Chapter Four

"Clytie?"

Clytie turned around to see Jimmy standing behind her. "Yes, Jimmy?" Her heartbeat sped up in anticipation. Did the captain have need of her?

"Captain says he needs you," Jimmy said. "Come on."

"All right." She turned to Ann. "Excuse me, Ann. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Ann studied the girl for a moment. "Good-night, Clytie," she said finally, softly. "Enjoy your evening."

Clytie turned and followed Jimmy to the bridge. "Have you read any more of the book?"

"I just finished it," Jimmy said, smiling back at her. "It was really good. I think Eliot was just describing the sadness of the world we live in, wasn't he, Clytie?"

"Yes. I think you're right, Jimmy." She smiled wryly, thinking what a sad world it had been for the young sailor she was following. And what a sad world it could turn out to be for her if the mission failed, if all was lost, if…

"Miss Seaborne. Come with me." Once again, Englehorn interrupted her thoughts. This time, something in his voice made Clytie afraid.

"What is it, Captain?" she asked, following him to the back outside of the bridge.

"Look there." He pointed.

Clytie peered through the dark, shading her eyes from the Venture's lights. Then, she saw the lights in the distance. "Oh Lord. We're being followed, aren't we?"

Englehorn crossed his arms and frowned at her. "Now why would you say that?"

Clytie looked up at him, green eyes wide. "I don't know. It's just a feeling, I guess. Or maybe I'm just paranoid." She frowned. "Why would someone follow us, anyway?" She looked back at the lights in the dark, then at Englehorn again. "Captain… What is going on?"

"So you don't know?"

"No. I don't." She shook her head slowly.

"I thought maybe you'd… lost confidence in me, in my crew… And perhaps that you'd sent for more help." He glanced at the lights, then back at Clytie, his face a study of seriousness. "That wouldn't be it, would it, Clytie?"

"No. It wouldn't," she answered firmly. So I'm Clytie now, am I?

"Captain, I don't think Clytie would--" started Jimmy from behind them.

"Jimmy, go see to the other passengers." Englehorn cut him off impatiently.

"Yes, sir." Jimmy gave Clytie an encouraging smile before heading off to follow orders.

The captain turned back to Clytie. "If you did not send for that ship, then who did?"

Clytie felt stricken. To have been trusted--even relied on--all this time, only to be the first one suspected of losing confidence in the man! "Captain Englehorn, I assure you--I had nothing to do with this. Believe me, I have full confidence in you and in your crew to get us to the island and to save my brother. Spending time on this ship has not caused me to lose confidence in any way. If anything, my confidence in you--in all of you-- has grown. I beg you to believe me." She suddenly shut her mouth. Heavens above, Clytie! One minute, you don't say enough, and the next, you won't shut up!

The captain studied her for a moment. She looked like a Grecian goddess--blonde hair coming loose from her bun, mint-green dress whipping around her feminine curves in the wind, green eyes alive with some inner fire. He suddenly got an urge to grab her and kiss her. It made him smile to think of it.

"What?" she snapped. "What's so funny?"

Englehorn laughed. "You, Miss Seaborne. And yet…" He sobered quite suddenly. "You're not very funny at all."

Clytie caught her breath at the tone of his voice. Something about it made her heart race.

"Miss Seaborne…" He took a step toward her.

"It's Clytie." She stood frozen to the deck, her green eyes locked with his blue ones.

"Clytie." He smiled crookedly and stepped even closer, raising a hand to touch her face…

"Captain Englehorne," came an Irish brogue from behind them.

The captain dropped his hand and winced. Clytie looked down quickly, blushing.

"What is it, Mr. Galyon?" Englehorn asked, sighing in frustration.

"That ship out there just sent us a message," said Darby.

(LINE)

Ann and Jack laid in their bunk, Ann leaning against Jack, his arms wrapped around her.

"We're much closer now," Ann said quietly. It was all coming back so fast…

Jack said nothing, holding her more tightly. He knew that this was going to be hard for her. It would be for him as well, but especially for her.

"What will we do without…" Ann sighed. "I would never have survived without Kong. He protected me from those creatures. Without him, we're lost, Jack."

Jack had had similar misgivings, but he knew better than to voice them. "Sweetheart, we'll be all right. Don't think about it. Everything will turn out how it's supposed to."

