Read Online A Yacht Called Erewhon by Stuart Vaughan - Free Book Online

engine, we repeated the operation several times, and each time we gained a little more height until we had enough space under the bow to slip the bogie in.
    Aggie’s engine returned to idle as Dad jumped down from the tracks. ‘Silly old bastard’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve!’ he chortled.
    I looked at Matt and laughed. ‘Not bad for an office wallah,’ I conceded.
    ‘Fill that bloody hole you dug under the bow, and make sure you pack it down tight!’ Dad barked.
    The stern section was even heavier than the bow, and we could only manage to raise the hull six inches. Slowly, Erewhon lifted clear of the undergrowth, and the higher we lifted the sleeping giant the more she groaned. ‘The old lady doesn’t like being disturbed,’ said Dad, as we finally positioned the two bogies either side of the hull and lowered the yacht onto the waiting carriages.
    ‘I don’t think I’d be too keen to move after thirty-odd years,’ I said.
    ‘Must be lunchtime!’ announced Dad, as he leaped up on the counterweight. Matt was half a step behind, and I swung Aggie in the direction of the base camp. As we approached the caravan, I saw Mum lying in the hammock.
    I slewed Aggie around and jumped down from the machine. ‘What’s for lunch?’ I shouted, drawn by the aroma.
    ‘Oyster soup and some fresh bread,’ Mum replied nonchalantly.
    ‘I suppose the oysters turned up like yesterday’s crayfish,’ smirked Dad.
    ‘As a matter of fact, they did!’ retorted Mum. ‘Mic brought them over for your lunch because she thinks you’re all working so hard.’
    ‘Where is she then? Why haven’t we seen her?’ Dad asked.
    ‘Oh, she’s a bit wary of men at the moment.’
    ‘Let’s eat!’
    ‘It’s in the pot, and the bread’s in the maker, so help yourselves!’
    Mum returned to her hammock.
    The oyster soup and fresh bread were delicious. Whenwe’d eaten our fill, I cleared the dishes while Matt and Dad wandered down to the beach. I drifted over to where Mum was resting. She dropped her magazine onto the ground below her as I pulled a deck chair alongside.
    ‘You look deep in thought,’ she said, sitting up.
    ‘I reckon your friend who keeps giving us lunch is the same person I’ve seen over by the yacht. Every time I try to get near her, she disappears. What’s her connection to Erewhon ?’
    ‘I don’t know, but she’s very interested in what you’re doing over there.’
    ‘What did you say her name is?’
    ‘She calls herself Mic.’
    Dad and Matt hadn’t returned, so Mum and I decided to walk over to the yacht, so she could see what we’d done. As we neared the clearing around Erewhon , I saw Mic by the bow resting in the sun, dressed only in her black bikini bottom. Mum grabbed my arm, beckoning me behind a tree. I dropped back, and Mum walked casually up to Mic, who was initially startled but relaxed when she saw who it was. I stayed in the shadows as they chatted. At Mum’s signal, I walked out towards them. Mum handed Mic the white towel, and Mic quickly drew it around her exposed breasts.
    ‘This is my second son, Ben,’ Mum announced. ‘Ben, say hello to Mic…Ben!’
    I’d never seen such haunting brown eyes—and I was stunned. Finally, I coaxed my jaw into action. ‘Hi!’
    ‘Hello’ came the amused reply.
    I had trouble getting my tongue to work. ‘Thanks for the oysters,’ I blurted out. ‘Mum made some fantastic soup.’
    ‘My pleasure’ was the reply. ‘Your mother tells me you’re here to take Erewhon home and restore her.’
    ‘It’s Dad’s dream, and I’m pretty much hooked into it, too. She’s such a beautiful yacht, and I know we can get her sailingagain. I’ve been trying to catch up with you, but you’re pretty light on your feet.’
    ‘Just wary of strange men when I’m out here on my own. Not many people come here,’ she replied.
    ‘I can understand that,’ Mum said.
    ‘Do you know much about Erewhon ?’ I asked.
    ‘A little,’ she