CHAPTER TWELVE.

Overboard Come sunup, Michael woke me. I looked at the shut door, and then at him. He had misery all over his face.

"I'm sure he didn't kill her," I said. "He wouldn't do that. She's his only hold over us."

"I don't wish to discuss it," he told me.

Well, we went up on deck. The morning was cloudy, with a stiff breeze blowing. Seagulls were squawking away, and you could hear folks talking soft on boats all around us while they got ready to haul. It seemed mighty peaceful, but peculiar too. We were on a yacht chock full with madness and death, and n.o.body had a clue but us.

Michael didn't talk except to give me instructions. Together, we raised anchor and set the sails. He took the helm, and we fairly scooted clear of the harbor.

Later on, he sent me below to fetch coffee and food. No sign of Whittle or Trudy. Their door was still shut. And it stayed that way while I made up a pot of coffee and threw together some bread and marmalade. I used a dull little knife that didn't even have a point on it for spreading the jelly. But it gave me ideas, so I hunted high and low for a decent knife or any other thing that might do for a weapon. I came up with nothing but forks and dull knives. Whittle'd had plenty of time on his own, and must've scoured the galley to get rid of whatever might be turned against him.

I thought to give the saloon a going over, but held off, not wanting to risk it with the door so near. Besides, Whittle wouldn't have left any sort of weapon-like items lying about in there, either.

So I gave up, for the time, and carried our coffee and bread topside. It tasted mighty fine. We were cutting through the waves at a fair clip, the sails all billowed out pale in front of us, and my only care for a while was how to drink my coffee without spilling half of it.

I sort of let on, just in my own head, that me and Michael were a couple of buccaneers setting forth on a grand adventure. We were on our way to the Far Tortugas or the Happy Isles or somesuch, where there'd be warm breezes and long white beaches aplenty and whole scads of tawnyskinned native girls with bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

But I no sooner pictured those native girls than Mary's breast plopped down on the floor in front of my face, and that led to a raft of other thoughts, just as real and terrible, till there I was again on the Death Boat thinking about what I'd heard last night in the dark.

I saw we were empty, so I went down for more coffee. The door was shut yet. Just the sight of it gave me the fantods.

I didn't linger about, but hurried right up to the deck as fast as I could.

Later on, the coffee got to me. I couldn't bring myself to go below and take care of business. What they called the head was just too near that awful door. I feared it might open up in front of me and I'd have to see what was in there. So I did it over the side.

Michael had me take the helm while he did the same. After he was done, he let me stay and gave me lessons in a tired voice about how to steer and keep the canvas full. It was bully, actually. For a time, I got to forget about the horrors.

Land was still in sight, though a considerable distance off and not much more than a long smudge way out across the water. There weren't any other boats near enough to worry about smashing into. Now and then, the sun peeked out from among the clouds and felt uncommon warm and friendly. I did a fair job of steering us along, and Michael told me so, and I judged he wasn't such a sorry bloke, after all, even if he was a coward.

The whole while, we didn't speak a single word about Trudy or Whittle. They must've been on Michael's mind, though. They were sure on mine, like a heavy black ugliness that I couldn't shake off for more than a minute or two at a time.

The longer they stayed locked away, the worse it all seemed.

They didn't come out, and they didn't. The whole morning went by. Then the afternoon crawled along. I got hungry, but didn't mention it to Michael for fear he'd send me down to fetch food.

Near sundown, just after we'd pa.s.sed Land's End, Trudy came up through the companionway. She was barefoot, so we didn't hear her. All of a sudden, she stepped out and was right there with us. We both gawped at her, but she didn't so much as look at us. She hadn't on a st.i.tch of clothes. She was blood all over. It was mostly dried and brown. Her hair was caked with it.

She carried Patrick's head along with her, holding it against her belly by its ears.

Just as casual as you please, she walked past us real slow to the stern and dropped the head overboard. Then she stood there, feet spread and arms out to keep her balance on the pitching deck. She stood there and gazed out behind us. Like she was watching for the head to float off in our wake, though it must've sunk like a rock.

We didn't know Whittle was with us till he spoke up. "Good day, me hearties," he said, all full of vim and fun.

He gave us a smile. Only his teeth and eyes were white. The rest of his face and the bandage on it were stained with blood. He wore the sweater and trousers from yesterday. They looked stiff.

He just gave Trudy a glance, then swung his head about, surveying the sea. "I trust you managed swimmingly in my absence."

"My Lord, man," Michael said, "what have you done done to her?" to her?"

Whittle smiled, nodded, and patted Michael's shoulder with a b.l.o.o.d.y hand. "You needn't bother your..."

Splash!

We all jerked our heads aft. No Trudy.

