A houseboat. Finegan Fine

No can do.

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Chapter 5: Political Connections

The crew on the houseboat is in the house, staying dry, as it is

pouring rain, drumming on the roof, sounding like thunder. The

rainwater flows off to the side of the roof where it collects into a

gutter, thence to the corner of the houseboat where it collects in a

barrel. When the barrel fills to overflowing, there is an overflow

spout that dumps into a second gutter, going over the side of the

houseboat.

Drinking and cooking water is being collected, regularly, as the water

off the coast is seawater.

______________________________

The houseboat is about a quarter mile from the coastline, in open water

where flooded trees are unlikely to be encountered. Further out in the

water by a mile or more are the tops of some high-rise buildings, a

small city, flooded.

Finegan is standing on the front of the houseboat, holding onto a

corner post and looking in that direction. He ducks into the house and

returns with the radio he collected earlier at the farmstead. He tucks

the end of the long wire used as an antenna into the spot where the

corner line is tied around the post, so it sticks up into the air as

far as possible.

Finegan is expecting that the buildings hold a short-wave tower.

Finegan is turning dials this way and that, holding his ear close at

times. Suddenly the radio crackles and a strident voice can be heard.

Mayday. Mayday.

Finegan replies.

What’s your location?

There is a pause, as apparently this is the first response to the call

in some time. The man can be heard over the radio talking to others in

the room.

Got someone.

Then, talking into the radio mic again,

Florida, sinking fast. We need rescue. We’ve

tried to raise the coastguard. Can you send

some boats or choppers? . . Who are you anyway?

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Finegan is rolling his eyes skyward at the unrealistic requests,

knowing that these people did not pay attention to all the warning

signs and failed to take action on their own when they should have.

I’m a private party and don’t run boats. Can

you see the mainland? Do you have something at

hand that will float?

Finegan is aware that they can see the mainland and are not as helpless

as they imply. He is used to former captains of industry and lazy city

folk and politicians demanding they be treated in the manner to which

they were accustomed and is having none of it. The man in the flooded

buildings again talks to his companions.

Not a boat. He’s asking if we can do it

ourselves. Yeah, well.

Finegan continues.

You got bottled water there? Water coolers? Any

empties?

The man is missing Finegan’s point.

Yeah, we’re about out of drinking water. We

need help here, dammit!

If they are ignoring his point, Finegan is ignoring their demands.

You got extension cords, wire, around the

place? Wire some of those empties together,

like a raft. Turn a table upside down on top

and wire that too. There’s your boat.

Finegan hears the discussion on the other end.

Wants us to do it ourselves.

The houseboat has finally been noticed.

Hey, are you that floating house out there?

Finegan has caught them in a lie.

I thought you couldn’t see the mainland. I’m

not in the rescue business, but I’ll stay here

while you come across, keep an eye out.

Demands and lies having failed, manipulation is tried,

There’s sharks out there!

But Finegan resists

They’ve got too many dead to feed on these

days. Not likely.

______________________________

A window just above the waterline has been broken out. A couple men,

one of them portly, are pushing the water bottle and table raft out the

window, easing it down into the water. They have a line tied to one

23

side of the water bottle raft, and are holding onto the other end of

the line. The faces of a couple women can be seen behind them, bobbing

up and down.