Daniel Keohane - Margaret's Ark

Carl thought this over. The answer sounded too official to his liking so he asked, “What about you? Personally. Should all the really good people be taken up to heaven before quarter past eight on Wednesday?”

Nick sighed, and turned his head to face him. “Considering what might happen, I sure hope so. Do I think they will?” He closed his eyes, as if in sorrow. “No. No, I don't.”

The priest got up slowly, quietly, into a sitting position and stretched. He checked his watch, reached over and slapped Carl once on the foot. “Gotta go. Will you attend Mass when I come back?”

“If you'll take a Lutheran, I guess so.”

Nick smiled. “I love Lutherans. See you later.”

Carl never got up. From his vantage point, he watched the priest climb over the railing and land soundlessly on the ramp. He watched the fading stars and heard the man's soft footfalls, then nothing until the distant rev of a car. Finally he got up himself and stepped over the railing. Like Nick, he was afraid opening the small gate would make noise. He headed down the ramp, and towards the firehouse to pee.

5

“We have too many books.”

“What're you talking about? Two per person, and a bunch for the kids. Hardly takes up any space.”

Al didn't look convinced. He sat back on his haunches, hunkered beside the open compartment under the stern-side deck. The area was three feet square, packed tight with paperbacks, two Bibles (a small piece of two-by-four holding open a space for Carl’s if the kid ever got around to packing the thing away) a couple of hard covers, three photo albums and a row of children's books. He wriggled one out from the latter grouping and held it between himself and Tony.

“ Goodnight Moon ,” he read aloud. “Maybe I'm just acting like a perpetual bachelor, but what good is Goodnight Moon when we're stuck floating on the ocean somewhere?”

Tony smiled. He and Jen didn't have children. They weren't even married yet, but he had three nephews whose favorite time with Uncle Tony consisted of two things: wrestling on the living room rug, when they should be putting on their pajamas, and reading stories. He stuck a finger into the hole to keep the narrow slot open for the book.

“Spend however-many days we'll be spending in this box with two little kids and a baby and tell me these books won't have any use. I'll agree we could shove in a few more gallons of water, or more of that beef jerky you keep eating. But I guarantee you, Buddy, come a week and we'll be so desperate to amuse the kids we'll be reading them the ingredients off cereal boxes.”

Al waved the picture book before him a moment longer, then shoved it roughly into the space, banging Tony's fingers.

“Ouch.”

“Sorry.” He reached for the panel to secure the compartment. It fit perfectly, though the minor gaps on one side worried him. If any water got onto the floor, it would leak all over the pages. He lifted the panel again. “We really should seal these compartment doors with some kind of gasket,” he said. “Do we have any weather stripping?”

“Weather what?”

“You know, that stuff they line the doors with to keep the drafts out. Sticky on one side?” When Tony's blank stare remained, Al slammed the compartment back down. “No,” he said, “of course not. You native Californians don't even know what a draft is, unless it's in a beer glass.” He rose, stretched and headed towards the bow and the ladder leading above deck. “Try living in Seattle for a winter,” he called back. “I'm off to the hardware store... again.”

Tony adjusted the panel tighter over the compartment and locked the brackets in place. The boat could tip upside down and it wouldn't budge. Yet another of Margaret's frightening little design specs. He watched Al's foot disappear into the sunlight above deck, and smirked in spite of himself.

* * *

“What's that?”

Al held up the three plastic packages. “Weather stripping. I guess it's not as alien to this climate as I thought. Gotta seal up the compartments in the hold, in case it gets wet in there.”

Marty Santos shrugged. “Always something last minute, huh?”

Al nodded. “What's up? Thanks for the fire extinguishers by the way.”

“What? Oh, no problem. Still stink in there?”

“Not too bad. A little.”

Marty looked around the square. Every day brought more cars. Now they were parked two-deep around the area, regardless of how often the police sent them away. Closing in , he thought. “Al, what do you think all these people will do on Wednesday, when everything hits the fan I mean?”

Al looked at his former boss, squinting even though the sun was behind him. “Thought you didn't believe any of it.”

Marty looked at him. His expression was tight, the lines of his face flattened. “No,” he whispered. “I believe it. After that rain in April, well, I have to, don't I?”

Al wasn't sure how to respond. Weakly, he waved towards the ark. “Why... don't you get onto the list?”

Marty laughed. “In four days, do you think the list would ever get to me?”

“No,” Al said. “No, it won't. But - “

“But nothing. How's Margaret?”

“She's fine. Wonders why you haven't come by. Thinks you avoid her when she comes into the station for stuff.”

Marty smiled. “Yeah, well. You know.”

Al didn't, but decided to drop the subject. “You've helped us, helped her , more than you had to. Thanks.”

Marty looked at him for a while, a long penetrating stare which Al returned silently. Finally, the fire chief said, “The way you just up and joined like that. Dropped everything. Your career, your future.”

Al shrugged, and his mustache twitched in the only semblance of a smile Marty had ever seen on him. “I'm not a big fan of coincidence. It was too much not to believe.”

Marty wrinkled his brow. “You take care of Margaret, okay? Whatever happens, I can tell she's come to depend on you. I can see it, even if it's just from the station window.”

Al just nodded. Marty pressed on, as painful as it was for him to say. “Maybe, well, who knows? You two can get together after. She's been alone too long.”

Al 's face broke into a wide grin then, making him look even more the part of the Marlboro Man as others often likened him to. “That's one thing you won't have to worry about, Boss.”

“I never said I was worried.”

Al patted him on the shoulder, still smiling. “Yeah, well, regardless. She’s not exactly my type.” He looked as if he was about to say something else, but only walked towards the ark, swinging the bag full of weather stripping packages beside him. Marty rubbed the spot where the man had had hit his shoulder.

Margaret emerged from below deck, saw Marty and waved. He waved back, thought of going over to her. Instead, he turned and walked slowly back to the station, feeling her gaze on his back. He couldn't say goodbye. Not yet. Maybe later. Maybe never.

In a few days, they'd be sailing away. He had no idea how , but they would. They'd leave him and everyone else behind. He kept walking, feeling more weary with every step. For a moment he had an irresistible urge to lay down there on the grass and sleep. The town common swayed around him. He wasn't going to fall down. He was going to stay focused until the end. Five days, God, that's all I ask. Five lousy days.

The exhaustion faded. He continued towards the station with only a minor wobble in his stride. Maybe he'd lie down when he got inside, see if a few minutes’ sleep might present itself.

4

“Receive the body of Christ.”

Nick worked around one of the beams, brushing against a harness as he moved to the next person; hands were raised before them as they awaited the Host.