Chapter 53 (PART - A)

The weather began to slowly get rougher as Captain Haddock’s group approached Dublin. The calm waves were beginning to get choppier and the wind was growing stronger. Yates and Ballard were both hardy seamen who worked on the waters most of their life so none of this seem to give them any fear in the slightest. The boat was beginning to rock a bit more which Lucille paid close attention to as Cocoa stayed right on her lap.

Ballard lit a cigar up fogging the small room with smoke. Lucille was coughing and trying to fan the smoke away from her but it was a losing battle. Lucille put Cocoa down looking for a window to slide open to let some of the smoke out.

“My smoke botherin’ ya?” Ballard asked almost sarcastically.
“Just want some fresh air” Lucille answered finally finding a small window to open.
“You may have to close that soon once the waves start getting bigger y’know” Ballard replied not even looking at her.
“What do you mean?” Lucille gave him a funny look.
“Don’t ya know lassie? When da sea gits rough, and the wind picks up, the waves get big!” Ballard emphasized.
“I understand Ballard, my husband is a fisherman y’know” Lucille said absently sitting back down in her corner watching Yates and Haddock get wet as overspray was splashing up.
“Is he now?” Ballard almost scoffed.

Lucille ignored him not interested in getting into a battle of wits with someone whom she deemed not worth her time. She was preoccupied with her husband’s safety wondering where and how he was. She watched how Haddock seemed to get Yates a bit more under his thumb which she thought was a bit amusing. The look on Haddock’s face reflected her own worries. She knew he was just as worried about Tintin as she was worried about her husband. She knew a little bit about being out at sea, but had never been out during a storm. The pending danger ahead made her anxious, but knew it was too late to turn back now. Cocoa walked up to her and cocked her head looking up.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them soon Cocoa” Lucille whispered.
“This rocking is strange” Cocoa thought as she lied next to Lucille’s feet.

Captain Haddock and Yates were busy outside tying equipment down and putting nets and other fishing gear down below locking it up. It wasn’t much longer until Haddock and Yates put on old dingy rain coats and hats in an attempt to lessen how wet they were getting. Thunder began rumbling in the background as distant flashes were lighting up the far horizons. Lucille glanced back at Ballard who seemed to be steering the boat forward taking swigs of whiskey.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea to be drinking that since we have bad weather to contend with now?” Lucille asked almost a bit sarcastic.
“Are ya kiddin’!? This is the best time to be drinkin’ and livin’ it up!” Ballard laughed.
“Have you gone mad?” Lucille asked calmly looking out hoping that Haddock would come back in.
“Na Lucy, yer just a lassie who has her knickers in a twist” Ballard laughed.
“I think any lass would have her knickers in a twist if the man driving this fisherman’s ducky on a rough sea” Lucille shook her head disapprovingly.
“Relax, Dublin is just ahead” Ballard smirked.
Lucille looked ahead and could not see more than fifty feet away from the boat.
“I can’t see anything, the fog is obscuring my view” Lucille said as they were continuing on.

Haddock and Yates came in soaking wet, and even Yates had a worried look on his face.
“We’re just about in the Dublin harbor” Ballard informed them.
“It’s a good thing too!” Haddock exclaimed as the rain began falling really hard.
“It’s the storm” Lucille said as the waves noticeably became bigger.
“Not so much that lass, it’s da fog! Ya can’t see where yer goin’!” Yates blurted out as his nerves were beginning to get to him.
“Ya need to calm down mate! Here, take a drink” Ballard said handing Yates the whiskey bottle.

“Uh!” Lucille gave a look of disgust and disbelief.
“Now, now, a drink isn’t going to make him worse off lass, it might help him to do some good” Haddock held up a hand as they watched Yates take more than just a “drink”.
“Ahhh! I can feel me nerves calming down already!” Yates smiled after a few gulps and his red beard dripping whiskey.
“Thunderin’ Typhoons pass it over here!” Haddock said reaching for the bottle.
“Here ya go Captain!” Yates smiled as Haddock took a long drink as well.
“I give up…” Lucille sighed burying her head in her hands.
“I want off this boat” Cocoa began whining.
“I’m sorry girl, we’re on a boat with a bunch of crazies” Lucille said taking Cocoa in her lap.

