Then he was able to move again. He walked, without thinking, to the forward deck. A wet wind chilled his face as he looked out to sea. The snow clouds were still thinning. In places dim stars shone in the sky.
He walked back to the stump where the mast had been. He felt the jagged wood splinters and was glad that he had not been under the mast when it had fallen.
Slowly Bervick walked to the afterdeck. He had left the lazaret open; he closed it and then he went into the salon.
Hodges was building a house of cards. His hands were very steady and he was working intensely. When Bervick shut the door the house of cards collapsed.
“Damn,” said Hodges and smiled. “Get it fixed all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, we got it fixed.”
“I thought I heard a splash a minute ago. You drop anything over?”
Bervick swallowed hard. “No, I didn’t throw nothing overboard.”
“I guess it was just waves hitting the boat.”
“Yeah, that was it, waves hitting the deck.” Bervick sat down on a bench and thought of nothing.