Whittle muttered, "d.a.m.nation," Michael stood gaping like an idiot, and I went for the stern. Hanging on to the bulwark there, I studied the water behind us while I kicked off my shoes. I spotted her. Only just her head and shoulders. She was way back, and getting farther off every second. I skinned off my sweater and dove.

The cold water squeezed the breath right out of me. Coming up for air, I heard a call and glanced around. Whittle, at the rear, flung a life-ring after me. It landed short, so I had to lose some time swimming for it. While I did that, I saw Michael turning the boat so it wouldn't get away from us altogether.

With the life-ring tucked under one arm, I went for Trudy again. For a while, she was out of sight and I figured maybe she'd gone under for good. But then a wave picked me up high and I caught a peek at her.

If she'd meant to drown herself, she must've changed her mind. Otherwise, wouldn't she just have let herself sink? I wondered if she hadn't fallen overboard by accident, but then I judged she'd done it on purpose-if not to put an end to her miseries, then 'cause she simply couldn't stand all that blood on her body for even a second longer and had to either bathe it off in the ocean or die trying.

Each time a swell hoisted me, I got a look at her. The s.p.a.ce between us shortened, but she was still a good piece off. The cold water stiffened me up something awful. She'd been in longer than me, so we didn't either of us have much time left. I figured it was all up, just about.

Well, then Trudy noticed I was coming after her. She hadn't seen me before, I reckon, on account of the rough waters. All of a sudden, she came swimming straight at me. It wasn't but a couple minutes before we joined up, and she hooked an arm through the ring.

We both hung on it, shivering and gasping for air. She didn't say a thing, not even to thank me. I didn't hold it against her, though. Neither of us was in any shape to talk, and besides, it was just her way not to appreciate a thing I ever did for her.

We clung to that ring like a couple of strangers. Now and then, our legs collided or tangled, the way we were kicking to help the floater stay up.

Each time the waves hoisted us, we got a look at the True D. Light. True D. Light. It came circling around real slow, and I didn't hold out much hope of it reaching us before we froze up and sank. But then one time we came out of a deep valley and there was Whittle rowing the skiff toward us. It came circling around real slow, and I didn't hold out much hope of it reaching us before we froze up and sank. But then one time we came out of a deep valley and there was Whittle rowing the skiff toward us.

And wasn't I glad to see him!

By and by, he paddled right up beside us. Trudy let go the ring. She grabbed an oar he held out to her, worked her way along it, and draped herself over the gunnel. The boat near capsized, but Whittle scurried to the other side and it was all right.

She didn't have a trace of blood on her. Not that I could see, and I guess I saw every part of her, pretty near, while she struggled into the skiff and then later, after I was in. I didn't see any fresh wounds, either. She had all the bruises and marks from the whipping and hanging Whittle'd given her, but nothing fresh. So every bit of the blood must've been Patrick's. In its own way, that was almost worse to think about than if the blood had come out of her own body.

Anyhow, froze up as I was, I somehow managed to haul myself into the skiff. We got the life-ring aboard, and then Whittle commenced to row us for the yacht.

I sat in the bow, hunched over and shaking apart. Trudy, she was on the other side of Whittle, lying on the bottom, curled and hugging her knees.

"You gave us an awful scare," he told Trudy, but he sounded more like she'd given him a jolly show. "This is rather inclement weather for a swimming party. Did you enjoy it?"

She didn't answer.

Her rump was in easy reach of his foot. He fetched it a smart kick that made her flinch. But she still didn't say anything.

He kicked her again. Then he laughed, and laid off conversation the rest of the way to the yacht.

Michael had reefed the sails, so the True D. Light True D. Light was only moving around because of the currents and waves and such. When we came up alongside, he lowered the boarding ladder. I tossed him the bow line. He tied us up. Whittle climbed the ladder, leaving me with Trudy in the tossing skiff. was only moving around because of the currents and waves and such. When we came up alongside, he lowered the boarding ladder. I tossed him the bow line. He tied us up. Whittle climbed the ladder, leaving me with Trudy in the tossing skiff.

She only just laid there.

Michael stared down, all pale and hang-jawed, like Trudy was something strange and revolting.

He was no more use than a neck ache.

"Trudy," I said, "you've got to get up. We've reached the yacht."

She might as well have been deaf.

"Help her," Whittle called down to me.

It was what I'd aimed to do, anyhow. I couldn't see a way around it. So I kept low and made my way to where she lay. I crouched by her rump. "Trudy?" I asked. "Please get up."

She didn't stir, not even when I put a hand on her cold hip and gave it a shake.

So then I pried her top arm away from her knees and hauled it toward me. She rolled. Her knees swung up and knocked me sideways. The gunnel jammed my ribs. Next thing I knew, my feet were kicking at the sky. Then I hit the ocean head-first.

