July 19th 1947

 It seems I've got just enough time to write this down, before I get ready for the party tonight.

 I'm planning on getting knee walking drunk tonight, and after last night I deserve it, and how!

 I'm going to clean up my Derby hat, real nice.

 Soon after I made my last entry, last night, Commanch came in to the cabin, and surprised me my good ol hat. Commanch said he was able to fish it out of the water, during all the hubbub.


 I was for a second, almost smiling, since I had thought it was gone forever. Thought maybe it had sunk to Davy Jones locker. or some Zombie (As I soon found out that's what ugly bunch were) was looking real jaunty.


 Oh yeah, a lot more stuff happened last night after I had finished writing the last entry.

 Writing everything down brought all of my anger back, so I wanted to talk to Commanch about it, and ask him if he thought Durant and or Lajos set us up. Before I got a chance to discuss the matter, there was a knock at the cabin door.

  "Hey youse mugs!" It was Boom Boom Lewis. "Grab yer rods, we got more trouble!!!"

 "What's wrong Boom?" Commanch Asked.


 "It's ... it's those things.... those rotten, people things.... they are climbing up the side of the ship!!!" Boom Boom replied.

 "Aw Jeez!" Thought me "Again? Those monsters can swim this far?"

 Commanch and I grabbed our gats, loaded them and followed Boom Boom out on to the deck.


 It looked like our whole mob was firing wildly over and down the ships railing.


 Commanch, Boom Boom and I hooked up with Tully and found a spot on the rail that wasn't covered by anyone and the four of us started blasting away.

 Yeah, there they were, ugly as ever, climbing up the side, like some hideous giant spiders (Not that I think spiders are all that pretty to begin with) and they weren't stopping!


 Once and awhile, one of us was able to shoot or cut off the rotting fingers so that they couldn't climb very well. Those just dropped back in to the drink, but there were plenty more where they came from.

 Out of the corner of my eye I could see Durant on a higher deck (Where he was safe) drilling the ghouls with a Tommy gun. How come we didn't get Tommy Guns? I saw Garner the Geek and one of the Lapp boys pulled over the side, and I knew they weren't coming back. There were bullets firing every where, and not a blamed one doing any good. Starving bodies, eating into us, without even thinking twice about it.


 What are you supposed to do, when you keep filling those things full of bullets, and it doesn't even seem to bother them? All of us grown men started to scream like little girls!

 I think we all just wanted to give into the madness, and hope it would be over soon, and just die!


 Okay, this is when I thought we had all bought it, there were a lot of those godforsaken creatures on board, and it looked liked we would be over whelmed at any moment.


 Then all of the sudden, like he was the star of some melodrama, Dr. Lajos steps into view, with that big galloot body guard of his. The big ape, was still wearing the huge hat, sunglasses, and scarf, wrapped around his neck.


 I turned to Tully to ask him what he thought about all of this, but he wasn't there any more. I thought maybe he had been nabbed by those devils.


 Turning back to the action, I noticed Lajos was staring intensely at the decomposing crew, and was waving his hand in a strange gesture. They all stopped moving and stared right back at Lajos, like they were his children who had just got caught being naughty.


 Then one by one the monsters slowly turned, climbed back over the rail and dropped back into the briny blue. It was starting to occur to me that Lajos had complete control over those sickening things!


 At that moment I was ready to chew nails and spit them all over Lajos' pasty kisser! Herby Boy, Garner the Geek, Shecky Lapp, and heaven knows how many of our boys lost, Bay City a curled up like a frightened baby, and Lajos coulda stopped it at the beginning, assuming he didn't make them do it in the first place.


 I took my hat in my hands and stormed over to where Dr. Lajos stood.


 "All right you pasty faced, fancy pants, mama's boy..." I said with anger that was increasing every second "The blood of my chums is on your hands, what do you have to say about that?". I realize now that this was foolish in so many ways, for one thing Dr. Lajos was one of my employers, number two..... well that body guard of his was reason number two, three, four, and five! At that hot headed moment however I wasn't doing much counting.


 Lajos saw me coming after him, and heard my accusation. He merely rolled his eyes, like I wasn't worth dirtying his hands with me and glanced back at his body guard. That big, lanky gorilla nodded slowly to the Dr. and lumbered toward me.


 I was just about to get my hands around Lajos throat, when the body guard grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and hurled me painfully against the outside wall of someone's cabin. I looked up at the two legged mammoth and the look on his mug told me that he wished he had thought to throw me in the other direction, namely in to the deep blue!


