Ghost Messages (11 page)

She desperately tried to grab something to hold onto, but the railing was slippery and she fell, tumbling down the steps and hitting the deck below with a hard thump that knocked the wind out of her. The force of the landing sent her rolling out of control across the rain-soaked planking directly toward the open edge of the ship.

It all happened in an instant.

Screaming, Ailish felt herself flung into the frigid darkness.

Whirling and spinning, she plummeted downward, dread closed her throat as she waited to slam into the icy waves far below.

With a bone-jarring
whump,
she landed, not on the hard surface of the sea, but on a solid wooden ledge. Scrabbling with frozen fingertips, Ailish managed to grip a cleat nailed to the structure and hang on. She groaned as she sucked air back into battered lungs. Terror seized her anew as the waves, like deadly dragon talons, clawed at her each time the ship rolled and her precarious perch dipped closer to the iron-grey ocean.

She’d fallen onto the shroud of one of the huge paddle wheels that flanked either side of the
Great Eastern’s
hull. The ship seemed to sail smoothly enough on the deck, but here, suspended so far over the churning water, she was tossed about like a rag doll with each wave surge. Spray as cold as witch’s spit made everything slimy.

Her fingertips grew bloody as she desperately clung to the small wooden board attached to the paddle wheel housing. How long she could hang on, she wasn’t sure. Ailish struggled to get closer to the side of the ship and away from the edge of the narrow platform. One thing was certain; it wouldn’t be long before the sea claimed her.

“Help! Down here on the paddlewheel!” she yelled, then listened intently, hopelessly, for an answering cry. But all she heard was the storm’s unceasing wail. To Ailish’s desperate ears, it sounded like Davy’s voice calling out, a lamentation by her graveside. “Please save me!” she shouted back into the dark face of the storm, knowing there was no one there.

She thought of her da and tears, as salty as the seawater drenching her, trickled down her cheeks. She hadn’t found his magical golden horse. Her father would spend the rest of his days wondering what had happened to her. Rufus Dalton would never tell. She realized with a pang that she wanted to say so many things to her da, like how much she loved him and that they were a great team. Now she wouldn’t get the chance.

The water was near freezing and Ailish soon felt a numbness stealing through her entire body. She laid her head on her arms, too weak to do more than wait for the inevitable.

“O’Connor! Up here!”

She must be near death, she decided. She could hear God calling her name.

“Lad, look up!”

Ailish slowly lifted her head. Someone
had
called her, and it wasn’t God!

“Here! I’m here!” She rasped weakly as she blinked, straining to see through the blinding rain. Blurrily, she could make out the face of Paddy Whelan, leaning over the ship’s side with a rope and round life preserver.

“I’ll drop this down to you, lad. Put the ring over your head and I’ll draw you up!”

She nodded, no breath left to answer.

With sluggish fingers, she grabbed at the preserver and dragged it over her head and under her arms. “Pull!” she called.

Paddy hauled on the rope. Ailish held tightly as she was lifted off her aerie only to be dangled perilously over the dark sea below. She closed her eyes, not daring to look down.

She swayed and twirled, holding on with the last of her strength, then after what seemed an eternity, she felt Paddy take hold and gather her to him. She was safe, safe at last. Death moaned in defeat and fled as great wracking sobs welled up from her chest.

“How did you know I was here?” she hiccupped, wiping her snotty nose on her sleeve.

“I went below to meet you and found the note you’d written and beside it, one in the dust telling me to come to the starboard paddlewheel. I heard you calling and looked over the edge. I don’t mind admitting, I was scared when I saw you stuck down there.”

“That makes two of us, Paddy.” Her head spun with relief. Had the strange wailing she’d heard been real? Had Davy called to her? Surely, it had only been the wind.

But it must have been her friend. Seeing the desperate situation, had he realized it would take more than he could do to save her? Had he left the second note sending Paddy, who was bigger and stronger, to rescue her while he… what? While he went to round up a posse to join in the rescue? She glanced about for him, then like a thunderbolt, she remembered what else was about to happen. “Paddy, we have to stop a disaster! There’s a huge wrench going to fall into the automatic release mechanism. The machine will be destroyed!”

