17. Africa: Land of the Hot

I was laying in my makeshift room when I felt the ship seemingly slow down and then I felt a bump that rocked me from side to side. I got out of the bed and peeped out the door. No one was around. Letting out a little sigh, I left the room, quiet as a mouse. I ventured the many corridors, hallways and little parlours of the ship and soon reached the door of the deck. I opened it to find the sun hit my face directly, almost blinding me. "Agh... Blast the sun. I've been so used to it not showing up at all and then here it is." I muttered to myself as I shielded my eyes. I made my way partially blindly to the ladder that would lead me to the dock and the steady, unmoving ground.

When I reached the dusty and sandy ground, I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I realised that I was swaying due to the ship's movement and from my walking on it. I saw Mr. Ambrose's back a couple feet away from me, seemingly looking down a valley. Or some sort of sandy slope. I wondered briefly how in the world a slope would be near the sea, when I realised that this wasn't London. Or even Europe for that matter. This was some place in Africa that I'd never seen in my life before.

I started walking towards him, for my curiosity was rising every second. What was he looking at that was so interesting? I neared him, still swaying.

Because I was so concentrated on what he was looking at and that I was swaying like crazy, I didn't know a bunch of rocks would be in my way. My foot caught onto one of them and I let out a yelp. My arms shot out and my eyes closed by instinct, when I suddenly felt arms, strong arms mind you, wrapping around me. I had been a good few feet away from him and I certainly had not expected him to be by my side so quickly. And then I heard him utter a sentence that was so crazy, I didn't know why I bothered not to smack him upside the head.

"Did you just fall for me?" He said quietly.

"No! What on earth are you thinking of!? Of course I didn't, those damned rocks got in my way!" I thrust a thumb behind me as we both stood up at the same time. We both were extremely close for comfort, but neither of us moved away. Right then, Karim decided to clear his throat and we jumped apart, as if a whip had been cracked nearby.

"Right. Ahem." Mr. Ambrose straightened up, as if he hadn't already, and then turned away from me. And suddenly, I was feeling really hot and slightly stuffy. Blast this African sun! Why must it be so hot?! I should've thought to bring me fan, how could I have been careless? I scolded myself, before joining Mr. Ambrose at the edge of the cliff.

The sight I saw was both magnificent and terrifying.

Labourers. On every foot of land, there was either one or more labourer working on building the canal. They worked hard in the heat and some collapsed, due to it. But within minutes they'd force themselves to stand up and continue working. The sounds of canal building and order shouting, well at least what I assumed was order shouting, could be heard from below. People were walking back and forth, carrying different items, holding onto some thing or another, building the canal. How could they work in this heat without water was a mystery to me.

As I studied the people working, I noticed that they all spoke in a language I did not know, or recognise. And that's when I realised something else.

Each and every single one of them had a skin colour darker than mine. Much darker.

"Are they all... Africans?" I asked quietly.

"Indeed. I have gathered them from their homes to aid me in building the canal. In return, when the canal is finished, I will be giving them the proper reward they believe they deserve."

"You don't give things, anything at all, for no reason at all. What changed to into giving things now?" I looked up at him.

"Did you not hear me?"

"I did sir." I said, returning back to the lack of the 'proper respect' I had denied to use before. "I just... Never mind. It's not important. Nothing much I say is important." I finished under my breath.

"Very well. Come. I have need to see how the boss is holding up." He turned to his right and started walking

"Aren't you the boss sir?"

"Yes, I am."

That was it. It was all he said.

"Why can't you talk more? Like I do!"

"If I did, I would end up saying something that is under my intelligence level."

"Are you calling me stupid?!" I asked, angry all of a sudden.

"I never said that."

"You probably did, but I didn't catch it." I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. I looked down at the workers. A few of them were looking up at me and to me they all seemed curious, startled, or careless. I lifted my hand and waved at some of them looking directly at me. None of them waved back. Well. You tried. A little voice said in my head. I rolled my eyes at the voice and turned away from the labourers and continued following Mr. Ambrose to wherever it was he was leading me to.

The noise of canal being built was fading away. Soon we lapsed into silence as we continued walking farther away from the sea. The land here was mostly flat, with an occasional bump here or there. And all of it was covered in a dry sort of dirt that was a light golden colour.

"Where is the 'boss' even located?"

"About a kilometre away from the canal."

"Oh joy. Did you know that it is very fun to walk in Africa where it is crazy hot and stuffy?"

No answer. I sighed and then felt something enter my shoes. Something rough and hard. "Ow, what in the world?" I muttered, taking off the shoe it was in. I turned it over and shook it and out came a light golden colour rock. I put the shoe back on and looked up to see Mr. Ambrose very far away from me. "Hey! Wait up!" I called out an dashed after him.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Ambrose and I found ourselves in a little straw hut. It, compared to the outside world, was cooler and less stuffy. Admittedly, there was no breeze here, but it was better than having a sun beat down on you while you're walking from a canal to a hut.

"Ah, Mr. Ambrose. So nice to see you again." A man who had been looking at some papers, turned and shook both our hands. Mr. Ambrose looked at the man's hand with contempt but said nothing.

