My Journal
By Harriman Nelson
16
“Hi, sweetheart,”
Emmie said as she answered my videophone call. “How are things going? You look
tired.”
“Nonsense,” I lied.
“Must be the live feed. Anyway, we spotted some unusual clams. Lee sent divers
out for me to collect some. Oh, the sub kept moving, so we didn’t lose any time
heading to the trench. I just had to call you about this,”I added, holding up
the pearl.
“Oh, sweetheart!” she
gasped. “It’s beautiful!”
“The clams aren’t any
species I know of. And they’re quite toxic as far as a food source is
concerned. But the pearl is harmless to touch. I was hoping you might like to
have it set into a ring or pendant or something, even if the shape’s a bit
irregular.”
“I think it might
still be nice for a ring…but you’re right, a pendant would be best. Harry,
dear, now be honest with me. You really do look tired. Is anything wrong?”
“No, only…well, while
Lee doesn’t complain, I’m sure he misses a working prosthesis. He’s been
wearing the patch a lot… the crew gets spooked by the empty socket.”
“I’m so sorry about
the damage. Blast that Ronald and congress wanting to prevent him from getting
a replacement at
all.”
“Never mind that now.
What will be, will be. Now, how are things with you, sweetheart? Miss me?”
“So much it hurts. You, um, you’re not going down to the Anemone
yourself, when you get there, are you?”
“No worry about that.
Besides Doc would have a fit. He won’t even think about removing my cast yet.”
“I know you’d like to
go, but I’m glad you can’t. By the way, we’ve been getting a lot
of recipes for Spam. Would you like Angie
to forward them? You still have some left aboard, haven’t you?”
“A little.”
Just then Lee knocked
on the door, not waiting for my okay to enter. How could I be upset as I did
the same with him.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Lee
said as he saw the videophone. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Nonsense, Lee,”
Emmie said. “Please, join us.”
“You’re looking good,
Emily. Mom doing okay?”
“Yes, dear, she’s out
to lunch with some of the girls.”
“Is there something
you need from me, son?” I asked.
“Well, yes, actually.
Instruments show a fast moving current headed in the same direction as the
trench. I’d like Seaview to hitch a ride. We’d get to the coordinates faster
than expected. But, it could mean a bumpy ride. I wouldn’t want to disturb the
clams.”
“I don’t think
they’ll come to any harm.”
“Great,” he grinned
and clicked the intercom. “Mr. Morton, it’s a go. All hands, things
might get a little bumpy
for awhile.”
“Skipper?” Sparks
voice came over, “call from Mr. Ames. Your cabin.”
“Be right there,”
then he returned his attention to us, “I’ll leave you two lovebirds to chirp a
little longer. And give my best to Mom. I’ll try to call her later.”
Despite Seaview’s
minor lurches, I spent more time speaking to Emmie than I’d originally
planned. It was hard to
ignore the smirks that some of the crew gave me as I finally headed to the nose
(with a small degree of difficulty).
Chip was studying the
faxed Spam recipes, and Lee was using a string to play with Mallie.
“Well, you two seem
to be in a good mood,” I said.
“Some of these
recipes don’t look bad,” Chip said.
“And Drew is going to
meet us near the coordinates,” Lee said, then grinned. “He’s flying to
Australia, then will get a private helicopter to drop him aboard Seaview. He’s
bringing me the replacement prosthesis. Drew contacted the patent holder who
gave the Navy hell for not allowing me to ‘test’ it out in the field before
becoming available for government use. And he stressed that as loan and I have
to give it back with a complete report as to its functionality for everyday and
specialty use, it’s not technically a replacement. The Navy has no choice but
to allow me to test it. Case closed. As for a permanent replacement, well, I’m
selling my Lamborghini that should just about cover the cost of a civilian
model.”
“I’m very pleased,” I
said, “but I can’t help wondering if you put Ames up to ‘suggesting’
things to the patent holder.”
“Technically?”
“Lee~”
“All I told Drew was
how much simpler my job would be right now with working eyeball optimized
with the same characteristics of the one
Mallie damaged, the one under the patent the Navy’s been loaned. What Drew thought
about what I said, or didn’t, was his own interpretation. Now, anything in
those faxed recipes we should give to Cookie?”
Right now, Cookie is
trying to decide on which recipe to use. But it’s pretty much a certainty that
we’ll be having Spam Hawaiian, without the pineapple.
How he’s going to
manage that, is anyone’s guess. I think I should call it Mystery Spam.
.