 I also got the feeling that he intended to rectify that mistake. As the galoot was making his way in my direction, a shot rang out, real close.


 The body guard turned slowly, cause like the rest of us, he wanted to see who had shot the gun off. It was Durant! Of the people to save my carcass, I never expected it to be him. Then again, he had issues of his own with Lajos and his big pal, I doubt he was doing this out of any kindness or fondness for yours truly.


 "Lajos!" Durant challenged "He works for me, and I work for Dr. Prometheus. You might be his partner on this job, but my men answer only to me, and I answer only to Prometheus!... Get Me?". The two of them stared very coldly at each other for what seemed like forever, each refusing to look away.


 The silence was broken when Lajos looked up to his body guard and said "Come, my servant, we shall quit, these tiresome beings for the nonce, the night shall not last forever and I shall need to prepare my.... bed." With that, the Dr. and his goon made their way to their cabin.


 I was half expecting a reprimand from Durant, but he just watched the two depart, and shook his head, looking disgusted. Commanch and Boom Boom helped me up and we headed back to our own cabin.


 I was kinda surprised and relieved to see Tully sitting in the cabin, laying back on his bunk, as usual, counting the water stains on the ceiling and looking depressed.


 "Tully!" I exclaimed "What happened to you back there? One minute we were fighting shoulder to shoulder, then you just up and disappeared"


 "I..." He began "...was avoiding someone".


 Commanch broke in "Yeah, I wish we coulda all avoided those... those ..what the hell were they?"


 "Beats the heck outa me" Boom Boom answered.


 There was a brief silence then Tully spoke


 "They were Zombies, the walking dead".


 You mean like vampires?" Boom Boom asked with wide eyes.


 Tully responded "No Zombies aren't the same thing as vampires, but there is a ...."


 He stopped for a second, and seemed to be changing what he was going to say.


 "...Zombies are different..." Tully continued "...they are mindless, and must be controlled, vampires are a different matter altogether."


 Tully paused then added, "It might be a good idea to steer clear of Lajos and his body guard."


 "Say Tully..." Boom Boom interrupted "....when did you get so interested in stuff like this, zombies, vampires and the like?"


 Tully didn't answer, and the rest of us got real quiet too. This was a lot to swallow. I'd always had a pretty good idea that lots of strange things happened in this universe, things that can't be explained no matter how hard we try.


 I had read of all kinds of bizarre things in the journals of my ancestors, what with monsters and such. I always figured that they spiced up the tales to make them more exciting, like the night my Grand Pappy wrote about, when he served up beans to a really strange campfire gathering. (That one gave me night mares as a kid)

 Now that I think about it, I remembered several years back when the mastermind that called himself ‘The Vampire King' was running rampant, until the Spider exposed him a just a reg'ler fella.


 There were a lot of things we would hear through the grapevine, that seemed to be supernatural at first, till some do-gooder like Ol Doc 'High and mighty' or that Benson palooka would solve the mystery. But every once and awhile some news would trickle down to us about something that just seemed impossible to explain.


 Back at Red Mikes, Sinful Dennis seemed to enjoy coming up with rational explanations for just about everything and would tell us all over a beer. I always listened carefully, and prayed he was right, but deep down inside, I was afraid he was wrong.


 I wonder how he would explain zombies? If I survive this caper, I'll have to ask him.


 Well, I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep, so I decided to go to the infirmary and check on Bay. When I got there, the medic told me he was going to be okay, but he needs his sleep.


 I took a look at him lying there on the cot and saw that even though he was a sleep, it was by no means a peaceful sleep. He was trembling slightly, and his eyebrows were moving up and down, like two caterpillars dancing a jig.


 Poor Bay.


 I walked back outside, to the deck, and lit another smoke. (I think I had gone through a whole pack already, since the zombie incident) and started on a midnight stroll around the ship.


 After a while I ran into Muggy. He was still on his hands and knees scrubbing the deck. Well this time it needed it guess, what with all the Blood and entrails and what not.


 I kinda smiled at him, and asked him "How's tricks?"


 He didn't answer, but he stood up and faced me and reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. He handed it to me and I took it from him.


 It was a folded up photo of him and Gooter, arms on each others shoulders, smiling like goons. It looked like it was taken at Coney Island. Next to them was a gray haired woman who looked like one of those Mongoloid type people you see at the freak shows. She wasn't smiling, and seemed to be unaware of where she was, unaware of anything really.

 Their Mother?


