The Captain smiled at her. “It’s always a bit odd the first time,” he said. “You’ll get used to everything being tilted.” He paused, and then asked whether she would like to take the helm.
“Me?” said Fee.
“Yes,” said the Captain. “You have to learn sooner or later. It’s easy enough, and I’ll be standing right here beside you.”
Ben felt proud of his sister as he saw her take hold of the great wooden wheel and assume control of the ship.
“That’s fine,” said the Captain. “Keep her on that course now.”
The ship was settling down now as the sails were adjusted. Mr Rigger called out orders, telling people to shorten this rope and let that one out. It all seemed rather complicated to Ben and Fee, but everybody seemed to know exactly what to do. The deck was at less of an angle now, and it was possible to walk without looking as if you were about to topple over.
Badger came by to find out how they were doing. He was impressed to see Fee steering the ship and he told her that he thought she was doing it well. Then he went off to attend to another task, saying that he would see them later on.
As they cleared the top of Mull, they began to meet with rather bigger waves. Up to that point, the swell coming in from the Atlantic had broken on the far side of the island – now they felt its full force. This made a difference to the ship, which began to move up and down as it encountered the long, rolling waves.
Ben closed his eyes. He was beginning to feel a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was an odd feeling – not unlike the one you have after eating something that does not agree with you.
The captain was looking at him. “You all right, MacTavish B?” he asked.
Ben nodded. “I just feel a little bit odd, Captain. Maybe it was one of Cook’s sausages …”
The Captain smiled. “I don’t think you should blame your breakfast,” he said. “What you’re feeling is as old as sailing itself. Have you never felt seasick before?”
Ben shook his head.
The Captain frowned. “But your parents have that research submarine, don’t they? Did you never feel sick on that?”
“It never went up and down,” chipped in Fee. “You don’t find waves underwater.”
“No, I suppose you don’t,” said the Captain. “So this might be a first for you.”
Ben swallowed. He was feeling queasier and queasier now. It was a very unpleasant sensation.
“Listen,” said the Captain. “You’d better go and sit down somewhere. Don’t go down below – that’ll just make it worse. You’ll feel better in due course. It never lasts too long.”
Ben nodded. He was now feeling so miserable that he had not taken in what the Captain had said. Rather than stay on deck, the thought of lying down in his hammock seemed very appealing. Being careful not to fall over, he made his way across the deck and down the companionway to the deck below. Then he went down a further companionway to reach the middle deck, where his cabin was.
By the time he reached the middle deck, his queasy feelings had become even worse. Now his stomach was in violent revolt, and he realised that before too long he was going to sick. He looked down the passageway towards the signs that said BOYS’ HEADS. If he ran quickly, he would probably reach it in time and not be sick in the passageway itself. That would be a disaster for his first day.
He reached the heads more quickly than he imagined. The door was open and in a dreadful moment he saw that there was somebody in there already. And almost immediately he realised who it was: Geoffrey Shark, down on his knees with a bucket and brush, scrubbing the floor. He was carrying out the morning part of his punishment.
Ben was uncertain what to do. Geoffrey Shark was the last person – or one of the last people – he wanted to bump into, and yet at any moment he was going to be sick.
Then Ben became aware that somebody was coming along the passageway towards him. It was Poppy.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Ben drew her aside, so they should not be seen by Shark.
“I’m going to be sick,” he whispered urgently. “But I don’t want to go in there while he’s …”
He did not finish. Poppy, understanding the situation, had taken him by the elbow and was propelling him along the passageway towards a sign that said GIRLS’ HEADS.
“But I can’t go in there,” protested Ben. “Boys can’t use the girls’ bathrooms.”
“There’s nobody around,” said Poppy. “And I’ll keep watch for you outside. Go on.”
She did not allow him to argue, and pushed Ben through the open door. And she did it just in time, for Ben now felt his stomach heaving up within him. He rushed into the nearest cubicle and stuck his head into the bowl.
