by Tom Anderson
I closed my eyes and breathed. The music had shifted again, as if the electricity in my blood had polluted it. There was a soft moment of strings, buzzing with synthetic noise, and then this horrid jingle kicked in, as if some computer had taken over a keyboard and was trying to destroy it from inside. A sampled voice started shouting something about ‘dimensions’ and then the song cut out altogether, replaced with my song, midway through!
This was it. I was either going to be saved by music or taken away. I screamed, but no sound came out. The song lasted a line, then went all techno. Still my lyrics, but remixed to oblivion. And I was out the front door, into the roads that led back to shore, past the turnoff to my street and onto the dunes, with ‘Lucifer son of the morning’ racing centrifugal circles inside the cap of my still-heating skull.
I couldn’t tell you if it was my legs moving me – or if I was even really there by the sound of it – but as I passed the dune the troop of men was just starting to emerge from within it. I whizzed around, maybe even in the air, and from up above with a drone’s eye view watched the fixed face of their leader emerge from the fine sand, still wet from the goo below, one steady pace after another. They should have had the power to calm me, but I was too hot, too far gone from anyone else’s world.
I yelled at them: ‘It’s you, isn’t it! Gigi CARRANERO! It’s YOU! I’ve got my doubloon tonight and I know you can hear me! I know GABY-GABE-GABOO. Wanna meet her?’
The men kept moving. There was no response, no shift in pace, nothing to suggest I was there.
‘You’ll stop in your tracks if I get her,’ I yelled, then turned and ran back towards the roads and Jackdaw’s place.
I don’t know how long it had been, but there was no music left and no lights at the front. I ran around the side and there, on the back lawn, was Gaby. I recognised the guy she was with immediately. Skunk’s older brother, even under a porch light, was easy to spot. He had a softer, calmer face than Skunk, but the resemblance was one-hundred percent clear. It was a face which could have even looked kind, if it wasn’t for the fact he was hugging Gaby close against him, whispering in her ear. She looked like she was crying.
Out of the dark, a voice spoke.
‘Out of here now, retard, or I am going to paint the floor with you.’
Joe Poundes stepped into my vision, from behind the hedge joining Jackdaw’s house to the neighbour.
I slid away, walking back to the dunes as fast as I could without actually running, all the while shaking my head around in circles and breathing in hard to hold off the tears.
At the dune there was nobody, so I turned for the beach, step-step-stepping into a jog as I got near. The last two figures in the procession were just sinking below the surface, and I couldn’t see if the one backing them up was Gigi or not.
I yelled names inside my head:
Mr Carranero!
Gigi!
And then:
Alex!
Cee!
These were the people I needed to get to, now. Tonight had been because of their advice. It was their fault. What the hell were those two doing messing with my life like that?
I ran at the shoreline, at the patch where the men should be, and the warmth was almost there – fading, but just enough. I waded in, waist, neck, then plunged.
The voices, and the beat too, throbbed through the sea, faint, but still only just away – and surely there to be caught up with.
I yelled underwater. ‘WAIT!’
‘No worries, LLJ,’ came a reply, and the warmth grew around. My arms went over my head and I turned downwards, pushing with my feet as the ocean got deeper, heavier and hotter. The cool little trickles brushed past my face.
‘Wait!’ I shouted, again, and then caught the current of voices, this time many of them:
We are waiting…
Chapter 20
It was sand at the exit this time. In through sea, out through dune. Only this exit wasn’t a dune at all, I realised once I’d finished clawing my way out the other end. The pile of sand I came out of was stacked up on a flat quayside, right in the middle of a massive harbour at night, bathed in orange, man-made half-light.
My eyes were already adjusted to the dark, so I immediately saw Alex. I had come out of a mound of sand and gravel about twenty feet tall, and he was standing there at the bottom, watching as I dragged my legs out of the dust. His feet were planted on firm ground – concrete, I think – and he looked reluctant to step up onto the mound to help me down.
‘Luca!’ he said, arms outstretched to hug me.
‘That all went totally wrong,’ I shouted at him, my legs giving way to some kind of horrible tiredness and dropping me to the tarmac.
‘Luca, i’ss okay. You look worried. This is not necessary. Everything, i’ss okay.’
‘Says who?’ I looked ahead, along the floor and noticed yellow painted lines.‘Okay… Listen, okay? Many, many changes. I try to explain. But you must listen, because very important.’
‘Listening to you has got me…’
‘Luca, Luca. Listen.’
‘And where is this? I’m not doing anything till you tell me where I am.’
‘You are in Africa,’ he said, softly. ‘And quiet because i’ss the night and people are sleeping!’
‘Africa? Not possible, man. Come on. Japan last time. This isn’t right. Where’s Cee? I’ve got a big fat thanks-but-no-thanks to give for all her help.’
‘Yes, you meet Chie-eh, no?’
‘Fff…’ I went to curse her name hard, but Alex grabbed my mouth and clasped his hand over it.
‘No-no-no, Luca. No. Listen. Chie-eh make to help. Very many things to tell you. Come with me.’
He helped me to my feet, and started guiding me along the wharf.