 The photo had white creases, from where it had been folded to many times, they kinda looked like lightning bolts. The edges were all tattered, and I could see clear tape holding it together in several places.


 "That's real nice Muggy!" I said as I tried to hand it back to him. He refused it, and closed my fingers tightly around with his hands. For some reason he wanted me to have it. Go figure.


 I put the photo in my shirt pocket, right next to the silver charms I had bought back in Boneport, for my wife and daughter.


 "Thanks Muggy!" I smiled, still a little confused. Muggy kept silent and went back to his scrubbing,


 I wasn't going to spend to much time trying to understand Muggy. If he wants me to have the photo, I'll take it, and if he wants it back later, I'll give it to him. I left Muggy to continue my walk.


 Looking out from the deck I could still see Marya island.

 I wished we were on our way, far away from here, but it seemed the submarine that was following us, below, had some engine trouble, so we had to wait for the mugs down below to repair it. That must be some sneaky sub, considering I have yet to see it anywhere around, and if I hadn't been told about it, I wouldn't have known it even existed.


 I was walking by one of life boats when I heard some snoring. It was coming from the life boat. There was a tarp covering the top of the small craft so I couldn't see inside. I was hoping it was on of my pals sleeping off a whisky binge.

 I was hoping it wasn't one of those creatures sleeping off a human flesh eating binge.

 I considered for a bit what I should do, report this, and possibly get one of my amigos in trouble with Durant, or risk having a man eating monstrosity on board, and wake up in the middle of the night with my foot in a hot-dog bun, while some ghoul puts mustard on my little toe.


 My other option was to hitch up my trousers and take a peek under the covering. Who knows, if I was maybe able to hurl a zombie overboard, it might lighten my mood.


 I slowly pulled the tarp back, and was very surprised. It was Dwayne, that Negro kid from the Island and he was sleeping like a baby.


I looked him over, and he seemed to be healthy. I was just hoping to goodness that he wasn't a zombie.


 I nudged his shoulder a bit, and he started to rouse.


 "Hey kid, wakey, wakey" I said in a pleasant voice.


 His eyes blinked slowly, first a little confused, then a little shocked, then he recognized me.


 "Sir..." he said, kinda frightened "Are you going to report me as a stow away?" Heck no, I wasn't and I told him so.


 I can remember people helping me out when I was a reckless youth, by not squealing on me. Besides, I liked this kid. My oldest boy was just a couple years younger than him, and I would hope someone would help him out like this someday.


 I also felt like I owed it to him, since I never got around to asking Durant or Capt. Finn, if Dwayne could join the crew.


 "So you decided to see the Sea, ay?" I asked, in a friendly tone.


 "I had to get off that Island, sir" He responded. I was completely in agreement on that one, let me tell you.


 I remembered that he and I smoked the same brand, so I pulled out a couple and handed him one. As we lit em up, I glanced around to make sure no one saw us. Not that I was ashamed to be seen talking to a Negro, I didn't want him to get caught and sent back to that damned island, or thrown over board.


 I have always had a hard time understanding why so many people, look down on black folk. I've worked with Negroes before, and really can't see that they are better or worse then any of us pitiful two legged creatures walking this great, big, Ping-Pong ball.

 Why, just this year, Baseball finally got it's first Negro player, Jackie Robinson.

 I've been employed by a Mastermind, or two that happen to be Negroes. Heck, I've was even involved with a racket that was foiled by that Negro, Masked Avenger type, that the press never seemed to bring up.


 I guess it's like the Gray Fog, deal, nobody wants to admit that a non-White non-male could do any thing worth while.


 So Dwayne and I had a good smoke, and chatted for awhile. I decided then and there, that I was going to help this kid in any way I could. If he could just keep out of site, till we make it to Farou island, I should be able to convince who ever is the foreman working for Dr. Prometheus to hire him on.

 Maybe with a wad of dough, Dwayne can go to school in the good ol US of A, like he wants.


 I sure as hell wasn't going to ask Durant while on the ship, I know what that Rat-Bastard would do to him. I told Dwayne that I would find him some grub, and look for a new place for him to hide. I gave him half the smokes from my pack, and told him I would be back soon.


 He crawled back under the heavy canvas, and as I was walking away, he lifted a corner, poked his head out and said "Thank you sir!"


 "Don't mention it kid!" And I walked away.


 Helping Dwayne made me feel a little better, and I started thinking that After I snuck some food to him, I might be able to get some sleep after all. I creeped into the ships galley, made a couple of ham sandwiches, grabbed some celery sticks, and filled up a bottle full of cool water.


