This is episode five of my latest novel in The Trace Troy Adventure series. It is titled The Double-Cross in Paradise. It is not yet available in paperback or digital format.
As soon as it is available on Amazon, I'll let everyone know. In the meantime, it will be serialized and scheduled for 50 episodes. I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Happy Deckhands
After Paul and Tom finished the cleanup of the passengers’ cabins, Paul eagerly returned to the pilothouse. Trace sat at the chart desk, hovering over the book about Vanuatu.
Trace lifted his head from the book, hearing Paul at the top of the companionway.
“All done, Cap,” Paul said buoyantly. “Tom is doing the hallway, and I’m going to take care of the front companionway.”
“Great,” Trace said, “I was going to have you do them sometime, but I’m glad you two are taking the initiative. And it’s good that you told me. Those things can slip my mind. If you don’t tell me, I’ll assume they are being done, and it’s not good to assume.”
“Sure thing, Cap,” Paul bobbed his head agreeably. “Yeah, I guess that’s important. I’ll pass that on to Tom, unless you want to tell him yourself.”
“Have a seat?” Trace said.
“Is something wrong?” Paul’s enthusiasm changed to sober wonder.
“No,” Trace said, “just have a seat.”
“Where?” Paul looked around at the options.
“Bench, chair,” Trace said, holding out his two palms as if weighing the choices in his hands. “Wherever you feel comfortable.”
He sat on the edge of the bench.
“How are you doing?” Trace asked.
“You mean on the boat?” Paul said.
Trace bobbed his head and faintly smiled. He resisted speaking sarcastically. “Yeah, how are you liking the work, getting along with the crew, you know, that sort of thing?”
“My first two weeks, I was ready to quit,” Paul said. “Tom wouldn’t let me, and Sage never gave up on me. I like it.”
“I’m glad you do.”
“This sounds to me like it’s leading up to someone being fired,” Paul said.
“Oh, no,” Trace assured. “It’s nothing of the kind. I apologize. It did sound like it. I wanted to know how things were going for you. When I got this ship, it came with two experienced deckhands. They took Sage under wing and showed him the ropes. But me and Sage have known each other all our lives. We were indoctrinated to work hard at an early age. My dad and Sage’s dad came on for a few months, and they’re of the mindset, blisters and sweat are the only way to prove you worked.”
“I mowed the lawn and took out the trash,” Paul smiled.
“I wanted you up here to tell you that you’ve been doing a great job. You work hard and never complain.”
“I’ve heard if you complain on a ship, you get forty lashes,” Paul joked.
“That forty lashes stuff went out a long time ago,” Trace said. “We only do about twenty.”
“I’m still not complaining,” Paul said.
Trace cupped his hands around his mouth. “Sage, put away the whip.”
They laughed.
“That’s what I like about working on The Tramp Islander,” Paul said, “Everyone gets along and it’s okay to crack a joke. Humor was frowned upon on Flint Island.”
“Strange,” Trace said, “because the whole place was a joke.”
“Not to me,” Paul said.
“Sorry,” Trace said, “a poor selection of words.”
“No,” Paul said, “I get it. It is funny to look back on it, but not at the time.”
“Below, in the salon, is a book, Principles Of Navigation. I’d like for you and Tom to start reading it. Tomorrow I’m going to start showing you both how to drive this thing.”
“I already know how to drive a stick,” Paul said.
Trace grinned. “You’re catching on.”
“And it feels good,” Paul relaxed.
“Here’s something I wanted to go over with you,” Trace scooted forward in his chair to get closer to Paul. “Four college students will be going with us to Vanuatu—one way, two guys, two girls.”
“And you expect them to act like college students?” Paul leaned forward for the answer.
“I do,” Trace said, “I don’t expect anything other than young and dumb. However, this is a cargo sailing vessel, not a Carnival Cruise ship. There are safety concerns, and our crew is not made up of hostesses.”
“You have rules for us, right?” Paul said.
“Yes,” Trace said. “Remember, you don’t initiate interaction with passengers, be polite. And you are not stewards. They don’t tell you what to do, and you don’t do anything for them that they can’t do. If they ask you to do something for them, tell them to clear it with the captain first and go about your business. Even if that business is looking at the waves. I will make that clear with them when they arrive.”
“We will eat at different times. If they strike up a casual conversation, be polite. Don’t reveal too much personal information. Passengers of a ship can divide the crew in hours. Don’t allow them to say anything negative about another member of the crew. If they do, bring it to me. I will handle it immediately. When they come aboard, I will introduce you and go over the rules while you’re there. If they break any of them, let me know.”
Paul nodded as he allowed the information to settle in his thoughts.
“I never thought about this,” Trace said, “but it sounds a lot like what you came from.”
“Not really,” Paul said. “The purpose here is clear. Ships have to be kept safe. All we were protecting back on Flint Island was the power and position of a psychopath.”
“Have you read Moby Dick?” Trace asked.
“I read it when I was in the eighth grade,” Paul said.
“Other than not having a wooden leg, do I remind you of Captain Ahab?” Trace asked.
“Actually, it was whalebone,” Paul said. “And to answer your question, I see you as more of a Wolf Larsen type.”
“Ahh,” Trace feigned a pleasing smile, “exactly what I was going for.”
Trace slapped Paul playfully on the knee. “Go get Tom and send him up.”
A moment later, Tom trudged up the companionway. His countenance looked like melted wax.
Trace, at first, looked concerned but broke out in laughter. Tom’s melted face turned to a confused look.
“Paul told you, you guys were fired, didn’t he?” Trace said.
“Yeah,” Tom said.
Tom closed his eyes and dropped his head. “He'd better watch his back.”
“I think you two have a lot of pent-up fun inside you,” Trace grinned. “I only want to go over a few things with you and tell ya, you've been doing a great job.”
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