The Phantom

Chapter 2-2

The trio returned to the crew’s quarters to dress and then went up to the small mess. Breakfast consisted of hearty helpings of beans, bacon and eggs, toast and coffee, and fruit and fruit juice. Toby dug in and ate as if he were eating his last meal, which was just as well, since almost everybody else except Pete and Chad had finished theirs.

After breakfast the men made their way onto the main deck. Pete gave each of them their instructions and everyone headed off to perform their various duties. Except Toby.

“This morning you can just observe,” said Captain Bartlett, materialising beside him. “When we’re out on open water I’ll get someone to show you around the ship, but for now just watch carefully how things are done.”

Toby stood with his back against the captain’s quarters and watched as the mooring ropes were hauled onto the deck and the magnificent sails were lowered, their stark whiteness dazzling against a cloudless, blue sky. Captain Bartlett took the wheel and after a good deal of shouting back and forth, the ship slowly slid away from the dock and out onto the Swan River.

Toby hurried to the side of The Phantom and waved to the port authority men who were watching their departure. At last, with a gentle breeze blowing on his face and tousling his hair, and the squawking of gulls overhead, he felt like the adventure had now commenced. The closer to the open sea they got, the higher the waves were, but soon the ship was skating over them as though they were on ice.

“Now Toby,” said Pete, clamping a hand on his shoulder. “Ya gonna need to know every part of this ship. Ya said ya were a fast learner, well now it’s ya chance to show me how fast ya really are.”

Pete walked toward the larger of the two masts.

“This big one here,” he said slapping the mast, “is the main mast and the one down there near the bow is the…”

“Front mast,” replied Toby.

Pete laughed. “Ya close, boy. The foremast. These things here are called shrouds and I reckon even you can guess what they’re for.”

“To get to the sails and the…” The word was on the tip of his tongue. “…bird’s nest.”

Pete laughed again, louder and longer. “Crow’s nest. But we don’t really use it now that we’ve got electronic navigational equipment.”

“So this old ship isn’t really an authentic replica?”

Pete frowned. “It bloody well is. We’ve just added a few modern conveniences. Ya think they had showers four hundred years ago? Ya got a bucket of water thrown over ya if ya were lucky.”

“Now, each of the sails has its own name. On the foremast you’ve got ya foresail, top foresail, and top gallant. That one at the front is the jib. On the main mast you’ve got ya main sail and main…”

“Main topsail and main gallant.”

Pete slapped him on the back.

“Right. Anyway, I reckon that’s enough of that. Let’s go and learn some knots.”

By the time Bird rang the lunch bell, Toby felt like his brain was going to explode. Even on the way down to eat Pete was quizzing him on various parts of the ship.

“So how’s our young recruit?” asked Captain Bartlett.

“Overwhelmed,” Toby replied.

“And we’re only about halfway through,” Pete added.

Toby nearly choked on his soup. A little bit even came out through his nose.

The afternoon was spent learning the deckhand’s chores. There were some, though, he was told, he wouldn’t be doing, such as maintenance, but there were other, more menial tasks that were to be his responsibility, such as fetching and carrying, helping with the rigging and sails, cleaning. The fact he was allowed time to himself each day was music to his ears, although he wasn’t sure how he’d get through all his jobs and have any time left over.

By the time the sun was kissing the horizon the ship was far out to sea. No matter where Toby looked, there was only water and sky. There weren’t even gulls this far out, although an hour or so before Toby was able to call it a day, a pod of dolphins tried racing the ship.

“Happens all the time,” Lennie told him. “They love trying to beat us.”

Night slipped a cover of starlit pitch over the ship. With a full belly and a well-earned weariness in his bones, Toby found a small corner of the deck where he could be alone and sat down. The whisper of a breeze and the gentle rocking of the ship soon lulled Toby into a state mid-way between consciousness and dreams. He could feel his eyelids growing heavier, though he struggled against sleep. Sleep could come later. For now he wanted to rest, to be alone with his thoughts.

