‘Oh my god,’ I say. ‘Was anybody hurt?’
‘Not sure.’
Nick takes out his phone and stabs at the screen, his eyes scanning. ‘That was the message just now – an alert.’ He continues reading. ‘No known casualties at the moment, but they’re evacuating Zafferana Etnea. They’re worried about lava flows reaching the town.’
‘Holy shit!’ I look over at Vittorio and he’s gone very pale. ‘Do you have family on Sicily?’ I ask. ‘Or friends?’
‘Sì. My sister and her husband.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ I say.
‘Me too,’ says Nick. ‘Not sure there’s anything we can do, but if there is…’
Vittorio’s head snaps up. ‘Grazie. They should be all right – they are far away in Trapani. But there is bigger problem,’ he says, holding up his phone. ‘That was the harbour master. Everything is stopped.’
Nick and I share a look. ‘What do you mean by that?’ Nick asks before I get the chance.
‘The ash cloud. The ferries, flights in and out of Naples… everything will stop, because of visibility.’
I rush past them, out the doors and onto the balcony. I expected a giant looming cloud of ash, but although it doesn’t look much different out here, itfeelsdifferent – the air is hanging heavily, almostviscous.
And we’ve been oblivious, sipping cocktails and listening to records.
I go back inside, finding them watching me, and close the doors behind me.
‘So, we’re stuck here?’ I ask.
‘For now,sì,’ Vittorio replies, right as Nick blows out a loud breath and says, ‘Well, fuck.’
5
NICK
What the hell was I thinking? As soon as I realised True North’s error, I should have been on the next ferry to Naples, then a flight to Iceland, instead of waiting for them to fix this. Who runs an international tour company without a twenty-four-hour hotline?
Pip’s going to be devastated.
The news instantly sobers me and, while I mull over how to break it to Pippa, Delaney grills Vittorio on the contingencies.
‘Surely we can catch a ferry to the mainland before the ash cloud descends?’ she asks – her third variation of the same question.
‘No,signorina, is not possible – Itellyou,’ Vittorio counters.
I feel for him. She’s not takingnofor an answer and he’s only the messenger. Apparently, the ferry companies and the harbour master are prioritising day-trippers. If they don’t evacuate in the next few hours, there won’t be enough accommodation for everyone, and people will be forced to camp out. On the streets. Under an ash cloud.
Delaney goes to speak, but Vittorio lifts a hand. ‘Please,signorina.’ It’s the plea of a weary man – and soon to be a very busy one – and Delaney finally backs down.
Vittorio slips out the door, then it’s just the two of us. She looks at me, chewing on her lower lip, her brow knitted.
‘That’s a look of determination,’ I say.
She releases her lip. ‘There must besomethingwe can do.’
She crosses to the balcony doors and goes outside. I go with her and we stand at the railing, looking down at the marina. Delaney groans at the streams of people filing onto the ferries.
‘Organised chaos,’ I say.
‘Or chaotic chaos,’ she retorts. I glance over and she meets my eye. ‘I’m going down there,’ she declares, abruptly turning and going back inside.