I tumbled around underwater for a spell, clawed for the surface and banged my head on the underside of the skiff, and finally got to air. I reached for the skiff, but a wave s.n.a.t.c.hed it away so I missed. Before my hand slapped down empty, what do you know if Trudy didn't reach out and catch my wrist.

It must've brought her senses back, knocking me overboard.

Whittle, he was up on the yacht, looking down at us and laughing like he might bust a seam.

Trudy towed me up close, till I could hook my elbows over the gunnel. Then she scooted to the other side to keep things steady. While I hung there, trying to squirm into the boat, she clutched me under the arms and hauled. She didn't let up, but kept pulling even when my head pushed into her breast. She squished me against her and helped me turn over and eased me down.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

I nodded up at her. She frowned down at me. And right then I forgave her everything and was mighty glad I'd worked so hard at saving her.

She crouched over me for a spell, then got up and climbed the ladder all by herself. I followed her up. I had one leg over the bulwark when Michael went to hug her and she slapped him across the face.

He stood there, blinking, and Whittle laughed, and Trudy went down below.

Whittle clapped me on the shoulder. "You've done splendidly, Trevor," he said. "Go down, yourself, and bundle up, before you catch your death."

He was the cause of all our troubles, but right then I near forgot how much I hated him. I hurried myself down the companionway.

I found Trudy in the saloon, squatting down to light the heater. All a-tremble, she shook out two or three matches trying. While she worked at that, I saw that the door to the forward quarters was open.

I turned away quick, though not quick enough by a long sight. Just a glimpse was too much. Not only Patrick's head was gone. He had no arms or legs, either. More was missing, but I don't aim to tell about that. And what was left of him had been split open and hollowed out considerable.

It made me plain sick to see such a thing. I dropped down onto the bunk I'd used last night, and remembered all the noises that'd kept me awake-Trudy whimpering and screaming and such. Much as I felt sorry for Patrick, I felt a lot sorrier for her. He'd been dead, and shut of the business. But poor Trudy, she'd had to watch and I didn't want to think about what Whittle must've done to her, or made her do.

She got the heater going, then took a couple of towels out of a cabinet and gave me one. I stripped off my wet trousers and socks. We both rubbed ourselves dry. We climbed under our covers, and didn't it feel fine to lay in a warm bed!

I thought to ask her what had gone on last night. Kept mum, though, figuring it wouldn't do her much good to talk about it and she more than likely wouldn't tell, anyhow.

So we just kept quiet.

By and by, Whittle came along with Michael.

"Oh, my G.o.d!" Michael blasted when he saw what was past the door. "What did you do do to him?" to him?"

"Why, I ripped ripped him, of course." him, of course."

"Where's the rest rest of him?" of him?"

"Fish food, no doubt."

He must've tossed the missing parts out a porthole. If he ate any, like he did with Mary, he didn't let on.

Michael came out with another, "My G.o.d."

"All the less for you to deal with," Whittle told him.

"I don't see why I I have to do it," Michael whined. have to do it," Michael whined.

"Would you rather I ask Trudy to clean up the leftovers?"

The way Michael didn't answer, I reckon he would've preferred it that way.

"And poor Trevor's all done in from the business of saving your bride from the ocean depths."

"I belong at the helm," Michael said.

"You belong where I tell you. I'm certain the boat will manage itself spendidly until you've finished."

"Please. It's not..."

Whittle, he hauled off and kicked Michael's rump. That sent the fellow stumbling along. I bolted up to see better. At the doorway, Michael lost his feet altogether and, crying out, flopped down right on top of Patrick. He squealed like he'd been stuck, then took to blubbering.

I settled back down and turned my head away, not wanting to watch any more of this. Trudy, she'd pulled the covers over her face when the two first came in.

Pretty soon, Whittle said, "You see? He's no trouble-hardly weighs more than a dog."

Michael walked by me, gasping and sobbing.

When he and Whittle were gone, I looked and saw a trail of red drippings and other mess on the floor between our berths. I kept my eyes from wandering into the front cabin.

Pretty soon, along they both came again. This time, Michael carried a bucket and mop.

It was dark by the time he finished cleaning the place.

He never spoke a word to me or Trudy. But he sighed and sniffled considerable.

Whittle let me and Trudy stay warm in our beds till Michael was all done. Then he fetched us fresh sets of clothes. We got up and dressed ourselves. Trudy made supper. We all ate, and then he sent Michael and me topside to get us under way again.

Michael didn't say one thing about any of what had happened that day. He gave me orders and instructions, and that was it.

Once we were sailing along nicely, he turned over the helm to me. He said we'd man the boat in shifts, three hours at a turn. If I should run into any trouble, I was to fetch him quick. Then he went below.