‘This is South Africa,’ he said. ‘We are in porto of Durban! Very exciting place. And… You must to guess…’
‘Guess? What?’
‘Father is here with me! I so happy! Luca! Everything is working after you come to Cartagena. Policeman is coming to my corner of the road after two days when you leave. He tells me that he will try to find father, because very good to give good stories for his boss about helping the artisanos of our city.’ He winked at me, then added. ‘So the police put out information and then they arrest!’
‘Arrest?’
‘Yes. Arrest for sleeping in farm and bring him to city again. Very kind to arrest like this. Normally arresting is horrible, but not this time. I come with my mother to see, and the policeman tell my father, “You go free to family but no return to farm. We keep arrest secret, and you must return to good work!”’
‘He was in a farm?’
‘Yes. He try to farm to save money for family but police bring him back and make him scared to go to farm again, so no farm for father, and no death for father on farm!’
I wiped my eyes, and realised there was sand in my eyebrows and hair. ‘But… You’re in Africa?’ I said.
‘Yes! After some more weeks, father finds fire eater and juggling job… On big, big ship! He needs me too, as helper. Many tourists come to Cartagena on big ship and we working as small, two-persons circus on ship.’
‘You mean a cruise ship?’
‘Yes! Here is terminal.’
We rounded a corner, and there, moored along the next quay was a boat so big I lost my balance to look at it. Rows of windows, balconies and decks were stacked so high above our heads we couldn’t see the top even from here. A wide ramp had been lowered to the ground some way off from us, and my eyes followed it onto the lowest level, where some dim lights shone over a wide open entrance.
‘This is Alejo’s new home! We are two weeks in Port of Durban before more people on ship, then more one month sailing – one day on land for every three nights – then big sailing journey to Cartagena and can spend three wee
ks with family, then more two months sailing. Life is good now and this is Luca’s kindness doing!’
‘It’s not really much to do with me,’ I said.
‘Everything to do with you. And also guess.’
‘You mean guess what.’
‘I am swimming now, in the warm water like you, and this is how I am meeting Chie-eh!’
‘She told me,’ I said, remembering I’d come here to be angry with them both.
‘It is good. I have been many times now and always learning important things.’
‘I know. She told me about you. I knew it was you she meant.’
‘I lose my fire-eating stick under the warm place in the sea one time, but this is no problem because we have more, and now I am…’
‘Alex, how long have you been on this boat? Like, working with your dad?’
‘More weeks now. Maybe three months?’
‘But it wasn’t three months ago I came to you in Cartagena? It was only a few weeks ago…’
‘Time funny through the sea, no?’
‘So far it seems normal to me. I worked it out. I’m always showing up places at the time of day it’s meant to be. I was in Japan in the morning when it was night in Wales, and I was with you in the evening when it was night in Wales. Plus, isn’t most of Africa on the same time as Britain?’
‘Time is different,’ Alex repeated. ‘I learn this because I listen! You must listen too.’
‘Listen? D’you mean the voices under the sea? I can always hear stuff, but it never tells me anything.’
‘No? I’ss clear for me. And for Chie-eh.’
I rolled my eyes.
‘Must say “no” to being angry with her, Luca. She is right, Chie-eh. The girl, Gabrielle, she have something very important you can help with. You are helping people, but she, Gabrielle, is most important person to help. This I try to tell you now.’
‘Why?’
‘Luca, maybe you not hearing the voice very good because not now wanting to hear very good. Listen. You can see very well. Me? I never see men walking on the beach or in the sands. Same for Chie-eh. She never sees men too. You can see, but not hearing. Me, I can hear. I know who the man is that you see. He is antepasado, umm… ANCENSTOR! Yes, I remember word. He is father to father of father of Gabrielle! His name Gianni. Ghost of Gianni.’
‘I’d worked that out,’ I said.
‘Man is very lucky to be ghost. In many countries people spend mucho dinero trying to find ghosts of antepasado but never is anyone coming. Gabrielle and Gianni, and family, they are all very lucky. But must not tell her this. Better she never know, I think.’
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘Her head. Just maybe better this way. Gianni, he worried Gabrielle is not girl who will like him, so he wants it secret.’
‘She would like him!’
‘How are you knowing this? You cannot hear him. How do you know even you will like him?’
‘I can tell,’ I said. ‘I can see him, remember!’
‘Okay, maybe we can share stories and it helps us understand. Now listen to me. You hear me, no?’
‘Obviously.’
‘Good. So Gianni must follow, how do you say the word – like when racing cars go round and round?’
‘A track?’
‘Yes. Track!’
‘Or circuit, maybe?’ I rotated my finger in a circle through the air and Alex nodded. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I get it.’
‘Yes, circuit. I’ss same word in Spanish. Good. Circuito. Yes, he is on a circuit. This circuit is under the water and under the sands. It makes a circle though the earth, and is making the way for him to pass from one place to another place. You, and me, we have been using the circuit to travel now!’
‘What, through the warm water? You mean it’s going, like, through the earth?’
‘Luca. Where are you?’
‘Well, you say Africa.’
‘So circuit goes through the earth.’
I thought about his logic. ‘Yeah, but that’s not really, like, possible.’