Paddy didn’t argue. He took her arm and together they struggled back to the large piece of intricate machinery. They both spotted the cumbersome tool at the moment it finished its last slide and disappeared into the housing. Immediately, an ominous grinding sound started up.

“It’s going to seize at any second. We’ve got to get that wrench out!” Paddy raced to the wheels and reached into the shrieking apparatus. Ailish watched helplessly as her friend tried to free the tool. After several futile moments, Paddy shook his head. One of his arms was bloody from tearing vainly at the wrench. “It’s no good. The blasted thing is already wedged in. If I could pry the gears...”

Ailish saw a lifeboat hanging from a davit against the outside of the hull and ran to it, then faltered, staring down. Sixty feet below, the hungry sea reared up as if trying for a second chance to devour her. Terror squeezed her in its paralyzing fist and her muscles refused to obey. “No, no, no!” she hissed through clenched teeth, fighting to regain control. Desperately, she wanted to run and hide, but the cable could be destroyed and that was bigger than her fear.

Taking a deep breath, she scrambled onto the boat as it hung suspended over the ocean far below. The wind rocked and shook the small craft as she released one end of the tarpaulin and climbed inside. It was dark but dry under the cover, and she felt around for what she needed. At last her fingers closed on her prize. Grabbing the oak oar, she clambered back to the deck and then hurried to Paddy.

“Use this!”

Paddy took the stout length of wood and wedged it under the wrench, then leaned on it with all his might. With a crack, the wooden oar splintered in two, but not before the wrench popped out of the wheel assembly.

“Paddy, you did it!” Ailish cheered, swiping at the rain in her eyes.

“What’s going on here?” a harsh voice growled.

Ailish and Paddy whirled to see Dalton and several of his men standing behind them. In the eerie light from the storm, they appeared menacing gargoyles and Ailish took a step backward as a wash of pure menace rolled off Dalton and engulfed her.

“The Fenian scum is trying to sabotage the cable! You’ll hang for this, Whelan,” Dalton snarled. “Unless you’ve decided to take my offer…”

“You never give up, do you, Dalton? The answer’s still no. Now, shove off.” Paddy turned to check the damaged wheel.

“You drove that spike through the cable and when that didn’t work, you decided to try again tonight. No man aboard will see it differently!”

In the wavering glow from the lone electric lamp high on the mast, Dalton looked a true demon. Summoning her courage again, Ailish stepped forward. “No, Paddy’s trying to save the cable!” she shouted. “You left a wrench lying over the machinery today and it fell in during the storm. I tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen.
Instead, you almost killed me and caused a cable disaster!”

The smirk on Dalton’s face faltered and his men saw it. She realized she’d committed a grave error. Not only had she caught Dalton making a careless blunder, she had exposed him in front of his men.

His eyes grew as cold as the icy Atlantic. “A bald-faced lie! You and Whelan set this up.”

He lunged for her but Paddy stepped between. “You’re the problem here, Dalton. Don’t blame O’Connor.”

Ailish could see doubt cross the men’s faces. It was hard to lead an army if your troops thought you were incompetent and now, the seeds had been planted. She almost felt sorry for the fiend, almost… but not quite. Anyone could make a mistake, but the right thing to do was to own up to it and try to make amends. Dalton had done neither.

“What’s the problem, Mr. Dalton?”

Ailish turned to see the tall figure of Cyrus Field striding through the torrential downpour. “Mr. Field! Thank goodness.” She rushed to his side. “Sir… Paddy freed a wrench that had fallen into the wheels and now Mr. Dalton is accusing him of attempting to wreck the automatic release mechanism!”

“The Irishman’s up to no good, sir.” The crew chief interrupted. “We found him doing his best to sabotage the cable in the hopes the storm would hide his tampering.”

Ailish looked at Dalton in surprise. He was fast on his feet, that was sure.

