Read Blood Bond for Free Online

arbitrary age set by misguided do-gooders. It’s got nothing to do with reality. Do you think all those teenagers who used to get pregnant were raped? Anyway, if you train the other whores well enough and they keep us happy, we won’t need the younger ones. It’s up to you.’

6
    Mark climbed up the companionway ladder to join Steven, Allison and Penny in Archangel ’s cockpit. The two young boys, Penny’s son Lee and Jessica’s son Tommy, were playing pirates on the foredeck, safely clipped to the lifelines. Although Tommy was a year older than Lee, he was shorter and looked younger. Adam and his teenage sons were below, playing cards in the saloon and Fergus and Jessica were asleep in their cabin.
    â€˜Are you happy with your midday sight?’ Mark asked Steven.
    â€˜It’ll do.’
    â€˜What about the chronometers?’
    With no satellite navigation they were totally dependent upon traditional navigation methods: taking sun sights to establish their position each day, and using a chronometer to help establish their longitude. Before they had sailed from Gulf Harbour thirteen months earlier, Mark had selected three chronometers from different vessels in the marina — one that needed to be wound, a battery-operated model and the very latest self-winding chronometer, to make surethey kept time accurately.
    â€˜They’re OK.’
    â€˜You sure?’
    â€˜Of course I am,’ Steven snapped.
    â€˜Let’s find out what those two children are giggling about,’ Allison suggested. Penny nodded, and they both scurried forward, leaving Mark and Steven alone in the cockpit.
    Steven realised why they had left. ‘I checked the chronometers soon after we left England,’ he said, in a more conciliatory tone. ‘The wind-up chronometer had stopped of course, and there was a thirty-second difference between the battery-operated model and the self-winder. While you were laid low with your bullet wound I hung off Peacehaven on the Greenwich meridian and waited for noon. I confirmed the self-winder was accurate and reset the others to synchronise with it.’
    â€˜Well done — I’m not sure I would have thought of that myself.’ Mark’s compliment seemed to help clear the air. ‘I do realise how keen you are to get home, son, but it makes sense to stop off in Brisbane.’ Steven didn’t respond. ‘We’ll sail her as fast as we can. How are the Dalton boys shaping up as crew?’
    â€˜Luke’s fine, but Robert’s full of himself as usual. Adam’s not much use. He may have once owned his own yacht in England but he can’t hold a straight course — he probably always steered by auto-helm.’
    â€˜And Fergus?’
    â€˜Fine, he’s a natural. Of course, you can only get him on the helm if you can prise him away from Jessica for a few minutes.’
    Mark sensed Steven’s resentment. No doubt his son’s desire to spend time with his girlfriend was being thwarted by his sailing responsibilities. ‘Let’s set up a three-watch system,’ he suggested. ‘You take the eight-to-twelve watch with Penny and Luke, I’ll take the twelve-to-four watch with Allison and Adam, and Fergus can take the four-to-eight watch with Jessica and Robert.’
    â€˜Fergus will have to learn fast if he’s to be a watch captain.’
    â€˜It’s the easiest watch for you and I to keep an eye on. If the weather’s bad I’ll stay on watch for an extra couple of hours in the morning, till it’s light. You can keep an eye on him in the earlyafternoon before you go on watch if necessary.’
    Steven nodded. ‘And what about the Suez Canal? We could save a lot of time through there.’
    â€˜If it’s still open.’
    â€˜There are no locks on it. Even if it’s been blockaded we ought to be able to get Archangel through.’
    â€˜We can’t be sure.