The first thing the children did the next morning was eat their breakfast and then hurry to the exercise room.
Tom, his sturdy legs pumping, sat astride a stationary bicycle. He wore a sweat band, but perspiration still poured down his face. “ Good morning,” he panted. “Be right with you.”
Finally Tom stopped. Using the towel around his neck, he wiped his face. “Benny!” he said in a loud voice, “did you come to see me lift weights?”
“Yes!” Benny exclaimed. “How many pounds can you lift?”
“You’ll see,” Tom bragged, lying on a mat. With ease he lifted an iron bar with several twenty-pound iron disks.
“Wow!” Benny said, sounding amazed. “That’s good.”
“Just wait,” Tom said with a cocky grin. He stopped and slid on heavier weights. Now he strained every muscle to raise the bar. Grunting with effort, Tom lifted the bar, then carefully put it down. Sitting up, he said between gasps, “Not bad, huh?”
“Super!” Benny said in an admiring tone.
“You certainly are strong, Tom,” Violet said.
Tom rose to his feet. “Want to jog around the deck with me?”
Henry smiled. “I like to run, but we promised Isaac we’d help him out in the kitchen.”
“Isaac?” Tom’s blond eyebrows shot way up.
“He’s a chef,” Jessie explained.
“Oh,” Tom said, uninterested. Then he gazed at Jessie. “You kids are pretty well acquainted around here, aren’t you?”
“We know a few people,” Violet admitted, staring at the floor.
“Do you know the boys in the radio room?” Tom questioned. “I hear they’re having some trouble.”
“Lots of trouble,” Benny said firmly. “Our friend expected a message and it never came! That’s ’cause nothing’s working!”
“Well, well,” Tom said, going over to chin himself on a nearby bar.
“We’re going to figure out who did it,” Benny said.
Tom, feet off the ground, stared at Benny. “Did what?”
“We think maybe someone tampered with the radio,” Jessie explained patiently.
Tom went to the door. “Be careful,” he advised, and jogged out.
Ralph Rand, in running shorts, came in. “Hi, everybody.” He headed for the rowing machine. “It’s a good time for a workout while Melissa is having her hair done,” he said, giving them a wide smile.
“Where’s Robin?” Jessie asked with concern.
“Don’t worry.” Ralph laughed. “He’s in good hands in the nursery.”
“Oh,” Jessie said with relief. “Doesn’t this ship have everything?”
Ralph shrugged. “It’s not that great. Melissa and I used to work for a French cruise line and we had all the luxuries the West Wind has, and more.” He turned and settled into the rowing machine, picking up the oars.
For a few minutes the children watched him as he strained at the oars, going faster.
At last, Jessie turned to Violet. “Don’t you think we should leave?”
“Yes, I’m sure Isaac is waiting for us,”Violet answered. “It’s after ten.”
When they arrived at the kitchen, Isaac had lined up hundreds of tarts. When he saw them, his eyes lit up. “I was hoping you’d come. He handed each of them a large bowl of whipped cream. “About this much,” he said, spooning out a big tablespoonful.
“This will be fun,” Benny said, heaping whipped cream on a tart.
“Not too much,” Isaac cautioned.
For several hours the Aldens worked, helping Isaac finish the desserts. It was interesting to see bushel baskets of carrots, mountains of potatoes, and big roasts baking in the ovens.
“I’ve never seen so much food!” Benny exclaimed loudly. “Not even at the grocery store!”
Isaac chuckled. “It takes tons of food to feed eight hundred people.” He filled a bag with five chocolate cookies. “Eat these later,” he said with a wink. “And there’s an extra one for your grandfather.”
“Thanks, Isaac,” Jessie said. “We’ll be back.”
The children said their good-byes and took the cookies back to their rooms, stopping to give one to Grandfather, who was reading on deck.
“We haven’t explored the theater,” Henry said. “Let’s go to the upper deck.”
They climbed the stairs and went into the empty theater. The red velvet seats, red carpet and walls, gave it a plush appearance.
When they came out, Heather rushed toward them. “I heard a splash on the deck below me! And someone yelled, ‘Man overboard!’ ”
Henry ran to meet her, followed by Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Henry could tell by her face that she thought something awful had happened. “What do you think it is?” Then he dashed to the rail looking overboard. “Do you think someone fell in?”
“Yes! Yes!” Heather said, frantically nodding. “Or someone jumped in!”
“Over there!” Benny yelled, in an anxious voice. His eyes were wide as he stared at a round shape. “I see something!”
Jessie shaded her eyes. “It’s only a dolphin, Benny. But you’ve got very sharp eyes.”
“Man overboard!” Tom Bishop bellowed, rushing past them. “Call the deck officer!”
