Chapter 6
Beckett slept soundlybut woke with a start. He looked around at the hulking bodies asleep in all the other bunks.
What time was it? It was still very dark, but the bunk room had tiny round sand-blasted windows. He crept to the bathroom and checked the wall clock, thinking about his watch, on Luna’s arm — somewhere.
He hadn’t spoken to Luna in thirty-four hours.
It was early morning yet and everyone else had partied really hard last night.
He crept to the deck and entered the galley, unrolled the charts and got out the radio.
Turning the dial, he listened. Static, static, nothing but static. “Luna? Luna Saturniddae? Anna Barlow? Luna?” He repeated the questions at all the usual channels and then randomly, hand on his head, twisting the dial, going around again.
She wasn’t expecting to talk to him now. They had agreed to talk in the evening. Every night. But last night she hadn’t answered, and his anxious feeling was growing. And growing.
He hoped that waking early might mean magic would happen — he would say, “Luna,” into the radio, and she would be magically answer. Magic would be good right about now.
He sighed.
A hand clapped on his back. Dan said, “You’re up before me, Army?”
Beckett nodded. “Yeah, just—”
“When was the last time?” Dan slid into the booth.
“Night before last. She was in a storm.”
Dan exhaled. “Phew man, that sucks.”
“Yes. It does. I was checking to see if she—”
“Sure. That makes sense. I’m going to put the coffee on, the troops will be up in a minute, and they’ll need it after last night.”
He rose from his seat then paused. “She’s okay, she’ll answer tonight.”
Beckett nodded. Even though he wondered,would she?
Dan watched his face and repeated, “She will.” He left for the kitchen. Beckett turned the radio off and rolled up the charts.
Dan returned with a mug of coffee for Beckett, spinning it so the handle pointed away because Beckett’s bandaged hands would hold the cup easier without it. He said, “Also wondering why Army doesn’t drink.”
Beckett said, “My uncle drank enough for everyone.”
“Ah see, we’re starting to get to know each other,” Dan returned to the kitchen to begin cooking as Jeffrey entered the galley followed by everyone else.
