Suddenly Luigi, groaning painfully, put his hand to the back of his neck as if remotely controlled, covered the skin protectively and then pulled his collar forward. While the cold charge of this precision strike was still being absorbed by body heat, the next bombs landed on the backs of his hands and upper arms.
If Booccaneer had been behind him, he would have interpreted this as a sneak attack.
"Raining already?", asked the Boo without turning around.
"Yes, it's pretty cold." Then, after a pause for thought, "What must the sea feel like then?"
"I don't know," Booccaneer replied plainly, "but all I know is that if we don't get the barge afloat right now, we'll definitely go swimming. So you guys I mean, not me."
An idea leapt out from behind the darkest corners of his brain as if on cue at these words and forced its way to the forefront. One that bewitched him with its reasonableness, before it too was passed to the back by his antipathy towards the ghost. He hated this idea, for it showed him forcefully that only a complete idiot would throw it to the wind. Luigi was still looking for that one objection that could sink this idea. For example, that Booccaneer would stab him in the back sooner or later. Anything to not to let the Boo out of his sight! But this suggestion did not let up, even fought its way back to the front energetically: it simply proved too sensible to keep it at bay.
Besides, the man in front of him would be better suited for the task ahead anyway.
"Why don't you go back and start the engine?"
Booccaneer stopped abruptly. Almost as if he hadn't expected it, he hovered silently for a handful of seconds before ultimately turning to Luigi and eyeing him with a raised brow.
"Uh, sure, I can do that. So you're going down alone?"
"Yeah, it's not like the ship's that big. Should be back soon." The ghost looked briefly at the lamp and then back at him.
"Without a lamp?" Luigi was about to roll his eyes but refrained from doing so to avoid wasting more time arguing. But that Booccaneer thought Luigi would climb into the darkness entirely without a light source ...
"Well of course I'll take it with me, I'm not stupid!" There, Booccaneer's mouth! Hadn't it just changed into a grimace for a split second?
"Says the guy who fell for the same trick twice," Booccaneer retorted with a grin, and followed it up with, Luigi's cracking fist notwithstanding, "And what am I supposed to light with then?"
"With your body, what else? So does my dog." Again the Boo just looked at the plumber, made sure Luigi's muscles tightened. The first attack failed, but with the experience gained from it, Luigi should be able to land a critical hit this time. Maybe if he grabbed his tongue and smashed Booccaneer against walls ...
"If I were to give my opinion now, this story would be rated mature." After these words, he pushed the lantern against Luigi's chest. He didn't even wait for the latter to catch it and flew past him, muttering profoundly foul language.
Luigi scratched his head in confusion but then took the descent into the belly.
After only the fourth step, he stopped and let Booccaneer's words fill his head. That's right - how could he be so stupid as to fall for the same scam twice? Seriously, who had anything to give away for free these days? Just the idea of him running unsuspectingly into very obvious traps made him laugh. Wasn't this even the third time?
But he did not let that stop him. With renewed energy, he managed the last steps to the lower deck.
How could it be otherwise, it was even darker inside than outside. So dark that he could almost smell and taste the blackness: Fish. So nothing had changed since noon. At least one thing that hadn't turned for the worse.
Already arriving with his first foot, he called out the names of the other fellow travellers. "Beanelda! Er ..." It took him a moment. "Old people! Are you there?"
Nothing. Luigi listened anxiously to see if a voice could be heard among the interplay of water, wood and wind. But when still no one answered, the inner cinema began to run at full speed. If they were not on board, perhaps the captain had kidnapped them? But how could four people fit on a water scooter? Before he could complete his imagination about it though, he pushed himself forward to the bow.
The light shone on a table, a chest and two buckets. Immediately behind them, he recognised the bulbous and angular contours of the barrels and crates. If the other passengers were indeed still there, they had probably hidden somewhere. More precisely, in the containers and were now stuck. Or were locked up by the captain. Whatever his fantasies deemed more likely at the moment, depending on whether panic was knocking.
Anyway, Luigi walked past the table and looked around. So far everything looked neat in their places, including that one barrel in the corner with the huge rabbit ears. Exactly as he had seen and remembered it during the day with Beanelda. But that also meant that he would not find anyone here unless he checked every single hiding place. So he turned away from the small storage and headed for the stern.
Until he stopped abruptly. And thought hard.
A barrel with rabbit ears? Where was there such a thing? He had seen Rabbid cosplayers before, but an inanimate object? He had to check that now!
He quickly returned to the suspicious barrel and took a closer look at the rabbit ears. Not only were they surprisingly thick and blue, but they also ended in a bend backwards at the brown tips. And why were they rainbow-coloured in between?
