Long Voyage Back (22 page)

A delicate, wide-eyed blonde, Elaine let her child demand most of her time and was helpless at any job given to her. So exasperated had Jeanne become with her when she was sent to help in the galley that she and Lisa had decided to ask her to stay topside. Jeanne had offered Elaine and Rhoda the use of her berth and usually slot on the floor herself, but at night Elaine would wake her up sometimes to ask her to get Rhoda a cup of water since Jeanne 'was already up', namely on the floor. The child was cranky and slept poorly. Her toys and Elaine's clothes and toiletries could never be confined to the cubicles Jeanne asked her to use but ended up around the cabin as if sprayed there by a random explosion.

Elaine was off somewhere with Tony now, - and while Skippy, somewhat recovered from his seasickness, played on the cabin floor a few feet away, Jeanne lay on her back staring at the ceiling and wishing she could express her fears to Neil and be reassured and comforted. She hated feeling so helpless, hated being unable to focus her thoughts on the war or on her feelings for Neil or on anything except the dizzying, nauseating motion of the ship.

Frank came down three or four times to comfort her and see if there was anything he could do, but when he tried to clean up some of the vomit he himself became sick again and had to hasten topside.

Neil appeared only twice, once to ask her opinion on their course - an opinion she was reluctant to give since her mind felt like mashed potatoes still being beaten in the blender-and a second time in the afternoon. He suggested she try to come up and assist in the rain catching.

That time she had struggled out of her berth, stood weakly for about thirty seconds and then fallen woozily into his arms. He had to pick her up and lift her back into her berth. Ì hope you're not blaming the captain for this,' he finally said. Ì'm beyond blaming,' she replied wearily, realizing sadly that she wished he would go away and couldn't see her looking like a drowned cat. And smelling worse.

`You'll be over it by tomorrow,' he suggested. 'Get some sleep.'

Ì'll never be over it,' she moaned. 'I'll remember this moment as long as I live.'

`Since it's so special I plan to try to see to it that you live a very long time,' Neil said. She looked over at him, tried to smile and feebly squeezed his hand. Ì'm sorry I'm letting you down,' she said.

`Never,' he said. 'I just hoped the fresh air might help.' Neil released her hand and, with the edge of the sheet, wiped the perspiration from her face. Then he disappeared. Frank came twice more, but she didn't see Neil again until the next day. The final indignity for Jeanne came that evening as the storm seemed to be getting even worse. Elaine came cheerfully down into the cabin and told her that Jeanne could sleep in her berth that night, with little Rhoda. Elaine was going to be with Tony. So Jeanne, miserable, was left to babysit while Elainespent the night being 'comforted' by Tony. She was too sick to be angry. She barely had strength to wonder where the lovers had a chance to become lovers in the crowded boat. Some day she'd have to ask. They picked up the light at Cape Lookout at midnight. By two-thirty A.M. they had left it on their starboard beam while making for the Morehead City Inlet. The storm, Neil had concluded, must be coming directly at them. The winds, instead of becoming more northerly as he had expected if the storm were passing to seaward of them, were in fact becoming more southerly. The storm centre must be coming right up the coastline. In any case, the winds were still blowing at about forty-five knots with stronger gusts and the seas remained between eight and ten feet. To turn south now would be impossible. Fortunately the Morehead City Inlet was wide, deep, and well-buoyed. Moreover, immediate protection was available as soon as they got inside and turned west towards the turning basin. Neil had entered the channel on half a dozen occasions, and although he hated approaching land in a storm, he had no strong fears under the present conditions, not with a boat and a crew he had confidence in. As they neared the inlet it was Frank and Tony's watch. Lisa and Jim, who had just come off duty, remained on deck more out ofexcitement than necessity. Still sailing under storm jib and double-reefed main they had already picked up the white flashing sea-buoy that marked the beginning of the big ship channel when Neil turned on the transistor radio. He wanted to try again to pick up local news about conditions in the Morehead City area. The best he could do was a station from Charleston, South Carolina. A voice announced that they were going to repeat the President's address to the nation which had taken place at ten o'clock that evening - five hours before. With Frank handling the helm and the radio placed on the shelf to his left, the other three men and Lisa lined up along the front of the wheelhouse, peering through the plexiglas windows with their half-dozen bullet holes, out into the darkness, and listening to the President's voice.

