“Correct.”
“This is the Judge Advocate’s Department, sir. I’m in South Boswash, and I represent the Coast Guard. My name is Lieutenant Fabre. A young woman from your office called to notify the Coast Guard that your ship, the Rani … I think she said the Rani…”
“Correct,” Skip said again.
“That it had been attacked by hijackers.”
“It’s Captain Kain’s ship,” Skip said, “but you’re correct. It has been.”
“I felt that it might save a great deal of legal wrangling, and expense, if I spoke to you, sir, and clarified our position. The Coast Guard has jurisdiction in NAU territorial waters only, sir. Outside those waters, the UN has jurisdiction. Were you attacked in NAU territorial waters, sir?”
“No. The Antillian Union.”
“I see. And are you in NAU territorial waters at present?”
“I can’t say, although I think it likely. Hold on a moment, please, Lieutenant.” Skip turned to the captain. “We’re headed toward Yucatán, aren’t we?”
The captain nodded.
Lieutenant Fabre said, “That was a leading question, sir.”
“I suppose. We’re not in court at present.”
The captain said, “If we’re not in NAU waters now, we soon will be.”
Lieutenant Fabre smiled. “You’ll have to establish that in court, sir. I’m sure you understand.”
“If we enter NAU territorial waters and are not rescued, there may well be a legal action,” Skip told her. “The Coast Guard could render the entire question moot by rescuing us, however.”
“I feel sure we’re tracking your position.” Lieutenant Fabre did not sound sure.
Skip said, “If you don’t mind, Lieutenant, we’re busy here.”
“I’ll have to check.” Lieutenant Fabre hung up.
So did Skip.
“They won’t do it,” the captain told him.
“You’re probably right, and there’s a chance they may sink us and claim the hijackers did it.”
“I’ve heard the rumors.”
“Now then. If you can give me ammunition, I want it. I want a pistol, too. You might consider carrying a couple more yourself.”
“What for?”
“To give to anyone who might be able—and willing—to use them. That’s what Virginia had in mind, I’m sure. She had a gun already, and so did Chelle. Most of the passengers will want to sit it out, figuring they’ll be ransomed, but a few will fight. The crew will fight, knowing they’ll be killed.”
“I see what you mean.” The captain massaged his jaw. “I going to ask you a very personal question, Mr. Grison. If you want ammunition and a handgun, you’re going to have to answer it. That’s not polite, I realize.”
Skip nodded. “This isn’t the time for courtesy.”
“Exactly. You had a first-class stateroom, and from what you say, you’re a wealthy man. You’ll be ransomed, and you’ll ransom your contracta and her mother. Why are you willing to fight?”
“Not to save your life or the lives of your crew. It’s hard to admit this even to myself.”
“As long as you’re ready to help me get the ship back, you don’t have to answer,” the captain said.
“I will anyway, because I want to get it out in the open. First, because the hijackers will kill me if they catch me. I’ve shot—I don’t know … I was going to say eight or ten, but it could be more. Some will have lived, and they’ll be able to identify me.”
“Maybe not.”
Skip shrugged. “Second—this is the hard part.”
“Go on.”
“Second because I need to prove myself to Chelle. To myself, too. Perhaps to myself most of all. Chelle went to some godforsaken planet and fought like a lioness. I stayed here, kept the home fires burning, and won a few cases. Have I told you about our hands?”
The captain shook his head.
“Her mother and I were already on board, already captured when Chelle got there. The offenders had a life preserver with pants. You got into them and held on, and they pulled you up.”
“A breeches buoy.”
“Thank you. I put my hands behind me as if I were in handcuffs, and I got Chelle’s mother to do it, too. I wanted Chelle to know what was going on.”
“I understand.”
“She did. She had her gun out in an instant and shot the man who had this machine gun I’ve been carrying around. She’s a very good shot.”
“But she was doing the fighting, and not you? Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Correct. More offenders were coming—I suppose they’d heard the shot. I got this gun, pointed it like you’d point a garden hose, and held the trigger back. Chelle fired, too. You know the rest.”
“Perhaps we’d better go.”
Skip nodded. “Will you give me that handgun?”
“I’ll give you two, and couple of spare magazines. Can Virginia shoot?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it, but Chelle bought her a gun.”
“We’ll have to find people who can, and are willing to fight. I’m taking two myself. One of us may not make it home.”
“Neither of us,” Skip said.
“If I don’t and you do, I want you to tell my wife I fought bravely.”
“I will. You’ve got my word on it.”
“Even if I didn’t.”
Later, outside the bridge, Skip said, “Why are you fighting, Captain? The cruise line would ransom you.”
“You told that girl on the phone,” the captain said. “It’s my ship.”
REFLECTION 7: Guns
The little man with the big mustache had killed his wife. I remember the pain in his eyes and the hands that twisted each other’s fingers. “You have all these things,” the little man had said. “People and things you think will help you…”
He had said that over and over and every time he said it I nodded.
“Our family doctor. We’d gone to him for years. We thought he was our friend. It was psychiatric he said, and he didn’t do that. He wouldn’t treat psychiatric cases. So we went to the government. Everybody’s supposed to get medical care. Everybody, and it’s free.” He had battered his wife into submission and strangled her with a lamp cord.
“Supposed to.” I think that’s what I said.
The little man seemed not to have heard me. “They assigned us a psychiatrist. We never even spoke to him. He had all these patients, his girl said, hundreds and hundreds of patients. He’d get to Janice when he could, but it would probably be five years.”
I felt embarrassed then, as though it were my fault, and in a way I suppose it was.
“Our minister wouldn’t talk to her. She had to come to him—that was what he said. She had to come to the rectory willingly, asking his help. She wouldn’t go out of the house, Mr. Grison, and she said nothing was wrong with her. Every time we talked, it ended the same way. She’d say I thought she was crazy, but she wasn’t. She’d say I told everybody she was crazy, but it was a lie. I’d told her mother she was crazy, and her mother had called her up and told her all about it, but she wasn’t crazy, no, she wasn’t crazy, I was crazy, and I’d better stop lying about her or I’d be sorry. Her mother was dead.”
I nodded and said, “I see,” trying to make it sound as if it did some good, as if I’d helped him in some fashion.
“Our children wouldn’t help me. Jewel tried, but she brought her back after two days. The others wouldn’t even try. They’ve got their own families to take care of. I understand that. I know how it is, but they could have done something. I’d worked hard so they could eat well, so they could have nice clothes for school. That—it should have counted for something.”