The man was slightly plump and his face bore a slightly bushy moustache. He wore the uniform of a man a part of the army, but an army I didn't know of, for the uniform colour was a mix of beige and green.

"How has the work been holding up?" he asked, straight to the point. I shook my head a little. He was still a concise, and rude man as he had been two years ago.

"Excellently, sir. I am sure you have already seen the place as of now. Though, some of the workers, rather most of them, have been collapsing often an-"

"See to that they don't collapse anymore. I don't want anymore time wasted with it. Keep an eye out for any more labourers collapsing, and leave order to your own men to make sure that they get up immediately."

"Yes of course sir. I'll tell my men right away sir." And he left the hut and went to relay the message. I heard a strange tapping and looked round to see that Mr. Ambrose had pulled out his cane and was making the tapping noise. After thirty seconds, he pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.

"I have told them sir." I turned back towards the door to see the plump man standing in the doorway.

"Adequate. Well then I should be off. Come Mr. Linton."

"Yes sir." I responded immediately. I bowed to the plump man who narrowed his eyes at me.

"Hold on..." I was halfway out of the hut when the man spoke up.

"Err yes?" I turned around to face the man.

"Is your name Mr. Linton? Mr. Victor Linton?"

"Um yes it is. Why?"

"You're that fellow who embarrassed Mr. Ambrose two years ago, aren't you?" My eyes widened and I gulped. How did he.. Oh. I remembered the newspaper I saw a couple days ago.

"I um guess so yes."

"How can you think of keeping your position?"

"I-I'm sorry?" I looked at him, confused.

"How can you remain as his secretary? And how has he not yet sacked you?"

"I do not know. You should try asking him yourself. It's his choice, is it not?"

"I suppose. But if I were your employer and you did something like that to me, I would sack you on the spot. When I read about that scandal in the news, the only thing I could think of you was an entirely unmannered and wild dog from some place in India."

"Well I am not an unmannered and wild dog from India and you are not Mr. Rikkard Ambrose, financial magnate, so you keep your filthy mouth shut, do you hear?" I snarled, pointing a finger in his face. "I, unlike you, have at least higher position in his employ than you could have ever imagined. And if you just as well try to get me sacked, I'll personally let him know that you are not doing his demands to its full expectations. By the way, you should learn to walk and talk faster." And with that, I turned on my heel and marched out of the hut. Mr. Ambrose was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't a surprise. I started walking in the direction that I thought I had come from. I knew we had walked straight for an awful long time, and I hoped to not end up being lost currently.

"No turns... No zig-zags either... Stupid man. Trying to get me sacked... Thank god he wasn't around otherwise he'd have second thoughts about my being here..." I said to myself, walking on.

Twenty or so minutes seemed to have slipped by, and I still had not reached the ship. Africa was such a peculiar place. The sun continued to shine on my head, and I felt that an egg could possibly be fried on it. Or maybe a potato.

Even more time passed and I was starting to grow worried. The land so far was empty, save for the random green, strangely shaped plants here and there. I had never seen them in my life. "What are these things? Is it even proper to call them a plant? Don't plants usually end up in dirt and with water?" I asked no one. I neared one of these 'plants' and found silvery sticks with pointy looking ends protruding from them. Tentatively, I reached out and touched the tip of one.. and pricked my finger. "Ouch! Blast, what on earth are these things?! Plants aren't supposed to stab you in the finger! They're supposed to be nice, soft little things, like flowers!"

It was then that I realised that the world probably was not how I was used to. In London, everything was in order, with a queen, a parliament, and everything else. It wasn't a dry, hot mess of things. It was neat and organised, and most other countries were probably envious of our society. Of course, I hated some parts of it. I hated how females like me couldn't do things like get a job, or even hunt. But I was used to it all. I was used to everything being best and orderly. I was most certainly not used to random strange shaped plant things being around the land at wherever, an being a guard of itself, poking those who came close.

It was also then, after moving away from the confusing plant, that I realised another thing.

I was lost. And it wasn't the lost as in 'I have lost all sense of mind!' No, rather it was the different, scarier kind of lost. The kind that made you feel as if you could never ever find your way back home.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Well helloooooooooo there.

Surprise! IT'S A LONGER CHAPTER :D

sorry I like to yell things. ((:

Hah

Well.

I have a question to ask you. Actually two questions.

First, I was wondering if I should make Lilly dislike or ..um... to a certain disgusting point like racism. Like, be in favour of it. I personally think dislike it, but I want to know your opinions. And before you immediately comment an answer, think about it first. Think about her position (in general, not currently) and then come up with an answer as to what you think, and tell me why. I know that it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past school hours, but I wanna know how you guys thinks! c:

Second. what do you think will happen to Lilly? Will she remain forever in the desert, or do you think she'll be able to find her way back to the ship, Karim and her... ahem. Lover?!?!? xDD

COMMENT WHAT YOU THINK OF BOTH QUESTIONS

COMMENT ABOUT THE CHAPTER TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :D

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! c:

I'll...

See you later!