 As I was headed back to Dwaynes hiding place I saw Nesta Reynolds heading out of her cabin, all gussied up, wearing a different gown than the one she had worn earlier that evening. I gotta say it again "Wotta dish" she looked like some kind of goddess with the moon light and that black dress and the hair and the legs and all.


 "Why are ya all dolled up Miss Reynolds?" I asked.


 "Don't you remember?...I've got a date" She said smiling that lightning bolt smile.


  "Uh..Sure, I remember" I lied, and at that moment I had no Idea what she was talking about.


 "Have fun!" I said as I continued on my way. No time for conversation, and I didn't want her to get curious as to where I was going.


 I took the food to Dwayne. and he attacked it like a shark. He was pretty darn hungry. I told him that I would put my brain to thinking of a good hiding place for him, and check up with him in the morning. He thanked me again, and I headed back to the cabin.


 Once I got there I noticed Champ was asleep. Muggy was most likely still scrubbing the deck somewhere, and it was a good bet that Commanch was on the ships radio again, being the Airwave, Casanova. Tully was playing solitaire at the cabin table. He didn't look like he was up for talking so I stretched out on my bunk.


 I lay there for a while, with my hands folded behind my head, Thinking of Nesta in that black gown.


 Soon I was thinking of my first date with Meg, and I started to smile, and I believe that if a certain horrifying thought hadn't occurred to me I might have dosed off.


 The idea did hit me, however, like a ton of bricks. I jumped from my bunk.


 "Tully!" I practically screamed " You said earlier that we should avoid Lajos!"


  "Yes...." he replied, not looking up from his cards "I....I have been aware of the Doctor for awhile now, and he is a dangerous ......person, but it's not something I care to discuss." Champ must have heard us, and he rolled over, squeezing his pillow around his ears.


 "That's all well and good Tully, but I'm a bit worried about Miss Reynolds, I think she has a date with Dr. Lajos.....in his cabin!" I responded.


 "No!" Tully exclaimed, jumping from his chair, "We have to stop her!"


 "That's what I was thinking, but I'm afraid she might already be in his cabin" I said with a worried voice. Tully said nothing more, and high tailed it out on to the deck, running at a brisk pace. I followed close behind. We made it Lajos private cabin in no time flat.


 "You knock on the door" Tully barked out to me "I hope it's not to late!" I never figured Tully Garvin to be so concerned over a lady's virtue. He probably had designs on her himself, yeah, that must be the scoop.


 "What about you?" I asked.


  "I'll be back here in case there is trouble" Tully said with an almost trembling voice. "I don't want Dra... Dr. Lajos to see me, or know I'm aboard this ship!"


 I guess he must have really gotten on Dr. Lajos' bad side at some point. which is believable, since Tully has always been an expert on getting on folk's bad side.


 Tully faded in to the shadows, and I took a deep breath and knocked on the cabin door. I must have rapped a hundred times, feeling like my knuckles would soon bleed, when finally the door opened.


 It was the body Guard, bigger and uglier than life, and still with the hat, sun glasses and scarf, although it looked like he had put them on in a rush. He was looking down at me and he didn't seem any friendlier then before.


 "Go....a...way" he said in a strange, stilted, voice, that sounded like the creaking of a rusty cemetery gate.


 I looked past him in to the room. There was Nesta sitting on a couch, looking dazed, and Lajos was sitting next to her. Lajos had one arm around her, and tenderly held her hand. He wasn't looking at her however, he was looking right at me like a cat that was interrupted while licking himself.


 In other words he didn't look too pleased with me. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment.


 "Uh excuse me, but I need ta see Miss Reynolds about something" I said fumbling with hat in hand. Lajos said nothing, but the hate in his eyes grew by leaps and bounds.


 "Go.....a...way" the body guard repeated, this time with more of growl in his voice.


 Gathering my chutzpah I charged past the body guard, into the room. Lajos stood angrily, as I made my way to the couch. I could hear the thudding feet of the body guard behind me.


 "Look, Dr. Lajos, I don't want any trouble, I just have something important to talk to Miss Reynolds about." I sputtered out.


 "YOU DARE!" Lajos shouted, furling his cape behind him. Lajos shouting seemed to have broken Nesta out of the daze she was in.


 "It's okay, Dr...." Nesta said as she stood up "It's getting late anyway, and I need to get some shut eye" Then she added, "Thanks for the wine" Lajos looked at her, disappointed, then at me, really, really cheesed off.


