to the ends of the earth

twelve

The next morning I made my way to the dining saloon, which was cramped with passengers. I found Nelson and Zahra seated at a table near the back, deep in conversation. I grabbed myself a cup of tea and some toast from a steward passing by with a trolley.

I thanked him quietly, before making my way over to the table.

“Good morning,” I greeted them as I approached, sliding into the empty seat next to Nelson.

“Morning, Ragne,” Nelson smiled in return.

 Zahra greeted me with a nod. “Did you sleep well?”

“Just fine,” I replied, glancing around the room. “Have you seen Julie this morning?”

Nelson shook his head. “No, not yet. I was hoping she’d join us.”

I took a sip of my tea, then turned my attention back to Zahra. “Nelson mentioned that you were interested in exposing Colin and Andrew’s plans. Do you really think you can help?”

Zahra’s expression grew serious. “I believe so. If what you say is true, and they are planning to exploit the locals, this needs to be made public. The people need to know.”

I was about to ask her about a plan, then noticed her glancing at the clock in the dining saloon, before swiftly drinking up her coffee and standing up from her seat. “Excuse me,” she said, nodding at the both of us. “I have something to attend to, it will only take a short while.”

And with that, she walked out of the room.

I exchanged a glance with Nelson. “Do you think we can trust her?”

His brows were furrowed as he shrugged. “I’m not quite sure yet. She seems sincere, but we hardly know her.”

“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see,” I said, taking another sip of tea.

Nelson nodded. “We should be cautious, but her interest in the truth might work in our favor.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. Just as I was about to continue our conversation, the dining saloon’s doors swung open with a bang, startling everyone. Captain Finch stormed in, and the room fell silent, all eyes on him.

“Attention, ladies and gentlemen!” His voice boomed, commanding the attention of every passenger. “Due to unforeseen circumstances and the need to load additional cargo, we will be making an unscheduled stop at the Port of Colombo. This will result in a one-day delay of our voyage.”

“When will this stop take place?” one of the passengers asked.

The captain took a glance at his pocket watch. “We expect to dock in approximately eight hours.”

Within the blink of an eye, he’d left the saloon, only for Julie and Colin to enter just a moment later. Julie’s appearance left me in some sort of trance. She wore a green colored dress with short sleeves, the one that made her brown eyes and hair stand out. Her hair was elegantly pinned up, revealing the golden earrings she often wore. She had a delicate shawl draped over her shoulders, a small handbag hung from her wrist.

I noticed the irritation on Colin’s face as Julie quickly made her way over to us.

“Morning,” Julie greeted cheerfully as she sat down next to me, quickly flashing me a small smile. Colin acknowledged us with a nod, his eyes scanning the room briefly before taking a seat next to Nelson.

Julie’s presence immediately brought back memories of the previous night. The taste of her lips lingered in my mind, and I couldn’t help but steal glances at her as we sat there, side by side.