***
Claire said, 'You saved my life.'
'Nah.'
'You did. You really did.'
'I just happened to be passing by.'
'It was weird, because I was unconscious, but I was dreaming all these crazy things. I dreamed you came in and started talking about my big bum.'
'I wouldn't do that,' said Jimmy.
'I know you wouldn't,' said Claire, and she kissed him.
It was quite unexpected. Right on the lips. Jimmy didn't know where to look or what to say. His face became very red indeed.
'D-d-don't. . . .' he stammered. 'You're probably still infected, it might wear off in a few minutes . . . just. . . don't. . .'
She bent in to kiss him again. He ducked away. 'What are you scared of, Jimmy?' Claire asked, laughing.
'You,' said Jimmy.
32
Defiant Times
While the ship refuelled at Charlotte Amalie, Jimmy led Dr Hill and a team of his nurses back to Mamma Joss's cottage, picking Nick up from his bar on the way. With his help, and after investigating a barely legible handwritten recipe and the various bits and pieces left over in Mamma Joss's kitchen, they were able to identify the ingredients that had gone into her marvellous medicine. Nick was then able to lead them to the different plants and bushes and trees from which these ingredients originated. The resulting concoction wasn't exactly the same as Mamma Joss's, but it was as close as they could get it. It was then administered to the passengers and crew of the Titanic as it sat in the deserted dock. After that there was nothing to do but wait.
And wait.
And wait.
But then, gradually, it began to do its work. Those who had been on the point of death began to pull back; those who had most recently become infected, including Dr Hill himself and Pedroza, saw their blotches fade.
This made Pedroza deliriously happy. Not only was he cured, but he could see great things ahead for himself. Controlling the medicine meant riches and power and respect. There would be a new world order, and he would be in charge. It was therefore important to build up a huge stockpile of medicine. Pedroza kept teams of passengers and crew working up and down the mountain, gathering fresh ingredients. Dr Hill then transformed these into medicine, which was then stored in huge plastic containers in the freezers, ready to be called on when required.
***
After three days in port the passengers and crew were almost completely well again and the ship was refuelled and resupplied (after ransacking a number of supermarkets on the island).
Nick was invited to join the ship's company, but again refused. However, realizing that he'd made yet another valuable contribution to the future health of mankind, he naturally demanded payment. He flashed the IOU for $14 million that Benson had given him. First Officer Jeffers studied it intently, then wrote him a new one, this time for $30 million. Nick was more than happy. He also had some new customers for his bar. Just over a hundred passengers and thirty crew chose to remain on the island, preferring to take their chances there than on a cruise ship under Pedroza's command.
Jimmy and Claire did not have that choice. They were herded back on board and waved a sad farewell to Nick from Level Twelve. Pedroza and his fellow mutineers spent most of their time watching over Captain Smith and his officers on the bridge. Dissenting passengers and crew were no longer confined to the theatre, but were put to work performing the tasks that had previously been carried out by the mutineers. Jimmy and Claire, knowing better than to approach Pedroza directly, asked the mutineer they now knew as Dolphin Arm if they could restart production of the Times. He laughed at them, produced a pair of vacuum cleaners and told them to get busy.
***
In any country in the world where there is a despotic ruler, you can also find a group willing to work against him (or her). They are sometimes known as freedom fighters or 'the resistance', and the same was true on the Titanic. Jimmy and Claire, needless to say, were the instigators of the resistance. Their campaign consisted of many minor acts of sabotage — the fusing of lights, the snipping of telephone lines, the addition of vomit-inducing minor poisons to the food served to the mutineers — and one major act. This was the continued production and distribution of the Titanic Times.
It was difficult and dangerous but hugely exhilarating. The first thing that had to be done was to secretly remove the computers and printers from Scoop's office and to redistribute them to different cabins around the ship. Thus the typing up of a story criticizing Pedroza's latest set of commands could take place from behind the safety of a shower curtain on Level Six; the story was then transferred to a computer hidden inside a mini bar on Level Nine, where, after being slotted into the page design, it might then be sent to the printer, which was set up in a neglected alcove close to Jonas Jones' engines, where the noise of the printer wouldn't be so noticeable. Once printed, the Times was distributed by a hundred different methods, but they always made sure that a copy somehow arrived with Pedroza.
He knew they were responsible.
They knew he knew they were responsible.
But he could never quite catch them at it.
He could, quite easily, have just had Jimmy and Claire tossed over the side. But at least until they reached Miami he had to rely on Captain Smith's sailing abilities to get them there, and doing something horrible to the daughter of the ship's owner would hardly encourage him to continue, so it wasn't yet an option. Instead he gave Dolphin Arm strict instructions to halt production of the paper, a task he undertook with relish. The printer was discovered and smashed. The paper store was hurled overboard. Anyone caught handing out copies of the Times was confined to their cabin. But still the newspaper continued to appear. Jimmy, Claire and their team built another printer out of spare parts; they tracked down alternative supplies of paper; when one method of distribution failed, they thought up another one.
The Times appeared for four days in a row without fail.
***
The fifth day began dark and overcast with a strong swell on the sea. The Titanic was so huge, and its stabilizing system so unique, that most storms could hardly be detected by passengers, but today there was a definite rolling sensation on board. Nearly everyone was feeling a little queasy. Both Jimmy and Claire had been wondering why it was taking so long to get to Miami. As they were no longer following the cruise itinerary, it should have taken no longer than two days. Yet they still didn't seem any closer. Every time they saw Pedroza — albeit from a distance — he looked grimmer and grimmer, and there was a definite shift in mood amongst the mutineers. Neither Captain Smith nor Jeffers emerged from the bridge, and when Jimmy and Claire tried to question Jonas Jones he chased them out of the engine room with a flurry of curses. Claire tried asking her dad what was going on, but he was taking less and less interest in the affairs of the ship. He had been a very rich man before the plague, but now his money was worthless. His fleet was gone — even the Titanic was no longer his. He spent his time in his cabin, mostly sleeping. Her mother, on the other hand, who had married a happy, rich man, had found herself stuck with an unhappy, poor one. She was now almost permanently drunk.
'We're newsmen,' said Jimmy. 'We have to find out what's going on.'
'Newspeople,' corrected Claire.
'Which means hearing it from the horse's mouth.'