But didn't this colour combination look familiar to him?
He thought about it - and then hastily put down the lamp and grabbed both "ears". Then, with a tug, he pulled on them and found himself buried under a warm body in the blink of an eye. Again.
Something cracked.
Beanelda stretched herself, gave a long yawn and leisurely straightened up, but remained seated.
"Oh, what a restful nap." She looked around to all sides scratching her head. "Wait, why is it so dark in here? And why is the floor so soft? And warm?" After searching the floor, she finally looked behind her - right into Luigi's frozen face with his watery eyes and bared teeth. "Hi, Luigi!" Though denied any movement, even if it was only his lips, he wanted to jump up in joy and hug her. With a friendly face on board, things could only get better!
Then she looked to the side. "Oh, a lamp!" Beanelda stood up and disappeared from Luigi's sight. The fact that she considered the lamp more important already diminished his joy, but perhaps she just wanted to be able to see better what she was doing.
"Who put this here?"
Why was he still here? Just to suffer? What higher being had he angered to deserve this?
"Kill me, please ..."
It had been more of a thought. But somehow he had still managed to force three words through his distorted mouth. The pure will to survive fuelled by pain, and desperation, could do surprising things!
"Luigi?!"
How to attract attention when all else failed, for example.
Hastily, Beanelda got beside him and slipped her hands under his back. Then, with the invigorating support of appeals to stand firm, she slowly put him up like a stiff board. Possibly because he was stiff as a board and she also had to press against his chest to keep Luigi from toppling forward. Occasionally also against his back for correction.
"Luigi!" she started anxiously, "what happened up there? I heard your scream and then the guy jumped at me!" Then she looked down at herself. That was going to hurt. "Where's my bag? And my camera?" Beanelda let go of him, fumbled with her clothes and stuck her head in the barrel as Luigi creakily fell to the ground.
"My stuff is gone!" she stated angrily, turning around. "I swear on my plantation of green beans, if that mushroom head gives my film so much as a-" Suddenly she found herself facing Luigi. With his arms folded, he looked at her with little amusement and let his flat nose speak for itself. "Ah, you're well again!" His annoyance immediately turned to stunned incomprehension. "Now come on, we have to find my stuff!"
"But, but don't you want to know first what ..." However, she went and opened boxes and barrels at random, which she could then shine into. Slowly he had enough. "I think we have more important things to do right now than look for your camera."
"A camera is the heart and soul of every photographer!" echoed out of a box, "Everyone is just an empty shell without it!"
"Aha. Anyway, can I at least have the lamp back, please?" But she rummaged wordlessly in the nearest barrel. At this, Luigi threw his arms in the air, shook his head, and turned away. That he was not the only blockhead on board was only faintly comforting.
And since he didn't dare go deeper into the ship without light and Booccaneer took a conspicuously long time to complete his task, he turned towards the stairs.
"Booccaneer! What's taking you so long?" His shout echoed off the walls and although he was sure it had reached the top, a reply came from behind.
"What are you shouting about? My name is Beanelda, and I'm right behind you!"
Of course, she didn't know the cleaner. His mistake.
"Sorry, there's-"
"Yeah wait, I'm coming!"
Like on cue, Booccaneer came flying through the opening and stopped in front of them. He glanced fleetingly at Beanelda, who eyed him with undisguised interest, before turning to Luigi. "Sorry, but I can't get this stupid key turned. Maybe the thing is stuck, I don't know." Luigi looked at him blankly.
"Have you tried turning the key in?" Dismayed silence.
"... I'll be right back." And after these words, Booccaneer slipped into the open.
"Who was that? Booccaneer?" Luigi nodded. "Really? I haven't seen him on board all day. Is he to be trusted?" Luigi had to swallow hard then. What was he supposed to tell her? So far Booccaneer hadn't tried to kill them both. But of course, everything could still change - because the night was long. Fairness still had to be.
"Well, so far he's always helped me. He still needs to work on his loose tongue a bit, but if it makes you feel better: he's also been robbed by the captain. At least that's what he says."
"All right, if you vouch for him," Beanelda replied with a wink, "But what's he doing now?" As if waiting for it, a gentle jolt went through the ship; and mingled with the present background noise was a loud rumbling engine, which quickly became a quiet bubbling.
"That," he remarked with a grin.
"Yeehaw, I can post today!"
So they both gave each other a high-five. Even as the engine was turned off at that moment.
"What's that noise? And why is it so pitch black in here?"
That deep, grumpy voice, on the other hand, dragged his mood, which had just been buoyant, to the bottom of the sea. Couldn't the captain have taken this guy with him or something? Except for his wife, she was nice.
