Part 5 (1/2)
”Relax, Dalton, the lad's the one needing to walk the plank to wash away all that mess. I'd say you and your boot got off lightly.”
A crewman called Dalton's name and indicated he needed some help with a piece of machinery.
The brutish crew chief glared at Ailish. ”I'll get you for this. You'll be lucky if you don't wake up in forty fathoms of seawater.” He stomped away cursing with some colourful language Ailish had never heard before.
That had been too close. She clambered out of the byre, brus.h.i.+ng as much of the stinky straw as possible off her clothes. A ewe eyed her dubiously, baa-ing her disapproval. Ailish reached back over the railing and patted the animal. ”Thanks, old girl.” The ewe must be ready for shearing as she was as round as a stuffed sausage.
”And thank you, Paddy. I owe you again.” Ailish shook a green gooey mystery gob off her finger.
Paddy grimaced. ”You'd best not let the captain find you like that, O'Connor. He'd have you in the brig for a.s.saulting an officer's nose!”
Ailish winced as she caught a whiff of herself. ”Ach, you're right about that. Since the damage is done, I'll finish my s.h.i.+ft cleaning the pens, and then I'll have a go at myself.”
”You may want to do us all a favour and have your meals delivered out here!”
Ailish grinned as she climbed back into the pen.
Paddy must have thought her truly unfit for human company, because one of the galley crew did deliver her food at the end of the watch a” which by then she gratefully accepted, sitting with the fat ewe to eat.
When it came time to go below and wash, she had no idea how she would accomplish this task. She had a little water left in the jug in her room, but doubted it would be enough to remove the ground-in residue left over after she had sc.r.a.ped the worst off with the straw. And there would still remain the problem of her clothes. She had only what she was wearing and scrubbing them was going to be tough.
She made it to the safety of her cabin, still wondering what to do about her pungent problem. Once inside the sumptuous state room, she immediately saw a note stuck to the ornate settee. ”OPEN ME!”
It must be from Davy, but what did it mean? She stripped off her soiled breeches and sat down on the couch to re-read the odd note again. ”OPEN ME!” Who was me? She looked down at where she was sitting. It was a very beautiful coucha Springing to her feet, Ailish pulled up on the seat cus.h.i.+on. It gave on smooth hinges, revealing a large tub hidden beneath. The bath was filled with steaming water and fragrant bubbles. ”Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she laughed. Bless Davy for giving her this fabulous surprise. His timing was perfect a” again.
As she pulled off the rest of her filthy clothes, she noticed a wooden washboard leaning against the end of the tub. Of course. She'd scrub herself first, then her clothes in the same water. They would dry by morning and when next she hunted Rufus Dalton, she'd be as fresh as a daisy.
She eased down into the bath, relis.h.i.+ng the soothing effect of the hot water. Her head was tender where she'd hit it and her muscles ached from wrestling with the ma.s.sive door, not to mention the hours of mucking out the animal enclosures.
Grabbing a fistful of the abundant soap suds, she inhaled the lilac scent, leaving a unicorn horn of white froth on her nose. She clapped her hands, squirting bubbles through her fingers then piled more of the fragrant foam on top of her hair in spiralling devil's horns.
How had Davy done this magic? She paused. Davya Ailish dove beneath the water, and then peeked over the edge of the tub. ”David Jones, you're not lurking around in here, are you?” she asked the empty room. Silence was her only reply.
Relieved she was truly alone, she relaxed and lay back in the deep tub thinking of how to find the wonderful horse. Today's efforts had almost turned into a disaster. She reminded herself to thank Davy for the help in the tunnel and for the much needed bath. As for her prize, she would have to switch tactics to find it.
8.
Discovered!
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When Ailish went below the next morning, she found Davy sitting on his favourite crate. ”Ahoy!” she began in an effort to be more cabin-boyish. ”Thank you for all the help yesterday. It was close. How did you get away from that goon, anyway? I didn't see any way out but up those stairs. Oh, and, thanks for the bath. It was perfect.” She stopped, feeling embarra.s.sed at her non-stop palaver. The warm tingle she had felt before had returned.
