Chapter 3

Brownsville, Texas, Princessapality, North American Continent: Shipbreakers Head Office. Office of The Chief Executive.

“I said, offload ‘em, rail ‘em to Austin. Transship to Bud Airfield by truck. You had no reason to open the containers. I know what’s in the shippers. The government knows what is in the shippers. The Princess set it up. Sealed, Bill. Sealed shippers, Bill. Airplanes. She’s probably going to build her own Air Force. I don’t care. What I do care about is getting that ship broken up and sold. We can’t do it with the shippers on the deck. Gawd Amighty ... Bill ... I told her not to marry you ... she did it anyway and I’m stuck with it. DO IT!”

A week later, in the same office:

“Daddy ... I WANT one of those airplanes!”

“NO!”

“Daddy.”

“Buy one,” her father said.

“Can’t one fall off the truck?”

His laughter approached hysteria.

Sydney to American Samoa, Samoa to Pearl, Pearl to Okinawa, Okinawa to Yokuska, Yokuska to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Manila, Manila to Jerudong, Jerudong to Singapore, Singapore to Denpasar, Denpasar to Perth, Perth to Diego Garcia, Diego Garcia to Cape Town, Cape Town to Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico to Miami, Miami to New Orleans, New Orleans to Houston, Houston to Brownsville.

The voyage was long. The ship was sidetracked by rescue efforts in Samoa, Manila, Denpasar. Volcanic detonations or eruptions, tsunamis, evacuations, revolutions and a catagory five hurricane ... all contributed to the length of the voyage and lateness of arrival. When the ship left, the Australian Summer was just starting. In Brownsville, Fall was already upon them when she was tugged into the yard.

A mass of political refugees increased the population from a skeleton crew of 125 to over six thousands. People were sleeping everywhere.

The stops mentioned were the main ports ... they anchored out and natives paddled out in dugouts and sold food ... vegetables, meat on the hoof ... commodities. FED-A Naval bases were stripped of emergency rations ... a few doctors volunteered, Nurses were TDY. Babies were born onboard, marriages performed, and burials at sea were conducted. Resupply was by helicopter or pirogue.

Almost everyone left the ship in Miami. In the aftermath of the Cat5, a whole new batch of victims were boarded in New Orleans.

Junior had had it up to her eyebrows with New Orleans. This was their third Cat5 ... the local administration was trying pass off the desolation from hurricane number 2 as new damage from the most recent. They wanted aid again. She pulled an invisible and sat in on the meeting between the police chief, the mayor, the governor and the Orleans parish council as they were planing what to do with the new money. Not a cent was going to be used for the populace ... just like the last bailout.