Chapter Four
Linda moved almost automatically for several moments as she performed an abridged version of her morning preparations, totally skipping make-up, then went back to his cabin and dressed rapidly. By the time she reached the galley, the coffee was perking softly and she smiled as she began to check Karl's supplies to see what she could make for breakfast.
Karl came down from the bridge with a grin on his face.
"Well, the old cat is up and around." He chuckled. "I looked for him down here and he seemed to have disappeared, so I went up top. There he was laying on my seat under the wheel. As soon as he saw me, he started to purr like a buzz saw."
He started rummaging in one of the cupboards.
"I think there's an old can of fish here somewhere. Ah there it is." He pulled back with a wide grin on his face.
"Cat food?" Linda questioned him as he looked up.
"Yeah, it will have to do for now. I know it's not the best thing for him but I'll work out something better later." He reached for a small bowl and then opened a drawer to pull out a can opener.
"How long would it take you to catch a fish?" She asked quietly.
"Hmm, why." He paused.
"Well, one day we might need that can as food for ourselves." She almost whispered.
"Oh I think we can spare one old can of tuna." He said offhandedly, then he looked directly at her, taking in the expression on her face.
He frowned for a second and then smiled slowly as he set everything on the galley table and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her in a gentle embrace, he stared directly into her eyes.
"Linda, I like the way you think and I agree that we need to be careful of our supplies but I need to feed that old cat right now, not later. I rescued him too and I want him around almost as much as I do you. Both of you are very important to me at the moment." He sighed deeply. "I can't explain it but I need to feed him right now. I suppose I'm doing it in an attempt to try to make up for what he's suffered."
His face was screwed into an expression so intent that she could hardly meet his eyes. She felt a sudden understanding of his feelings. He'd come through the disaster unscathed and it was as if he had to atone for that somehow. He still had all the things that he loved around him while she and the cat had almost lost their lives as well as everything they were used to. Tears flooded her eyes and she pulled herself tightly to his chest, holding him close.
"I'm sorry." She said softly, as she snuggled against his chest. "I didn't understand."
"I'm not sure I do." He murmured, his hands gently caressing her back as he held her close.
She didn't say anything for a moment as she sought to get her tears under control, then pushing back against his chest with both hands she looked up at his face. He looked like he had done something wrong and didn't know just what it was. For a moment she didn't know what to say. She took a deep breath and then smiled tearfully up at him.
"You're just being kind." She whispered. "And I think you need to feel like you're caring for him in your own way. I had no right to even question you."
"Wait a second." He interrupted her. "You have as much right to say something as I do. I want you to get that straight right now."
She had to chuckle.
"Then you should let me finish what I was saying." She smiled up at him.
"Sorry, the floor is all yours." He grinned sheepishly.
"Thanks, I was trying to say that you were right and that I was wrong."
"I was?" He frowned.
"You were." She smiled and then on impulse she lifted to her tip toes to kiss him lightly. "I doubt he'll understand but you and I will. You're being kind to someone, or in this case something, more in need than you are and actually I think it's sweet."
She pulled back and spun to open the can of fish herself.
"Don't give him much." Karl said quietly. "We'll save the rest for later, but if he's been starved for days his stomach will be shrunk and he won't be able to keep much down."
"Okay." She smiled at him. "Where do we keep the rest of it?"
"Oh, I'm standing on the cover to my cooler." He said, stepping back and bending over to pull up a small hatch. "It's right against the hull and the water around here is so cold, it stays cool most of the year, except in midsummer, for that there's a solid state cooler inside one end. It doesn't take much power, but I have it on a special thermostat, so it uses even less power."
The hatch looked thick and she realised that it was insulated. Under the hatch was a metal box that held several small containers of food and even a flat of eggs. He dumped what was left of the fish into a container and set it below, grinning up at her as he arose and put back the lid.
"You keep surprising me." She said quietly.
"Pardon?" He questioned, looking into her eyes again as he picked up the small bowl of fish from the galley table.
"You seem to have the most interesting answers to problems. I was wondering where your cooler for perishables was, since I couldn't see a fridge. I know what a problem that is when you're away from shore power." She smiled. "You seem to have all the problems solved in some original manner or other."
"I wish." He smiled. "After being around boats for years, I've learned that I don't really know anything. It doesn't matter how prepared I think I am, mother nature still takes me by surprise."
"Yeah, but probably a lot less often than she does most people." She laughed softly. "Let's go feed your cat."
He led the way up to the upper cabin and let the cat sniff at the food, before setting it on the floor. Purring loudly, the cat slipped down easily and as they watched, it fed ravenously, cleaning the bowl with it's tongue and looking for more.
Karl slipped an arm around Linda and grinned at her.
"That makes me feel much better."
"Can we make breakfast now?" She smiled as she turned to face him.
He chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Okay sexy." He leaned down and kissed her.
She sighed and relaxed into his embrace, his kiss was intense, demanding, and yet tender. Even after her lips left hers, she held herself against him, feeling warm and wanted as he hugged her. Opening her eyes, she grinned up at him.
"To misquote an old saying; 'Coffee, breakfast or me.'" She murmured.
"All three." He laughed. "I'm greedy."
"All three?" She grinned. "Can you handle everything at once?"
"For you, I'd almost be willing to try." He laughed. "But do you suppose we could have coffee and an egg with toast first. Since we're surrounded by water, I'm hoping you aren't about to run off, at least not before I get the chance to try to seduce you back into bed."
"Ah, I think I'll stick around for that, I think I might enjoy it" She pulled away slightly. "After all, so far I think I've been the one seducing you."
"And doing an excellent job of it." He grinned. "Now, do you want me to cook breakfast?"
"Unh uh, I want to cook for you, but why do you ask?"
"Well, the batteries are down a bit and I really shouldn't try to run the fog horn for long before they're recharged. I was thinking if I grabbed a cup of coffee, while you were cooking, I could fire up the boiler, run the generator to charge them, then maybe sound the whistle a bit while the steam pressure was up."
"You do that. I'll bring you a coffee." She smiled and turned toward the galley. "What do you like in it?"
"Black with just a bit of sugar, maybe half a spoonful. I'm sorry, I don't have any cream, but there should be some powdered milk in one of the cupboards if you want that." He said quietly, already busy at his controls.
"That's okay." She called back as she went below. "I take it black too."
She heard him shift and move above her, then a slight roar in the space aft of her where he'd said the boiler was. Suddenly the fog horn made its first sonorous sound and she jumped in surprise. Chuckling at herself and her surprise, she filled two cups, added a small spoon of sugar to one, and took them both back above. She handed him his with a grin as he lifted the cat from his seat and settled back to stare at a variety of gauges in front of him.
The cat stood for a second, swishing its tail from side to side in annoyance, then stalked over to leap easily to the window sill and stare out the window.
"Thanks." Karl said absently, his gaze rivetted to his instruments.
"How would you like your eggs? " She asked quietly.
He didn't seem to even hear her. She sipped her coffee slowly, watching his weather-beaten hands make tiny adjustments to his controls, then smiled at him as he turned to face her.
"Sorry, I like to be sure everything is okay when I first fire the boiler." He said quietly. "I'll show you all this later and explain it as best I can."
"I'd like that." She answered. "I do like to understand things."
He grinned and spun the chair around to face her, setting down his coffee and holding out his arms to her.
"I'll bet you do, I'm learning to like you very much." He said quietly."Would you consider sitting in an old man's lap?"
"Nope, I wouldn't sit in an old man's lap, but I'll sit on yours anytime that I'm invited." She grinned setting her cup beside his and then snuggling into his lap.
She kissed him before he could speak, then pulled back to stare into his eyes.
"I asked you a moment ago, how do you want your eggs?"
"Anyway you want, as long as they're out of their shells." He smiled as his hand lifted to cup her right breast.
"Good." She smiled, pushing his hand away and slipping from his lap again. "But I'm going to do it now, you can play with my body all you want, after you've eaten something."
"Spoil sport." He called after her as she retreated down to the galley again. "I was just going to show you how much I was learning to like you."
She just laughed, and began to search the galley, finding what she needed to make breakfast, glad he had shown her the cache in his cooler. As she worked, she could hear him moving about above her and thought she heard him go out onto the deck. In only a few moments she had mastered the oil stove and had scrambled eggs sizzling in a skillet while she made toast over the other burner. She found herself humming and paused for a second to realise that she was the happiest she had been for a long time.
She chuckled at her own good humour.
"Don't bother analysing it, gal. " She thought to herself. "Just enjoy it and go with the flow."
Taking her own advise, she went back to humming softly and soon had breakfast prepared. Cocking her head to one side, she listened to see where Karl was. There, that was the creak of his swivel seat above her. She smiled and filled a tray with their breakfast.
"The way to a man's heart?" She giggled. "Maybe, but right now, it doesn't matter, both of us seem to be delighted with the other, so why fight it. After breakfast, maybe I can get him back into that bunk of his."
When she came up with the tray in her hands, the cabin felt decidedly warmer than it had been when she went below. Karl turned as she set it down on what she assumed was his chart table even though it was clear now.
"Let's eat it while it's hot." She smiled.
"Thanks." He whispered softly. "Just having you here is wonderful."
She realised he was in a heavy mood, just from his voice and she didn't want to lose her own happy mood. She wanted the banter they had enjoyed a few moments before, so as she reached for a deck chair, she tried to think of a come back that would snap him out of his sombre mood. The fog horn blowing every few seconds wasn't helping her mood, and she would have wagered that it didn't help his either. They both needed to change their sombre feelings somehow and Linda wanted to talk.