His face broke into an amazing smile. ”It was very entertaining.”
Ailish had a moment of panic, thinking of her bubble escapades. ”You mean the chase through the s.h.i.+p, right?”
”Of course, la.s.s. It's not often I can be part of a dash like that.”
”Why didn't you find me after Dalton left?” she asked, remembering how he had disappeared.
”Oh, the lads above decks don't want to see the likes of me and Charlie. We're not their sort and we don't much like to fraternize with those riff-raff sailors either. Our place is below and we generally stay there. We like it in the belly of our s.h.i.+p.” He winked at her. ”Besides, someone had to arrange your much needed surprise.”
”But after all that, I'm no closer to finding the golden statue. I'm sure Dalton brought it aboard and I think I know where he's hidden it. All I need is a genie from a lamp to tell me where his cabin is.” She sighed in her most pitiful way and leaned against the crate next to Davy, trying to look demure. She needed to find that cabin and if anyone knew where it was, it would be David Jones, bash boy.
”I'm not a genie, exactly, but I know where Dalton's cabin is. Never been in it of course, that's against my principles to snoop in a man's home, but I can tell you where to find it.”
Ailish brightened. This was exactly what she'd hoped he'd say. ”Really? Well, I don't have any such scruples. The man's a thief and I intend to take my property back.” She held out a pencil she'd found in her cabin and the piece of paper with OPEN ME! written on it. ”You can draw the directions on the clean side of this. I sort of, well to tell the truth, I have a little trouble remembering all those turn-lefts-and go-rights you give me. It's so confusing belowdecks.”
Davy shook his head as though she was the cla.s.s dunce and Ailish opened her mouth to protest when he pointed at a folded sheet of worn paper on the crate next to him. ”I thought you might want to know where the scurvy dog holed up, so I already drew you a map.”
She abandoned the old note and reached for the tattered paper. On it was a neat diagram showing the interior of the s.h.i.+p and a complicated path from Stateroom A to Dalton's cabin on one of the lower decks. She tucked the map into her pocket. ”Perfect! Thanks for this and thank you again for the magic bath. I've never been pampered like that.”
”I couldn't have you running around my s.h.i.+p smelling like a barnyard, now, could I?” He laughed then peered off into some dark recess. ”I think I hear Charlie calling. The man's a slave driver. See ya.” He ambled away whistling a sea shanty.
She watched him go and the warm feeling faded. Davy was a strange boy, but she liked him.
Rufus Dalton, however, was another matter. Yesterday had surely solidified his hatred of her and it might not be a bad thing to enlist some stronger help. Breakfast was a good place to do this.
As she jumped off the crate, Ailish picked up the OPEN ME note and glimpsed at it. She must have splashed water on it during her fabulous bath for the ink had blurred and washed away. Thinking of those iridescent bubbles made her smile all over again. She would enjoy reliving this luxury when she and her da were once again trundling all over Ireland in their caravan a” that is, if she didn't find her horse.
When Ailish entered the crew's mess, she spotted Paddy sitting at a table finis.h.i.+ng his meal. He was in the middle of the room, and no way did she want to talk to him out there in the open in case the captain strolled in.
She waved from behind a wide support column, but he didn't notice her. With no other choice, she stealthily nabbed one of Henry's delicious buns off the plate of a pa.s.sing sailor, then took a quick bite before hurling it at Paddy. She hated to waste one of the delicacies, but it was for a good cause. He straightened.
”Come here!” She gestured frantically.
He looked confused, then got up and followed her behind the pillar.
”What on earth are you up to, boy?” He sniffed, then smiled. ”You certainly look and smell better than the last time I laid eyes on ye.”
Ailish made a face at him, then relented. ”Thank you again for helping.” Hesitantly, she cleared her throat. ”Er, Paddya I wanted to warn you about Dalton. I think he's a dangerous man and you should be careful.”