I sat on the edge of the settee, head in hands. Half-dead. Spent. Midnight on Juliet. I still wore my vest and slicker. I had no strength left to take them off. Rain dripped from the coils of my sodden hair and onto the sole of the boat. A tap-tapping I could hear as the wind withdrew. I reached for the phone and dialed.
Amani? Private Jones? I said into the phone. Is this you?
Yes, Captain! Hello there.
How are you? I asked, cradling my forehead with my hand.
Um. Good. What’s your status, Juliet?
Well, there was a squall, I said.
I see that. We’re getting it here on the Magpie.
It’s gone already. You’ll probably barely feel it on your ship.
Couldn’t have felt comfortable, Jones said.
Listen, I don’t think I can do this anymore. I just—I need to be done. Can you come and get us, or—can someone come and help me?
OK, Captain. Are you requesting evacuation?
Yes. I don’t know.
We can do that, if you feel you can no longer sail your boat.
How would that—how would that happen?
We would come to you. We would launch a dinghy to you. The easiest thing would be for everyone to board our craft.
Everyone? You can’t just take Michael?
You—well, it’s up to you, Captain. You have options. Option one is, you board our craft together. You and your entire crew. In this option, your vessel will be scuttled.
Scuttled?
Sunk. Deliberately sunk.
Why?
Why what?
Why does the boat have to be sunk? Why can’t we just leave it?
You can’t have a boat that size floating around the Caribbean. It’s a danger to other boats.
My God. My God. I paced the length of the cabin, then paused. How do you deliberately sink a boat?
You would open all the through-hulls—
Me? I would sink my own boat?
Normally, folks just open all the through-hulls before disembarking. It doesn’t take long for it to go down. Maybe a half an hour. But it gives you time to get off.
Don’t you dare, Juliet.
It was Michael, standing unsteadily in the doorway of our berth.
I wheeled on him. You be quiet.
I turned away. I steadied my voice.
What’s my other option? I asked Jones.
Well, we can take your sick passenger aboard our ship. You and your children proceed to Kingston. But the truth is, we’d need you to feel totally confident. That all of you would be safe. If we determined risk, we would not, we would not assume that risk. You don’t sound—you sound a little—
I looked at Michael, biting my lip.
What? he said, narrowing his eyes. What are you plotting?
Are you there, Captain? said Jones.
How much would that cost? I asked. An evacuation?
Cost? Um. Nothing. We aren’t any different from a fire department or police department. Your insurance would cover medical costs, most likely.
Michael staggered forward, holding on to the countertop.
Do. Not. Sink. This boat. I command you. I order you.
You can’t order me, I said. I’m the captain.
I will never speak to you again in my life, he said.
One less thing to do, I hissed back.
Captain? asked Jones. Is everything all right over there?
I have to go, I told Jones. I have to think. I will call you back with my decision. Thank you so much for talking to me. I will call you back, I promise.
We’re right here. Keep us posted.
I put the phone down. Michael and I stood facing each other in the darkness, only the safety lights glowing.