to do? I really don’t see any reason for me to act. Would you agree, Mr Rigger?”
Mr Rigger scratched his head. “I’m afraid I have to agree, Captain. You can’t do anything on the basis of a vague suspicion.”
The Captain did not ask Matron. She had been listening to everything, but had said nothing. Ben glanced at her, and she smiled at him – but that was all. Whatever she thought, it seemed she was going to keep it to herself.
After the Captain had dismissed them, they all went up on deck to sit together at the bow of the ship. This was a popular place for groups of students to sit and talk, and sometimes Henry could be found there too, staring out at the waves in that thoughtful manner dogs have, hoping to see another mermaid, perhaps. He was there that evening, and gave a bark of welcome when they arrived.
“Well, that wasn’t much use,” said Poppy.
But Fee felt the Captain had a point. “What he said was probably right,” she said. “We have no proof. You can see it from his point of view, don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” said Ben, grudgingly. “But what about Hardtack and Shark? Surely the Captain must know they’re liars. And even if they told the truth, they were too busy being stars to notice anything.”
“Especially Shark,” said Thomas. “Did you see his teeth when he smiled? They always make me shiver.”
“I wouldn’t like to be swimming and see Shark approaching me in the water,” said Fee.
“You’d just see his hair,” said Ben. “It’s like a fin.”
They laughed, even though they were all feeling a bit low. Then Poppy suddenly pointed to the companionway. “Matron’s coming,” she said.
Matron had appeared at the top of the companionway, looked round, and was now walking across the deck towards them. “Well,” she said, as she reached them. “How is everybody this evening?”
“All right, thank you,” said Poppy, politely. Everybody liked Matron, especially Henry, who was wagging his tail enthusiastically to welcome her.
Matron sat down on a large coil of rope. “Listen,” she said. “I can tell that you people are a bit disappointed. You hoped the Captain would do something, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” acknowledged Ben. “We did.”
“But we understand,” said Badger.
“Yes,” said Thomas. “We don’t blame the Captain. We blame Hardtack and Shark.”
Matron smiled. “Those two are difficult, aren’t they?” That was all she said, but they knew from the look in her eyes that she at least had not been fooled by their performance.
Ben explained that some of them had wanted to go and take a further look at the Albatross. Matron raised an eyebrow at this, but then she looked over her shoulder and said, in a lowered voice, “Why not?”
Ben stared at her. He was used to adults thinking of reasons why things shouldn’t be done – here was Matron doing the very opposite.
“Do you think we should?” he asked.
Matron thought for a moment. “Well, maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should be more responsible, but I don’t see what harm a little expedition would do. I don’t like the idea of those people on that ship getting away with anything. I wasn’t suspicious at first, but after what you said about the camera, I think we should find out the truth.”
None of them could quite believe what they were hearing. Was Matron actually suggesting they should go?
“Would you come with us?” asked Poppy.
Matron hesitated. “Well, the rules say that the liberty boats are to be used only with the permission of a member of staff, and I am a member of staff, as it happens.”
“So if you give us permission, then we can go?” said Badger excitedly.
Matron considered this. “Let’s think,” she said. “There is no rule about when the rowing boats can be used. The there is no rule that says that Matron (that’s me, of course) cannot say to people, ‘Let’s go over and take a look at another ship that happens to be anchored nearby.’ There is no such rule, I believe. Nor is there any rule that says that Matron herself cannot go for a row with a group of students.”
They stared at her, each thinking, in one way or another, What a star! Even Henry, who could not be expected to understand what was going on, seemed to realise that something important was being planned. He was wagging his tail from side to side, as quickly as a pendulum out of control.
Matron looked about her. “Be discreet about it,” she said. “But we shall all meet in about an hour, shall we say – after lights-out. We’ll meet over there, where that rowing boat is.” She pointed to a place where a line was lashed to the ship’s railing. Down below it, bobbing about on the waves, was one of the ship’s liberty boats – large enough to take seven people.
“Does everybody want to come?” asked Poppy. “You don’t have to, you know.”
But everybody did – even those who had voted the other way earlier on. In their view, the fact that Matron was coming changed everything. That made it an official trip – or a sort of official trip, or something that might just be considered a sort of official trip if looked at in a certain way.
There was a chorus of voices, each of them saying, in effect, that yes, they were signed up for the trip.
“Good,” said Ben, and then to Matron, “Thank you, Matron. We’ll be there.”