The boat began rocking more and more.
“It really does feel like I’m drunk now!” Yates laughed.
“Probably because you are” Lucille commented quietly holding on to a rail on the wall.
“Put yer sea legs on, it’s only gonna git rougher from ‘ere!” Ballard laughed.
Captain Haddock was looking ahead with his sea eyes carefully scanning what he could see. Thirty minutes passed as the weather gradually went from bad to worse.
“I think you’d better let me get us to shore” Haddock suggested to Ballard.
“I respect yer ability to guide a ship, but I’m da captain of this tub” Ballard declared.
Yates was looking out as the waves were crashing over the deck of their boat.
“Maybe ya should let ‘em y’know” Yates said a bit nervously.
“Don’t tell me you’ve turned coat on me too!?” Ballard said accusingly.
“No, no brother…I just think maybe we should let ole Captain here for old time sake do it” Yates suggested.

“Sit down! Yer makin’ me nervous!” Ballard said obstinately taking another long drink finishing the bottle.
Lucille kept looking out, but still could not see much ahead. Despite the whiskey drinking, the situation became more intense. A loud foghorn could be heard not far off creating a stressful atmosphere. Haddock looked ahead and glared at Ballard who ignored Yate’s and Haddock’s pleas.
“Ballard! Turn toward the starboard!” Haddock barked suddenly.

“I told ya I’M da captain of my boat! It may not be wat ya have and it may not be much, but it’s my boat and I’M da captain!” Ballard ranted stubbornly.
Five minutes later another louder sound of a foghorn blared out startling everyone. Lucille, Yates, and Cocoa turned to their left and looked to see a merchant ship slowly coming up on them.
“Ballard!” everyone screamed.
“This is mutiny! I’M da capt—!“ Ballard shouted back in defiance only for Haddock to charge and shove him out of the way knocking him to the floor taking control of the boat.
“I don’t care if ya are a captain! This means war!” Ballard protested as he started to get up.
“Look there ya mad man! Yer pride’s gonna git us all killed!” Yates shouted angrily at him.
Finally Ballard glanced over to his left and saw the merchant ship ten times the size of their ship.

“Where in blazes did that warship come from?!” he exclaimed standing up.
“Billions of blisterin’ barnacles! Ya rat! Look what ya did!?” Haddock thundered angrily.
“Oh no! We’re not going to make it!” Lucille gasped.
“Oh-oh…I-I-I’m sorry…” Ballard started stuttering remorsefully.
“Don’t just stand there sniveling! Make yerself useful ya yellow-bellied whale!” Haddock ordered.
“Yates, is there a raft on this old ducky?” Haddock demanded.
“Yes, I’m getting it right now!” Yates said rummaging in down in the access door below.
“Hurry up! We don’t have much time until we collide!” Haddock warned.
“A-are we sinking?” Ballard asked drunkenly.
“Thunderin’ typhoons! Get up and help Yates find that damned raft!” Haddock yelled picking Ballard up by his collar.

Lucille picked Cocoa up as she was whining loudly while she was frantically gathering her satchel and Haddock’s bags. Haddock’s brow was full of sweat as he tried to divert all of the boat’s engine’s power to moving out of the way.

“By Davy Jones Locker hurry the hell up Yates!” Haddock cursed loudly.
Lucille knew it was going to be much longer until they had impact. Yates came up a few seconds later pulling the huge raft through the trap door. Below was nothing more than storage space with a couple of crudely made hammocks with only enough space for a child to stand. Haddock was turning the wheel as fast as he could but it just wasn’t enough.

“Brace yerselves everyone!” Haddock shouted.

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