The soft-spoken gentleman looked about the rain-washed deck and saw the wrench and the broken oar. “Did anyone actually see Mr. Whelan attempting to destroy the machine?”

Dalton didn’t answer.

“Then did anyone see him trying to save the machine?” Cyrus Field asked.

“Yes sir. I did.” Ailish spoke up as she shot Dalton a meaningful glare. “Paddy is not the one at fault here.”

“You’re not going to take a stowaway Irish brat’s word are you, Mr. Field?” Dalton asked in his gravelly voice. “I’ll wager my rum ration they’re in this together.”

“In America, Mr. Dalton, a man is innocent until proven guilty. I see no reason to dispute Mr. O’Connor’s word. It appears some inept sailor left the wrench where it could wreak havoc. I think we narrowly averted a disaster here this evening.” Mr. Field turned and walked away into the rainy night.

Dalton jabbed Paddy with his finger. “That does it, Whelan. You signed your own death warrant.” Then he and his men strode back down Oxford Street.

Ailish feared he meant what he’d said and Paddy’s life was now in real danger.

11

Fenians Aboard!

.-- …. .- - .. … - …. . .-.. .- -- -… … -. .- -- .

Saturday morning arrived with a cloudless sky
and air that smelled washed and clean. Ailish had decided to steer clear of Mr. Dalton for as long as possible and was busy playing with Dimples and her new lamb when Paddy walked up, swinging a basket brimming with freshly baked buns.

“I’m supposed to be working in the cable tank today, but since I’m injured from last night’s adventure,” he showed her his bandaged arm, “I asked Dalton if I could work up on deck instead. He wasn’t going to let me, but Mr. Field was there, saw my wounds, and suggested that would be prudent. I thought Dalton was going to choke he was so angry, so I decided I’d best leave.”

Paddy’s face became serious. “I wanted to say thank you for what you did last night, O’Connor. I’m not used to anyone sticking up for me.” He handed her the basket. “These are for your pet.”

Ailish beamed. “Dimples, say thank you.”

“Baaaa,” the ewe obediently replied.

“You too, Rainbow.”

The lamb gave a small bleat.

She fed two of the warm buns to the polite ewe, and then stroked Rainbow’s velvet ears. “I said nothing but the truth, and anyway, it’s me who should be thanking you. You saved my life.”

Paddy folded his arms. “I might not have made it in time if you hadn’t written me that note.”

Ailish shook her head. “That wasn’t me. Davy must have left it and then gone in search of more help, but I haven’t been to the machinery hold today to ask him about it. Charlie’s probably got him working again. He’s an amazing fellow.” She didn’t care anymore how obstinate and frustrating Davy could be; she trusted him and wanted their friendship to continue.

“I didn’t think there was anyone down there slaving except swabbies like me.” Paddy smiled. “I’m glad I could be of service. I’d say we make a fine pair.”

Ailish hugged the tiny sheep. “Isn’t Rainbow beautiful?” She said, not expecting an answer. “His fleece is so soft. I can already see him running and doing little sheepy things in a sunny meadow in Newfoundland.”

Paddy looked from the lamb to Ailish. “O’Connor, you do know why these animals are on board, don’t you?”

Ailish stopped cuddling Rainbow. She really hadn’t thought much about it, and then with a horrifying lurch, Henry the cook’s words came back to her. He said he hadn’t minded giving Dimples the buns and molasses because it would end up in the same place anyway.

The same place –
on the table!
They were fresh meat!

The animals were on board to feed the crew. “No, this can’t be! Paddy, we have to save Dimples and Rainbow. Please. We can’t let them end up as, as,” she swallowed, “mutton stew and lamb chops!”

Paddy burst out laughing in that big way he had as Ailish anxiously looked from ewe to lamb and then back to Paddy.

“Oh, stop looking like that, laddie. Dalton wants me in the tank for some reason, so give me a half hour and then we’ll go see Henry and perhaps, with a small incentive,” he winked at her, “our cook could be persuaded to go with roast chicken and not lamb stew.”