It all happened very quickly
In Scotland in early summer, daylight lingers until it is quite late. For this reason they had to wait some time before it was dark enough to set off. But finally the last glow of the sun disappeared and the sea and the sky were joined in the same velvet black. Now the only light to be seen from the deck of the Tobermory were the silver pin-points of stars and, here and there, bobbing on the waves, the anchoring lights of boats in the bay.
&nbs
p; “That’s her,” whispered Matron, pointing to a group of lights not far away. “That’s their bow light up there; that’s their stern light, and that’s their mast. I can’t see any other lights, which means they’ve all gone off to bed. They’ll all be in their cabins.”
“Just as well,” said Poppy.
Matron looked about her. They had all gathered on deck. “Is everybody here?” she asked.
“I think so,” said Poppy.
“Right,” said Matron, still keeping her voice lowered. “Now, is everybody still happy to come along? If any of you are having second thoughts, now’s the time to say.”
There was silence. Then a voice spoke up. “Would you mind if I stayed?”
Everybody turned to see who had spoken.
“You see,” said Angela Singh, “I’m just a little bit scared of the dark. I always have been.”
If Angela had been anxious that people would laugh or make fun of her, her worries were soon shown to be unfounded.
“That’s all right, Angela,” said Matron. “Lots of people don’t like the dark. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“No it isn’t,” said Ben, who was standing next to Angela. “Don’t worry. Nobody minds.”
Matron asked Angela if she would stay on deck and keep a lookout. “It’ll be useful having somebody here,” she said. “If there’s any problem, then flash this.” She handed her a small black torch.
Now everything was ready. Badger had clambered down the rope ladder to one of the liberty boats, and was ready to help people down to join him. Fee went first, followed by Poppy. Then came the other boys – Ben and Thomas – and finally Matron.
Matron waited until Ben and Badger were ready with the oars. Then she said “Cast off!” and the boat moved silently away from the side of the ship, the only sound being that of the oars dipping gently into the water.
“That’s good, boys,” Matron whispered. “Row firm and hard. In and out. That’s the way.”
It was no more than a few minutes before they saw the dark bulk of the Albatross towering over them. From down below it looked enormous, and they realised that it would not be easy to get on board. But then Ben spotted something beneath the bowsprit, the sturdy pole that projects out from the bow of a sailing ship.
“There’s a net hanging under the prow,” he whispered to Matron. “Over there. Look.”
“Well spotted,” whispered Matron. “Row that way.”
It was one of those nets that are sometimes suspended beneath the bow of ships to catch anybody who falls off. That can happen when people are attending to rigging and lose their hold, or perhaps trip up over an untied lace, or are not ready for a sudden lurch of the ship as it crests a wave. The net on this ship had sagged, and so by standing up in the rowing boat, they were able to get hold of it and pull themselves up. Soon they were all on the deck of the Albatross, their rowing boat safely tied to a handy railing.
“Follow me,” said Matron, her lowered voice barely audible above the breeze that had blown up.
In single file they moved slowly along the deck to the companionway. This was where Ben and Thomas had gone down below earlier that day, shortly before being stopped by Hardtack and Shark. Ben felt his breath coming quickly, almost in gasps. Fear had that effect on him, and he was now afraid, in spite of trying to be as brave as possible.
He was not alone. Keeping close to Poppy, Fee wondered what would happen if they were caught. If these people really were criminals, as Ben had suggested, then they could do anything – perhaps even be violent. And for her part, Poppy, who always seemed confident and cheerful, found herself keeping as close as she could to Matron.
They crept down below, where they were in complete, inky darkness. Matron was using a torch, the beam of which she largely shielded with a cupped hand, allowing it to emit only a faint sliver of light. But this was enough to make out where they were going and what lay about them.
On the first deck below they found the chart room, where the ship’s navigator would plot the boat’s course. Then they found the radio room, with its transmitters and microphones, its dials and lights, some of which were still glowing in the dark.
Suddenly the radio cackled into life. “Albatross, Albatross, Albatross,” a voice said. “This is Shore Station Alpha. Are you receiving me? Over.”
They froze.
“This is Albatross,” whispered Ben to Matron. “They want to speak to us.”
“I know how to work a radio,” said Thomas, stepping forward. “Should I answer it?”
Matron said yes, adding that Ben should help by making a crackling noise in the background. This would sound like radio interference and it would help to disguise Thomas’s voice.
“Shore Station Alpha,” said Thomas. “This is Albatross. Receiving you loud and clear. Over.”
And while he said this, Ben cleared his throat in the background, making a noise that sounded like airwave static. “Ggghhh,” went Ben. And then, “Hgghsh ghrrgh.”