But he needn’t have yelled so loud, for sailors and the captain were already searching the sea. The ship sounded three alarms and began to circle the spot where Heather had heard the splash. The captain peered through a telescope.
“Who could have fallen in?” Violet asked in dismay.
“I don’t know,” Jessie replied, “but every minute is precious!”
Benny lifted off a life preserver. “I’ll throw this in!” he shouted, staggering under its weight. “Whoever fell in can grab this and be saved.”
“Good thinking, Benny,” Henry said, but he reached for the life preserver and put it back. “Look, they’ve lowered a lifeboat and the sailors are rowing around the ship. Don’t worry, they’ll rescue anyone that’s in the sea.”
Passengers, gathering at the rail, scanned the waves for a glimpse of a swimmer or, worse, a body.
For an hour the search continued, then the captain strode by them. “Prepare the passengers for a head count,” he ordered his lieutenant.
“Aye, aye, sir!” The lieutenant saluted smartly and ran to carry out the captain’s orders.
Soon over the loudspeaker a voice commanded everyone to assemble at their lifeboat stations. “No life jackets are needed,” the voice continued. “In ten minutes an attendance check will be made.”
The children hurried to obey. As they dashed to their places, Jessie noticed something strange. Tom Bishop was squeezing himself into a small closet. “Tom!” she said forcefully. “You must go to your station. Now!”
“I thought I saw something in the water,” he said, “and I just wanted to get a life jacket.”
Jessie glanced in the closet where life jackets were stacked high. “No, Tom, hurry. Come with us! No one has been spotted overboard. It’s time for the head count.”
Reluctantly, Tom turned away and went to his station.
Quickly, sailors took the roll call. It wasn’t long before the voice on the loudspeaker announced the happy news, “False alarm, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve been delayed, but now we’re back on course. Please resume all normal activities.”
“Another problem!” Max said anxiously. “What more can happen?”
Henry said in a puzzled tone, “What do you suppose the splash was that Heather heard?”
“I don’t know,” Violet said, “but it was odd, wasn’t it?” She smiled. “I’m glad, though, that the captain keeps such close track of all his passengers.”
“Whew,” Benny said with relief. “I’m glad we don’t have to worry about a drowned person anymore!”
“Me, too,” Jessie said.
“Looking at all that water made me think of the pool,” Benny said, wiping his forehead. “Let’s go for a swim.”
“Yes, let’s,” Jessie agreed, smiling. “I’m glad everything turned out all right.”
Violet grabbed Benny’s hand. “Let’s get our suits on.”
At the pool the Aldens sat in the sun. Jessie, dangling her feet in the water, said thoughtfully, “Do you think someone delayed the ship on purpose?”
“Maybe,” Henry said, shaking his head. “Look at all the strange things that have happened. First the radio goes out, then the phones, and now a mysterious alarm about a man overboard.”
“What next?” Jessie said, frowning as she rubbed suntan lotion on her arms.
“Funny,” Violet said, “but the phones and the alarm all happened after the new passegers came aboard.”
“Max is acting pretty weird, too,” Jessie said. “Maybe he’s trying to sabotage the ship.”
“It’s scary,” Benny said with a shiver. “But I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’m going in the water.”
Henry grinned. “Good idea, Benny.” At the deep end he dived in and swam to the shallow water. “Come on in, Benny,” he urged, holding out his arms.
Laughing with glee, Benny leapt in, followed by Violet and Jessie.
When they’d finished their swim, they ate hamburgers at the poolside cafe, then decided to top off their lunch by stopping at the ice cream bar. Benny ordered a banana split, Jessie a hot fudge sundae, Violet a chocolate shake, and Henry a butterscotch sundae.
In the afternoon the children relaxed in deck chairs alongside Grandfather, reading their books. The day had turned cloudy, and the sea became rough, whitecaps billowing on the high waves.
“This is fun,” Benny said. “I like it when we go up and down.”
Max joined them, sitting beside Grandfather. “That was very strange . . . the cry of ‘man overboard,’ wasn’t it?” he questioned in a worried tone. He glanced anxiously over his shoulder.
“Max,” Henry said boldly, “is something troubling you?”
“Maybe we could help you,” Violet said softly.
Max glanced from one Alden to another. “Yes,” he said, looking down at his clasped hands, “I do have a problem. I hope, though, that what has happened isn’t putting friends such as you in danger.” He rose. “I-I can’t talk about it now.” Head down, he walked away.
“Why won’t Max confide in us?” Jessie asked.
“I think he will when he’s ready,” Grandfather replied.
Violet closed her book. She cared about Max, but maybe, she thought, he had caused all this trouble. It was up to them to find out what was going on. |