Phoenix Burning Read Free Page A

he’d ever seen of it was a bulb swinging in a Tarifan dungeon, but he knew its power. Thrilled, he rubbed his hands together. The Phoenix and her crew were already wanted by several governments; now, with engines running at full capacity, she would be the most sought-after ship on the salt.
    Toby shuffled Polly on to the table. “Sit here and tell me if I’m missing anything.” He worked his way through all the wires his father had left him, following each back to its source and ordering them.
    As he worked he realized that the deck had gone quiet.
    He raised his head just as the captain’s voice boomed across the ship. “Bloody well find it .”

    Toby raced into a scene of panic. In the centre stood the captain, hands on his hips, an empty crate at his feet.
    “What is it?” Toby slid to a stop.
    Marcus looked up from beneath the gunwale. “Toby, help us look. The inverter’s missing.”
    Toby stared at his father. “But we can’t use the panels without the inverter! Isn’t it in the box?”
    “Yeah, have you checked the box, Cap’n?” Crocker sneered from the other side of the second mast. “Wish we’d a thought a that, hey, Peel?”
    Peel was crawling around the solar array, eyes glued to the deck. “Good job Toby’s here, ain’t it?”
    “Did anyone see it before we started work?” Toby was growing cold.
    The captain shook his head and glowered at Rahul.
    Rahul pointed at the plastic crate. “All that was inside were wires and more silicon sheets.”
    Toby exhaled. “OK. So let’s search the wreck room in case it fell out in there.”
    The captain nodded. “Marcus, take Hiko. Theo, Simeon, if it isn’t found, take Birdie back to Cobh and find Dorah – make sure you didn’t sell her our inverter.” He turned to Rahul. “You and Nisha inventoried. I want a list of everything that came out of that storage container.”
    Toby straightened. “What can I do?”
    “Keep working. We’re going to find that inverter and when we do, we’ll need to be ready for the installation.”
    “And if we don’t find it?”
    The captain clenched his fists. “Then all we have here are some very expensive ornaments.”

TWO
    As the sun began to lower in the sky, Toby checked the leads again.
    Polly nudged him with her cold head. “You’ve done all you can.” He ignored her. “Toby?”
    His knuckles turned white on the handle of his pliers. “If we hadn’t had the coordinates of the panels, the Banshee would never have attacked. We wouldn’t have needed to dock in Tarifa.” He continued to coil and uncoil wires. “Our friends died for those panels and now they’re worthless?”
    “Toby, please stop.”
    Carefully, he placed the last wire. “We’re ready to go.” He cleared his throat. “I suppose we’d better go and tell the captain.”
    As Toby stepped on deck, the Phoenix rolled against her anchorage. He automatically adjusted his balance and wiped the stinging spray that splashed his face. Once, hehad been told, the salt had been clean, but seven billion people had filled it with rubbish. Then the super-volcano had poisoned the sea with gases and the tsunamis had broken up the great garbage patches. Fifty years ago, people had swum in the sea; now it was the salt and he had to wipe it from his face in case it burned his skin.
    Under a swaying canopy, Uma was repairing a net. She looked up as he dried his hand on his trousers. “How are you doing, Toby?”
    Toby shook his head, unable to answer. “When will Theo and Simeon be back with news?”
    Uma looked up. “A week? Sailing day and night, it’ll be at least two days each way.”
    Toby groaned. “Any word from Rahul?”
    “He and Nisha are still going through the inventory with the captain. If there’s a box or piece missing, we’ll know about it. Here, hold this.” Toby caught hold of the needle she offered, while she examined the netting she had just sewn.
    Toby took a moment to check the sky; they were anchored a day out of