It was not pleasant, but he felt much better afterwards, and because he had made it in time there was no mess. But just as he was rinsing out his mouth at one of the basins, he heard voices and the outer door of the heads was slammed shut.
Ben crept towards the closed door. This was every boy’s nightmare – to be caught in the girls’ heads while a girl waited outside. What would they think of him if he came out? Would they imagine he had just got it wrong, or would they think that he had been up to no good. He felt himself blushing with shame just at the thought of it.
He strained to make out what was being said outside. He recognised Poppy’s voice, and then a boy said something in reply. He had not heard Geoffrey Shark speak before, but this sounded just like the sort of voice that somebody called Geoffrey Shark would have.
“I need to get in there to scrub the floor,” said Shark. “Open the door.”
“No,” said Poppy. “A friend of mine is in there. You can’t go in there if you’re a boy.”
“Then tell her to come out,” said Shark. “I haven’t got all day.”
“No,” said Poppy. “She’s going to be ages. She’s washing her hair and brushing her teeth.”
“Tell her to hurry up,” said Shark. “I’ll wait here.”
“No you won’t,” said Poppy. “Boys aren’t allowed to wait outside the girls’ heads. That’s the rule.”
“There’s no such rule,” said Shark. “You’re making it up.”
“I’m not,” said Poppy. “And anyway, here comes Matron. You can ask her.”
Geoffrey Shark obviously did not think this was a good idea, as he muttered something and then his steps could be heard going off down the passageway. But now Matron was there, and Ben thought this could make it even worse.
“And what are you doing, Poppy?” asked Matron.
Ben caught his breath as he listened to Poppy’s response. ‘There’s a boy in there, Matron.”
Matron’s voice sounded disapproving. “There’s a boy in the girls’ heads?”
“Yes,” said Poppy. “It’s that new boy, Ben. He was going to be sick and I let him go in there rather than have him being sick all over the passageway. The boys’ heads were being cleaned.”
“Oh,” said Matron. “Well, let’s go inside and check that he’s all right.”
The door was opened and Ben found himself face to face with Matron, and behind her, Poppy.
Matron looked concerned. “Are you all right, Ben?” she asked.
Ben nodded. “I’ve been seasick, Matron.”
“That often happens on the first day,” she said. “Come along with me to the sick bay. You can lie down there and I can keep an eye on you.”
Ben thanked her, and he thanked Poppy too before he went off with Matron to the sick bay. He was still feeling queasy, but the feeling was not so bad as it had been just a few minutes ago.
“I have some special chewing gum,” said Matron. “You can have a piece. It helps with seasickness.”
Once in the sick bay, Ben sat down and chewed on the medicinal chewing gum Matron gave him. He felt a great deal better now, and when Matron came to check up on him an hour later, he felt well enough to go back on deck.
“That’s the best thing to
do,” said Matron. “Fresh air is a great thing for seasickness.”
As he left the sick bay, Ben thought about what had happened earlier on. He felt grateful to Poppy for her help, but he found himself wondering what she was doing down on the Middle Deck when everybody was meant to be on duty up above. Had she been carrying something? Of course he had other things on his mind at the time – being just about to be sick – but he thought he remembered that she had a small bag in her hand. When she had first seen him she had put this behind her back, as if trying to hide it. What was it?
He was still pondering this when he reached the deck. The Captain was at the helm now and there was no sign of Fee.
“Your sister has gone off to do other duties,” the Captain said. “Would you like to have a go?”
Ben stood behind the helm, with the Captain at his side. It was an extraordinary feeling having the great ship at his command. A tiny turn on the helm – just the smallest of movements – made the bow swing across the horizon and filled, or emptied the sails accordingly. It was a sensation of power, but it was also a feeling of being in touch with the world about you – being part of the wind, being part of the sea.
“You’re doing well,” said the Captain. “Now just hold that course for a few minutes while I go and check the chart. Don’t turn. There are no dangers around. Good deep blue water.”