‘Why not?’ said Alex, his face lighting up. ‘Circuit is opened from bad, bad spirit that Mr Gianni has found when he was living on earth. Now he must fight it with good and kind things. This man was pirate, and he help his friends do many bad things to all our countries. He and his friends hurt Cartagena de Indias and people with their kidnap and bad gold. But now he is not able to die, and he is on circuit, into sea, out of sand, or into sand and out of sea, going big circles under the earth, and i’ss possible to follow. This is what happen when we swim! We follow Gianni on circuit!’
‘So who are the other men?’ I asked. ‘And why am I the only one who sees them? Why doesn’t Cee come across them in Japan, or why have you only heard them but not seen them?’
‘Yes. Other men! They have the same problem as Gianni. Each one is choosing younger people who are living now, from all over the world, to help them. This is where you are chosen, and me, and Chie-eh. We are only Gianni’s choices, though, and the other men might be choosing people in a different time. It is Gianni who needs us all, and this is why he is the one you notice. It is simple and his plan shows how clever he is. He was in all our home villages when he was alive doing bad things.’
‘Tokyo’s not a village.’
‘Village, or town or city. You know what I mean. Gianni was doing his business in these places, and now he must help make something better in these places. But you… You, he needs to make Gabrielle’s life better. He cannot help her directly, I don’t think. Like I said, if he is antepasado it is selfish for him to be helping his own family – even if his help is nothing to do with money or power. If he can help you at same time, though, or me, or Chie-eh…’
‘What links us, though? Is it our parents?’
‘I think this is good possibility, Luca. It makes us friends, that we have this funny life where we are all wiser than our fathers. Chie-eh is the same. My father is funny, though. I like him being less wise than me. It makes me smile once I am used to it. Maybe you should find your father funny, too. Except that…’ He paused, and looked down.
‘Except that what?’
‘I tell you in a minute, something important. First though, let me tell you what I don’t know. I don’t know, Luca, why you are the only person seeing, Gianni. Maybe just the way you are made. You see. I hear. And what I do know… I know exactly who the men are that you see with him.’
‘The other dead guys off the Pictor,’ I said. ‘Maybe that’s why they show only at Chapel Shores. It’s so near to where they drowned.’
‘Ah, maybe. Hey, you are learning with me now! Yes. Some are from same boat as Gianni,’ said Alex. ‘Some from other boats but who knew him when they were all alive and doing horrible things. These men also are bad from long ago who now must help Gianni. All of them are, how you say… endemoniado…’ and he made horn shapes with his fingers.
‘Demon?’ I tried to guess, then realised what he meant. ‘Oh, damned!’
‘Yes. Damn. They have curse. They must walk this circuit to help their children and children of their children and friends of children of their children to do many good things to help, to help… Opposite of make or do?’
‘Undo?’
‘Yes, undo. To help undo most bad things from the times when they are alive as men. Young people living today, who they choose to call, are in a new chain, a new circuito – a circuito of kindness! The world needs this. But it is also why I am thinking “no” to telling Gabrielle. It’s more kind, I think, not to tell her you are helping her. Unless you are forced, of course. But maybe you decide this, when you are seeing her again.’
‘If,’ I said. ‘It wasn’t looking too clever when I left to come here tonight.’
‘I am sure this can be put in reparation,’ he said. ‘Luca. I think you are here now because
something more important is happening, and this is the bad we must help to make good for Gianni and the men who you can see and I can hear.’
‘This gonna be another visit to the local police then? Or maybe the harbourmaster?’
I turned away from him and walked to the edge of the quay. We were about a hundred metres off from the cruise liner, and the surface below was oily, shining back the lamps above. I saw my reflection, looking down, and watched it slightly rise and twist as small movements of energy shifted through the captive water.
Alex tapped me on the shoulder.
‘No, Luca. This is more important. We also must help you, now. Chie-eh tried but it is not finished. Gianni tells me to tell you to speak to Gabrielle, because she is in his family and he must help her. But you don’t come, so I give the message to the girl in Japan and something not go very well, so you fight with the girl.’
‘I didn’t even really get the chance to do that,’ I said. ‘She was so angry with me, man!’
‘Yes, but can make reparation always. Not to worry about this now, Luca. Now I must help you.’
He turned me gently around, and pointed to a tight alley through two tall dock warehouses. We walked through it, to find a small cargo ship the other side. Alex began whispering.
‘Luca, Father and me, we have been in port for ten days, and this is good for making friend with other boys living near. This boat here is very important. I have make friends with boy whose father is helping to load. This is not friends like you and me, or you and me and Chie-eh. This is not boy who swims. But nice boy. He not realise the important thing he tell me, and I only realise when sitting here in night and listen to the voices in the marea – how you say – yes, tide. Our journey is blessed by Gianni and he helps me find this boy, because…’
I interrupted. ‘What are you trying…’
‘Listen, Luca. This is very important, Luca. This time is not my father who is in danger. This time it is your father.’
My own flow of blood zapped me, quickly and quietly, and my heart thumped twice, hard, to send it back on its way. The veins in my arms warmed, and the cold of the night bounced off.
