Down in the bowels of the ship, everyone in third class gathered in a large room playing loud folk music, drinking cheap beer, dancing, cheering, playing games and having a good time. Larry was dancing with little Pearl while Maya was having a drinking contest with a guy she just met. Gumshoe was there too, and he had found himself a girlfriend named Maggey Byrde. Will was arm wrestling with some guys on the side of the room. A huge platform to dance on was in the middle of the room, waiting for people to dance upon it. Miles looked on as he clapped along with the music. After the song had ended, Larry pulled Miles into the crowd of people dancing.
"I'm gonna dance with him now," Larry said to Pearl. Pearl gave him a sad puppy face as Larry latched onto Miles. "You're still the best, Pearl!" he called as he and Miles whirled around the room. After doing a round around the platform, Larry pulled him up on the platform and they started dancing like drunken fools. They linked arms and spun around, having a good time. The song ended and they took a break by grabbing some beer and taking a seat near Will. Nearby Maya had apparently beaten a group of men at their drinking contest while Gumshoe continued doing a gig with Maggey. Larry took a sip of his beer while Miles downed most of the glass.
"What?" he asked. "A first-class guy can't drink?" Just then that same ship officer Larry had seen earlier ran into the two, Larry's beer spilling all over Miles.
"Wherezzat whipper znapper?" she yelled, buzzed from all the beer. Larry pushed her away and checked up on Miles, who was laughing hysterically next to him. Will's arm was then slammed on the table, losing at arm wrestling.
"Two out of three!" he called out, and as they were preparing to wrestle again, Miles stepped in.
"So, you think you're big tough men?" he asked as he finished off his beer. "Let's see you do this!"
He stepped away from the table, indicating for people to move away from him. He leapt into the air and landed on the floor performing a perfect splits. Everyone, especially the men, groaned in pain, but was surprised at the man's talent. Miles stood up and straightened his clothes while Larry stood in amazement. He then felt a sharp pain in his thigh and fell into Larry's arms, catching him just in time. Across the room, Manfred descended halfway down the staircase and scanned the room, his eyes finally resting on Miles in the arms of Larry. He quickly returned to inform Phoenix of his whereabouts.
…
A Nazi submarine was trailing behind the Gantanic, led by Captain Dahlia Hawthorne. Her crew was assigned to follow the great ship and to sink it, preventing the passengers from retreating to America.
"Prepare the torpedoes!" Dahlia said gleefully. "And make sure there's plenty!"
A mousy man with a puppet on his hand approached her. "Um, captain?" the man said. The puppet then punched him in the nose.
"If you've got something to say, say it!" the puppet said with an irritated voice.
"Trilo." The puppet turned his head back to Dahlia.
"Yes, my lady?"
"Is something the matter? Why aren't the torpedoes being loaded?"
"Um, well…"
"Speak up, Ben! Or Trilo, I don't care!" She ordered, and another man with golden highlights on his bangs spoke up.
"Well, that is to say, Ben or Trilo? Which is the real dummy in this situation? The one who refuses to speak, or the one with the domineering vocabulary? Personally, both of them lack the ability to speak as eloquently as I—"
"That's enough, Wellington!" Dahlia growled, growing impatient with her crew. That shut him up, allowing Matt Engarde to try his luck.
"Um, how about I check with my manager?" he said as he turned to another man, Shelly de Killer. Dahlia sighed, unable to believe her crew is nothing more than halfwits and chatterboxes.
"Captain," de Killer said in a gentle voice. "We only have two torpedoes left from yesterday's hunt."
"What? How can that be? We were given extras for just this occasion!"
"Yes, but after you used them on schools of fish, some coral reefs, a mermaid, and the hunt for Mistress of the Sea Mia Fey, we only have two left for Gantanic."
Dahlia's eyes became a demonic glare at her crew. "…Mia… Fey… MIA… FEY! I swear I will be the one to destroy you!"
…
The next morning Miles was having a quiet breakfast with Phoenix on their private promenade deck. As soon as the maid served them, Phoenix spoke up.
"Why didn't you come to bed with me?" he asked.
"I was tired. I didn't want to disturb you," Miles answered as he set down his tea cup.
"Well, no doubt after all the energy you used up in the steerage party."
He found out, Miles thought bitterly. "I see you sent your guard dog to sniff me out."
"You will not behave in such a manner again, Miles," Phoenix said with a stern voice.
"I'm not a servant you can command," Miles dared to say. "I'm your fiancé."
His words struck a nerve. "Of course you're my fiancé, and you'll act like a good fiancé!" he screamed as he flipped over the table. He forced Miles back in his chair.
"That's right you're my bitch and I expect you to honor me like a good bitch does! You will honor me because I will not be made to be a fool!" His tone calmed down as Miles' expression of fear pierced through him. "Now, is that clear?"
"…yes…"
"Good. Excuse me." Phoenix left the deck as a maid came in to help clean up the mess. Miles tried to help, but was only able to cry, his tears dotting the floor. Afterward he was sent to go dress up, the maid assisting him as he put on a clean suit. Morgan walked in, shooing away the maid.
"You are never to see that boy again, Miles," she said firmly as she straightened his cravat. "Miles, I forbid it!"
"Oh Mother, you're just on your period."
Morgan spun her son around, gripping his shoulders angrily. "You know our situation! If we don't merge our businesses together, all the money's gone!"
"I know the money's gone, Mother, you remind me every day."
"Your father left us with nothing but debts and the unification with you and Mr. Wright guarantees that everything will turn out right."
"Why are you placing all this on me?"
"Why are you being so selfish?!"
Miles was taken aback. "I'm being selfish?"