Ben was worried at being left alone at the helm, but he was reassured by the Captain’s presence only a few paces away. If anything went wrong, he would be able to be back at the helm within seconds … not that anything was going to go wrong, of course.
Or so Ben thought. Now he was about to learn one of the lessons that the sea is only too ready to teach – that unexpected things can happen quickly, and when you are least expecting them.
Ben was paying attention. The Captain had told him to look out for other ships, and he was doing just this when he saw a dark patch in the water ahead. At first he thought he was imagining it – when you stare at the sea for a long time the eyes can play tricks on you. Waves can seem bigger than they are. The wind on the face of the water can look like the effect of a current below the surface. There are so many ways in which you can be tricked into seeing things that are not really there. But this dark patch did not go away – nor did it move. There it was in the water, and it was directly ahead of them.
Ben strained his eyes to make out what it was. The Captain had said there was deep water in every direction. And yet he was now as sure as he possibly could be that there was something ahead of them, and that if the ship did not swerve quickly they would hit whatever it was.
He hesitated for a few seconds, and then made up his mind. Swinging the ship’s wheel sharply, he felt the shudder of the deck beneath him as the great ship’s sails reacted to the turn. He heard the surprised shouts of the crew. Now the wind was blowing directly on the side of the ship, and the canvas strained and creaked as it felt the increased pressure. For the sails and the masts, it was as if a giant invisible hand had suddenly pressed against them.
The Captain gave a shout, returned to the helm, and snatched the wheel from Ben. He began to turn the ship back on its original course.
“There was a rock,” shouted Ben. “Look, there it is, Captain.”
The Captain peered off to where Ben was pointing. “My goodness!” he exclaimed. “That shouldn’t be there. That rock is definitely not on the charts.”
Now they were joined by Mr Rigger. He had run across the deck to find out what was happening, his moustache catching the wind and twirling like a weather-vane.
“Look over there, Mr Rigger,” said the Captain. “A rock, if I’m not mistaken.”
Mr Rigger followed the Captain’s gaze. “No, you’re not mistaken, Captain,’ he said. “And that was a neat bit of helming, if I may say so. Your turning so sharply saved the day, I think.”
The Captain smiled, and nodded towards Ben. “Not me, Mr Rigger. It was this young man’s doing. He saw it and took evading action.”
Mr Rigger looked at Ben with admiration. “Did he now?” he said. “And what would your name be?”
“MacTavish,” said Ben modestly. “Ben MacTavish. I’m new.”
“Well, you may be new,” said Mr Rigger, “but that was one amazing piece of sailing, if you ask me. Lovely-jubberly, in fact. I think you’ll be doing well in my sailing classes.”
Ben had been looking down at his shoes as Mr Rigger spoke. He was a modest boy and did not like to be singled out for praise. Some people love that – nothing suits them more than to be the centre of attention – but Ben had never been like that.
If you look down at your shoes, though, you can miss what is going on about you. And so Ben had not seen the small crowd that had gathered to find out what had happened. This included Fee and Poppy, Thomas Seagrape, a girl called Angela Singh, and … Maximilian Flubber. Ben and Fee had only met Angela briefly, but they already liked her. She had rather large front teeth, but these just made her smile all the warmer – when it came. She was shy, though, and a little bit nervous, thought Fee, although both Ben and his sister had decided that she would be a good friend.
Standing next to Angela, Flubber was listening intently, his expression seemingly one of innocent interest.
“All right, everybody,” said the Captain. “The danger has passed – thanks to this attentive young man.” He pointed to Ben and gave a broad smile. “Well done, Ben. You’ve saved the ship from a nasty encounter with an unpleasant-looking rock. And on your first day too! Extra ice cream for you tonight.”
This brought a cheer from Poppy. “Good on you, Ben!” she shouted.
