Thunderbolt Wilbur Smith (surface ebook reader .TXT) đ
- Author: Wilbur Smith
Book online «Thunderbolt Wilbur Smith (surface ebook reader .TXT) đ». Author Wilbur Smith
âWhy not?â asked Amelia.
âThe fact that he knows the chemical formula for Hitlerâs propagandist, or whatever, doesnât impress me. Theyâre just using him to keep us quiet. I wouldnât trust him further than I could throw him.â
Xander shifted beside me. He didnât say anything, but the way he didnât meet my eye made it clear enough that Mo seemed all right to him. Normally Iâd have been swayed by that; Xander has amazing instincts around people. But today I felt myself tense up defiantly. âHe did nothing to help Pete,â I said under my breath.
âWhat could he have done?â said Amelia.
âObjected! Got in the way! Pulled the guy off him!â
âNone of us did any of those things,â she pointed out.
âWe had a gun pointed at us,â said Xander, trying to keep the peace.
âTrue,â replied Amelia. âBut if what he says is true, then logical extrapolation means he did too.â
âBig âifâ,â I said.
Ameliaâs face made it clear she thought I had no idea.
âWhat do you think of Peteâs chances ⊠out there?â said Xander.
âHeâs a strong swimmer and he knows the currents.â My heart wasnât in this reply.
Amelia didnât exactly make matters better with her own answer to Xanderâs question: âImpossible to gauge the probability of him making a successful sea swim without more detail.â Seeing my head drop she continued, âAlthough youâre right that his swimming prowess increases the chance of a positive outcome.â
âPoor guy,â said Xander quietly.
I shook my head but it did nothing to dislodge the worry. âYes,â I whispered. âPoor guy.â
A gentle breeze had sprung up, drawing ripples across the slow-moving sea. The water wasnât turquoise any more, but indigo cut with orange. The sun had dipped below the horizon and now the sky above us loomed very empty indeed. It would be dark soon.
Where were they taking us? I had no idea. And why tow the boat when it was perfectly capable of propelling itself? I was annoyed by the realisation that there was only one person I could ask, namely Mo. Heâd disappeared into the wheelhouse of the cabin cruiser with the captain, and now emerged wearing a battered backpack. The cruiser slowed. In no time heâd hauled in the line and skipped between the two boats again.
He ran the length of the hood and jumped lightly down onto the bench, nimbly sidestepping the dive gear strapped in the hold. When he reached us, he sat down. He was smiling. I glowered back. He swung his rucksack into his lap and opened it up, asking, âAre you thirsty? Hungry? Here, the captain sends you some food and drinks.â
I turned away from him, but Amelia said, âWhat sort of food?â
He was rummaging about in his bag and spoke into it. âKimis, a flat type of bread, and here, some mukmaad, which is dried-out beef.â
âJerky,â said Xander.
Mo broke the word in half, trying it out: âJerk key. Also, mango,â he said, holding one up.
âIâm not hungry,â I told him.
âDrink though,â he said, holding up a plastic bottle beaded with droplets. It looked like it had come out of a fridge.
In silence I let him hold the bottle to my lips, knowing that without water Iâd weaken in a matter of hours. The instant before he tilted the bottle, I realised I was parched, but when I took the first gulp I almost spat it out in surprise. The clear, bubbly liquid wasnât water but lemonade. It felt like a trick. I couldnât stop myself drinking some more all the same.
âItâs good, yes?â he said.
I turned away from him again.
He helped the others to drink and fed them as well, tearing off chunks of the flatbread and jerky and posting the pieces into Amelia and Xanderâs open mouths. How demeaning, to be fed like a baby. I was glad Iâd refused, but knowing they had eaten I immediately felt horribly hungry. Iâd have to cave in soon, I supposed, but for now it felt good to have taken a stand.
Mo was apologising for the fact we were tied up. âItâs just until they can trust you,â he said. âI will try to convince them, first thing in the morning, when itâs light.â
âBut where are we sleeping?â asked Amelia.
The whites of Moâs eyes were bright in the gloom. He looked apologetically into the hold. âWe can use the life jackets to make things a little more comfortable,â he said. âAnd there are blankets on the big boat. I will ask for some. I canât promise, but letâs see.â
Without waiting for a response, he set off. The speed at which he left did make it look like he felt guilty and genuinely wanted to help, but it could have been an act. And again, when he returned with the promised blankets under his arm, he seemed proud to have negotiated them for us successfully, but for all I knew the captain had already told him to give them to us. I wasnât about to follow Xanderâs ever-so-grateful act, though I had to admit that keeping the boy onside was probably a good thing.
Now Mo was pulling out the life jackets and spreading them across the bottom of the boat. It wouldnât make much difference. None of us would get any sleep with our hands tied behind our backs. Still, Amelia was shuffling herself into a more comfortable position, evidently ready to make the most of Moâs efforts, and Xander allowed him to drape a blanket over his shoulders.
The dark came so quickly. What was left of the sunset drained away and the cloudbank became a black lid that slowly slid to one side over the next hour or so, revealing a night sky stabbed full of more stars than Iâd seen before in my life. Unlike at home, where even the most starlit night sky looks like a single black sheet full of pinpricks of light, the sky
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