Chapter 30

When you find yourself in a hole it might be a good idea to stop digging and I was in a hole. Not my fault of course but that of three very silly males - I hesitate to describe them as men - with their juvenile pranks and their silly boys' club. In their eyes they must have thought inviting me to the dinner was a mark of respect and not a condescending offer to appease someone they thought of as a petulant girl. Still I didn't want to appear a total idiot in the eyes of my friends and a little revenge wouldn't go amiss… I needed a mole and the obvious answer was the man who had got me into this mess to start with. That's why after our Sunday afternoon outing the whole gang descended on our local pub where, with a phone call made while still in Barry, I had arranged to meet Bill.

"You want me to cooperate in the theft of my own boat?"

"Precisely, and of course phone the local radio station. I think we have the choir arranged."

"You didn't by any chance find yourself in trouble and are coming to your Granddad for help?"

"Heaven forbid Bill, this is an executive decision made as N.E.D of Arianrhod Development."

"The N. E. of course standing for non-executive?"

"Which is why any action you take will of course be as a private individual - I'd hate to put you in a compromising legal position."

"And do you have a bridge in Brooklyn you want to sell me as well."

"See, you're so canny about business I knew you'd recognise a good idea when you saw one Bill."

"I do remember enjoying Robert Shaw in 'The Buccaneers' on television in the 1950s and a pirate theme could catch on again for the Cardiff Bay Dinghy Race we're promoting. I even like that the theme you've thought up ties in well with the Brotherhood of the Coast who definitely should have had female members by now… Yes, it's an idea that I can definitely sell as worth backing to some of the members … Fancy dress… Pirate costumes … 'The Pirates of Cardiff Bay!"

"Don't forget our dinner." butted in Serena. "The whole idea was to get us a free dinner!"

I looked at Serena sternly but she continued… "Bill is my boss Venus and I also know he can see right through your scheming so I suggest that Friday marks the the day of the dinner to celebrate the joining of forces of the Brotherhood of the Coast with the Sisters of Venus for the promotion of 'The Pirates of Cardiff Bay Race'.

"And me. Don't forget me." chimed in Phil.

"You're definitely learning Venus," commented Litara as she watched me zap a few stray hairs in my bedroom later that night. "Most of the public recognise they are being fed sanitised dreams of a better world when they read something uplifting in the paper or watch it on the television but they give little thought to the subterfuge that is often necessary to turn those dreams into something concrete. Wales desperately needs some positive dreams to pull its people together or they'll have nothing but the nightmares that the racists, the homophobes and the other fundamentalists are always ready to feed them."

"That's a bit heavy Sis, or are you trying to distract me from asking about Simon?"

"I said you were learning little sister. Now even I can't fool you."

"Yet still you do not explain…"

"Simon is nice but it isn't a big romance so quit being nosey and accept the compliment, because I happen to believe your dinghy race is more important to Cardiff than whatever the chancellor of the exchequer got up to today." With that, the pillow she threw effectively drew a veil once more over Litara's love-life.

During the first few days of the week I did a very good impression of the dull-as-ditchwater section of the working population helping Jack with the carpentry inside Dumblebit and fitting a temporary clamp to the electric outboard's slide mechanism until the revised version arrived. On Tuesday and Thursday the gang met for a chat and I was surprised upon listening to Martina, Gwen and George talk to hear that they had little more idea of what to do after university than I'd had on leaving college last year. Gareth was the only one sure of a future with his father's construction company but he hardly sounded enthusiastic about the idea. To me it seemed that the generation Simon thought worth writing a book about were short of big dreams but were more than ready to make the most of the moment - like the couple at dance class on Wednesday putting in a so much effort to make their first dance as a husband and wife memorable for themselves , their families and friends. It was a case of not so much taking time to smell the roses but of making time to plant the roses, feed the roses, weed the roses, train and prune the roses just to have and to share the glorious flowering of the roses for a few weeks at the end of the summer.

Thursday as the gang split up after our evening in the pub was our moment. Serena took Philip and I back to her place for coffee before the three of us set off for the marina at 01:00. At that time there luckily wasn't a soul about and it took few minutes for Philip and I to cast off and head out into the harbour while Serena drove round to Watkiss Way to meet us at the other end. Such a short distance but combined with the spookiness of Dumblebit's silent glide through the water resulting from her electric motor running on pure battery power there was the pounding of my heart because this was the first time I'd ever been in charge of any proper boat and Philip was no sailor at all. 30 minutes was all it took to cross to the Ely River where I'd found an empty berth earlier that day and Serena was waiting to catch our lines and help us moor. All that was left was to get Philip settled into his sleeping bag as guard aboard then Serena and I headed off to our own beds for the remainder of the night.

"The yacht Dumblebit which was in seen on television being launched in dramatic fashion just weeks ago is back in the news. Her owner Bill McLeod has received a message that she has been stolen by a group calling themselves 'The Sisters of Venus' and won't be returned unless a rocket is fired from the harbour entrance at 7 this evening indicating that Mr McLeod and his associates, known as The Brotherhood of the Coast, capitulate to a series of demands regarding the newly inaugurated dinghy race to take place crossing Cardiff Bay Harbour on August Bank Holiday at 2 pm - That is Monday, August 27th at 2 pm. Entries applications can be made through this radio station or through Arianrhod Development."

"What the hell???" Mum, Dad and I were eating breakfast listening to the local radio on Friday morning when the news about Dumblebit broke. Dad grabbed his mobile and I guess was trying to call Bill when more news came.

"The following demands have been received:-
1. Full pirate costume is compulsory for each team the race, the teams to be composed of a Captain and one crew;
2. The crew will propel the dinghy by oars while wearing two eye patches - one covering each eye;
3. The Captain may shout instructions but at all times while racing must carry a cutlass between their teeth;
4. The Brotherhood of the Coast will host The Sisters of Venus at the Cardiff Bay Marina Restaurant this evening and henceforth hold men, women, lesbian, gay and transgender equally eligible for membership.

To be continued