Part 4 (2/2)

Once inside the metal channel, she s.h.i.+vered. Compared to the boiler room, it felt cold and was very dark. The only light was that which seeped in from either end of the long shaft. The sound of footfalls made her stop. Far ahead, someone was moving down the tunnel. The silhouette of the figure grew clearer as he neared the far end and the light brightened. It was Dalton, but what was he doing down here? Was this another part of his duties?

She started after him. Everywhere the thick coal dust swirled and eddied like Satan's breath. It filled her lungs and the choking sensation made her want to gasp and fight for air.

He'd nearly reached the end of the tunnel when Ailish felt a cough start deep in her chest. She tried to stifle the noise, but she was drowning in dust and her breath exploded out of her in a wracking spasm.

Dalton immediately stopped and turned. ”Who's there?”

She plastered herself to the wall not wanting to be framed in the light behind her.

”Ails, back here! Hurry!”

She whirled. It was Davy's voice. He must have gotten over their tiff and his timing couldn't have been better. Scrambling, she'd almost reached the safety of her side of the tunnel when a shouted command boomed out behind her.

”You there, halt! I said stop where you are!”

”May the saints preserve us!” Ailish prayed silently. Dalton was coming back after her.

She sped out of the iron hallway expecting to find Davy, but he was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone on ahead to open the hatchway. She raced forward, her breath coming in small gasps, but stopped in surprise when she reached the metal door. It was shut tight. Why had Davy closed the darn thing before she'd made it out?

Cursing, she struggled with the heavy iron portal as precious seconds flashed by. With a groan, she shoved hard on the stubborn hatch which finally opened a fraction.

She wiggled through to find Davy waiting on the far side. ”Why did you close the door?” she asked, irritated.

”It swung shut behind me!” he protested.

”Well, help me close the wretched thing again!” she wheezed. Together they leaned against it, but even with Davy's shoulder helping, it took every ounce of her strength to move the ma.s.sive hatch. How could it have swung shut? Ailish suspected Davy had panicked and closed the door in fear, but his pride wouldn't let him admit to that. The coal dust on the floor caused her shoes to slip and she fell, grazing her head. She struggled to her feet and began again. At last, it sealed itself with a resounding clang.

”Someone should oil this thing!' she muttered as she spun the big locking wheel. ”We have to find a wedge so Dalton can't turn it from the other side.” Darting her eyes around the deserted hallway, she saw nothing that would help.

”There's no time!” Davy warned. ”You head topside and I'll try to slow him down. He can't do anything to you in front of the crew and besides, it was dark back there. I'm sure Dalton didn't see it was you.”

If this was Davy's way of making up for the panic attack at the door, it was foolishly dangerous. ”If you're caught, he'll beat the daylights out of you. Come with me,” she pleaded.

”I'll be safe, Ails. Charlie's going to meet me here any second and Dalton's no match for my boss. We'll stall him as long as we can. Trust me.” He smiled at her then pointed to the stairway.

Ailish saw this was her only chance and there was no time for arguing. She ran for the stairs that led to the higher decks. Davy was right, it had been dark in the pa.s.sage and she was sure Dalton didn't get a good look, but she couldn't let him catch her. He was no fool and he'd know it was her following him and that would be the end of the search and maybe her also. She started up, trying to move quickly, but her shaking legs didn't want to obey.

The boom of the hatch being thrown open below reverberated up the iron stairway. Davy and Charlie wouldn't be able to distract him for long and Dalton would be coming after her any second. The ruffian might not have seen who it was in the dim tunnel, but if he made it to the stairway and saw her climbing, he'd recognize her for sure. She quickened her pace.

Emerging onto the next deck up, Ailish saw that the stairway emptied onto a corridor that extended left and right. Which way should she go? In her mind, she tossed a coin. Left it was! She ran for the far end and, she prayed, the stairs to the next deck.

Disappearing would be good, but no handy hidey-hole presented itself. Ahead, at the base of the stairwell, was a small alcove with a wooden desk. Strewn across the surface, she saw a discarded tea mug and a tobacco pouch beside

a pipe. The ivory pipe bowl was beautifully decorated with ornate scrimshaw. On the floor beside the desk was a metal wastebasket filled with b.a.l.l.s of discarded paper.

An idea hit her. She couldn't hide, but she could create one devil of a distraction.

Ailish moved to the desk and picked up the pouch. Inside, she found what she was looking for a” the wooden matches that went along with the pipe and tobacco.

Perfect! She struck one and it flared to life. Holding it to a corner of one of the b.a.l.l.s of paper, she was rewarded with a puff of smoke, and then a brilliant orange flame as the edge caught. She dropped the burning paper into the basket.

A second match soon had another piece aflame. The smoke was rolling out of the wastebasket now. Ailish left the crackling fire and fled to the stairs.

Through the billows of smoke boiling out of the alcove, Ailish saw Dalton clamber up from the lower deck. Everyone knew the worst thing a seaman could imagine was a fire aboard s.h.i.+p and even though he was a ruffian and a bully, Rufus Dalton was also a serious sailor and he would stop to put out the small blaze before coming after her.

The last thing Ailish saw as she pulled the stairway door closed behind her was Dalton kicking over the basket and stomping on the flames with his big dirty boots.

The small fire wouldn't stop him for long and when she stepped into the bright sunlight topside, she immediately looked around for someplace to blend in.

It was then Ailish looked down and saw she was covered with coal dust. If Dalton saw that, it wouldn't matter that he hadn't caught her, he'd know it had been her following him. The sound of plaintive bleating made her turn her head toward the far end of the deck. There she saw her salvation.

Running, she grabbed a shovel and bucket and climbed into the large pen that held the herd of sheep. She hesitated a moment, not believing what she was about to do, then threw herself down into the smelly straw and rolled around. Jumping up, Ailish began calmly shovelling the animal dung into the bucket.

At that moment, Dalton charged onto the deck and his gaze swept the scene. He stalked toward the sheep pen and Ailish felt her breath stop in her chest.

Had he recognized her as the phantom from below?

Head down, she continued shovelling as he scrutinized her. She could feel his eyes burning into her and tried to look as innocent as if she'd been at church all this time and not fleeing for her life belowdecks.

”You been here all s.h.i.+ft, boy?” he asked suspiciously.

”As you can see, I'm cleaning up after the sheep, sir.” She scooped up a steaming shovel full of dung and tossed it toward the bucket. Her aim wasn't the best and some of the greasy muck splashed onto Dalton's shoes, landing with a stinking plop.

”You stupid boy! Look what you've done.” He shook off the pungent mess.

Ailish smiled; then despite a valiant effort to stopper it, a giggle escaped, dragging a laugh with it. She couldn't help it. Yes, she was quite the young lady standing there up to her knees in sheep dung and covered in smelly straw. Her da would be so proud!

Dalton didn't see the humour and his face went beet red with rage. ”You think that's funny, boya” He grabbed for her.

Hastily backing away, Ailish skidded in something slimy and fell into the muck. The laughter was now past her control and she hoped nothing would accidentally fly into her open mouth as she thrashed around trying to stand again.

”The sights you don't see, and smell, when out for a brisk walk on deck!” Paddy Whelan stood with an amused look on his face, watching the pantomime.

”This bilge rat is going to wish he'd never been born!” Dalton pushed his sleeves up as he prepared to beat Ailish.

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