`Good evening, my fellow Americans,' the voice began, slow, sombre and sincere. 'It is my sad duty to speak to you on this fifth day of this horrible conflict. Our nation, a victim of the unprovoked attack by the Soviet Union, has suffered immense devastation. So many of our cities have been destroyed that, as you know, our communications with each other have been considerably reduced. The ability of your government to deal with the chaos and suffering which is occurring in many sections of our land is extremely limited. It

is the task of our military forces to continue to wage war on the Soviet Union, not only to avenge the horror they have inflicted upon us, but in order to try to destroy their nation before the freedom of all peoples is removed from the earth.

`Those of us who have survived the initial Soviet onslaught must keep always in our hearts that we are fighting on now both for our individual survival and for the survival of the very idea of freedom. Mankind is at a terrifying crossroads: whether we shall all fall to the slavery of communist dictatorship or live on with our principles of individualism and freedom. I urge you all to do everything in your power to contribute to this struggle. Ì have unleashed the power of all our military might against the Soviet Union. I am happy to report to you this morning that though more than half of our great nation lies in ruins, even more of the Soviet Union has been destroyed. We have received no further reports ofeffective enemy action in the last twenty-four hours. The Russian people, like you, are suffering for the evil of their attack.

`However, despite our successes, I'm afraid that this morning I must issue a momentous warning and executive order. I have been advised by our best scientists working with the National Security Council that all Americans still living in certain areas in the northeastern part of our country must evacuate immediately. I am speaking now to the people of eastern Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. Within ten days to two weeks the radioactive fallout from the war will have accumulated to such a degree that its effects will make life in these areas almost impossible. Residents are to move as quickly as possible either to Canada or areas in the far north of the region, or south at least as far as North Carolina. United States military forces will provide all assistance at their disposal, but airplanes and vehicles are limited. In most cases you will have to provide your own transportation.

`Do not be deceived if your area has not yet received significant radioactive fallout. All indications are that radioactivity and its effects will spread and become worse, causing not only direct death to humans, but contaminating water and food supplies, which will render life unsustainable. Thus, I hereby direct all citizens . . The President's voice went firmly on, reporting next on the • greatly reduced fighting in Europe caused by the high number of casualties on each side and indicating that he considered the stalemate as a victory for the forces of freedom, although the destruction of most of Europe was, of course, a great historical tragedy. He also indicated that he had sent a stern note to the governments of all thirteen nations of South America. He indicated grave consequences if they continued to declare strict neutrality in the world conflict. Although most of these governments were fascist dictatorships, they still historically were part of the free peoples of the American continent and their refusal to permit United States military forces to use certain ports, air bases and oil depots for repairs and resupply was hampering the war effort. In particular, the decision of Venezuela and Trinidad-Tobago to cease selling oil to the US was an economic act of war and would not be tolerated. He also condemned the governments of Mexico, the Bahamas, and several unnamed South American countries for their unjust, shortsighted, and sometimes cruel treatment of American war refugees. He concluded his address with the announcement that with Congress unable to meet, he was using powers granted to him as Commander-in-Chief under martial law to order all Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 to report immediately for military service. His last words were an appeal to his fellow Americans tostand tall in this great crisis. When the President had finished speaking and a comentator began summarizing his address, Neil turned off the radio. When Jim and Tony went and sat down on .a settee behind

where Frank remained at the wheel, Neil sat opposite them. They all became aware again of the sound of the wind and of Vagabond rushing down the seas in the darkness. Ìt all seems so impossible,' Frank finally said, still staring forward. 'The President talks about the evacuation of the whole northeast as if it were the abandoning of a small town because of a gas leak.'

