— CHAPTER 1 —
PORT SAID
‘LIZZIE, HAVE YOU had
any news of Albert?’
Boats drifted slowly out to the starboard side of
our ship—small fishing vessels that from the stern of the Prometheus
looked no bigger than walnut-shells.
‘I got a letter from him a couple of days before
we set sail from London.’
Miss Otis smiled. ‘And how is the young man?’
‘He says Mrs Thorne is keeping him busy setting
up the orphanage.’
‘And your sister?’
‘He says Mary’s improving all the time thanks
to the good food and the clean mountain air.’ I caught the smell of salt
on the breeze. ‘Oh! Look—’
‘What is it, Lizzie?’
‘A huge fish! Oh! And there’s another…leaping
right out of the water!’ I steered my blind friend towards the railing and
began to describe what I could see. ‘Lord, I think they’ve hooked one:
they’re pulling it in now.’ The poor creature was thrashing about wildly
as they hauled it on deck. ‘Why, it’s enormous…almost as big as
the boat itself!’
‘Tunny fish,’ the old lady chuckled. ‘A common
sight throughout the Mediterranean. Not only do they grow
to the size of cows, but their flesh apparently tastes like beef. They’re
considered quite a delicacy in these parts.’
‘How strange! Fish that tastes of beef…I don’t
think I’d fancy that.’ As I watched, the fish in question grew weaker and
weaker until all it could manage was the occasional jerk.
‘Are you worried, Lizzie?’
‘Worried?’