pleasures was lost for good.
“That was yummy, can I have some more?”
“There isn’t any more chocolate, Erica. I said you should eat it slowly, didn’t I?”
“Mrs Wernström has loads of chocolate. Can we go and see her now?”
Kiera nodded. If it kept the girl from worrying about her father, she was happy to oblige. “Come on then. Where’s her cabin?”
“Number 845. She’s not far from Andrea’s cabin. But we can’t tell Andrea we’re going there, her mummy makes her go to bed early. She gets very cross if anyone knocks on her door after dinner. Sometimes, when daddy is asleep, I go and knock on her door and run away!” Erica burst into fits of giggles, then, realising Kiera wasn’t joining in, suddenly looked very worried. “You won’t tell on me, will you?”
“No,” she smiled kindly. “Of course not. Let’s go and find Mrs Wernström.”
Despite the late hour, they had to wait in line for a lift. Since power had been restored courtesy of the Ambush , two sets of lifts were working. The remainder had been shut down as nobody was quite sure just how much electricity the submarine could provide, particularly under sail. By the time they reached deck eight, Kiera was worried that it was rather an unsociable hour to be disturbing anyone.
“Wait!” Erica shouted, and tugged on the nurse’s blouse. “We have to go to our cabin first, to get my pyjamas!”
“Of course, silly me. Lead the way then.”
The girl produced a card key from her pocket and opened the door onto a small but neat little room. Kiera was relieved to see that none of the passengers crowded into the corridor earlier appeared to have stolen anything. Theft wasn’t a problem yet, but the crew all knew it was only a matter of time. Erica located her things and stuffed them into a tiny Hello Kitty rucksack which she slung over her right shoulder.
“Ready!” she announced, and skipped outside.
Cabin 845 was towards the back of the ship where the staterooms were much larger. Kiera knocked gently on the door. There was no response. She tried again. “Mrs Wernström? Are you there?” Worried about disturbing others, she didn’t speak too loudly.
Erica had no such concern. She banged hard on the door and shouted at the top of her voice, “Mrs Wernström it’s me, Erica. I need to come in!”
“Shh! You’ll wake up half the ship!” Kiera said, looking around anxiously, expecting doors to start flying open any second. “Listen, she’s obviously not there right now. It’s getting late; you’re just going to have to come back to my room. You can have my bed, I’ll sleep on the floor or something.”
“Don’t be silly, you can’t sleep on the floor, you’re a grown up. I’ll just wait here for Mrs Wernström.”
“You can’t wait out here, Erica.”
“Duh! I’m not waiting out here! You’re silly.” Erica stuck her hand in her other trouser pocket and took out another key card which she inserted in the brass door lock.
“Where did you get that?”
“She gave it to me. I told you, she’s really nice. I haven’t seen her for days though, I expect she’ll be really happy to see me again.”
Before Kiera could stop her, Erica had pushed the door open and was running inside. Kiera strode in after her.
“You can’t just let yourself in! We have to go back to…” She never finished the sentence because Erica started to scream, and she didn’t stop for a very long time.
Seven
“G RAU , BEFORE YOU go in, it’s not a pretty sight. Just…be prepared, okay?” Kiera put her hand on the doctor’s arm in a motherly way.
“I’m sure I have seen worse, but thank you for the warning.” He donned his mask, and entered cabin 845.
Kiera had not been exaggerating. Maryse Wernström was not in good condition. In fact there wasn’t much left of her at all, mostly just bone. Large areas of her flesh appeared to have rotted away, staining the once crisp white bed sheets a deep red-black. Yet
“That was yummy, can I have some more?”
“There isn’t any more chocolate, Erica. I said you should eat it slowly, didn’t I?”
“Mrs Wernström has loads of chocolate. Can we go and see her now?”
Kiera nodded. If it kept the girl from worrying about her father, she was happy to oblige. “Come on then. Where’s her cabin?”
“Number 845. She’s not far from Andrea’s cabin. But we can’t tell Andrea we’re going there, her mummy makes her go to bed early. She gets very cross if anyone knocks on her door after dinner. Sometimes, when daddy is asleep, I go and knock on her door and run away!” Erica burst into fits of giggles, then, realising Kiera wasn’t joining in, suddenly looked very worried. “You won’t tell on me, will you?”
“No,” she smiled kindly. “Of course not. Let’s go and find Mrs Wernström.”
Despite the late hour, they had to wait in line for a lift. Since power had been restored courtesy of the Ambush , two sets of lifts were working. The remainder had been shut down as nobody was quite sure just how much electricity the submarine could provide, particularly under sail. By the time they reached deck eight, Kiera was worried that it was rather an unsociable hour to be disturbing anyone.
“Wait!” Erica shouted, and tugged on the nurse’s blouse. “We have to go to our cabin first, to get my pyjamas!”
“Of course, silly me. Lead the way then.”
The girl produced a card key from her pocket and opened the door onto a small but neat little room. Kiera was relieved to see that none of the passengers crowded into the corridor earlier appeared to have stolen anything. Theft wasn’t a problem yet, but the crew all knew it was only a matter of time. Erica located her things and stuffed them into a tiny Hello Kitty rucksack which she slung over her right shoulder.
“Ready!” she announced, and skipped outside.
Cabin 845 was towards the back of the ship where the staterooms were much larger. Kiera knocked gently on the door. There was no response. She tried again. “Mrs Wernström? Are you there?” Worried about disturbing others, she didn’t speak too loudly.
Erica had no such concern. She banged hard on the door and shouted at the top of her voice, “Mrs Wernström it’s me, Erica. I need to come in!”
“Shh! You’ll wake up half the ship!” Kiera said, looking around anxiously, expecting doors to start flying open any second. “Listen, she’s obviously not there right now. It’s getting late; you’re just going to have to come back to my room. You can have my bed, I’ll sleep on the floor or something.”
“Don’t be silly, you can’t sleep on the floor, you’re a grown up. I’ll just wait here for Mrs Wernström.”
“You can’t wait out here, Erica.”
“Duh! I’m not waiting out here! You’re silly.” Erica stuck her hand in her other trouser pocket and took out another key card which she inserted in the brass door lock.
“Where did you get that?”
“She gave it to me. I told you, she’s really nice. I haven’t seen her for days though, I expect she’ll be really happy to see me again.”
Before Kiera could stop her, Erica had pushed the door open and was running inside. Kiera strode in after her.
“You can’t just let yourself in! We have to go back to…” She never finished the sentence because Erica started to scream, and she didn’t stop for a very long time.
Seven
“G RAU , BEFORE YOU go in, it’s not a pretty sight. Just…be prepared, okay?” Kiera put her hand on the doctor’s arm in a motherly way.
“I’m sure I have seen worse, but thank you for the warning.” He donned his mask, and entered cabin 845.
Kiera had not been exaggerating. Maryse Wernström was not in good condition. In fact there wasn’t much left of her at all, mostly just bone. Large areas of her flesh appeared to have rotted away, staining the once crisp white bed sheets a deep red-black. Yet
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