Ì wonder why the big cities got hit so bad,' Tony mused. 'I thought I read some place that Arizona and North Dakota were the places that were going to get clobbered. You know, our missile sites.'

No one answered.

Ì wonder what "standing tall" means?' Tony went on in a low voice. Ìt means we're all drafted,' Neil commented.

Ìs that true?' Jim asked.

Èxcept for Frank,' Neil replied. 'We're all in the military now.'

Ì may not be drafted,' Frank commented from the wheel, `but there'll be things for me to do too. Our country needs us all now.'

Again no one spoke. Vagabond surged and rollercoastered forward in the darkness, rolled and surged again. The three men behind Frank sat silently staring at the floor between them, swaying with the ship's swoops and swerves. Neil stood for a moment to stare forward and then sat down.

Ì'd like to fight,' Tony burst out after a while. Tut where the fuck are the Russians? Are they supposed to invade?'

'I don't imagine either side sees much of value left to invade,' Neil replied after a pause.

`What about Cuba?' Tony asked. 'Are we going to take Cuba?'

Neil didn't answer.

Ì hope everyone just stops fighting,' Jim said.

`Not until we've won,' said Tony. 'The Army needs us. They'll find something for us to do.'

Ì'm sure they will,' said Neil ironically.

`What's that mean?' Tony shot back, sensing the cynicism. Ìt means I can't conceive what use civilians inducted now can be in this war.'

`They can be a lot more useful than running away,' Frank said. After a brief, awkward silence, he added: 'Here's the number three red-flashing bell. We're in the channel.'

Fifteen minutes later, in quiet water for the first time in four days, Vagabond had all her sails down and lay drifting on the incoming tide awaiting a launch from the Coast Guard, whose cutter lay idling nearby, with its cannon, manned by three sailors, barely visible in the darkness.

The launch party consisted of a lieutenant and four men, two armed with pistols in holsters and two with automatic rifles.

`Who's captain here?' asked the lieutenant, a short, stocky man with a neatly trimmed moustache.

Ì am,' said Neil. 'What's the problem?'

`Where are you headed?' the officer rejoined.

`Morehead City obviously.'

`Your purpose?'

`Get out of this storm, land some passengers, take on supplies,' Neil answered, finding the interrogation bordering on the ridiculous.

`How many draft-age persons do you have aboard?' the official persisted.

`Three or four,' Neil answered.

`They are to report to the induction centre on Main Street within twenty-four hours,' the lieutenant said, looking around at the five men. 'How much diesel fuel do you have?'

Àbout fifteen gallons,' Neil answered, lying for some reason he didn't yet understand. Ùnless you've got a special exemption, we'll have to requisition that fuel later today. Do you have weapons?' Ònly an old twenty-two,' Neil replied quietly. Àll weapons are requisitioned. We'll take your rifle now.'

The officer stared at Neil. 'Also,' he went on, his gaze not wavering, 'my men will search your boat.' He nodded to the bosun who divided the crew men into two teams and began a search.

`Jim, you can go get the twenty-two for the nice men,' Neil said, then turned back to the officer. 'What's the trouble? Why can't we keep our rifle?'

`Civilians are going around shooting each other for food, fuel, fallout shelters, you name it,' the lieutenant replied. `The only way the military can regain control is to make unauthorized possession of a weapon illegal.'

`How are we expected to defend ourselves?' Tony now asked.

`That's been the trouble,' the officer countered. 'Everybody's been defending themselves so vigorously the morticians can't keep up with it. Leave the defending to the Army, Navy and us.'

`Couldn't someone authorize us to keep the twenty-two aboard?' Frank interjected. Ì doubt it. If you want to waste time, the district military headquarters for this region is located about six miles outside Morehead City.'

`What's the food and fallout situation here?' Neil asked.

`We haven't had any fallout since a small amount on the third day of the war,' the officer said, peeking down into the main cabin. 'This rain has about fifty millarem per hour, but that's not supposed to be a problem.'

Ànd food?' Neil asked.

Àll food here is controlled by the US Army. If you want to eat you'll either have to be in the military or go to a refugee centre.'