Prin pushed the cart through the darkened secret passageway. A liberal application of soap to the wheels had quieted the squeaking, and the garbage bag with it’s dreadful secret (today’s trash, yesterday’s man. Elwin tried not to think about it) rested on the bottom shelf of the cart where the mop bucket once resided.

  Elwin followed close behind, the corridors being too tight to walk side by side.

  “This will come out onto the deck somehow, in an area off limits to guests.” Prin whispered.

  Elwin didn’t know why he was whispering, except that it seemed to be the thing to do so he replied in kind. “How do you know?”

  Prin paused for a moment, then shrugged before continuing onward. “Let’s hope.”

  They soon came to a fork in the road, where two skinny paths continued and Prin stopped to contemplate. “Right or left?” he whispered.

  At this point it was fully morning, and a woman’s voice, then another spook from somewhere ahead. Elwin didn’t catch the conversation, but laughter echoed eerily through the claustrophobic halls.

  Prin made a split decision, apparently more confident than Elwin as far as where the girl’s voices had come from, and quickly headed in the opposite direction.

  At least, Elwin hoped he was confident. He followed his prince quickly down the left hand path and sure enough, they reached the deck.

  The cool salt air felt wonderful, like quickly melting crystals on Elwin’s hot face. The rail was only a couple feet high on this part of the deck, behind something. The on deck snack restaurant?

  “It didn’t go so well the last time we dumped one over.” Elwin said gloomily, still whispering.

  Footsteps approached, clip clopping on the weathered deck boards like a two legged horse.

  “Oh well.” Prin said lightly.

  Before Elwin could react at all, Prin lifted the entire cleaning cart, boney passenger and all, and dumped it over the rail. A long silence followed, punctuated at last by a distant sploosh, not much different than throwing a rock in a pond.

  Prin flashed Elwin a little smile of accomplishment before taking him by the hand to the very corner of the building and showing the way, before shimmying through the small gap between rail and building and disappearing away. Elwin followed quickly, grateful to see that they were now back on the guest side of the building.

  Though it had been a close one between that, caught, or unceremoniously tossed into the drink by an angry wave.

  “Despite everything we are uncannily lucky.” Elwin said.

  Prin gave him a wry look.

  *

  Aster woke up with a headache and a dull throbbing in her arm that kept rhythm with the beating of her heart. Well, it was better than a sharp pain she supposed. Also, what else was new.

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  She opened her eyes to see Dru sprawled out on top of the covers of the other bed, dead to the world still. Her boots were still on her feet and her arms were thrown up over her head. Aster could swear she was a man sometimes. They had stayed up late into the night drinking and strategizing. And despite her misgivings it had been . . . fun?

  Aster felt a pit in her stomach as she mourned the loss of her expensive necklace. No matter what Dru had been on about, she doubted they would be able to get it back. A beautiful thing, once lost . . .?

  Not only did the piece make her think of the captain, and they way he genuinely cared about her, and make her sentimental, but to think of all the meals and clothing it could have bought if sold in a pinch . . .

  Still, did she have anything better to do than to try? Aster had been getting bored anyway.

  And Dru was, if nothing else, not boring.

  Aster got out of bed and stretched. There was no time to be messing about. If they were going to pull this off it had to be today, or as soon as possible anyway. Who knew how long their time on this boat was to last anyway?

  Aster kicked the sole of Dru’s boot, going all wobbly when she did so, almost falling over. Aster caught her balance and giggled, maybe she was still a little drunk.

  Dru didn’t even stir.

  “Hey, get up!” Aster commanded. She hurriedly changed into a fresher blouse and skirt, although at this point in time all of the clothes were not as clean as they once were, and sat down to put on her neat brown boots with their pink ribbon laces. “I said, get up!”

  Aster went to the bathroom, peed, and strangled her messy red curls into some kind of floppy bun.

  Dru was either impossible to wake up, or ignoring her. She could have gotten more serious about it, tossing the lazy woman onto the floor, and see how she would like that. But Aster didn’t feel like going to the trouble. She was craving breakfast and wanted to begin preparing for the big heist right away.

  She giggled into her sleeve as she went to the door. “Goodbye! See if I need you anyway.” She slammed it behind herself as she left. Just for fun.

  No sooner had Aster stepped out into the hallway, than she saw Elwin and Prin coming towards her. They walked side by side with what seemed to be deliberate care and slowness. Elwin had his arm around Prin, whose head was floppy on his neck, leaning to the side to rest on Elwin’s strong shoulder. Their expressions were grim, or exceedingly tired.

  “Oh hello boys.” Aster squeaked out. She cleared her throat. A crawling anxiety crept up her spine and out over the nerve endings of her skin. Aster wanted to remember something about Prin carrying her home from the doctor’s appointment. She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to run away.

  Elwin gave her a smile, warm as usual. “Hello, Aster.” He said sweetly.

  Prin reached for Aster’s hand.

  Aster dodged his touch, with less subtlety than she would have liked. “You look tired. We’ll catch up later!” She called behind her as she darted down the hall and out toward the public safety of the deck. Aster could feel both sets of eyes following her as she went but they said nothing to stop her, not that it would have worked anyway.

  When she had caught her breath, heart beat slowed a little but still thumping in time to the heavy footsteps tromping around on the deck boards, Aster sized up the buffet.

  It looked amazing. Steaming hot biscuits and cinnamon rolls the size of a baby’s head on one end, with eggs (both scrambled and hard boiled), sausage gravy, and bacon slices in the center, with cut fruit of all sorts and pots of jam and butter on the other end, all shaded by the jaunty striped awning.

  Aster’s stomach growled in a very indiscreet manner but she dragged herself away and went back into the innards of the ship to find the fine restaurant favored by a certain aristocratic elder matriarch. Maybe Aster would get lucky and she hadn’t missed her.

  Cora was there, sure enough, wearing her usual full length black dress, this one with a little sparkle of faceted jet beads sewn into the bodice. Although her wardrobe was drab mourning gear, Aster had no trouble detecting the quality and expense of the garments.

  Sitting across from her was a good looking young man with shiny black hair and tawny skin, wearing grey trousers and a burgundy striped high collared shirt with a glittering broach that looked from here like a constellation of diamond stars. He was quite pretty.

  Aster’s curiosity was piqued and she hurried toward them with more pep in her step, trying to put Prin out of her head as a problem for tomorrow’s Aster.

  “Hello!” Aster called to them. “Do you mind if I--?” Before she could get out the words a woman walked past, tall and elegant in her well dressed splendor, wearing Aster’s diamond apple necklace.