joyshirley rose after sunshine beat her resoundingly at Uno.
"Good on you, sunshine!
I never was much good at card games."
"I am very good at surprising people, though," js thought to herself as her phone buzzed into action.
David and the others were still engaged in earnest conversation. At least, they were attempting to pacify David who was getting quite vociferous in his demands that his ship be reinstated immediately, that the decks be swabbed, that ribs be cooked on the deck of his ship for supper, that his ship better not be lying at the bottom of the sea or - or - or - and here words failed him.
js felt terribly sorry that the old tub had had to be sacrificed. She observed the rest of the crew sitting round, looking lost and a bit bored as they awaited the next move.
At that moment, a young man looked into the tent, spotted js and went over to her.
"Who is that?" sunshine asked. He's not one of the crew, but he seems to know js."
"js appears to know people in all sorts of weird places," Dr Sphinx said dismissively, turning his attention back to evading Sam's latest question.
"All set, then? Ready to sail on the tide?" js whispered.
"Yes - in one hour's time. Don't muck around or you'll be stuck here all night," js' companion replied, before slipping out of the tent.
"David, do you feel well enough to step outside for a breath of fresh air?" js asked solicitously.
'You bet!" David boomed. "Tired of livin' in a tent. Want some sea air in my lungs! Give us your arm, matey!"
David stepped outside with js and took a deep breath. Colour returned to his face as he gazed around at the bay. It really was rather beautiful, being far from the maddening crowd and unspoilt by human footprints.
"That's a beauty out there!" David said, his gaze fixed on a sturdy and well-weathered little ship anchored in the bay.
"Captain..." js began.
"Not Captain of my own boat any more," David said sadly.
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, though. That boat is yours! Well, ours! It's about to be put out to pasture, as it were, so we can have it for nothing! I know - it's wonderful, eh? There is nothing wrong with it and room for all of us. It's just waiting for a Captain to take command. So get your crew on board and let's get out of here!"
By now, js was dancing in excitement as David looked astonished, then let out a roar of "All aboard!!"
The others came rushing out to see what the noise was about.
"How did js manage this, I wonder?" Dr S whispered to Sam.
"Must know someone. Better than a hike through Somalia in this heat, though," Sam replied.
"Come on, Sam, Dr S, everyone! If we get moving, we'll be miles away before anyone figures out where we have gone. Tie those two men up!"
The Captain was totally back in his element now.
js rushed to load gear into the rowboats nearby and an hour later, everyone was on board. Raising the anchor, the little ship melted into the outgoing tide.
"The voyage continues and I'm where I belong - on me ship! Now where's my supper? I'm starving!" David grinned.
