The Diamond Princess

CHAPTER 4: CHAT, CRASH, CHAT, CRASH, CHAT, CRASH, CHAT...

"Glaianna save me! I've just done something terrible! OW! Why does the door always turn invisible at midday?!"

She stared at me, shocked, "What?! What happened?!"

I started giggling as I told her, "I talked to Aubur again!" Glaianna mimicked hitting her tired head against the wall, then actually did because it was transparent at that point. "OW! Whose clever idea was it to make a boat out of ice?! Oh... erm... gotta check on... Aubur..." I looked at her walk away embarrassed.

"Aubur's the other way!" I called after her. No reaction. I chuckled to myself, thinking about the many times this sort of thing had occurred. But none of them could have been anything like this - sailing in a majestic ice ship, with all the colours of the sunset often winding through into the late hours of the night.

"Squawk!"

"EEEE!" I jumped onto the bed, atlas in hands, ready to clobber my vicious attacker the –

"Which clever dick," I growled through clenched teeth, "Decided to bring this guy along?" I grabbed it by the flipper and pulled it up the steps, down the corridor, and to the deck. I found a deckhand and proceeded to ask about the situation until I realised that it was Jumpy. I went to find someone else, figuring that would be quicker than waiting for someone to fish him out of the lifeboat.

"Ah, it's Karen isn't it?" The deckhand nodded, bright blue hair bouncing around her shoulders. "Karen, do you know what I should do with this?" I asked, pointing at my 'vicious' attacker. She smiled, and I got quite baffled why until I realised I was pointing at thin air.

"Ack me timba! Get thees monsta away from me!" I raced off and found it 'viciously' attacking some fish. I grabbed it by the beak and hauled it onto my shoulder. Then I hauled it onto Aubur's shoulder because it was quite heavy. Then I settled with pulling it by the flipper, because Aubur had just come around the corner and was quite freaked by finding a giant squawking thing on his shoulder. I finally found Captain Jonathon by the pool. Well, more that he found me in the pool, for there was no difference between the ice and the water. Once out we discussed the matter.

"What do I do with it?"

"I'm not sure Dianne."

"Can't you drop it off somewhere?"

"We've gone too far. It won't be able to find food."

"Where do I put it then?"

"I'm afraid you have a new pet now. I quite have to go back to work. See you, Dianne." I stood, infuriated by the turn of plans.

"I'm meant to share my room with a giant, fish-gobbling PENGUIN?!"

That night was a mess. Squak (the penguin) wouldn't stop stealing fish off everyone's plates during dinner, and then he raided the kitchen, futile attempts of chasing it away with a broom keeping Glaianna busy enough so that I had to go to the meeting with Aubur. Then, halfway through the discussion of having enough fruit until mainland was sighted, Squak ran in with Glaianna clutching his tail. It made everyone laugh until he ran straight for the supplies of fruit. Luckily, only one apple was taken (and a lot of fish) but the damage was done. We had to start the conversation from scratch, and redo another one about the safety of the ship. And can you believe it, one person actually suggested exterminating Squak! And then a lot of people seconded me – I mean her...

"Squak, I'm sorry that I suggested exterminating you. Anyway, it's not like we could..." If Squak understood, he didn't show it. He probably didn't, since his head was buried in a bucket of fish. I looked over my shoulder and saw Jonathon coming, captain's hat slipping over his eyes. He offered me a bunch of chips, half eaten by Squak before he could finish the sentence. We munched on the remaining few as the sun went down, illuminating the ship. Colours whipped and wavered all around us, reflecting the magic of the moment, capturing it, and letting it light up the dark sea. As the ballroom glowed pink, I hauled Jonathon up and we danced through light and dark, fiery and watery, and let the magic entangle us while still trying not to trip over a penguin with a bucket stuck on his head. Ah, bliss.