desk, preparing to spend the night in the terminal, but the sound of a friendly voice halted him.
“Hey, is everything okay, friend?”
The man who addressed him had been completing his own transaction as Kaspar had arrived at the desk. He was somewhere in his thirties, with a sharp-featured face and a scruffy, half-grown beard. When he smiled at Kaspar, crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes. Kaspar gained the impression the stranger smiled a lot.
“I’m fine. It’s just… I was hoping to get on the ferry, but all the cabins are full.”
“That’s no problem. I have space. You share with me.” The man had an accent Kaspar couldn’t quite place, but if pressed, he would have guessed somewhere in Eastern Europe—Russia, maybe, or one of the Baltic States. He turned his attention to the clerk, pulling a wad of banknotes out of his pocket as he did. “Give this man a ticket.”
Kaspar looked on, amazed, as the man proceeded to count out the amount needed for the fare.
“It’s okay,” he said quickly, wondering if he’d managed to give his new friend the impression he was broke, “I can pay for this. You don’t have to…”
The man waved his protests away. “This is on me. I got lucky in card game and need someone to help me celebrate my good fortune. I am Blazej, by the way.” He took Kaspar’s hand in his, pumping it up and down vigorously.
“Kaspar.”
“Nice to meet you, Kaspar. Now come. We don’t have long before check-in closes.”
Kaspar followed Blazej through to the checking-in area, where they underwent the kind of security screening he’d expect at an airport. They walked into a lounge where the rest of the passengers waited, just in time to hear the announcement that boarding had started.
Even though they were at the back of the queue, it didn’t take them long to get on the boat. They took a lift up to the top deck where the cabins were located. The other passenger facilities were on the floor immediately below. Checking the literature he’d been given with his ticket, Kaspar was startled to see the ferry had a small cinema, as well as a couple of restaurants and a number of lounges and bars.
“Do you travel this way often?” he asked, as they walked down a long corridor to find their accommodation.
“A few times a year, maybe. Is so much more civilized than flying.” Blazej had paused before one of the many identical-looking wooden doors. He opened it and stepped inside.
The cabin was small, with bunk beds attached to one wall and an en-suite bathroom.
“You want top or bottom?” Blazej gestured to the bunks.
Kaspar shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
“Okay, I go on top.” He tossed the battered black suitcase he’d clutched protectively as they’d gone through check-in onto the upper bunk. Kaspar tried to imagine what it contained that Blazej could be so keen to keep hold of. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover it was anything from a million euros in cash to a sniper’s rifle.
Kaspar set his own rucksack down on the floor of the cabin then stretched, easing out a crick in his neck.
“And now we go for nightcap,” Blazej announced. “Again, my treat.”
As they wandered back along the corridor, Kaspar felt the ferry give a slight but unmistakable lurch and realized they were on their way. It was hard to tell they were actually moving as the boat was so big, but when he looked out of the window, he saw the lights of the terminal building receding.
He and Blazej found the main bar, toward the stern of the vessel. While Kaspar made himself comfortable at a table that had a view out over the rear sundeck, Blazej went to order drinks.
A couple in their fifties sat nearby, the man sipping from a bottle of beer, the woman nursing a glass of white wine. Something about their demeanor, their security in the other’s company, reminded him irresistibly of his parents and the way they behaved together. Guilt shot through him and he reached for his
“Hey, is everything okay, friend?”
The man who addressed him had been completing his own transaction as Kaspar had arrived at the desk. He was somewhere in his thirties, with a sharp-featured face and a scruffy, half-grown beard. When he smiled at Kaspar, crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes. Kaspar gained the impression the stranger smiled a lot.
“I’m fine. It’s just… I was hoping to get on the ferry, but all the cabins are full.”
“That’s no problem. I have space. You share with me.” The man had an accent Kaspar couldn’t quite place, but if pressed, he would have guessed somewhere in Eastern Europe—Russia, maybe, or one of the Baltic States. He turned his attention to the clerk, pulling a wad of banknotes out of his pocket as he did. “Give this man a ticket.”
Kaspar looked on, amazed, as the man proceeded to count out the amount needed for the fare.
“It’s okay,” he said quickly, wondering if he’d managed to give his new friend the impression he was broke, “I can pay for this. You don’t have to…”
The man waved his protests away. “This is on me. I got lucky in card game and need someone to help me celebrate my good fortune. I am Blazej, by the way.” He took Kaspar’s hand in his, pumping it up and down vigorously.
“Kaspar.”
“Nice to meet you, Kaspar. Now come. We don’t have long before check-in closes.”
Kaspar followed Blazej through to the checking-in area, where they underwent the kind of security screening he’d expect at an airport. They walked into a lounge where the rest of the passengers waited, just in time to hear the announcement that boarding had started.
Even though they were at the back of the queue, it didn’t take them long to get on the boat. They took a lift up to the top deck where the cabins were located. The other passenger facilities were on the floor immediately below. Checking the literature he’d been given with his ticket, Kaspar was startled to see the ferry had a small cinema, as well as a couple of restaurants and a number of lounges and bars.
“Do you travel this way often?” he asked, as they walked down a long corridor to find their accommodation.
“A few times a year, maybe. Is so much more civilized than flying.” Blazej had paused before one of the many identical-looking wooden doors. He opened it and stepped inside.
The cabin was small, with bunk beds attached to one wall and an en-suite bathroom.
“You want top or bottom?” Blazej gestured to the bunks.
Kaspar shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
“Okay, I go on top.” He tossed the battered black suitcase he’d clutched protectively as they’d gone through check-in onto the upper bunk. Kaspar tried to imagine what it contained that Blazej could be so keen to keep hold of. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover it was anything from a million euros in cash to a sniper’s rifle.
Kaspar set his own rucksack down on the floor of the cabin then stretched, easing out a crick in his neck.
“And now we go for nightcap,” Blazej announced. “Again, my treat.”
As they wandered back along the corridor, Kaspar felt the ferry give a slight but unmistakable lurch and realized they were on their way. It was hard to tell they were actually moving as the boat was so big, but when he looked out of the window, he saw the lights of the terminal building receding.
He and Blazej found the main bar, toward the stern of the vessel. While Kaspar made himself comfortable at a table that had a view out over the rear sundeck, Blazej went to order drinks.
A couple in their fifties sat nearby, the man sipping from a bottle of beer, the woman nursing a glass of white wine. Something about their demeanor, their security in the other’s company, reminded him irresistibly of his parents and the way they behaved together. Guilt shot through him and he reached for his
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