This place needs a woman’s touch.
Finegan has a half full bottle of whiskey beside him and has been
taking a sip now and then, this being his last trip and the day having
been exhausting. He is trying to be moderate, in consideration of
Joey’s reaction to his last drunk, but sneaks a sip whenever Joey has
his back turned during his many trips across the roof to balance the
load.
Nothing personal, but I’ve got my hands full
already.
The flirt leans forward showing her ample cleavage.
Not like getting your hands on these.
Finegan holds up the whiskey bottle, burping, and shakes his head.
No can do.
21
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?
22
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.
One of the men tosses down a couple chair backs they intend to use as
paddles. The men climb down, the portly one first, being assisted from
the window by the slender one who holds onto his hand so he won’t drop
down too suddenly. Then the slender one jumps down, taking the line
with him. The bottle raft then pushes off from the side of the
building. The women behind him look alarmed, as they are clearly being
left behind.
______________________________
The bottle raft is half way between the houseboat and the high-rise.
The two men are on either side, paddling unevenly, so the slender one,
who is more energetic, has to pause now and then to allow the portly
one to move his side of the raft forward. Else, they tend to go in a
circle.
Suddenly, the radio, which is still in Finegan’s hand, crackles.
I think this is the button here. Hello?
Finegans says,
I’m with you. Are they sending the raft back
for you?
A frantic woman says,
They left us! Those were the only bottles we
had. They left us!
Finegan says,
I’ll be over to pick you up shortly. Is there
anyone else there, stranded?
The woman replies ,
Just the 3 of us. He kept saying the coast
guard would come if we got in trouble. Kept
saying it was all arranged.