The missing ship E-Book

Geri Schnell

• Herausgeber: neobooks
• Kategorie: Erotik
• Sprache: Deutsch

Seitenzahl: 459

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Already the start of the cruise is mysterious, but no one notices that the gift cruise, must be paid dearly. The first days are marked by luxury and willing girls. Only slowly do the first notice that someone is playing an evil game. Who is exploiting whom? Who is pulling the strings? When the guests realize what is being played, it is too late, the fight for survival becomes hard.

Leseprobe

Geri Schnell

The missing ship

What if you are given a cruise as a gift?

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

Titel

The missing ship

Preface:

Travel arrangements

The first guests arrive

The local newsroom

Rea

The search for the ghost ship

South course

The big story

Kidnapped

Vanished without a trace

The fog

Cab driver

The fight for the ship

State power

We sink

Everything in excitement

Negotiations

The political crisis

All are in the same boat

The Charges

The Enlightenment

Given up

The Uprising

From island to island

Wet feet

The seaplane

The warship

Epilogue

Impressum neobooks

The missing ship

Novel by

Geri Schnell

Preface:

The events described in this book are fictitious. All mentioned persons and places of action are chosen at random and have no direct connection with the described events. Also, in which time the plot takes place is open.

The guiding question of the book is, what if you are given a cruise as a gift? In which currency do you have to pay? You don't get anything as a gift anymore.

After the first few pages, the story took on a life of its own. I found myself liking the different characters traveling on the ship. Rich, poor, young and old. Fanatical contemporaries and those who just live in the day, all present. It fascinated me and I hope readers will feel the same way.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Travel arrangements

The cab stops in the port area of Genoa. Reto is eager to see what awaits him here. Three weeks ago, he had responded to an ad on the Internet. A job during the semester break was just what he was looking for. His new boss was looking for a young man with language skills and some experience in the travel industry. Otherwise, he was only told that some discretion was expected, which meant that he was not allowed to tell his relatives how and where he would spend the summer.

Since he completely broke away from the family after his parents' divorce, this is not a problem. He has been solo for half a year, there is no girlfriend to control him and his studies friends disappeared immediately after the last lecture, so, he has to fend for himself anyway.

As announced by the cab driver, he finds the bar in a narrow side alley. It does not make the most respectable impression, but at this time of day, one can order a Coke there without being harassed by a whore. He steps up to the bar and orders a Coke.

"I'm Reto," he explains to the man behind the bar.

"Bene," growls the barman. He's not sure if he understood him. Without comment, he puts the Coke on the counter, then goes back to the dishwasher. Impatiently, Reto looks around the restaurant; he is the only guest, there is no sign of the new boss. Reto checks his watch, he is still ten minutes early, so, no reason to get nervous yet. Besides, he has already received his advance and the travel expenses, so, if the job doesn't work out, he will have a look around Genoa and then go back home.

After ten minutes Reto is still the only guest. It is very hot and stuffy. He empties the coke bottle and indicates to the barman that he wants to pay, it is better if he waits outside in the fresh air. The bar has only one entrance, he can't miss his new boss.

Instead of bringing the bill, the bartender slides him an envelope. Reto is written on it in large handwriting.

He thanks him and leaves the bar, because underneath the name was written in German, "Do not open in bar". That's a good start, his new boss is a secret keeper, or does he just not have time?

In a small park he sat down on a bench and opened the letter. Along with five hundred euros in small bills, he finds an address and a hint to take a cab, which would take him to the appropriate address.

An hour later, he is standing in front of a commercial building. With horror he reads the inscription on the company sign. It is a cleaning company. Reto can already see himself roughing up his feet during the whole vacation, this can't be true, only he could fall for something so, stupid. He pays for the cab and enters. A man is sitting behind an old-fashioned office desk. Again, Reto introduces himself.

"Bene," the man stands up and beckons him to follow. In a dressing room he is given a white one-piece worker's suit. At least it is white, so, it can't be very dirty work, but he is not really calmed yet. Nothing is spoken, even if his Italian is actually quite good, he does not ask any questions. He remembers the note in the ad about discretion, and decides to wait and see.

Half an hour later, he is sitting in the passenger seat of the company car and driving in the direction of the port, as Reto can see from the signposts. The customs officer at the port entrance waves them past and the drive continues along the pier, past massive ships. He is supposed to clean ships, it looks like backbreaking work to me, hopefully it is a luxury liner, if possible, with pretty hostesses, then it would still be bearable.

Indeed, the company car slows down in front of an elegant ship and drives directly over a ramp into the hold of the ship. He tries in vain to find out the name of the ship. Everything is happening so, fast; he can't make out the bow of the ship. But it should indeed be a cruise ship.

The driver puts the van on an assigned parking space below deck. A hand signal tells Reto to get out. He takes his backpack from the back seat and says goodbye to the driver. At a door he recognizes a man who waves to him: "I'm Roberto and I'm in charge of the reception of the staff, welcome on board".

"Thanks, I'm Reto," he replies and follows Roberto, who makes his way through the endless corridors of the ship.