Morgan stared hard into her son's eyes. "Do you want me to work as some temple caretaker? Is that what you want? All our things and their memories sold into auctions, scattered to strangers who don't understand their true value?"
Morgan stifled a sob behind her hand as she turned away from her son.
"It's so unfair," he whispered.
"Of course it is," she said as she turned back to him. "We're women."
Miles blinked. "Um, Mother?"
"Oh Miles, you're practically a woman! Look how dainty you are! Look how Mr. Wright easily dominates you!"
She kissed his cheek and returned to fixing his cravat, Miles left to wonder about her words and how true they were.
…
Miles found himself in the middle of a church service held on the ship, singing along with everyone else in the room. Larry was outside trying to convince two employees that he needed to talk to Miles.
"I was just here last night! You gotta believe me!" he boomed in their faces.
"I'm sorry sir, but I don't remember you."
Just then Manfred emerged from the doors. "Mr. Wright and Mrs. Fey would like to thank you for your presence last night and asked me to present you with a little gift," he said as he pulled out two ten dollar bills from his pocket.
"I don't want your money."
"Also I was asked to remind you that you hold a third-class ticket, and your presence here is no longer acceptable. Now then," he said as he gave the other two men a ten each.
"Whoa, wait! I'll take it!" Larry cried as he snatched the two bills from the men's hands. "But I still wanna see Miles!"
"Tsk, tsk. Gentlemen, please show Mr. Butz out," Manfred said as he handed the two employees two new ten dollar bills.
"Yes sir!" they said as they led Larry away. Inside the room, Miles heard everything that went on outside, and his heart sank as the song ended.
…
Outside, Larry wasn't ready to give up. He had his friends help him sneak up onto the first-class deck so he could find a way to meet Miles. He took a coat and hat that was lying on a chair and quickly put them on, trying to blend in with everyone else.
Not too far away, Miles was on a tour with a small group of people being led by Adrian Andrews.
"Um, Miss Andrews?" he asked.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Um, I was just doing some calculations, and… there doesn't seem to be enough life boats for everyone."
"Oh, well there's nothing to worry about. Besides, if we had put more life boats, the whole ship would look dreadfully cluttered," she answered with a smile, but inside she knew that she couldn't trust her words.
"Well, it sure is a waste of deck space for an unsinkable ship," Phoenix laughed as he tapped one of the life boats smartly with his cane.
"Don't worry, Miles," Adrian said, "I built you a strong enough ship that won't need a single life boat! Trust me!"
Everyone walked on, leaving Miles behind. He was about to follow them when he was pulled away by someone in a long coat and a hat. The two ducked into an exercise room and waited till the group had gone far enough.
"Larry, we can't do this anymore."
"I just need to talk to you for a bit."
"No Larry, no. We can't. I'm Nick's business partner. We're best friends."
Larry backed Miles into the wall. "Miles… you're a rich, spoiled, beautiful man, but underneath all that, you're the most wonderful, most amazing, guy… man, I've ever hung out with."
"Larry, I—"
"No, let me finish. Um… okay, how about this: I'm not a complete idiot. I know I can't get you all those fancy cravats you like to wear, but, I can't just leave you with some guy you're not even best friends with. I wanna be your best friend, Miles!"
Miles looked with earnest into Larry's pleading eyes. "Well, I'm fine."
"No you're not. They've got you tied up and gagged like a bondage slave, and if you don't do something now, that kinky leather's gonna be too tight for you to breathe. And then whatever it is that's in you that I love to hang out with will die."
Miles choked back tears as he felt a lump rise in his throat. "It's not up to you to save me from bondage, Larry."
"I know. That's all you."
He looked deep into the weaker man's eyes but the other man looked away.
"I have to go. Leave me alone," the bondage slave said as he quickly made his exit. Larry was left to despair over losing his almost best friend.
…
He finally caught up with his mother and was having tea with her and her friends. As the women discussed the celebration for the merging of their businesses, Miles noticed a little girl with a pretzel hair style being taught how to behave like a first-class citizen.
"Like this, Pearly," Maya said as she made Pearl straighten up. "Good, now put your napkin in your lap daintily, like this! Now, to ask for a cookie, first you gotta order it, and then when it comes tell the waiter that it's the wrong one…"
Is this how others see us as? Are we really nothing more than upper class snobs who sneer down at those less fortunate? Is it worth losing everything important to me to be this way?
Miles watched on, and realized he had made a big mistake.
…
Up near the bow of the ship, Larry was watching the sunset quietly. The sun painted the sky a golden hue while the water shone a brilliant sparkle. He hardly noticed the dainty man behind him.
"Hello, Larry."
He turned in the direction of the voice and found Miles standing before him.
"I change my mind."
Larry smiled. "Wanna go do that thing in that one movie with the bow of the ship?"
"Sure!"
They turned to look at the bow but found that another couple had beat them to it.
"Adrian, I don't think—"
"Shh. Take my hand."
Chief Officer Franziska von Karma and Adrian Andrews were attempting to reenact a certain scene of a certain movie. I wonder which movie that could be? Oh right, Jaws.
"Okay, now close your eyes."
"Adrian, this is pure foolishness—"
"Hold onto the railing. Good, now step up. Okay… do you trust me?"
"What sort of foolish—"
Man, that chick talks too much," Larry said as they continued to watch. Maybe it's a good thing we didn't get to it. Not especially after that bird incident.
"Adrian, I'm flying!" The two women laughed as the wind blew through their bodies.
"I believe I can fly," Adrian sang softly into the other woman's ear. Larry was getting disgusted.
"Man, that can't be the most romantic song you sing to someone like that," Larry said to Miles, who giggled a little. "C'mon, let's go… do something manly."
They left as the two women broke out into a make-out session.
