At the coffee break, Adam went back to his stateroom, got the cartons of Marlboros, and headed up to the promenade deck. He waited until no one seemed to be around, then walked up to the barrier and stepped through the door. José was waiting. He had a canvas bag over his shoulder and the cartons disappeared into it in a flash. At least he’s not drugged, thought Adam, and he handed back José’s ten-dollar bill.
Confused, the sailor examined the bill, thinking something was wrong with it.
“I have a deal you can’t refuse,” said Adam. “I’ll get you cigarettes if you get me food and water.”
José raised his eyebrows. “What’s the matter with the food back there? I thought it was pretty fancy.”
“Part of the deal is no questions,” said Adam. “I won’t ask you what you do with so many cigarettes, and you don’t ask me what I do with the food.”
“Fine by me,” said José. “When do you want to meet again?”
“At four this afternoon, but I’d like some food now.”
José glanced over his shoulder, then told Adam to follow him. They walked forward to a bulkhead door, which José opened. Making sure they were alone, José led Adam down to his cabin in the bowels of the ship. It was like a jail cell. There was a shower and a toilet with no door and the air was heavy with the odor of sweat and stale cigarettes.
José told Adam to make himself comfortable, laughing at his own joke as he went out the door. Adam eyed the bunk and sat down on it.
Within five minutes José returned with a paper bag full of food, including bread, cheese, fruit and juice. He handed the parcel to Adam, who pointed at an empty container in the corner of the room which he asked José to fill at the sink.
“Do you have the same water as the rest of the ship?” asked Adam.
“I don’t know,” said José. “I’m not an engineer.” He opened the door and peered out. “We have to be careful. There are some people who wouldn’t like the fact that we are doing business.”
Adam took the hint and scuttled back to his cabin, where he opened his suitcase and hid the food. He put the two juice containers into the closet and covered them with a soiled shirt. Checking his watch, he realized he was late for the third lecture and hurried back.
Stretched out on an examining table in the Julian Clinic, Jennifer was amazed at her own calm. Deciding whether or not to repeat the amniocentesis had been far harder than the actual return to the hospital. Dr. Vandermer had scheduled her for an early appointment, and she and her mother were waiting for his arrival. He didn’t keep them long, but he looked so haggard, Jennifer decided the amniocentesis mix-up had worse ramifications for him than for herself. Vandermer’s face was puffy and his speech brief and halting, yet he performed the procedure even more smoothly than the first time. The only problem for Jennifer was that she felt her child move soon after the needle had been placed. It frightened her, but Dr. Vandermer assured her that there was no cause for alarm.
Afterward, Jennifer sat up on the table and said, “I guess I don’t have to tell you to contact me as soon as you learn anything.”
“No, you don’t,” he said. “I’m taking personal interest in how the laboratory handles this. You try to relax, and don’t worry.”
“I’ll try,” said Jennifer. She appreciated the attention Dr. Vandermer was giving her, but she wished he didn’t look so serious. It made her more nervous than she already was.
At lunch Adam bought another ten dollars’ worth of cigarettes and took them back to his cabin. On his way out, he decided to check again on Alan.
The door was still unlocked, but when Adam opened it, Alan was gone! Adam checked the bathroom, thinking that perhaps the man had collapsed there, but the cabin was completely empty. Adam was certain that the man he’d seen before breakfast was in no shape to go for a walk. But it was possible he had improved, and Adam hoped that was the explanation. Yet it was also possible that he had been taken out, and the implications of that were frightening. One way or another, Adam felt it was important to find Alan.
He first checked the dining room, then the sun deck, where an outdoor grill had been set up for hamburgers and hot dogs. A number of passengers were stretched out on deck chairs, sleeping. Adam walked back through the empty conference rooms and made his way down to the gym and doctor’s office. A sign on the door said: “For Emergency, See Steward.”
Adam was getting more and more anxious. He had to calm down or someone would notice and become suspicious. He decided to go back to the dining room. He wouldn’t eat, but he’d watch the other doctors.
As soon as he found his table, he realized that the girl on his right was the brunette dancer he’d admired the night before. She was dressed in a demure suit and could have been mistaken for a passenger.
Gazing around the room, Adam spotted a number of other dancers. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he turned his attention to the brunette next to him.
“My name is Heather,” she said in that oddly inflectionless voice Adam was beginning to associate with the cruise. She didn’t offer her last name.
The other guests at the table seemed to be concentrating on their meal. A bowl of savory minestrone was placed in front of Adam. As he pretended to eat a little, Heather rewarded him with her undivided attention. Adam kept nodding and smiling until she finally said, “You’re not eating much.”
Adam, who had been toying with his food, said simply, “I’m afraid I’ve been seasick.” It was the only excuse that came to mind.
“It’s better to eat,” said Heather. “Strangely enough, an empty stomach is more vulnerable.”
“Really?” said Adam evasively. Then as an afterthought, he added, “You haven’t eaten much yourself.”
Heather laughed a high-pitched, granting laugh. “That’s a problem of being a dancer. I always have to watch my weight.”
Adam nodded. He knew from Jennifer that dancers were obsessed with their weight.
“Would you like me to come to your cabin tonight?” Heather asked as casually as she would if inquiring about the weather.
Adam was glad he hadn’t been eating. If he’d had anything in his mouth, he would have choked. As it was, he coughed and glanced around to see if anyone else had heard, but his fellow guests just continued eating in their silent half-stupor. Adam turned to Heather. Although her voice was strange, she certainly didn’t seem drugged. Adam decided to play along. She might be able to answer some questions about this increasingly odd cruise.
“Come after your last performance,” he whispered.
“I’ll be in your cabin at eleven,” she agreed enthusiastically.
Adam turned beet red. Fortunately, the other diners seemed too out of it to notice. With a quick smile Adam nodded to her.
He went down to his cabin and hastily ate some of José’s bread and cheese. At the afternoon lecture Adam noticed more and more empty seats. There was no sign of Alan, though later on Adam caught up with Ned and Clair. They smiled but hadn’t seen Alan and had very little to say. Adam guessed they were receiving low dosages of tranquilizers. By the third lecture, a good number of people in the audience were asleep, and Adam was convinced it wasn’t just because they were bored.