Heron Fleet
Page 26
‘He reminded me that it was the tradition to give boats girls’ names, since they could be capricious.’
‘So he liked it then?’
‘Yes, I think so. He was quite well aware how capricious he could be himself and that the joke just might be on him. He would have certainly been pleased with that…’ David pointed upstream to where a waterwheel turned and a second race, wheel and tailgate were being constructed.
‘He saw the millwheel in operation, the last time he came,’ said Francesca. ‘The electric wheel next to it was his design but it wasn’t until the end of last growing season that we had enough electric floodlights to make it worth trying to illuminate two of the domes to see if we could extend the growing season even further. Not that any of us are worried about the length of the growing season, as we were when you were born. Even the herons are coming back in numbers. In the spring they fly over going north or stop off to fish the river and then disappear upstream. Each year fewer fly south on the way back and there are more up-country if you go that way.’
As they made their way forward there were small cheers, some clapping and multitude of travel-wells. At the head of the jetty was the Council and its Head. He stepped forward and hugged her. ‘Travel far and travel well,’ he said. ‘And return to us.’
‘I’ll do my best, Jason,’ she replied.
She went on board. David had brought with him two extra adult crew to make the passages to and from Heron Fleet easier and quicker. ‘I think you know Ruth and Keith,’ he said.
The two paused in their preparations for sea. ‘Mistress Francesca,’ they said and then went back to work.
‘But there’s one crew member you’ve never met.’ David called a young girl over. Francesca caught her breath. She was about the same age as Nathaniel but the likeness to Anya was uncanny. ‘The introductions are unusual. Both of you can meet your namesake.’
‘Ma’am,’ said the girl.
‘So you’re Anya’s grand-daughter?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Ma’am nothing, Francesca for preference, Great-aunt if you insist on being formal.’
‘I’ve put your things down in the cabin, ma… Great-aunt. Father said it would be alright if I unpacked some of it.’ She looked round and came close to Francesca. ‘It’s there safe and sound. Grand Nan said I should make sure to look after it especially carefully if I saw it.’
‘Did she tell you what it would mean if I had it with me?’ said Francesca.
‘Yes. It would mean you would not be coming back to Heron Fleet since it would have to be buried with you when you died.’
‘Does your father know?’
‘No, Grand Nan only told me. She thought I should know since when she is gone she hopes that you will help me, since Dad is on his own now.’
‘She was right.’
‘It’s very beautiful. I was thinking I might be a Gardener one day. I would be proud to have one of my own.’
‘We’ll see, we’ll see,’ and Francesca hugged the girl to herself and kissed the top of her head.
Their conversation was interrupted by a group of children on the jetty beginning to sing. The group included Nathaniel. He must have waited until she had gone and then rushed down here. The singing was a signal that the ropes on the Tobias were being loosened and the gang-plank taken in. Two of the fisher boats pulled her backwards. As the bow cleared the jetty, the prow downstream as the tide flowing out to sea took hold of it. Once the Tobias was midstream the smaller boats cast off their lines and David hoisted a small amount of sail. With Ruth and Keith on one pair of oars, the sail gave just enough way to allow steering.
They picked up speed and moved down the Fleet. She made the turn out to sea to sounds of cheering from people on the beach and rose easily to the swell as she set a westerly course. As she pulled out into deeper water Francesca could look back and see the two lines of Glasshouses tumbling over the headland. She watched them with the child until she could no longer make them out and even the top of the Gathering Hall had become invisible to her unnecessarily wet eyes.
*National Oceanography Centre, Aberdeen, UK
**Institut Europeén de Recherche de la Mer, Brest, France
1 Corresponding Author: Prof. A J Benion, Room G986, The National Oceanography Centre, 1 The Parade, Foreshore, Aberdeen AB7 9NN, UK. E-mail: Augustus.Benion@Aberdn.ac.uk
2 Students use computer to fix lottery numbers. You Never Can Tell March 2031