 "We will continue this another evening my Dear" Lajos said as he bowed and tenderly kissed her hand.


 "Count on it Doctor" Nesta said with a hint of flirt in her
voice.


 I breathed a sigh of relief as we made it out on to the deck, and the door closed behind us.


 "What was so important?" She asked me.


  "Aw Miss Reynolds, I just wanted to get you away from him" I replied earnestly "I've asked around, and I've heard some unpleasant things about that fancy pants"


 I told her about how he was able to control those zombies, and that he was probably had some kind of hypnotic power. Or something. The bottom line was I tried to get through to her was I thought he was bad news.


 "Did I seem like I was in a trance?" she asked me.


 "Yes Ma'am" I replied, and described the scene on the couch I witnessed when I entered.


 "Well, it's just possible you kept me out of a bad situation, I've heard of Lover-boy types who use mesmerism as a gimmick". She sighed while
looking up at the stars and added "I never thought it would work on me though."


 I told her it might be a good idea to keep away from Lajos and she responded

 "Thanks, but now that I know the score, I can take care of myself". Somehow I believed her.


 I was seeing her to her cabin, and every thing seemed peaceful, which never seems to last long, as I soon found out. We spun quickly around when we heard the heavy footsteps behind us.


 It was the body guard again. I got the feeling that Mr. Gruesome was sent to rid this ship of yours truly. Obviously Lajos wasn't going to let bygones be bygones. That's okay, nether was I.


 I put my body between Nesta and the giant, to shield her. He moved a little faster than I thought he could and managed to grab me by the throat. I was lifted into air with my legs dangling.


 I couldn't breath, I was a goner for sure this time I thought. Nesta was pounding with her fist on the big palookas chest,and he didn't even seem to feel it.


 Suddenly his grip seemed to slacken, and I was dropped, sprawling on the deck. I looked up to see what happened. It was Dwayne, on the big bruisers back. His arms had a serious wrestling hold on Uglies neck.


 The kid saved me, sure enough!


 I shook off my pain and charged into help him right back. Like Nesta, I pounded away, with my dukes, but I seemed to have as much effect as she did. I hit him as hard as I could, and he didn't even care, the ugly Bastard! The giant started spinning around, clumsily, trying to shake Dwayne off his back.


 It finally occurred to the man-mountain to smash his burden against the wall. And he did so. Dwayne, with the breath knocked out of him, crumpled to the deck.

 The body guard raised his massive boot, to smash poor Dwayne's skull.


  Before that could happened an urgent voice from the shadows spoke.


 "Stop!" It was Tully, and he stepped out into the light. The Big galoot's head turned in Tully's direction, with vague recognition, and he slowly put his foot down, thankfully, not on Dwayne's noggin. Tully approached the giant.


 Yep, somehow the body guard knew Tully.


 "I have helped you before...you remember don't you?" Tully asked pleadingly. The giant seemed puzzled, as if trying to recall something important, than he slowly nodded his hideous head and replied


 "Yes....Re...mem...ber"


 "Listen my friend, these people are not to be harmed" Tully said, as if talking to a child. The giant, seemed even more confused, and let out a low, questioning growl.


  "And you must not tell your master, that I am here.... please.... remember, remember how I helped you!" Tully continued. More low growls.


 "You must tell your Master, that you weren't able to find these people, remember I helped you, so you must help me" Tully seemed real nervous as he was instructing the giant, like he was afraid his orders wouldn't take. The giant kept his eye contact with Tully, for what seemed an eternity.


 The eerie silence was finally broken when the giant nodded, and said

 "Help....you" he slowly turned around and shuffled back in the direction of Lajos' cabin.


 "That was too darn close!" I said rubbing my neck.


 "You have no idea!" Tully replied as he went to check on Nesta. I walked over to see about Dwayne, he seemed to be okay, so I helped him up.


 "Thanks Kid!" I said, then realized that the secret was out. I turned to Tully and Nesta. Hoping that they wouldn't rat out Dwayne, I explained his situation, to them.


 Nesta, who remembered Dwayne from Marya, welcomed him warmly. Tully shook his hand and said it would be a good idea if we all swore to keep each others secrets.


 It still boggles my brain when I think of Tully's change in personality, from the old days, he actually was starting to seem..... I don't know, noble or something.


 Nesta offered a suggestion that's un heard of in ‘Proper society'. She said she could hide Dwayne in her cabin. The three of us guy's were all a little stunned when we heard this.


