"Begging your pardon Ma'am, but Cap'n Belleweather has ordered all women and children into the boats." "My goodness! Are we sinking?"

"Things aren't looking good Ma'am..."

"Very well. I'll just gather some things..."

"The Cap'n said now Ma'am."

"Oh all right." Ada Stanton quickly grabbed her jewels, strung some around her own neck and some around Victoria's and then followed the Mate.

The ship was rising and falling frighteningly. When the Mate grasped Ada by the waist and lifted Victoria into his arms the prim woman didn't even think to object. They struggled out onto the deck and were immediately hit by the wind and the sea spray their clothes little barrier against the elements. Close by, two seamen were struggling to undog the fastenings on a lifeboat. It came free and swung out over the side.

"We can't get into that! It's impossible!" screamed Ada.

"Don't worry Ma'am! I'll help!"

The two seamen managed to grab the lifeboat with hooks and pull it close to the side of the ship. The Mate climbed aboard and, hooking an arm into a loop of rope, reached out. A seaman took Victoria's shivering form into his arms and passed the little girl over to the Mate. Ada made a move as if she were about to cross over when a coarse woman pushed by her. "Children first!"

Ada took one look at the desperate woman and the young boy holding her hand and she conceded the point. A seaman lifted the boy and passed him over to the Mate. The Mate put the little boy down beside Victoria and turned again. At that moment a massive wave hit the ship on the opposite side. The hooks lost their purchase and the lifeboat swung away. One of the ropes parted and the stern of the boat dropped. Its three occupants hung on to the sides, their faces masks of terror as the rough sea battered their only hope of salvation. For a few seconds the boat hung there and then the second rope parted, dropping the lifeboat into the churning sea. The last thing Victoria heard was her mother's scream, drifting off in the wind. Then she fainted away into oblivion.

Zeb Kraken struggled with the tiller. He knew that alone he had no way of steering back to The Unicorn, but he was able to turn the prow of the lifeboat into the wind. That was their only hope of riding out the storm. The little girl had fainted and slumped into the bottom of the boat. Zeb could do nothing for her and he reasoned that she was in the best place. The little boy got down next to her and knelt holding her hand. Seeing that the two children were faring well, Zeb returned all of his attentions to surviving the storm.

The Unicorn was soon lost in the gloom and Zeb knew that, even if they survived to see fair weather, they were alone in the uncharted Pacific, with scarce chance of a passing rescuer. The Mates arm was becoming numb and it was difficult to hold onto the tiller. With his left hand he undid his belt and lashed his arm to the boat's rudder then, steeling himself, he stared off at the horizon.

For most of the night the tempestuous seas crashed around the lonely craft bobbing on the waves. Somehow the boat remained afloat and, with the rising sun, the storm began to abate. Soon the sea was calm and the little lifeboat floated in the centre of a tranquil sea. Zeb managed to free his swollen and bloody arm from the tiller and groaned as the circulation returned to the abused limb. His cry woke the two children asleep in the bottom of the boat and Victoria sat up and made as if to speak. The salt had affected her throat and she only managed a strangled croak. Zeb reached into the sea chest lashed to one of the bench seats and pulled out a canteen of water. Picking his way on shaking legs, he moved over to the children and sat facing them. He held out the canteen to the little 5 year old and she opened her mouth. Zeb poured a splash of the water into her mouth, she coughed and he stopped pouring. The little boy sat staring at the canteen.

"Want some?"

The boy nodded wordlessly and Zeb helped him take a sip. For a while the three castaways sipped at the water, easing their swollen throats. Victoria began to get the feeling back in her throat and whispered.

"Where are we sir?"

"All I can say is that we are somewhere in the South Pacific. Any more would take a chart and instruments."

"What has happened to my Mummy?"

"I don't know... The Cap'n feared for the ship, but she may have weathered the storm. There was a second lifeboat too.".....(cont)