Storm and Silence (FANFIC)

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?"