Magnificent nose

‘Who’s down there?’

I glance at No Name in a wash of panic. My heart races and my stomach churns. He remains unmoved. I suppose it’s wholly unlikely pirates have swarmed the Frontier, held the captain to ransom, and are about to ransack the hold, but then again ...

‘Whoever you are, I shall have to report you to the Captain.’ The voice, fragile and tentative, trails from above.

That's no pirate. It's her. The inimitable Miss Celeste Burroughs, on her brisk morning jaunt no doubt. I curse under my breath. How could I have lost track of time?

I stumble recklessly up the stairs and throw open the hatch. The glare of the morning sun catches me unawares and, for a moment, I'm startled by the intensity of light and the floating diaphanous figure before me. I have to grip the hatch to prevent myself collapsing unconscious back into the hold.

She steps back in alarm. ‘You!’

‘Miss Burroughs, I …’

‘Well, I should have known. What are you doing down there? Who were you talking to just now?’ Her accusing voice is shrill. She peers over my shoulder and I move to obscure the hold from her prying eyes.

‘I don’t mean to be uncharitable Miss Burroughs, but I must ask you to please lower your voice.’

She stiffens and her magnificent nose rears up in disdain. ‘You? Must ask me? I think you forget yourself, young man.’

‘All right, all right, I’m sorry, but I learned something, only moments ago …’ here I glance about with a great show of caution, ‘… a secret, which I’d rather not everyone gets wind of … if you know what I mean.’

She looks away with a straight back and an affected snort. ‘I’m certain I do not.’

I look back down into the hold. Would she? I extend my hand in invitation. ‘If you’ll follow me miss, you can learn it for yourself ... first hand.' She gives me a fierce reproachful look, but I know, in that single glance, that she’ll follow, and my stomach gives a fearful lurch in response.