"Oh honey, I'm afraid we overslept a little."
"Overslept, of course!", Goombekker launched into his almost habitual rant again, "Just because you didn't set the alarm again! And now we've certainly missed our show!"
"But Goombekker, you could have reminded me!"
Why were they married again?
Luigi held an index finger to his lip and gestured with his head towards the stairs, Beanelda nodding in reply. But no sooner did their soles hit the floor, it thundered from the front: "You two beanpoles there! Can you tell us what time it is? "
"Night!" Luigi yelled curtly, then grabbed Beanelda by the arm and ran up the steps, photographer in tow.
Escaping the renewed clamour in time, Luigi and Beanelda took a breath and let themselves be cooled by a few raindrops. There weren't many, at least not enough to make one turn on the windscreen wipers. But they were felt clearly, even if only clothing was hit.
"There you are!" They looked up at Booccaneer, who again posted himself in front of them. He saw past them and then asked with a smile, "I hear the old folks down there are well?"
"Oh man, don't ask and start the engine again," Luigi replied, and Beanelda agreed with him. However, when Booccaneer's smile disappeared in response and avoided eye contact, nothing even stirred in Luigi. Something always went wrong. Be it ghosts stealing keys or eating them, a power failure plunging the mansion into darkness, or his car falling apart. It looked like he had to roll up his sleeves and look for alternatives - because what plumber ever gave up because of a bent pipe?
"Yeah ... about the engine ..."
"Let me guess, it's broken?"
"Did the thief cut the hoses or something?"
"Nope, uh ... well, I have some good news and bad news."
"The good first, please!" pushed in Beanelda.
"Well, the engine starts without a problem and runs smoothly. At least I haven't heard anything weird."
"And the bad?" asked Luigi this time, mentally preoccupied with other possible defects.
"Well, the tank is running on reserve."
A slight smirk formed the ghost hunter's lips. He could work with that.
"All right. Then we have everything we need." Booccaneer and Beanelda just stared at him in disbelief.
"But Luigi!" the photographer contradicted him, "There won't be enough fuel to get home!"
"I know, but we have the sails." He pointed upwards to the twisting and bulging schemes on the masts.
"Yeah, but-"
"Guys, I run on fuel oil! I know how to economize!"
"Clever clogs, no, that's not the problem. Even if the tank were full, we still don't know the way home. Are you going to sail aimlessly across the sea all night or what?"
"Well no problem, that's what we have experts like you two for!"
But nothing came. If it hadn't been for the rain, the wind, and the sea, one could have heard the crickets chirping. That moment when all those gathered just looked at each other, Luigi in joyful anticipation, before he felt compelled to utter that one dangerous word.
But he couldn't let it get that far.
"You know what, we'll just go to the captain's cabin and see if we can find anything useful there, yeah?"
"We can do that, but what could be there anyway?" Luigi groaned in frustration.
"Yes, do you have any better ideas? Now besides setting the ship on fire and hoping someone will notice?"
"For example." But as soon as he looked at the less than amused expressions, he quickly followed up with, "What? No good?" Now they darkened even more. "All right, so that we don't have to take this rather ... drastic measure yet ..." He turned to Beanelda. "You, do you have a mobile phone?" As if struck by lightning, she searched her pockets until she looked up with a pale face and said what Luigi and Booccaneer had somehow already expected.
"In my bag."
Why hadn't Luigi come up with the same question earlier?
"Well, that leaves only two," said the ghost, and only had to sneer at Luigi, the plumber stretched out his open palms to Booccaneer and shook his head vigorously.
"No, you can't do that to me! I'll never get out of there alive!"
"Man man man, they're not that bad," Beanelda retorted, patting him on the shoulder, "If we don't find anything in the cabin, I'm going down." There undoubtedly was a catch to it, but Luigi didn't want to bring on the misfortune by asking. He could not, on the other hand, ignore the fact that he owed her something in return. So before she could demand something beyond his means ...
"Thank you so much, you really save my life! When we get back to Toad Town, I'll buy you a drink!"
"Can you guys put off making love until later, please?"
"Oh, uh, yeah sure!" replied Luigi, blushing slightly, which Beanelda acknowledged with a wry grin, "Okay team, up to the quarterdeck!"
At the door to the cabin, Luigi stopped, pushed down the handle and pushed the entrance open. If only there hadn't been one unfortunate thing: something was blocking it. He looked at the edges, scratching his head. How could that be? Had the captain barricaded it from the inside and then climbed out the window? But the Soup hen didn't have any windows!