"That's okay, sexy. I'm glad I'm here." She grinned as she turned back to him. "Now let's eat so you have lots of energy to seduce me like you promised."
It worked, she could see his face change.
"It would be a shame if I couldn't do that, wouldn't it?" He smiled softly.
They chattered easily during their breakfast and she made sure she kept the conversation away from their present situation. It wasn't until after they had eaten and were relaxing over coffee, that the subject suddenly changed.
"I wonder what happened to everyone?" Karl said quietly.
"Pardon?" Linda asked, almost as quietly.
"Well, after an earthquake, I'd have expected more people around."
"I think we're just in the wrong place."
"What do you mean?" He frowned.
"The earthquake hit and knocked everything down, then the tidal wave just swept it all away." She whispered.
"I don't understand that, I didn't think tidal waves hit at the same place as the earthquake that caused them." He frowned.
"Maybe this wasn't the worst part of the quake. Maybe somewhere else got hit a lot harder. And then again, maybe there were two earthquakes." Linda sighed. "One somewhere further away, and it triggered the one that hit here, as well as causing the tidal wave. I know there were several other tremors after I was washed ashore."
She shivered as she remembered how they had felt, hoping she would never have that feeling again.
"Yeah, that might be it." He said softly. "But what did you mean about being in the wrong place?"
"Well, if we got past the tidal wave damage, there's probably lots of survivors and by now they're probably helping each other."
"I hope so." He said quietly and then lapsed into silence.
She didn't know what else to say so she sat quietly.
Karl stood slowly and adjusted his controls, then turned to stare out the window. She stood and moved to stand beside him. Both of them stared out at the murk and rain outside the window.
"I know I can't safely go out there, but if someone is laying there, injured and helpless . . ." He said quietly, his voice drifting off to silence.
"Stop it." She growled, wrapping her arm around his waist. "You can't take all the woes of the world on your shoulders."
"But there might be someone out there we can help."
"I am not letting you go out there and risk your life on the off chance that you might find another cat, or dog, or even a person that you might or might not be able to help, not when it's as dangerous as it is right now." She spun his body so she was looking directly into his eyes. "We will go . . . together . . . when it's safer, but you aren't going anywhere by yourself."
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere without you." He smiled as he took her hand. "It's just that I need to do something."
"You are doing something." She insisted. "Hear that fog horn, that's signalling people that someone is out here and you're staying fit and healthy so that when the weather changes, we can do something more energetic."
He laughed ruefully.
"Damn you." She growled. "I am not letting my man risk his life and mine on a whim."
His hands lifted to her shoulders and he stared into her eyes.
"What did you just say?" He said quietly.
"Huh?"
"You called me your man." He murmured.
"Well you are." She whispered, smiling up into his eyes. "I'm laying claim right now. Either those damn sisters of your share with me . . . or I guess I fight both of them."
Suddenly he was kissing her, picking her up, carrying her below. She couldn't have explained the feelings running through her body. This was what she wanted, what she needed. His lips were tender, yet demanding, his hands were gentle but forceful. She wanted him, encouraged him, helped him to strip off both her clothes and his, until both of them were nude and touching in lustful embrace.
Her arms went around his shoulders and again she helped him as he lifted her body to set her gently on the bunk. She slipped to one side, making room for him and grasped him with both arms as he slipped to her side.
She almost expected to be raped, but instead once they were in the bunk he teased and played with her until she was nothing but raw desire, her body aching for satisfaction. He strummed her body like an instrument, his hands, his fingers, his mouth, his tongue, every part of him, gently tantalising her until she was almost screaming for relief. Then just when she knew she was going to go insane if he went any further, he pressed her back, surged above her, and then satisfied her every desire.
His body met and matched her every motion. He was gentle but firm, and she felt herself trusting his every movement, relishing ever nuance of his slow gentle loving. She felt his body enter her so deeply, so thoroughly that it was like his body and hers were one. Her body escalated into one overriding continuous orgasm. As his desire peaked and his body heaved in fulfilment, she rejoiced in complete satisfaction while the torrent of ejaculate filled her in surging cascades.
Afterward, she couldn't stop smiling. She felt him relax and fall asleep in her arms. She sighed in satisfaction, then somehow managed to pull a blanket over them both before she joined him in sleep, astounded that she was as sleepy as she was.
She awakened to his blue eyes, inches from hers. She sighed softly, this time there was no jolt of fear on awakening, just immediate trust and love, like she had never felt before.
"Hi Sweetheart." He smiled.
She felt his hands touching her gently, relishing their feel on her skin. She stretched slowly.
"Wow." She grinned at him.
"Ditto." He chuckled, one of his hands lifting to caress her cheek gently.