Ann turned to face him. "Jack… That's just it. This is all supposed to happen, just like I was supposed to go to the island the first time. I don't know how, but we are all drawn to it again. And this time, Clytie and her brother are a part of it."

Jack was about to reply, when there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Jack called.

"It's Jimmy, Mr. Driscoll. I think you need to get out here." He sounded excited, nervous maybe.

"All right. Give us a minute." Jack and Ann quickly stood and slipped on their robes and shoes. Jack opened the door, and there stood a wide-eyed, fidgety Jimmy. "What is it, Jimmy?"

"We're being followed by another ship," Jimmy explained quickly. He led the Driscolls out onto the deck. "And you will never guess who is on it."

Jack and Ann exchanged worried glances and followed Jimmy to where the captain, Clytie, Preston, and Darby stood at the stern of the Venture.

"Captain, what is going on?" Ann asked.

Englehorn turned to face the Driscolls and Jimmy, his lips pressed tightly together. "It's Carl Denham. He's on that ship. And he wants to join our expedition."

"You didn't say yes, did you?" Jack asked.

"Of course not." Englehorn frowned. "But he's coming anyway. He's not the only one on that ship. Jake Atkins is with him. And I'm sure that you know that he is the one funding this rescue mission."

There was a stunned silence.

Clytie bit her lip. She couldn't believe that Jake would undermine her authority like this! This was her mission! He had agreed to help her, not to take over--and certainly not to bring Carl Denham along. Clytie crossed her arms. "I'm sorry… all of you… I know that none of you are very… fond of Denham."

"It's not your fault, Clytie," Preston said soothingly. "You didn't ask him to come."

"But who did?" Englehorn asked. "Someone had to have given him our position."

Everyone was quiet.

"I don't think that any of us standing here would have done that, Captain," Jimmy spoke up.

Englehorn glanced at Clytie, remembering their last conversation. He was sure that it wasn't her.

Clytie noticed him watching her and gave him a worried smile.

"Well how do we know it's not you, Captain?" Ann spoke up, crossing her arms.

"Ann…" Jack cautioned.

Ann ignored him. "You did cooperate rather much with Mr. Denham on our last voyage."

Englehorn put his hands on his hips. "That was the last voyage, Mrs. Driscoll. And I learned my lesson. Cooperating with him was a mistake. You can be assured that I will not do it again."

"What about you three?" Darby asked, pointing to Ann, Jack, and Preston. "Didn't the three of you work with this guy? Isn't that the whole reason this ship went out there--to shoot his film that you were all three involved in making? Couldn't one of you have sent that message?"

"I don't want anything to do with Carl," Jack protested.

"Yeah, why would we mess with him any more?" Preston added. "Look what happened last time!"

"I agree with Preston," the captain said. "Seeing how nothing turned out right last time, all of us who had dealings with Carl Denham have no motivation to contact him ever again." He flicked a cigarette out into the ocean. "Enough of this. We don't need to be arguing amongst ourselves. We have a mission."

"The captain's right," Jimmy agreed. "All of us who were on the island before lost friends there--mostly because of Mr. Denham. None of us have a reason to want him on board this ship."

"Then who does?" Clytie spoke up. She felt shaken by all the tension in the air. This conflict between those she called her friends was disturbing her deeply. She glanced at Darby for a moment. He was the only one besides her who had not experienced Carl Denham before… But, no. Not Darby. He was such a nice man…

"Wilson," Englehorn said suddenly, his voice almost a growl. "He was messing with the equipment yesterday." He turned to Jimmy. "Jimmy, go get Mr. Wilson. Whatever he's doing, take over for him."

"Yes, sir." Jimmy nodded and hurried to obey.

At first, the others waited silently, all lost in their own tragic memories. Then, Ann spoke. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I was the one who started that argument."

"It's all right, lass," Darby said brightly. "We all jumped in rather eagerly."

"All but Miss Seaborne here, who seems to keep calm rather admirably," Englehorn remarked.

Clytie gave him a grateful smile.

"I think we're all just tired and worried," Preston said. "This isn't a vacation we're on. And it's not going to get any easier."

They were all quiet again, and soon, Jimmy returned, followed by the hulking form of Mr. Wilson.