 "Oh don't look so worried" Nesta said with a slight chuckle, "I trust Dwayne. There is an extra cot, and I would feel better if there was some one there with me, considering the nights events." That seemed to spark something in Tully, and he asked Nesta , with a pained look on his face.


 "Miss Reynolds, I want you to think carefully....at any time, this evening did you invite Lajos to your cabin?"


 "Please Mr. Garvin, what kind of gal, do you think I am?" she responded, seeming a little amused. "Besides, I'm pretty sure the Doctor is not my type". What a strange dame, she tells the penniless black kid he can stay in her cabin, but rejects the wealthy suave, handsome, white doctor. I for one will never understand dames.


 Tully seemed relieved when Nesta informed him that she had arranged no tryst with Lajos. Why I cant figure out. It doesn't seem like Lajos is the kind of gent, who needs to be invited.


 Nesta said she had better Dwayne back to her cabin, before someone came along and ratted us out. I might have been imagining things, but I could swear I saw a gleam in Nesta's eyes, as she took Dwayne's arm and lead him off. Was she sweet on him?


 Every once in a while you see a couple of mixed races, but not very often. People seem to get pretty upset when they see that, and it makes them angry, like it was somehow doing them harm. My old pal Richy the bard, married a Negro woman and said he didn't care what other people thought. He used to say, since he was already a crook, how could his rep possibly get worse?


 Dwayne seemed to notice the way Nesta was looking at him and seemed more confused then me. Tully and I discussed this a bit as we went back to our cabin. Tully said that the fates seem to always be against two people who find each other, and he wouldn't dream of butting in and adding to that kind of misery.


 Huh? So Tully Garvin is now a live and let live type? Whatever happened to him must have been severe, is all I can think.


 Changing the subject, I tried to pick his brain about his connection with Lajos and his gorilla. He kept silent, but a look in his eye told me not to ask anymore. I'm a live and let live, guy myself, so I let it drop.


 The ship suddenly began to move, and I was thankful. We were getting the heck away from that horrible island.


 Tully went back into the cabin, but I stayed out on the deck, lit a smoke and watched Marya, disappear over the horizon. Once I could no longer see that godforsaken hellhole I went back into the cabin and went to sleep.

 This morning, I woke up feeling very stiff and sore. The cabin was already empty, so I once again set out in search of coffee.


 The sun was shining bright on the water. Nice and calm. I could see no land in every direction I turned.


 In the galley The guys were all worried, because Durant was ready to kill any one who was just breathing to hard. So what's new?

 I figured I would take it easy and lay low, since it would take many days before we reached Capetown. There wasn't any work to do, everything was going smoothly, and the sub was running fine. I still haven't seen that damn sub!


 After a couple of mugs of Joe, I went to check on Bay City Bottems. Good ol Bay, seemed to be doing much better. Well, he had enough Morphine, going through his body, so he SEEMED better.

 I told him of the last nights events, leaving out the part about Dwayne, and that last run in with Lajos and his gigantic goon. Bay drifted back to sleep as I was shooting the breeze, so I left.

 When I got out on deck. noticed a bunch of folks were gathered near the aft of the ship. I walked over to see what was going on. There was a small, craft tied to the ship. I'd never seen a boat like it. A real souped up job, if I'd ever seen one. It must have been incredibly fast, as I had not seen any thing but ocean, when I had looked around earlier.


 I asked Boom Boom, if he knew what was going on, and he told me it was a special delivery for Durant. Durant was talking to the boats driver all right, and was taking a large envelope from him. Durant studied the envelope for awhile then turn to walk away with out even thanking the guy. The driver, shrugged his shoulders and got back in his boat.


 The engine made a small whine, then zoomed off. When I say zoomed, I mean it, I have never seen anything move that fast. In three minutes the boat was out of view.

 Boom Boom and I started talking about the boat, and how nifty it would be to have one of our own, when suddenly we interrupted by Durants voice bellowing "Well I'll be a ..."

 Durant was leaning against the rail, and was looking over
the contents of the envelope, and smiling, well, a happy smile, and not his usual ‘I'm getting a kick outa making you eat dirt' smile.

 He turned to us and proclaimed, "We are gonna eat, drink
and be merry, tonight boys! Get ready for the shindig of your lives!".

 I started to wonder, "what gives?", but then decided, if Durant wants to be in a good mood, and throw a party, I'm not gonna rock the boat.

 I'm going to shower and shave, and get drunk, drunk,
drunk!