She felt a thrill run through her and turned her head to touch his fingers with her lips.
"I hope you have those fingers registered as dangerous weapons." She whispered with a grin.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Your touch drives me crazy." She giggled softly.
"Oh." He laughed quietly.
"I love it." She murmured, her lips reaching for his.
It was several minutes later that she sat up slowly, then turned and pressed him back as he started to rise.
"You lay still." She smiled at him. "Anything you want, I'm going to get for you."
"Well, you're going to have an easy job then." He smiled. "I just want you close to me."
"Is that all?" She grinned. "How about if I feel like playing with you like you did me?"
He laughed and lifted his hands to her cup her breasts.
"Later maybe." He grinned. "Let's not rush all our pleasures into one day. I intend to hang onto you for a while."
"Just in case something rises to the occasion, I want to be ready." She giggled and shifted her leg to straddle his hips.
Now she was sitting facing him, her belly above his, her head bent forward over his. Her face was warped into such a tight grin that it almost hurt. His hands caressed her breasts gently and every movement thrilled her to her toes. Somehow, while it was arousing, it was also extremely satisfying to know that he liked to touch her. She twisted her head downward to watch his fingers caress her breasts.
"I think you've got a breast fetish." She murmured.
"In your case, yes."
"I wish they were bigger then." She sighed, lifting her eyes to his.
"I'm glad they aren't." He said quietly. "I like the way you carry them. I've always liked to see women who don't wear a bra. I like the way breasts move without support."
Something about the way he spoke thrilled her. She stared at him and tears came to her eyes.
"What's wrong?" He said quietly, noticing the change in her mood instantly.
"I'm scared." She whispered.
"Why?"
She could hear the concern in his voice, knew it was real and yet even that scared her even more. "It's just . . ." She broke into tears and collapsed onto his chest.
He wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly but gently. She found that his arms were exactly what she wanted, but she couldn't stop crying. Somehow he seemed to know that she needed to cry. He did nothing but hold her in his arms, letting her sob away her fear and insecurity.
She held him tightly, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear. She cried until she had cried herself out, then just lay there holding him for the longest time. He hadn't moved or spoken and she didn't know how long they had lain there. She lifted her head slowly to stare at him.
"Feel better?" He whispered.
"I'm sorry."
"Why? You needed to dump everything." He grunted. "You've been through a hell of a lot and I'm honoured that you let go in my arms."
She couldn't think of a response so she eased her head back down and snuggled close to him, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"It's okay, Baby." He murmured. "You're safe now."
"Mmm." She sighed softly. "I know."
She could feel a gentle desire to have him back inside her and she lifted her eyes momentarily to look into his, marvelling at the care she could read expressed there.
"He'd be a marvellous father." She thought to herself
Almost instantly another thought shocked her and she lifted her head to stare at him in consternation.
"Oh shit!" She exclaimed softly. "I just thought of something."
"Now what?" He asked quietly.
"Well." She whispered. "We didn't use any protection when we had sex and I'm not on the pill or anything. I'm pretty well at the worst time of the month for unprotected sex. With both of us liking sex the way we like sex, you might be getting me pregnant."
"Oh." He broke into laughter. "Is that all?"
His laughter infuriated her.
"What do you mean, is that all?" She almost shouted, her voice loud in the tiny cabin as she expressed her frustration with him. "I've never had a baby and I don't think I could raise one if I did. I'd be a terrible mother. On top of that there probably aren't a lot of doctors around right now who would be able to fuss with a pregnant woman. As you said, we're on our own."
He held her arms in his hands as she struggled to move away from him.
"Whoa." He demanded. "Don't get excited. I can't have kids. At least not easily. I thought I told you?"
It was like he had slapped her, she stared at his face.
"You can't have kids?" She mumbled. "But why?"
"I had mumps when I was sixteen and they went down into my testicles." He said quietly. "The doctors barely saved my life and they warned me that I was probably going to be sterile. My ex-wife and I had my sperm tested because she wanted kids. I think that was the real reason that we broke up. My sperm count is so low that there's only about one chance in a thousand or so that I could make you pregnant. And since I do have a son, I think I've probably had my kick at the can."
She stared at him in consternation and her eyes filled with tears again. Unreasonably, now that she knew she couldn't, she felt a desire rise in her to have his child for this man.
"I'm sorry." She sniffled, overcome by tears again.
"It's okay, in some ways it's a blessing. Although perversely, I think I'd have liked to have a bunch of kids." He laughed softly. "Isn't that human nature? You always want what you can't have."
It struck her as funny too. She broke into giggles even though the tears were still streaming from her eyes. Both of them drifted into almost hysterical laughter for several moments, finally relaxing into smiles. She felt worn out, her body had been through so many emotions in such a short time that she was unsure of just how she felt. She rolled off Karl's belly, slipping to the side so she could lay beside him, turning her head and tentatively smiling at him. His hand lifted to stroke her cheek tenderly.
