Enter: Yakko
The crowd starts to disperse and Norman takes the gun out of my hand. I see Wakko make a break for the side of the ship and in another second hear him gag. On legs made of jelly I walk over to him.
"You ok?" I ask. He wipes him mouth on his sleeve and nods.
"Yakko, I gotta tell you something!" He says.
"Later." I tell him. There are still some people milling about, and a few are watching us. He nods, but doesn't say anything. Instead he leans over and sends more of his breakfast to the ocean below us. I put a hand on his shoulder and resist the urge to join him. It takes me a moment to realize that Dot's standing behind me. I didn't even hear her walk up. She looks like she doesn't know weather to kill half the people on the ship or cry. I decide not to say anything; the side that wants to kill half the people on the ship looks like its winning.
"Don't worry too much on Tom. Norman will be keeping a close eye on him now." Says Toulouse, who walks over to us. He just about puts a hand on Dot's head, but takes one look at her and thinks better of it.
"Yakko…really…I've got to tell you something!" Says Wakko, wiping his mouth again.
"Come down into the kitchen then." Says Toulouse. I lead Wakko down below, but then I remember something. I look back to see if Dot's followed us, and she hasn't. She's still back there. But now she's looking at the rigging with a curious look on her face. She nods to herself a few times and jogs over to me and Wakko. I'll ask her about it later.
Down in the kitchen Wakko tells us everything. This isn't good. I decide that we've got to find out more. Toulouse doesn't say much, because he's busy fixing dinner and setting it all out. He doesn't make the still-rattled Wakko do it. None of us feel like eating. We go straight to our room and pile in the same cot.
"Things aren't so bad now." I tell Wakko and Dot. Wakko's still clinging to me, but Dot is oddly silent. I take a look at her and she's looking up at the ceiling, in deep thought.
"At least now we know part of what's going on." I say. "We know that we are going to Algeria. We know that those three are planning to blow up the ship. We know Norman has gold on the ship. We know that there is some sort of powder on the ship." I feel better being able to say it all. To have it all right there in front of me. Now I cant start devising a plan.
Just before I fall asleep, I've got the beginnings of one. We find the gold, and know where it is. Then once we dock in Algeria, we take as much as we can carry, escape the boat before it blows up, and use the gold to pay our way back to America. I sigh. I like having a plan.
Even if it is a crappy one.