The Eyes of Beelzebub

They were just finishing dinner when the salon door crashed open to reveal a seaman in a long oilskin coat and sou’wester hat that covered his face. He walked across to the captain, leaving a trail of water on the floor. ‘You needed on bridge sir. Weather getting freaky bad. First mate sent me tell you, big storm coming, freaky big storm.’ The captain tried to stand. Lo Chow took his arm to steady him; the skipper had been one of the best captains he had served under. Trying to look sober, O’Flynn got to his feet and straightened his tie. ‘To the bridge,’ he said, as he shambled towards the door. The Chinaman followed behind protectively, ready to catch him if he fell. Rose, in a world of her own, was gazing at Nathan. With his long wet hair swept back, he reminded her of the actor who played the hero in the film, The Sword of Zorro. Alim decided to share his concerns about Nathan’s safety with Thomas. He leant towards him to whisper. ‘That Dr Kazzan is evil. He means the professor harm and …’ Thomas nodded, but he wasn’t really listening because his thoughts were elsewhere. He could feel the ship being lifted by the sea. He recalled his stepfather telling him about storms at sea, and joking about how he had spent a week on one wave. ‘Do you think we should put our life jackets on?’ said Timothy. ‘Life jacket?’ squealed Jack. ‘Are we going to sink?’ Suddenly the ship rolled to one side. The china crockery, still to be cleared, slid off the table, crashing to the floor. Rose put an arm round Victoria, who was looking terrified. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘It’s only a storm. It will soon be over.’ Lo Chow had managed to get the captain to the bridge. Williams was still at the helm. ‘It’s bad skipper. We are running into a hurricane.’ The shock of seeing the drastic change in the weather sobered Captain O’Flynn enough for him to take charge. ‘Keep her steady. Hold her into the wind.’ He rang down to the engine room. ‘How are we managing down there, chief.’ Bill Snipes looked at the old engine. ‘We are doing our best captain.’ The captain turned to Lo Chow. ‘Fetch me some black coffee, and keep calm, we have been in rough seas before.’ As the storm worsened, the professor began to worry. The captain had not seemed very capable and the ship didn’t feel very safe at all. He was concerned for his small group, who were very frightened. He couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. He staggered to his feet, holding on to the table. ‘I’m going to speak to the captain. You must all stay in here together until I return. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’ At that, Thomas nudged Alim. ‘We can’t let him go on his own. Let’s follow him.’ Rose didn’t notice they were missing until it was too late. She called after them, along the passageway, but they were already out of sight. Outside, Nathan was trying to reach the stairway that led to the bridge, but it was impossible in the strong wind. He was completely toppled, being washed along the deck on a sea of foam, like a turtle on its back. The Egyptian Princess dipped into the storm, a huge wave submerging the bows of the ship, lifting the stern out of the sea and exposing the propeller, which vibrated violently, sending a shudder through the aged hull. The sky was splintered by yellow streaks of lightening, flashing out like the devil’s tongue, licking at the sixty-foot waves that were constantly pounding the old vessel, which creaked and groaned as she steamed into hell. The professor managed to grasp a rope that was hanging from a derrick, to stop himself sliding overboard. He knew he was fighting for his life when the deck cargo of oil drums and large cases broke from their ties, sliding chaotically with the ship’s every list. Kazzan’s servant had followed the professor on deck and witnessed him being swept away, thinking he had vanished into the sea. Abu heard the door open behind him. He grabbed the handrail and stood back in the shadows, struggling to keep his balance. He was amazed to see the young boys appear, wondering whether everyone was crazy on this voyage. The two boys were hanging on, the wind and rain taking their breath away. ‘It’s no use,’ shouted Alim. ‘I can’t even see through the rain.’ Thomas agreed that they had to turn back, but it was too late. There was a mountain of a wave bearing down on them. It struck like a mighty hammer and Thomas lost his hold. Alim grabbed his hand, but he could feel his friend’s wet fingers slipping through his. Their eyes met in horror as their hands parted. Thomas’s screams were lost in the wind as Alim watched the sea sweep his friend over the railings. Suddenly a silver hook flashed, catching Thomas’s trouser belt and dragging him back, saving him from certain death. Alim had caught sight of the dark shadow, barely visible through the rain, moving with the speed of a gazelle to save his friend. Thomas was thrown, as if by magic, back to the doorway. Alim grabbed his arm, still not believing his own eyes, and pushed him through the door in front of him. As the door closed behind them, they leaned against the wall to catch their breath. Thomas was shaking, realising how close he had come to drowning. Neither boy was sure what had happened as they made their way back to the salon, but both thanked their lucky stars that fate had intervened in their favour.