Although he didn't say anything, she could feel his care. She snuggled against his shoulder.
"Just where have you been hiding all my life." She whispered with a grin trying to be flippant.
"Waiting for you to grow up." He chuckled softly. "Just how old are you anyway?"
"Hmm?" She mumbled.
"I said how old are you?"
"Oh." She stretched. "I'm thirty-two, as of June the second, why?"
"Well, I'm forty-two, that means for ten years of my life, you weren't even a twinkle in your daddy's eye." He said quietly. "I've robbed the cradle."
"You did not. I seduced you, so I robbed the wheelchair instead."
He chuckled softly. "Come on, be honest, last night was just gratitude and an expression of relief for being safe, wasn't it?"
"Maybe at first."She giggled, then paused "No, to be truthful, it was mostly lust. I'm a very horny woman."
"I've noticed." He laughed.
"You aren't exactly a cold fish yourself." She grinned, running her fingers along the back of his hand as he caressed her breast again. "I think you've spent half of our time in bed holding one of my tits in your hand or sucking a nipple into your mouth. You've got a definite breast fetish."
"No, I've got a Linda fetish." Karl laughed softly, sliding both of his hands down and around her bottom to roll her back on top of him.
"Ha. Now your hands are holding the other part of my anatomy you seem fascinated with." She grinned down at him. "I've noticed where your eyes go."
"You caught me." He grinned. "Your buns fascinate me. They're your sexiest asset."
"Really?" She tensed and released her muscles to wriggle her bottom under his hands and grinned at him.
"How the hell do you do that?"
"Exercise." She laughed softly, relaxing again. "I don't diet, but I do like to have a nice body, so to keep my weight down, I exercise."
"I see." He smiled.
"Mm hmm." She snuggled against him. "But since you'd really like to have kids, I really think I'll volunteer to try out as a momma."
Then she laughed and shook her head, while he got a slight frown on his forehead.
"I can't believe I'm even thinking about getting pregnant." Linda giggled. "And you needn't worry. I'm not about to horn in on your relationship with either one of your other women. I'll just stick around for the times when neither of them is there. I'm not in a hurry or anything."
His frown deepened. "Shit, I don't even know where they are or if they've lived through this. The last time I talked to them was on the radio over a week ago. They were all planning on being on the island this week to meet me when I got home from my trip. Right now I think they might all still be in the Seattle area."
"That doesn't exactly sound like you're very close."
"It's complicated." He sighed.
"Most relationships are." She retorted. "What makes you think yours is more complicated than most others?"
"Well, when Ely and I are together, we're quite loving, but when we're apart we seem to relish the isolation from each other."
"And the other sister, Keri?"
"Oh, she's an opportunist. When Ely and I had our first tiff, she sided with me, then seduced me at the first opportunity."
"Oh shit." Linda rolled her eyes. "And what happened when Ely found out?"
Karl laughed sardonically.
"Not what I would have expected." He snorted. "I woke up with both of them in bed with me."
"What?" Linda said in astonishment.
"Yeah." Karl said quietly shaking his head. "I hadn't realised it but they'd had it all planned. They admitted it the next morning, after we'd all had sex together!"
"Oh wow." Linda stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"So then for a few days we all slept together, but we found that it got much too complicated. Neither of them really relaxed when her sister was there and I found it rather upsetting myself. So now we all seem to treat sex as a wonderful way of showing that we care for each other, but none of us tries to get very possessive. We know we can depend on each other and yet we don't want to push too hard, besides, they're both away a lot."
"It sounds like there might be room for me after all." Linda said softly. "If they're away so much, I'm surprised you haven't tried to bring another woman into the mix."
Karl just chuckled. "I live out on an isolated island, so in the first place there isn't much opportunity to meet women and when I do meet any, the ones I do meet wouldn't like being in that kind of isolation."
"Isolation doesn't mean fuck all." Linda growled. "For instance I like the idea of isolation, after living at a marina and having a neighbour ten feet away all the time as well as having boaters and tourists walking by the boat at all hours of the day, it sounds like heaven to me. I lived for a while at a friend's cabin after Jim died, it didn't have indoor plumbing or electricity and it was almost half a mile away from the nearest neighbour. I loved it, so isolation wouldn't faze me. I'll bet there are a lot of women who are the same."
"Don't be so sure. Loneliness even gets to me after a while." Karl grinned. "It used to get to the point where I was looking forward to George and the girls showing up on the island so badly it was unbelievable."
"Why didn't you just hop in your boat and go visit someone?"
"Oh I did occasionally, but it takes a while and costs a fair bit to come and go from the island. I used to try to get out at least once a month for supplies and such."
"Didn't people drop by to see you?"