"Luigi, come on." Beanelda held the lamp closer and pointed to a small hole on the left.
"Aha, that thing actually has a keyhole!", Luigi cleverly observed. In return, Booccaneer swept his cap off his head, "cave olm" hissing. So after Luigi had covered his hair again snorting, he slammed his fists against each other.
"Wait, you're really going to break that open?" asked Beanelda in amazement.
"Uh, well ... yeah, unless you stole a key from the captain, of course."
"Nope, but aren't we going to jail for that?"
"Lady, the captain was the first to abandon ship and here we are drifting through the vast sea with no direction," Booccaneer explained, "I'm sure that falls under self-defence somewhere."
"And that's exactly why ..." Luigi took a swing with one leg. "... we tear the door down!" His boot whizzed forward with the force of a smash attack, aiming firmly at the rotten wood. It clanged, the door vibrated, dust filled the air - a critical hit!
But Luigi stumbled back with a gasp. His target, meanwhile, simply stopped shaking and then rested in place like any other gate. Scoffing.
It may have won the battle, but not the war! Again he kicked it, ignoring the pain in his foot, kicked again and then paused, breathing quickly. But his opponent just would not depart from this world.
Afterwards, Booccaneer pushed him aside and said, "Oh man, you really can't watch this. Let a professional have a go." He chose the direct route. No sooner had he disappeared through the door, glaring light pierced the gaps with a shrill scream and he came out as quickly as he had come in. His arms pressed over his eyes, he rolled whimpering around on the floor. Somehow Luigi felt guilty at the sight.
"My camera!" rejoiced Beanelda, "Luigi, the two of us together! On three!" He murmured in agreement, smiled and took up position side by side. "Ready?"
"As long as we don't have to kick, always!"
"Good! Now then, one, two, three!" They both sprinted towards the door at the same time, elbows first. As hard as the wood was, it could do nothing against the combined strength of two greenlings and flew crashing from its hinges to the floor - dragging both with it, and the lamp rolled under the bed.
"There you are!" She scrambled across the door to an object at the other end, while Luigi got up slowly, swaying, and adjusted his cap. Then, however, he witnessed involuntarily Beanelda's goings-on: she was lying beside her tripod-mounted camera, stroking it tenderly. She whispered to it lovingly, "Shh, don't be afraid, my child. Mama is here. Did the evil captain do something to you?" He forced himself to look away and examined the cabin.
The bed had not been made up since the last sleep. First, he felt the mattress and pillows - nothing noticeable. Usual down filling. He didn't find anything under the blanket or the bed itself either. Couldn't there have been something hidden there, like in every third-rate crime film?
Cords were running along the floor, one of which was connected to the camera. Had the Toad expected a break-in by Booccaneer? If he thought that far ahead, who knew what else he had turned into a trap on the ship? On the other hand, they had also broken into his room without the ghost, so maybe it was "just" a prank.
What Luigi hadn't found at the first encounter, however, was a table next to the door. And what was on it, connected to a car battery, made his heart beat faster.
"Beanelda, Beanelda! A radio!"
She jumped up and seemed to have forgotten her camera again.
"Really?! Whoa, does this thing work? Say something!" Luigi grabbed the microphone with both hands and gushed like a waterfall, "S.O.S, Mayday, this is the Soup hen! We're stuck here on a holey vessel on the high seas! There are five of us and the captain has abandoned ship without us! I repeat, five people and the captain has abandoned ship without us! Please help, the storm is coming and we don't know if we will survive this night! It's an acute emergency! S.O.S, Mayday! Somebody, please!"
He put the microphone back and gasped. He had indeed forgotten to breathe. "That should have been it. I think only praying will help now." Beanelda, however, looked at the device more closely. "What is it? Please don't tell me the radio is busted!"
"I don't know, but what I can absolutely say ..." She bent over it and fiddled around the back until something clicked and two indicators flickered on: a needle for signal strength and two red glowing numbers for channel selection.
"No, are you for real?"
"Yeah, was off. Wanna try again?"
"Doesn't leave me much choice, does it?" At that, Beanelda made room for him and Luigi took the microphone again. But instead of talking, he watched the needle resting on its left. "We don't have reception out here, do we?" She looked down at the ground, shaking her head.
"Oh right, damn. Fine, change of plans." As soon as Luigi heard this, the memory from earlier came flooding back and he began to sweat. There was that one deal, and Beanelda was coming to claim her share! "You check on the pensioners downstairs and I'll try to get hold of someone. Is that okay?" Her wide grin, however, told him that they both knew what he had promised her non-verbally. So he reluctantly passed the microphone to her and, muttering, stepped outside into the rain with the lamp.