over the railing, he looked right, then left and noticed puffs of smoke wafting out of two portholes not far below him. It didn’t take him long to realise whose cabin it was.
Midori!
‘What in Hades is she doing playing with fire on a ship?’ he muttered and set off towards the hatch at a run. Had she set her bedclothes on fire?
No, that’s impossible. The candle of her lantern would never last all night.
What then?
He found Jochem sitting cross-legged outside her door, mending a sail while whistling softly. Nico’s sudden arrival had the boy scrambling to his feet, blinking. ‘I-is everything all right, Cap’n?’
‘No, can’t you smell it? Her cabin’s on fire!’ Nico rapped on the door, shouting, ‘Midori? Midori, can you hear me?’ He felt his stomach muscles clench. What if she’d been overcome by the fumes already?
Of all the stupid things …
In the next instant, the door opened, however, and Midori stood there regarding him with slightly raised brows. ‘Of course I can hear you, Captain. I should think most of the ship’s crew could as well. What’s the matter?’
Nico peered into the tiny space behind her and saw smoke curling upwards from a low wooden table. Understanding dawned, but although his anxiety lessened, anger coursed through him instead. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing? You brought a
hibachi
?’
He stared at the little Japanese brazier, which looked like a boxy table with a square, copper-lined cavity in the middle. He hadn’t thought to check her belongings when they were carried on board, but realised now he should have done.
Midori’s eyes narrowed a fraction, but she stayed calm. ‘My brother and I thought it would be best if I cooked some of my own food. You did say you would have trouble making the ship’s rations last the entire journey, didn’t you?’
Nico scowled at her. ‘Every captain has the same problem. That doesn’t mean I want my passengers cooking for themselves. It’s not safe, you could easily start a fire and the whole ship would go up in flames. The only place where fire is allowed is in the cook room, which has a brick floor.’
‘I assure you I’ll be very careful. Look,’ Midori pointed at the
hibachi
, ‘I use only a few pieces of charcoal each time to grill fish, which Jochem has been kind enough to obtain for me from your cook, or to heat some water for rice or soup.’
‘And if the ship pitches violently, what then? You’ll end up with burning coals all over the floor, which, in case you hadn’t noticed, is made of wood. Or you’ll scald yourself. I’m sorry, but it’s out of the question.’
‘If the waves are high, I won’t cook anything,’ she insisted.
‘I don’t want you cooking at any time!’ Nico felt his jaw tightening as he held on to his temper by a thread.
She squared up to him. ‘This is
my
cabin, paid for with enough silver to make it my business what I do in here—’
‘And this ship is under
my
command,’ Nico interrupted, his voice rising now. He saw Jochem stealthily making his way towards the stairs. ‘Stay!’ Nico barked at the youth. ‘I want you to remove the brazier this instant.’
‘No.’ Midori crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground. ‘I refuse to eat that disgusting mess your cook serves up until I have to.’
Nico was just about to argue back, when he noticed her expression soften. She put out a hand and placed it lightly on his arm, the gesture making an unexpected jolt shoot through his veins. At the same time she looked up at him with those beautiful cat-eyes, so large and luminous in the light reflected from the sea. He felt his antagonism melt away as he drowned in their green depths.
‘Can’t we come to some agreement?’ she asked, her voice low and persuasive. ‘If I swear on my honour never to use the
hibachi
in bad weather, surely you can allow me to keep it? I’m not a fool, Captain. I won’t go risking my own and everyone else’s lives
Midori!
‘What in Hades is she doing playing with fire on a ship?’ he muttered and set off towards the hatch at a run. Had she set her bedclothes on fire?
No, that’s impossible. The candle of her lantern would never last all night.
What then?
He found Jochem sitting cross-legged outside her door, mending a sail while whistling softly. Nico’s sudden arrival had the boy scrambling to his feet, blinking. ‘I-is everything all right, Cap’n?’
‘No, can’t you smell it? Her cabin’s on fire!’ Nico rapped on the door, shouting, ‘Midori? Midori, can you hear me?’ He felt his stomach muscles clench. What if she’d been overcome by the fumes already?
Of all the stupid things …
In the next instant, the door opened, however, and Midori stood there regarding him with slightly raised brows. ‘Of course I can hear you, Captain. I should think most of the ship’s crew could as well. What’s the matter?’
Nico peered into the tiny space behind her and saw smoke curling upwards from a low wooden table. Understanding dawned, but although his anxiety lessened, anger coursed through him instead. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing? You brought a
hibachi
?’
He stared at the little Japanese brazier, which looked like a boxy table with a square, copper-lined cavity in the middle. He hadn’t thought to check her belongings when they were carried on board, but realised now he should have done.
Midori’s eyes narrowed a fraction, but she stayed calm. ‘My brother and I thought it would be best if I cooked some of my own food. You did say you would have trouble making the ship’s rations last the entire journey, didn’t you?’
Nico scowled at her. ‘Every captain has the same problem. That doesn’t mean I want my passengers cooking for themselves. It’s not safe, you could easily start a fire and the whole ship would go up in flames. The only place where fire is allowed is in the cook room, which has a brick floor.’
‘I assure you I’ll be very careful. Look,’ Midori pointed at the
hibachi
, ‘I use only a few pieces of charcoal each time to grill fish, which Jochem has been kind enough to obtain for me from your cook, or to heat some water for rice or soup.’
‘And if the ship pitches violently, what then? You’ll end up with burning coals all over the floor, which, in case you hadn’t noticed, is made of wood. Or you’ll scald yourself. I’m sorry, but it’s out of the question.’
‘If the waves are high, I won’t cook anything,’ she insisted.
‘I don’t want you cooking at any time!’ Nico felt his jaw tightening as he held on to his temper by a thread.
She squared up to him. ‘This is
my
cabin, paid for with enough silver to make it my business what I do in here—’
‘And this ship is under
my
command,’ Nico interrupted, his voice rising now. He saw Jochem stealthily making his way towards the stairs. ‘Stay!’ Nico barked at the youth. ‘I want you to remove the brazier this instant.’
‘No.’ Midori crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground. ‘I refuse to eat that disgusting mess your cook serves up until I have to.’
Nico was just about to argue back, when he noticed her expression soften. She put out a hand and placed it lightly on his arm, the gesture making an unexpected jolt shoot through his veins. At the same time she looked up at him with those beautiful cat-eyes, so large and luminous in the light reflected from the sea. He felt his antagonism melt away as he drowned in their green depths.
‘Can’t we come to some agreement?’ she asked, her voice low and persuasive. ‘If I swear on my honour never to use the
hibachi
in bad weather, surely you can allow me to keep it? I’m not a fool, Captain. I won’t go risking my own and everyone else’s lives
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