many that would be used in the first step towards broadening the wharf.
She wasn’t sure why they called it a skid frame until she got close enough to see that the legs of the table were attached to long steel beams that could act like skis. ‘Oh I see.’ She nodded. ‘It skids along.’
‘Yeah,’ said Sharon. ‘It’s pulled by winch along the deck.’
Sharon dropped her off at the base with a smile and a wave. Lena straightened her hard hat, pulled her vest into place and walked over to the ladder on the side of the skid. Seconds later, she was standing on the checker plate.
‘Here’s trouble.’ A rat-faced little man tipped his hat at her.
‘Hi,’ she greeted him.
‘Mike,’ he called out over his shoulder. ‘Seems we have an engineer on board: a madame engineer.’
Mike turned around and squinted at Lena. He made a noise between a snort and a grunt and then returned his gaze to the ocean.
‘Lena!’
She saw a head pop up over the other side of the skid. ‘Radar.’ Lena smiled. ‘You never told me you got transferred to the skid team.’
He shot a mischievous glance in Mike’s direction. ‘And spoil the surprise? Not on your life.’ He hauled himself up onto the skid.
‘Word about town,’ he told her rat-faced companion, ‘is that Lena here is our new leader.’ Again he glanced over his shoulder with a grin. ‘Mike’s new boss . Isn’t that right, Mike?’
Lena ground her teeth. Trust Radar to stick his spoon in the pot first. She glared at him, mouthing, ‘Cut it out,’ as Mike continued his silent vigil.
Mike didn’t turn around so she joined him by the hand-railing at the edge of the skid.
‘Mike,’ she began, ‘has Carl spoken to you about my new appointment as the engineer for the skid? I just thought we should touch base and –’
‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ Mike said roughly, without looking at her. ‘As you can see, I have everything under control here.’
‘I don’t think Carl would have appointed me if he felt there was nothing for me to do,’ Lena said firmly, suppressing her anger as it attempted to flare. The trick was to stay calm. Calm and rational.
‘Maybe he just wanted to get you out of his hair for a while by palming you off on me.’
She gaped at him. ‘You’ve got some attitude, Mike. And what I can’t figure out is what I’ve done to deserve it.’
‘Do you know how many years I’ve been in this industry?’
‘Er . . . I don’t know.’ Lena winced. ‘Ten?’
‘Fifteen,’ he snapped. ‘The very last thing I need is you.’
He looked away. Clearly, her sex wasn’t his only problem. How was she supposed to get the experience she needed if she got this at every turn?
‘Listen, Mike,’ Lena began, but he wouldn’t look at her. ‘Mike,’ she tried again in vain.
Lena followed his gaze out across the water, her fury gathering steam. Then instantaneously it fizzled. ‘Whoa.’
Whales, two of them, were frolicking about half a kilometre away from the wharf. Their huge black bodies slid inand out of the water like islands, appearing and then disappearing. Every now and then a huge tail would emerge, flip upwards and then smash the ocean surface with as much strength as the pile hammer. One of them sprayed a fountain from its blowhole before its black body curved into the waves. She had never seen anything more humbling.
Radar came up and stood beside them. ‘Been keeping us company all morning,’ he told her. ‘I think they know we’re up to something.’
‘Pity they’re wrong,’ Mike snapped. ‘We haven’t welded that headstock on yet and won’t do so if you continue to stand there gaping like a frog catching flies. Get over the side.’
Reluctantly, Lena tore her gaze from the whales. ‘Mike –’ but he wouldn’t let her finish.
‘If you’ll excuse me, I have two headstocks to get in today and unless you’ve got any tips on how to do that more efficiently, back off.’ He moved away from her
She wasn’t sure why they called it a skid frame until she got close enough to see that the legs of the table were attached to long steel beams that could act like skis. ‘Oh I see.’ She nodded. ‘It skids along.’
‘Yeah,’ said Sharon. ‘It’s pulled by winch along the deck.’
Sharon dropped her off at the base with a smile and a wave. Lena straightened her hard hat, pulled her vest into place and walked over to the ladder on the side of the skid. Seconds later, she was standing on the checker plate.
‘Here’s trouble.’ A rat-faced little man tipped his hat at her.
‘Hi,’ she greeted him.
‘Mike,’ he called out over his shoulder. ‘Seems we have an engineer on board: a madame engineer.’
Mike turned around and squinted at Lena. He made a noise between a snort and a grunt and then returned his gaze to the ocean.
‘Lena!’
She saw a head pop up over the other side of the skid. ‘Radar.’ Lena smiled. ‘You never told me you got transferred to the skid team.’
He shot a mischievous glance in Mike’s direction. ‘And spoil the surprise? Not on your life.’ He hauled himself up onto the skid.
‘Word about town,’ he told her rat-faced companion, ‘is that Lena here is our new leader.’ Again he glanced over his shoulder with a grin. ‘Mike’s new boss . Isn’t that right, Mike?’
Lena ground her teeth. Trust Radar to stick his spoon in the pot first. She glared at him, mouthing, ‘Cut it out,’ as Mike continued his silent vigil.
Mike didn’t turn around so she joined him by the hand-railing at the edge of the skid.
‘Mike,’ she began, ‘has Carl spoken to you about my new appointment as the engineer for the skid? I just thought we should touch base and –’
‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ Mike said roughly, without looking at her. ‘As you can see, I have everything under control here.’
‘I don’t think Carl would have appointed me if he felt there was nothing for me to do,’ Lena said firmly, suppressing her anger as it attempted to flare. The trick was to stay calm. Calm and rational.
‘Maybe he just wanted to get you out of his hair for a while by palming you off on me.’
She gaped at him. ‘You’ve got some attitude, Mike. And what I can’t figure out is what I’ve done to deserve it.’
‘Do you know how many years I’ve been in this industry?’
‘Er . . . I don’t know.’ Lena winced. ‘Ten?’
‘Fifteen,’ he snapped. ‘The very last thing I need is you.’
He looked away. Clearly, her sex wasn’t his only problem. How was she supposed to get the experience she needed if she got this at every turn?
‘Listen, Mike,’ Lena began, but he wouldn’t look at her. ‘Mike,’ she tried again in vain.
Lena followed his gaze out across the water, her fury gathering steam. Then instantaneously it fizzled. ‘Whoa.’
Whales, two of them, were frolicking about half a kilometre away from the wharf. Their huge black bodies slid inand out of the water like islands, appearing and then disappearing. Every now and then a huge tail would emerge, flip upwards and then smash the ocean surface with as much strength as the pile hammer. One of them sprayed a fountain from its blowhole before its black body curved into the waves. She had never seen anything more humbling.
Radar came up and stood beside them. ‘Been keeping us company all morning,’ he told her. ‘I think they know we’re up to something.’
‘Pity they’re wrong,’ Mike snapped. ‘We haven’t welded that headstock on yet and won’t do so if you continue to stand there gaping like a frog catching flies. Get over the side.’
Reluctantly, Lena tore her gaze from the whales. ‘Mike –’ but he wouldn’t let her finish.
‘If you’ll excuse me, I have two headstocks to get in today and unless you’ve got any tips on how to do that more efficiently, back off.’ He moved away from her
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