There was a brief silence at the other end before the next transmission came. “Albatross, this is Shore Station Alpha. You are not very clear – please speak slowly. Have you got what you came for? Over.”
Thomas looked enquiringly at Matron.
“Say yes,” whispered Matron.
Thomas relayed the message, speaking more slowly now and with less noise from Ben.
“Albatross,” came the voice once more, “this is Shore Station Alpha. Pick up further consignment from us the day after tomorrow. Two more captured yesterday to add to what you have. Can you confirm please? Over.”
Again Thomas looked to Matron for guidance. Again Matron told him to say yes.
There came a final transmission. “Albatross, this is Shore Station Alpha. Filming deception worked. All local papers carried reports. Coast Guard not suspicious. No interest from police. Well done. Out.”
Thomas put down the microphone.
They looked at one another and then at Matron, waiting to see if she could throw light on what they had just heard.
“This means only one thing,” she said. “There is something on board this ship that they don’t want anybody – particularly the Coast Guard – to know about.”
“But what was that about two more being captured?” asked Poppy. “Two more what? People?”
Matron frowned. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Why would they be capturing people?”
Poppy shrugged. “Perhaps they’re not after people; perhaps they’re talking about something else altogether.”
Matron pointed to the companionway that led to the lower decks. “Whatever it is will be down there,” she said. “Follow me.”
She was about to leave the radio room when Fee, who was standing nearest to the door, heard a voice somewhere not far off. She tapped Matron’s shoulder. “Somebody’s coming,” she whispered.
Matron signalled for everybody to stand well back in the radio room. Gently, she pushed the door closed, leaving only the smallest gap through which she could see what was happening in the passageway.
Fee was right. Two men came down the passageway, one of them carrying a torch.
“I hate going on watch,” said one of the men. “Standing up there when I could be tucked up in my bunk – I can’t stand it.”
“Never mind,” said the other. “We’ll have tomorrow off.”
“Bow or stern,” said the first man. “Where shall we go?”
“Stern,” said his companion. “There are a couple of deck chairs back there. One of us can have a bit of sleep while the other keeps watch.”
“No point to it,” said the other, in a disgruntled tone. “Nothing to look out for.”
Their voices faded as they made their way up onto the deck above.
“Well at least we know where they are,” whispered Matron, making a sign for them all to follow her. “Keep as quiet as you possibly can.”
Back on deck on the Tobermory, Angela Singh sat by herself, looking up at the night sky.
There were no clouds, and fields of stars stretched from horizon to horizon. It was often like that at sea, far away from the light of cities that made it so hard to see the night sky. Although Angela did not like the dark, she felt safe where she was – leaning against a life raft, feeling the deck move beneath her ever so slightly with the swell coming in from the open sea. She wondered how everybody was doing on the Albatross: had they found anything, and if they had, what would they do about it? Oh well, she thought, I’ll hear about it soon enough – it won’t be long before they’re back.
Those were her thoughts when William Edward Hardtack, accompanied by Geoffrey Shark and Maximilian Flubber, crept up on her.
“So!” said Hardtack, as he grabbed her wrists. “Who’s this sitting up on deck when she should be down in her cabin?”
Shark shone a light in her face. “It’s that girl,” he said. “The one with the teeth. Angela What’s-her-Name.”
It took Angela a moment or two to recover from the shock. “Angela,” she said. “And there’s nothing wrong with my teeth.”
“Except they stick out,” said Shark. “And there are too many of them. Rabbit-face!”
“That’s it,” said Flubber. “Rabbit-face, want a carrot?”
Hardtack laughed, but then his voice became menacing. “So where are all your pals?” he growled. “We happened to call on MacFish and the Striped One and there was nobody in, was there, Maxie?”
“Nope,” said Flubber. “Very strange,”
“So we put two and two together and concluded that they had come up here. But where are they? I ask myself.”
“Yes,” said Shark. “Where are they?”
“Boat’s gone,” said Flubber, looking over the side of the ship.
Hardtack drew in his breath. “So,” he hissed, “your friends have gone for a little row, have they?” He jerked his head in the direction of the Albatross. “Over there, perhaps?”
Angela said nothing.
“Your silence confirms it,” said Hardtack.
“We should warn them,” said Shark.
“Our friends, not yours,” said Hardtack, snatching the torch from Shark. “I’m going to flash out a signal, Geoff. How about LOOK OUT FOR INTRUDERS ON YOUR SHIP. Will that do?”