Karl laughed heartily then explained slowly.
"You'd have to see the island to understand, but to most people the island seems to be unapproachable, just too damn much trouble to bother trying to land on. There are fifty to a hundred foot high cliffs all the way around it and no beaches, just deep water on all sides. George flies in by helicopter and he's had the cliffs posted with warning signs that the place is private, so most people don't even try to come ashore."
"Is he a hermit or what?"
"Almost, he's a writer and he doesn't like to be disturbed when he's writing."
"Okay, but if you live there too and you don't have a helicopter, how do you get ashore and where do you moor your boat?"
"If you approach the island from exactly the right angle, at exactly the right time of the tide and don't have a cross wind blowing from either side, you can make it. There's a small gap in the cliffs that leads into a deep narrow gorge and from that into a small almost landlocked bay right inside the island. You have to see it to believe it."
"Doesn't it show on the charts?"
"Sure, but it's marked as impassable at all but the highest tides and most people that come looking, think the chart is wrong, like I said, you have to be in the right place at the right time to even see the break in the cliffs. We only get about two visitors a year, and they mostly come by kayak at that. When they see the 'Skolka' moored inside they have a hard time believing I steamed her in. As I told you, you'll have to see the place to believe it."
"So, do you have a house there as well?"
"A log cabin, built back against a cliff face. The island is almost split in two by the gorge and the bay. George's place is on one end of the island. Mine on the other and the gorge runs in between. George had most of the materials for his place brought in from the air by helicopter and I brought most of what I needed in by water. We're pretty well established."
"How did you ever meet George in the first place?"
"Oh, that's a long story. I thought I'd told you the story, anyway, I guess it was over the radio. I'm an amateur radio fan, a ham operator and so is George. Did I mention that he's in a wheelchair?"
"Yeah, maybe you did."
"Well he is, and he uses the radio to meet and talk to people as well as keep up on the latest information. I got interested in ham radio when I put one on my boat that was before I found out that I could still do most things. Anyway somewhat later, he found out that I'd built a hydro outfit for some of my friends that lived up in the hills next door to a tiny stream and to make a long story short, he asked me to build him one on the island. I get along well with George as well as his daughters, and I fell in love with the place once I saw the island. Before I was done with building the hydro plant, he'd asked me to live there to be the caretaker when he was away and invited me to build myself a place to live in. I'd checked out the gorge by then and I'd sailed the 'Skolka' into the bay, so I jumped at the chance."
"I wonder if he could use a cleaning lady or a masseuse." Linda grinned.
"Oh George takes along a live-in nurse and housekeeper when he comes to the island. He's damn well off, I just hope he made out all right in this mess."
"If you're a ham radio nut, why don't you get hold of him?"
"The radio on the boat doesn't seem to be working." Karl explained. "All I seem to be getting is hash or heterodyned signals. Either everyone is trying to call out at once or something is causing interference."
"You have tried then?"
"A few times, but I was too busy to waste much time on it."
"We aren't doing anything right now." She grinned and stretched.
"Are you sure you want to get up?"
"Well, at the moment both of us are satisfied, you can always bring me back down, throw me on the bunk and have your way with me." She laughed.
"I thought you were mad at me and didn't want to take a chance on getting pregnant?"
"Oh hell, I was just feeling insecure." She sighed slowly and stretched to a sitting position. "Actually, I think I'll give Ely and Keri some competition. Now are we going to go see if your radio works?"
"Alright." He grinned, rolling from the bunk and reaching for his clothes.
Once they were up in the wheelhouse, Karl showed Linda how to turn on the shortwave set and warm it up. As soon as he turned it up, they were inundated with a welter of weird sounds.
"You can see what I mean." Karl frowned. "I don't get it."
"Would you get that kind of noise if too many people were trying to use their radios at once?"
"I suppose, but if I was trying to get through and there was someone else on the band I wanted, I'd try another until I got clear air, this is the same on all the bands."
"Pardon my ignorance, but what's a band?"
"Oh, it's a frequency allotment, the government sets regulations on the frequency you can use for ham radio. This is one of the most common bands we're listening to now, George and I use it quite often, but all the bands seem to be jammed."
"I wonder if it varies during the day?" She asked quietly.
"It might." Karl said quietly "I sure wish it were better though. Hell, right now I want information so badly it isn't even funny. I seem to have burnt out something in my AM-FM receiver so I can't even get regular radio reception."
"I've got a little portable in my bags." Linda volunteered. "But the batteries are dead."
He looked at her quietly. "I can probably jury-rig a power supply, if you don't mind my opening it up and trying."
"I'll go get it." She volunteered, heading below instantly.
Karl checked his battery levels and saw they were down a bit again, so he fired up the boiler and pulled open a drawer that held jumper cables and tools. Linda came back in seconds, holding a small portable with both AM and FM bands.
