"Anthony Wall - The Eden Mission (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wall Anthony)

through her hair. Then, head held high, she made her entrance. Vanessa wasn't
there. Susan relaxed, smiling at herself.

The smile faded fast. She's taken the bottom bunk! I was here first. Susan
stared, glared at the fancy nightdress laid out on the pillow. Did she have
the nerve to move it? No, not quite.

Fuming, she started to unpack. Sweaters, T-shirts, jeans, shorts and a dress.
She yanked open the wardrobe door. A row of eye-catching outfits hung neatly
on hangers. "It's like a fashion store," Susan muttered, shoving the hangers
aside to make space for her own clothes.
In the bathroom she opened the mirror-fronted cabinet on the wall. It was
crammed with bottles and jars. Perfume, shampoo, creams ... Susan slammed the
cabinet shut and pulled a face in the glass.

Meanwhile Gary was trying to make friends with Norman. Hard work. Norman
proved to be a very serious young man, much given to using long words. Must've
swallowed a dictionary, Gary thought. But he kept up the conversation. Then
the studious teenager produced a pack of cards and proceeded to do a series of
conjuring tricks that made Gary gasp. Norman might be fun after all.

Checking her watch, Susan confirmed what her stomach was telling
her--dinner-time. She left the cabin and saw Gary and Norman emerging farther
down the corridor. Yves and Darren also appeared. Already it was clear that
when food was involved the teenagers wouldn't find it too difficult to be
punctual. But where was Vanessa? Susan glanced at Yves and Darren - Darren
deliberately looked away. Gary introduced her to Norman, who blushed. They
climbed the stairs.

Appetising smells wafted from the ship's galley. The five youngsters almost
broke into a trot as they neared the dining-room. Suddenly the riddle of
Vanessa solved itself; she was talking to a sun-tanned sailor. Susan sniffed.
Yves mouthed the word "Dinner" as they passed Vanessa, and she arrived in the
dining-room soon after.

There were thirteen seats at the captain's table--Gary counted them. Isn't
that supposed to be unlucky? He wasn't superstitious, but ... Susan prodded
him. "Gary, sit by me, Norman on the other side." The boys grinned as Susan,
the youngest of the three, bossed them about.

Vanessa grandly took her place opposite, between Yves and the uncommunicative
Darren. At one end of the table, near Ben Bellingham, the trio of teachers
huddled--Geoffrey Baggalley (Geography and History), Maude Mimpriss (English
and French), Peter Stokes (Maths and Science). At the other end of the table
the captain and two officers completed the party.

Ben Bellingham rose to his feet. His eyes twinkled as he started to address
the young conservationists. "Hello again. You know most of the people here,
including your teachers." He made a sweeping gesture in their direction. For
some reason they reminded Susan of sheep--and she bit her lip to stop herself