Free The Poseidon Adventure by Paul Gallico Page B

satin dress which fitted neither her personality nor her person. She had not spoken since she had learned of the fate of her mother, but she had been thinking hard. She was a sensible girl; there was nothing she could do. Mourning could come later. She turned to The Beamer and asked, 'Is it true about Mummy?'
    He said, 'Yes, I'm afraid so, Pam.'
    'Is she really dead?'
    The Beamer looked helpless and his eyes went to that pool where the central staircase had been and whose oily surface was now unbroken. What could he say further to the poor kid? But she had followed his glance and, accepting it as final, asked no further. She did something to the shoulder straps of her frock so that it simply fell down about her legs and she stepped out of it unembarrassed. She was wearing a short, white nylon slip. The shedding of the dress was some kind of farewell to someone or something that she had been. She said nothing but simply slid her hand into that of The Beamer.
    He thought to himself: Oh, my God! What will I do now? For the gesture had been like a wedding. She had not a pretty body and looked no more graceful in the slip than she had in the dress. She had been a great drinking companion but he was not in love with her; did not want to be; did not want her; did not want anything ever but just to be allowed to live in alcoholic peace. The brakes on his drinking had been taken off when his wife had died a few years ago and he had found himself free to dwell in the perpetual, never-never land of whisky haze, where he could feel secure and unassailed. What was he to do with this motherless girl, who had just given herself over to him? He gave her arm little pats without realizing he was doing it.
    Scott said, 'Now then, Susan, how about it, will you go next?'
    'Okay!' She kicked off her shoes and handed them to her father. She was young, fresh and strong. She had found her limbs trembling after the ship had capsized but at no time had the thought of death, or that she might be going to die, entered her head. Now she understood what Scott had meant by apathy versus action. When you were doing something you stopped being frightened. She was pleased that he had selected her to go as an example to the others and hoped she would do a good job of it.
    Indeed as Scott had predicted, it proved less difficult than anticipated. For with the tall Minister to reach up a hand, Susan was held firmly half-way up the climb and had only two more branches to negotiate before Martin, leaning down, secured and pulled her up triumphantly.
    Unexpectedly Belle Rosen said, 'Should I go next?'
    Her husband said, 'You want to, Mamma?'
    'If I don't go now, I never will. I'm so nervous.'
    'Good for you, Mrs Rosen!' Scott encouraged. 'You saw how easily Susan made it.'
    'She don't weigh what I do. Will it hold me?'
    'It held me. Here, give me your hand.'
    'Must I take my dress off?' she asked.
    'No,' said Scott, 'it's short. It won't get in your way.'
    'You hold my shoes, Manny.'
    'Take it easy, Mamma,' said her husband and helped her.
    With Scott steadying her, she made her way painfully up through the branches but was stopped momentarily by the gap where there was no one to hold her. Shelby was reminded of a black bear cub he had once seen like that, caught half-way up a tree, unable to get up or down and wondered whether she was going to fall.
    Manny Rosen called out, 'Belle, keep going! It ain't much farther.'
    But Scott distracted her more successfully with his quiet, 'Just take Mr Martin's hand and you'll be all right.' Almost without thinking and in obedience, she climbed the next two branches and was hauled up to safety to a cheer from below. She was as delighted with herself as a child and gave them a wave and a smile.
    'A regular Peter Pan,' she said.
    A few minutes later they were all at the top. Scott, standing at the edge called down, his deep voice carrying to the farthest end of the saloon, 'Anybody else? We're going to try to reach the ship's hull