Chapter 45

“A passenger left this ... oh... 10 trips ago ... We’re supposed to pitch stuff left on board ... well ... except luggage ... that goes to Lost and Found. I saw the picture on the cover. That’s your Dad?”

“Yeah.”

“Ooo ... he’t hot.”

So ... I read it.

Evidently, Daddy was wall diving on one of the divided reefs on the eastern side of Fiji and found an unexploded WWII Japanese Type 95 torpedo ... and the I-178, one of 10 Kaidai VII class subs, that launched it. With crew.

Eww.

I read the entire spread. How about that ... in the 11 years I’d been in Pentwater with Surprise, Daddy managed to get himself a Doctorate in Oceanography ... a bonafide PhD ... and a name for himself ... I mean ... National Geographic said so ... in print ... so it must be true.

Interspersed among the 11 pages of the article were the typical NG photographs of the Flint and crew ... the Flint has CREW? ... and Zoe playing her guitar ... Mom plays GUITAR? ... and three very cute 11 year old kids ... the girls already looking like ME ... only they have killer tans and I am already jealous. The oldest, a boy, looks about a foot taller than his sisters.

Well ... life ... ya know. Sneaks up on you when you’re not looking.

The Hard Science part of the article revealed that the Atlantic Ocean is more corrosive than the Pacific. Wrecks last longer in the Pacific. That probably explains why the Titanic is falling apart so fast. It also explains why metal thieves are desecrating War memorials ... ships sunk during the war ... they’re not getting piles of rust.

About the last page of Daddy ... the pilot announced, “We are approaching the island of Oahu. There is always slight turbulence near the island. Please return to your seats ... restore your seating to the upright position and buckle your seat belts.”

WHOA. Slight turbulence’s ass. It’s like the Doctor saying ‘you may experience a slight discomfort.’

We got down ... I’m not going to call it safely ... Any landing you walk away from is a good one. Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is a big one and busy. We went from the Jetway to the Fiji Airways desk and were immediately shafted.

The DEAL ... the Internet advertised 635 Dollar flight ... was for advance reservations on the 6th of March ... and it’s already May ... we were in the eighteen hundred dollar seats and we were required to buy Round Trip.

But ... Adult tickets start at eleven years of age. No escort.

The flight was long and boring. There were several times when I glared at my watch. ‘Fat lot of good you are.’

“Daddy?”

“Tyche?”

“Can you pick us up?”

“When?”

“Today.”