Chapter 28

While Zoe and JW are dressing to head out the portal, Cyn settled in to her book.

Malcolm was on deck watch, idling just off shore between Yuracho Yura, Sumoto ... that’s the point just off the island that forms the harbor at Yura, Sumoto ... and Okinoshima island in the Tomogashimasuido Strait.

Okinoshima island was a highly fortified bastion and listening station during World War Two. Now the island is a popular hiking destination. The former post boasts the ruins of many artillery sites and the listening station was once formidable.

The Strait is about 40 miles southwest of Osaka.

The reason Sailbait was idling off shore? Cynthiamae Flintkote is one third of the trio that has been referred to as ‘The smartest kids in the world.’ Cyn is no dummy. It was her opinion that the portal users needed to come back to Sol3 in approximately the same area that they were in when they left ... and it’s only fifteen minutes. No big deal.

She did a position shoot ... with sextant, chronometer and compass ... just a few seconds after the pair transported off planet. Fifteen minutes “practicing” tacking, gybing and generally loitering about on a 48 foot New Zealand built fiberglas sailboat? Who would notice?

The Kiisuido Strait is one of three entrances to that most important of waterways, The Island Sea. Japan’s private pond ... so to speak. The Sea of Japan. Shipping and military transport ... and ... during the war ... a favorite destination of American submarines. Very dangerous, well guarded and jealously protected ... Okinoshima island was not the only listening station. The Japanese guarded the Sea of Japan as closely as any harbor in the world. Of course they noticed.

The Japanese Coast Guard, part of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, have a patrol boat and station near there.

RING (Japanese Goast Guard phone.)

“Hai.” (Translated conversation.) “YES?”

“A sailboat flying a New Zealand flag is loitering off the Yura harbor?”

“Five minutes of sailing back and forth?”

“The round eyes are probably lost. I’ll send the cutter.”

“Yes, yes. I know ... lost in sight of land. They’re gaijin ... what do they know of the sea.”

Japan is an Archipelago with a population of some one and a quarter hundred million people. In the great scheme of things they are first in population and third in mass.

New Zealand is fourteenth ... size-wise ... and even less in population.

Number one doesn’t pay all that much attention to number 14.

So ... since the patrol boat just happened to be patrolling in the general area ... in fact ... was underway to investigate the foreign vessel, when the call from headquarters ordered the investigation and examination of the sailboat ... they up the speed an notch and ... well... whoop whoop and pulled along side.

Malcolm had seen them coming and was busy dousing sails, hanging fenders and stomping on the deck trying to get Cyn’s attention.

Examination of the ships papers revealed there were supposed to be FOUR people onboard. Eyesight produced TWO and searching produced no more. Something was amiss.

Fifteen minutes after using the portal going, the portal spit two naked young adults out the of the mirror in the head ... the tiny compartment had just been searched ... it was empty ... and now there were two people bashing their way out.

Suspicious?

What makes you think that?