Chapter 30

The Canal is a No Wake zone, our escort couldn't steam any faster than five knots. We had to stay in front and back into the locks. That way our stern was about a foot from the fully closed gates. Wendy was at the helm.

965 feet long 110 feet wide and drawing 39.5 feet is the maximum size to traverse the canal.

Doing a little trigonometry the kids figured out that our escort was about 710 feet by 106 and probably drew 30 feet. Close enough.

"Daddy, our Jane's Fighting Ships 1924, Edited by Oscar Parkes and Francis McMurtrie said: HMS Rodney, or the Elizabeth." Inkeri said, while Artturi stood behind her nodding his head.

"What makes you think so?" I asked.

"Simple math," Art fore-worded his two cents worth. They proceeded to show me their proofs.

"Taking the height of the fella in whites," Inkeri waved at an officer on the bow ... he waved back, "As six feet we compared his height to the height of the bridge..."

What I wanted to know was; who the character waving at my 13 ... wait? Was she only 12? Yes, by the gods! What gall! He must be all of thirty. I snatched up my Carl Zeiss Porro prism binoculars only to find he was looking at us through his own set. I fumed!

"Artturi, go get the flag book and the flag set." I said.

He came back with the compartmented wood box carrying the International code Flags.

"Spell it out and make this hoist: 'Take a picture, buster, it will last longer."

Well, what do you know ... we had enough flags to hoist the entire sentence. Artturi assembled it all, snapped it to the flag hoist and ran it up.

The officer turned away. He must have called an enlisted man. He evidently read the flags to officer because the officer went back inside.

Ah ... scared him away.

I went back to my reading.

Fifteen minutes later he came out with a camera with a humungous telephoto lens and proceeded to snap pictures of us. A crowd of sailors flocked to the bow.

I turned and saw what was so interesting.

"Keri ... put your shirt back on!"

When I turned, Keri covered up and blushed. "Daddy! You're not supposed to see!"

"What about them!?!" I said. I waved an indignant hand to the bow of the ship.

They waved back.

"They're supposed to see!"

"David!" called Wendy.

"Yes, dear?"

"Come take the helm," she demanded.

"What about..." I waved.

They waved back.

"Come take the wheel!" she stamped her foot.

Uhoh.

I stepped to the steering station.

"David. Eyes front."

"But what about..."

"Your daughter has two years to practice before she goes on the hunt," Wendy said.

I looked back, Wendy elbowed me.

"She's becoming a woman," Wendy said. "Would you rather she practice where she can get caught?"

"She can practice when she's thirty!" I said.

"What? You'd want her to settle for left-overs?" Wendy said. "She's coming into her beauty. If she's not married by 18, we'll have to take what we can get ... or buy."

"But ... but ... but..."

"Remember when we met? In the hospital? The nurses?"

I tried.

"Sex is sex in Finland. You're not in your old world. Live the life you have.

"In the winter, there's not much to do. If Keri and Art aren't exploring?" Wendy looked at me. "I climbed in bed with you in the hospital ... remember?"

"I remember they listed me as disabled because I wouldn't take advantage of a girl who claimed to be my sister."

"And here we are, married ... with children."

"But we're not really related," I whined.

"Our bodies are..." Wendy said, " ... we're fraternal twins."

"But ... I don't feel like your brother," I said.

"I don't feel like your sister," Wendy said. "That's because our minds aren't." She kissed me.

I kissed her back. I did it again.

"Eww," said Keri.

"Gross!" said Art.

"Get a room!"

"Art, take the wheel," Wendy said, "Keri ... put your shirt on. You're lookout."

"Mother," two words Mo-ther, "she whined.

"David, the girls are a year and a half..." Wendy said. "Wanna see what comes next?"

She took me by the hand and led me below.

Older newlyweds? Newly olderweds? Horny?

Whatever.