“Yes, well done!” echoed Maximilian Flubber. Ben was surprised to be congratulated by Flubber and looked discreetly at the other boy’s ears. He remembered that Flubber’s ears were said to move when he told a lie or said something he did not mean, and now Ben was sure that he saw movement.
The Captain turned to Mr Rigger. “Would you have a word with Cook, Mr Rigger? Tell him there’s to be extra ice cream for MacTavish B at dinner tonight.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” said Mr Rigger.
Ben was now told to go off and help Badger, who was in charge of one of the lower sails. “You’ve done enough helming for one day,” said the Captain. “It’s time for you to learn a little about the sails. Badger will show you.”
When Ben found Badger, his friend had already heard about what had happened. “It’s all round the ship,” said Badger. “Everybody knows about it now. You’re the hero of the day, Ben.”
Ben tried to play it all down. “I just swung the wheel,” he said. “It wasn’t anything special.”
“It’s knowing when to swing the wheel that’s the important thing,” said Badger. “And you did know.”
Ben shrugged. “I’m not sure …”
Badger put a finger to his lips in a sign of silence. “Someone’s coming,” he said.
It was William Edward Hardtack.
“Max Flubber’s given me some interesting news,” Hardtack said with a sneer. “So who’s the big hero? Who saved the ship from a rock, I wonder? Well, if it wasn’t Ben MacTavish – the great sailor and spotter of rocks. Well done, Mr MacTavish! The Captain’s pleased, I hear.”
Ben said nothing.
“So what do you think, Badger?” asked Hardtack. “Do you think it was a real rock?” He did not wait for the answer, but continued, “Because you know what? I don’t think it was.”
“We don’t want to hear what you think, Hardtack,” retorted Badger. “We’re busy.”
“You don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say?” sneered Hardtack. “Well, that’s tough, because I’m going to tell you anyway. That rock – that so-called rock – was just a big clump of floating seaweed. That’s what it was. I saw it myself. I thought: Is that a rock or is it floating seaweed? And when I looked again I knew. It was seaweed – no doubt about it. So you turned the ship to avoid a piece of harmless seaweed! That’s not so smart, is it?”
r /> “It was a rock,” said Badger. “I saw the waves breaking over it. Waves don’t break over clumps of seaweed.”
William Edward Hardtack ignored this. “I suppose you’re really pleased with yourself,” he hissed. “Well, we’ll see about that!”
And with that he moved away in the slouching, sideways motion that unpleasant people often use.
“Pay no attention to him,” said Badger. He searched for the words to express his feelings. “He’s just a … he’s just a jellyfish!”
They both laughed at the ridiculous description. But it made Ben feel a little better, as laughing at a bully can often help.
Badger looked at Ben, and smiled. “It was definitely a rock, you know,” he said. “And what you did was terrific. You’re going to be a great sailor, Ben.”
Ben thanked him. He was glad that he had such a good friend in Badger, who made him feel much better about being new and not really knowing what to do. He hoped that one day he would be able to repay him for his kindness. He had no idea how he would do this, but he hoped for the chance anyway.
Poppy and Fee share a secret
By late afternoon that day they were close to Canna, the island where they were to spend the night at anchor, tucked away in a snug bay. There they would be protected from the wind and waves and they had been told they would even be able to go ashore. Although small, and with hardly anybody living on it, Canna had a shop that also served tea and cold drinks and was a popular place for visitors. The shop sold postcards. There were plenty of people on the Tobermory who were keen to send a postcard home.
That included Badger.
“I’m not sure if there’s much point,” he said to Ben, “but I like to do it anyway.”
Ben stared at his friend in astonishment. “You mean they don’t read them?”
Badger shrugged. “Sometimes – maybe. I don’t know. They never reply.”
Ben was unsure what to say. Not having really been away from home before, he had never had to send his parents a postcard. But of course they went away rather often on their research submarine, leaving Ben and Fee with their aunt, and they always wrote from the ports they visited, and telephoned too, or called on their special underwater radio.