"Thanks Love." He said, taking it from her.
As Linda watched and the boiler came up to pressure, he sat in front of the small shelf that held his radios and opened the back of Linda's little portable, first checking the voltage of the batteries, then wiring it to work on the ship's batteries. When he turned it on, it was tuned to a station from Seattle. After a few seconds of listening they both stared at each other in consternation. They seemed to have caught a call in program in progress.
". . . and the report from our hospital patrol here in Spokane shows that as present we seem to have no further additions to the number of people in isolation in the local isolation wards. So we're contending that those of us who have been unaffected by the new flu should be allowed to have the ability to travel. We feel that the military is practising simple discrimination."
"Unfortunately, Mr. Atkins, you don't have to be sick with the flu to be a carrier or at least that's our understanding. However that's neither here nor there, the military is maintaining the blockade in the mountain passes and we have no influence on them."
"Well it's just as unreasonable, I have business to conduct in Seattle and I can't fly there, or drive there, or even walk there. How am I going to find out how my business is going? This military blockade is simply not fair."
"Well Mr. Atkins, I'm afraid that you're going to have to learn to live with it. You have to realise we had a severe earthquake here as well as a tsunami. Your business may simply not exist. Almost all local business's are closed anyway. Now we're going to have to go on with regular programming."
There was a short commercial break, announcing a curfew from dusk until dawn as well as a warning to boil all water before using it and then the announcer continued.
"This is Clyde Hopper at News Radio Seattle, formerly the Radio Studies and Broadcast Facility at The University of Washington. We will try to update you on what we know of our local situation. We're operating courtesy of the help and assistance of the National Guard. Here is Professor Donald Wilson to give you his report on the situation as we now see it."
"Thank You Clyde and thanks to the National Guard for their help. At the present time, this portion of Washington state seems to be still free of the major flu bug which has struck so hard in Oregon, California, and across the rest of the lower forty eight States, so the military blockade in the mountains appears to be effective, although it may be difficult for those held outside in the containment area, it seems to be protecting those of us who happen to reside in this general area."
"It is unknown at this time how the flu ravaging the majority of continental North America is passed from person to person, but it is believed at this time that direct human contact is required. It is believed to be a virus and is not believed to be transmitted by long distance airborne factors. In other words, it requires close human to human contact, however it is possible that it could be transmitted through any other animal factor as well, so stay away from animals including dogs and cats unless they have been constantly confined and have had no contact with other animals."
"Boil all water and cook all food before consumption. Any frozen foods are to be regarded as suspect at this time as lack of electricity will have allowed bacterial growth in the thawed foods. Remember that salmonella or related pathogens can kill you. Do not trust well water, rain water, or any free standing water, boil it prior to usage. Do not use water from a stream, river, or lake to wash clothing or your body unless it is treated with chlorine or boiled."
"I've just been handed a note about the small earthquake that happened about an hour ago. Its epicentre was just off of the Queen Charlotte Islands north of Vancouver Island in British Columbia and was a 3.0 on the Richter scale. It's doubtful, but there have been some minor tsunami effects along our shorelines, however as hard as we've been hit in those areas, at the present time we have no one who can report from there. If you have the ability to let us know, please do so, we would like to keep our updates as broad as possible."
"This quake is number sixteen more than 3.0 on the Richter scale registered at the Earth Sciences Facility here at the University of Washington in the last twelve days. This does not include the tremors we are registering constantly as Mount Saint Helens and Mount Rainier continue to vent. We are doubly lucky so far in that these are both minor eruptions and so causing smaller tremors as well as the fact that the wind had remained relatively constant from the west and thus has carried any possible fly ash away from us."
"In the case of a major eruption we are in a very precarious position. We are trapped between the mountains and the sea and are in danger of being victims of an influenza epidemic if we do travel, but travel is almost impossible because of earthquake damage."
"The military is on constant patrol and at last report has had to control looters at several different locations. It is our duty to warn our listeners that looters will be shot. We have had reports of gangs of thugs trying to bully their way into control situations in some locales and have been advised by the leaders of the military that these people will be caught and prosecuted."
"We have been advised that many individuals are disregarding the present curfew on random movement. Please people, cooperate with the military, they are doing their best to reestablish some sort of normality. At the present time all travel in vehicles of any kind is forbidden unless your safety is threatened. Do not travel by bicycle, motorcycle, car, truck, boat, helicopter, or airplane. Do not travel at all, unless you are in danger from your immediate surroundings and then travel only as far as necessary to reach a point of safety. It follows that you must report such movement as soon as possible to your nearest military establishment. "
"If you can hear this broadcast, we would like to advise you to remain calm and to remain as close as you can to your homes. Wandering aimlessly will not help you. It may take a while, but the army is doing its best to help."