He shook the sleepiness from his head and raised his eyes to the heavens, marvelling at the many millions of stars sparkling overhead. He’d never seen anything like it in his life. He’d read where a sky like this could make a person feel small and insignificant, but it made him feel safe. How could anything dangerous or threatening possibly notice him when there was something as vast and distracting as a night sky like this?

The smell of cigarette smoke drew him from his reflections.

“It sure is a beauty, isn’t it?” Pete directed his statement to the stars. “What are ya doing out here by yaself?” he asked. “Not homesick already, are ya?”

“Not homesick, no. I was thinking,” said Toby. “Just thinking about nothing.”

Pete nodded and released a cloud of grey smoke that evaporated into the night air.

“Sometimes that’s the best thing to think about.”

Pete leaned on the side of the ship and for a moment there was silence between them.

“What made ya wanna join the crew of The Phantom?” Pete asked.

“I don’t know,” said Toby. “I saw the ad in the paper and just knew it was something I had to do.”

Pete nodded and took another drag on his hand-rolled cigarette.

“I’ve never felt like I fitted in anywhere,” Toby continued. “I thought that I wouldn’t have to bother about fitting in out here, in the middle of nowhere. I also get plenty of time by myself. No-one, apart from you and perhaps the Captain, seems that interested in getting to know me anyway.”

“Aw, I’m sure that’s not…”

“No. No, I prefer it that way. It’s what I came for. Solitude and adventure.”

Pete flicked his butt into the waves and sat down beside Toby.

“Ya’ve only been with us for a day. Give it time. We’ll all get to know each other pretty well. There’s no escapin’ it. Zeke and Bird are new too. You might wanna start with them.”

Toby shrugged. “We’ll see. Like I said, I’m happy just the way things are.”

“I hope ya don’t mind me talkin’ to ya,” said Pete.

“No. I don’t mind at all. I like it. I just meant I’m not here to win any popularity contests.”

“Good,” said Pete resting a hand on Toby’s thigh. “’Coz I’d really like to get to know ya a lot better.”

Toby looked at Pete and knew what was going to happen next. He closed his eyes as Pete’s lips came towards him.

“There you are!”

Toby looked up to see Tiger standing in front of them.

“What do ya want?” Pete growled.

“Captain wants to see ya in his quarters.”

Pete got to his feet and brushed the fingers of one hand through his hair.

“What does he wanna see me about?”

Tiger shrugged. “Don’t know.”

Toby’s eyes were fixed on the moonlit form of Tiger. Even draped in shadows the man was the most perfect thing Toby had ever laid eyes on.

“Hi Tiger,” he said after Pete had walked away.

“Hi…”

“Toby. My name’s Toby.”

Tiger turned to leave, prompting Toby to leap to his feet.

“Wait,” said Toby. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Tiger stopped. “What?”

Toby walked up to him, till he could smell the cigarette smoke and sweat on his skin.

“Well, what did you want to ask me?”

Toby’s mind raced. Tiger was looking at him, expecting him to say something. He tried to think, but his brain had been soaking up so much information all day long that it refused to help him out.

“Where are we going?”

“What?” asked Tiger.

“The ship. All of us. Where are we headed?”

Toby felt proud of himself when he heard the question because he realised he didn’t know where they were headed. In all the excitement he’d forgotten to ask.

“Secret mission,” said Tiger. “Only the Captain knows. Maybe Pete too. Now if you’re finished, can I go to bed? I’m bloody knackered.”

Toby followed Tiger to the hatch that led down to the crew’s quarters. Just as Tiger put his foot on the top step, Toby reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

Tiger looked first at the hand and then at Toby.

“Tiger, I’m sorry about this morning. I didn’t mean to piss you off. It’s just I got in so late last night and I didn’t know where else to put…”

Toby removed his hand and Tiger went to turn, but obviously had second thoughts.

“Mate, don’t worry about it. I’m a grumpy bastard. I know you didn’t mean it. Just forget it.”

It felt as though the sun had come out inside him. As Toby followed Tiger to their quarters, all he could think about was what the following day would bring. Now he had broken the ice with Tiger, anything was possible.