The camera lens panned over the horizon.Mammatus clouds, the sort of large porous round ball clouds hanging over a post-storm evening—crimson stained the sky in slashes of aubergine and orange.I zoomed in on Eddie and Vic by the prow.They were standing together, staring into the distance.
“This is a rescue mission,” I said.“We’re on the hunt for a cargo ship that’s gone missing.”
I swiveled the camera to Brother Al.He held up a hand as if to block his face.
“Come on,” I said, lowering the camera.
“I would rather not be recorded,” he said.
“Just a few quick questions,” I said.“You’re a handsome man.Very trustworthy—a priest and everything.You’re the lynchpin on this piece.”
The praise seemed to swell his chest up, and he sighed.
“Fine,” he said.“You will make sure none of the more… unsavory elements to this adventure get mixed or shown?”
“Scout’s honor,” I said.
“Get me from the right side.That’s my best angle,” Brother Al said.“Hold on.Let me go over near the mast.”
“They’re not going to believe you’re steering this thing.”
“I don’t care,” Brother Al said.
I rolled my eyes, and after a few minutes, the lake air seemed to blow through Brother Aleister’s hair.His vestments flapped in the wind.I had to admit—it was a pretty impressive shot.
“Tell us about yourself,” I said.“Make it natural.”
“My name is Brother Aleister.I’m a priest, of sorts, in charge of the Hartshome Cathedral.We’re here because a cargo ship containing some of my newer parishioners has gone missing.”
“Why are we leaving at night?”I asked.
He blinked at me.
“What do you mean?You know why we had to leave at dusk.”
“Yeah, but tell the camera why.For the audience.”
“Uh.”
“Come on.Come up with something.”
“I’m not sure what to say.You’re putting me on the spot.I mean.We’re really leaving at dusk because the sun pains us so.”
“Maybe we should focus on the immigrant thing,” I said.
“What story are you covering again?”
I switched the camera off, sighing.
“Look, forget it,” I said.“We need to all put our heads together and come up with a story.”
“Do you think a focus on the immigration is important?”
“Why else would we be going to find an abandoned cargo ship?”
“I don’t know.Don’t you do ghost investigations, usually?”
“I was thinking maybe we could diversify,” I said.