"Any medical personnel of any sort are asked to please report your location to the nearest hospital or aid station, or failing that to try to report to some person or organisation of authority. This request includes all personnel. Doctors and nurses are desperately needed as well as any support staff who are familiar with hospital operation."
"Telephone and electrical service will be reestablished at the first opportunity, but major transmission lines and telephone interchanges have suffered massive damage. Please have patience. Repairmen are working with the military to effect repairs as quickly as possible. If you are trained as a repair person in any of the essential trades, please try to contact a person of authority and make yourself available to assist in the repair of essential services."
"We would also ask the people who have access to amateur radio broadcast equipment to keep their transmissions to an absolute minimum. There has been a tremendously heavy usage of this form of communication and the somewhat frivolous usage has caused total chaos at most times. Please show discipline and limit calls to an absolute minimum. Use only official call signs and stay within standard practice at all times. All transmissions should be held to an absolute minimum length."
"There are food and clothing reserves available that are being distributed at the present time through . . . "
Linda reached out and snapped the radio off.
"I'm sorry Karl, but I don't even want to hear that. We've got enough problems of our own." She turned and looked at Karl with a deep frown creasing her forehead.
"I think we should know." Karl said quietly. "Seattle is close enough that what they do could affect us."
"Maybe, but right now, I think we need to keep out of everyone's way. From the sounds of it there's a flu loose that they want to keep out of the area and there are just too many ways for it to get in. I think we should stay in isolation if we can."
"Oh I agree on that, inside of certain limits. I think though that we should listen and see what's going on, we don't have to even let them know we're here. I do think we might try to get in touch with George though. He's been good to me. I feel an obligation to him. If I can help him, I'd like to."
"What could you do?"
"Well, he has a place on another island, nearer Seattle. If he were stuck there, we might be able to be some help with the boat or maybe he'd just like to know that I and the boat are still here. I don't know, maybe we can get through the hash if we're careful. Both he and I are radio 'hams' so we talk to each other often. We don't even use call signs anymore, just 'handles'. That is he uses the name Grouchy Bear and I'm Keeper, that's so no one knows who or where we are unless they triangulate our position and that's damn hard. If we kept our calls short, they could never catch us even though it seems we're not supposed to use the radio."
She laughed softly.
"You sound like a little boy, hiding what you're doing from your parents."
"I'm afraid this is a hell of a lot more serious than that." He frowned. "This is an emergency and the military seems to have decided to control everyone's movement and activities. You might as well know if you haven't guessed, I'm not a real fan of military control."
"Oh I agree. It was just the idea of grown men using strange sounding names to talk to one another that I found amusing." She said quietly. "This situation might just call for it though."
"I think it does." He said slowly. "I don't want to set myself up so that I lose the boat to some stupid army ass who would probably sink the 'Skolka' on some reef or blow up the boiler from lack of feed-water."
"Okay, how do we go about it then?" She asked quietly.
"Well, the radio I have here in the boat probably won't reach George from here in the bay. We might have to try from out at sea, at least in more open water."
"Did that announcer say that there was an earthquake but that the tsunami had already passed?"
"Yes he did and it's almost low tide right now. What would you say to a night cruise, my love? We can take turns at standing watch while we're out?"
"I'd rather spend the night moored here, but I suppose we'd better go out and try to talk to George if it will make you sleep easier."
"Thanks." He grinned. "It will make me feel better just to try. I'll tell you what, lets try from right here, the batteries are right up so we can send at full strength."
"Will it be better out away from land?"
"Yeah, but it will take a good two hours to get out of the bay and out into clear water. This is such a safe mooring. I hate to leave it."
"So let's try it here, then tomorrow we can go ashore and do all the salvaging of stuff you wanted. Afterward, if we don't get through tonight, we can go out to sea and try again."
"That's a good idea, once we've salvaged all we can from ashore, I wanted to head for the island anyway. I want to see how my cabin fared."
"Let's hope it's still standing."
"Oh I think so, it's quite solid and it's high enough that any tsunami would have a hell of a hard time reaching it. The idea of an earthquake worries me though, I'm not sure what damage the cabin would take."
"Well, we'll hope for the best. We can still live on the boat if it isn't, but right now lets try that radio again."
So they left the portable turned off and went back to the short wave radio. As they flipped through the bands, they found one that seemed a lot quieter. There were squeals and pops but there were no voices as far as they could tell. Karl's demeanor changed, becoming very serious as he concentrated. He leaned forward, concentrating as he tuned carefully.
"I think I'll try it." He said very quietly, then glanced at his watch. "At this time of day and on this frequency though, who knows?"
He paused and listened again for a few seconds before he picked up the microphone.
"CQ Grouchy Bear, calling Grouchy Bear. This is Keeper come in Grouchy Bear."
He paused and listened for several seconds. After a short wait, he repeated his call, then paused and waited again.