Nat chuckled. “Don’t worry, they won’t get too drunk. We should make it to the island without sinking.”
Anouk glanced at the dark heap in front of them. “How reassuring.”
She pulled her backpack onto her lap and fumbled for a water flask. She took a long swig. The cool water caressed her dry tongue and throat. God, water could taste so sweet.
A small click came near her, and she turned to look for the source. Nat was holding his pocket watch—the ghostly green-illuminated clock face showed half-past eleven.
“The captain should be here soon and then the ship will depart.” Nat closed the lid of the timepiece and slipped it back into his vest.
Anouk put the flask away and took a better position against the gunwale. “How long does it take to Garbage Island?”
“We should be there around one o’clock.”
“So about an hour?”
“Aye, if nothing happens.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you never know. There might be pirates out there.”
Anouk’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be joking.”
“I wish I were, but outside Rondon, there are several smugglers caves along the coastline.”
Quite, pirates. Of course. Anouk swallowed hard. “What would they do if they come across this ship?”
“They would board, kill the crew and take the boat with its cargo.”
“Wonderful. This world of yours gets more charming the longer I stay here.”
Nat chuckled. “Glad you’re enjoying yourself.”
Anouk snorted.
“But to be serious, although there are pirates, I doubt we’ll end up fighting against them tonight. The king has sent the Navy to patrol along the shoreline after they attacked a ship of one of the major charter companies.”
“Yeah, that will usually get the authorities to act.”
Nat chuckled again. “Aye.”
The knowledge of the patrolling Navy eased Anouk’s nervous mind a little. She directed her focus on the mission. “So on the island, there are cranes to unload the ship, some warehouses and barracks for the workers, and the refinery. Where do you think Stalo will be hiding if he’s there?”
Nat’s shoulder brushed against Anouk’s when he shrugged.
Anouk leaned her head back and sighed. “So it’ll be like searching for a needle in a haystack. A particularly sharp one, that is.”
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s not that big an island.”
“Good that at least one of us is optimistic,” Anouk grumbled.
“Yes, I’ve noticed your tendency for pessimism.”
Anouk grinned at Nat. “A pessimist is never disappointed, only mildly surprised if things don’t pee in her shoes.”
“An interesting life philosophy,” Nat replied, amusement in his tone.
A door slammed shut in the distance. Anouk shifted to peek in the direction of approaching steps. A burly man walked towards the freighter, whistling an unfamiliar tune. He was wearing a dark double-breasted coat with matching straight trousers, and a black captain’s hat sat like a crown on his unruly white hair.
“That’s the captain,” Nat said next to her ear. “Now, try to get some sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
Not wanting to argue with him, she curled up on the deck next to her backpack, sure she wouldn’t get any sleep. The prospect of what was awaiting them on the island had chased off any tiredness from her limbs.
The hiss and chuff of the cylinders and pistons grew louder as the freighter prepared to depart. The whole ship trembled, making the scrap metal mountain moan and creak ominously. Anouk gulped hard and flattened against the planking, praying the mountain wouldn’t collapse on them. Nat did likewise, lifting his knees up. She wanted to ask him if there had been any accidents where the pile had collapsed and killed people or sunk the boat. The noise was too deafening for her to be heard without raising her voice. Besides, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to know.
Hasty footfall and shouts from Justin and Dray came from the dock side of the boat. Judging by the calls, they were making sure the ship would depart the quay without any issues. They seemed to be unconcerned their load would endanger themselves. Still, Anouk couldn’t take her eyes off the dark creaking heap.
A hollow whistle pierced the air. The lights from the dock shifted when the freighter turned away towards the sea. Soon the only light source was the gas headlights in the prow. Against it, the mountain of the scrap metal rose like a frozen black version of The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
The trembling of the ship subdued into a soft shake and the clanging and screeching of the metal dissipated somewhat. It had been a minor miracle neither a sheet nor bar had rolled down onto the deck. She rested her head back and blew a soft sigh of relief. Closing her eyes, Anouk listened to the steamship pushing through the calm sea.
Someone touched her shoulder. She looked around, startled and disorientated. It took a few moments before Anouk realised where she was… on a steamship to Garbage Island. Had she really dozed off?
“We are docking soon,” Nat whispered. “We’d better hide.”
“Where? I’m not crawling under that heap again. I’m not taking the chance it won’t collapse this time.”
“No, it’s not safe to be under there when the ship is docking. The freighter will be tied to the dock on that side…” Nat waved towards their right side, “…so we’ll keep in the shadows on the opposite side, behind a coil of rope.”
“You’ve been on this boat before, haven’t you?” Anouk asked, amused.
“Maybe,” Nat replied, grinning.
The freighter started to tremble again when it slowed down before turning. The scrap metal heap groaned but nothing tumbled down. How that was possible, Anouk didn’t know, but she was grateful for it.
Justin’s voice came just a few yards from their hiding place. Anouk pressed deeper into the shadows of the coiled rope. He was calling to someone. The shaking of the ship intensified. Anouk swallowed, staring at the heap in front of her. What if it collapsed? They would be squashed to death.
The freighter