"I know you've been announced, we only address each other by our first names here, this then also, applies to our guests, no matter how distinguished they come across".

After climbing three floors, they are in front of a closed door. His companion presses the bell and shortly afterwards the door opens.

"So, now you still have to pass through the security gate, if you have something to hide, better run away quickly now, they will find everything. Weapons, drugs, computers, cameras and cell phones are forbidden, but I'm sure they told you that before."

"Yes, I know, except for some clothes I have nothing with me".

"Good, then I leave you now to the security department, have fun and stay cool".

Now the door opens and a colossus of a man stands in front of him, "I am Reto".

"Good - enter", calmly he closes the door and indicates with a hand gesture to follow him.

They enter a windowless room in which, except for a table and two chairs, there are no other pieces of furniture. He puts the backpack on the table and waits for further instructions.

"Carefully undress," commands the colossus, "not too hastily, I always want to see your hands.

Reto is just taking off his shirt when the door opens. A woman with long brown hair and long slender legs enters the examination room. With a critical look, she examines him with her brown eyes. She seems very sympathetic and Reto remembers Roberto's advice to "stay cool", it's really not easy to stay cool, because her inquiring eyes were examining him from top to bottom.

When he is only dressed in his underpants, the colossus says, "come on, don't be shy, take it all off".

Carefully the colossus circles him and a little later start patting him down. It is amazing that this man has such gentle hands. After the first pat-down, he turns his attention to Reto's clothes, then it's the backpack's turn, piece by piece it is unpacked and carefully examined. Still naked, Reto stands in the middle of the room and sceptically watches the search.

"Is he clean?"

"Yes, no problem, you can take him".

Reto already feared that she wants to take him naked, but then she explains with gentle stim-me: "Reto, you can put on your own clothes, the overall stays here".

It is a strange feeling to have to get dressed under the eyes of a strange woman, he has to refrain from making a show. Finally, he is dressed again and the backpack is packed again. They leave the awkward room.

Reto follows her into the personnel office, as can be read on the door.

Eveline, as the brunette is called, sits down behind the desk and smiles at him in a friendly way.

"So, you're Reto," she looks at him questioningly.

"Yes," he confirms as she types his name into the computer, "ah - here it is."

She looks at the screen, "Cabin 744, you'll find all the other information on the computer in your room. I wish you a pleasant stay on the ship".

Equipped with a small map of the ship, he sets off in search of his cabin. The way is marked with black felt-tip pen so, that he can quickly find his cabin. All the way through the corridors, he has encountered no one. The cabin door is open and he enters. Cabin 744 is a luxuriously appointed cabin. The porthole faces the side away from the pier and offers a beautiful view over the Genoa harbour basin.

By now Reto is very tired. He throws the backpack into the huge closet and turns to the computer. The password has already been sent by mail. He eagerly awaits the start page. It is very sober and simple, just an information page.

Under next date it says: Dinner at 8 p.m., which takes place in dining room number 3 in casual leisure attire.

He still chooses the three courses of the menu. There are no links or programs to click on, except for the notice that more information will be available on the computer tomorrow. So, there is nothing to do with surfing the Internet.

It is only five o'clock in the afternoon, he still has time for a refreshing shower and then he takes a little nap. His thoughts revolve around his first day in his new job. Somehow, he imagined the vacation job differently, everything seems so, cold. Only Eveline was a, motivation, but Reto fears that he might get in the way of the colossus. Presumably they have something together. It's still too early, surely there are other women on the ship, why should you fall for the first one just because she watched you dressing with interest. Admittedly, her gaze made his body flush, which he could only suppress with the utmost concentration. Well, at least the room is very comfortable. It could have been a small bunk of six with bunk beds, and the menu makes a very good impression. Once the guests are on board, there will certainly be something going on here. Then he nodded off and only thanks to the alarm clock he woke up in time for dinner.

With the map he found the dining room 3 without any problems. There is only one table set. There are already some young people sitting there. He briefly assesses the situation and sits down at the first available seat. His table neighbour is blond, he estimates her to be a little over twenty. In response to his questioning gesture, she nods in a friendly manner and indicates that the chair is still free.

"Hello, I'm Leslie," she introduces herself.

"Pleased to meet you, Reto from Bern," he introduces himself as well.

"Have you also, arrived today"?

"Yes, this afternoon, I'm still pretty tired from the long journey".

"I come from Sweden. But I spent a few more days in Milan, so, I didn't have a long journey today".

"Leslie is an unusual name for a Swede, or has that changed in Sweden by now"?

"No, my mother is English".

"Oh, sorry," Reto has forgotten the others at the table.

He greets the others at the table. All of them are surely under thirty, there are only three men left, otherwise there are nine pretty women at the table. Soon an informal conversation develops. The security check is the main topic. Like him, everyone had to undress completely. For some girls this was a problem, while there were other ladies who enjoyed the strip in front of the strong guy. All had the guy mightily impressed. The Colossus and Eveline do not belong to this table community.

In the course of the evening Reto realizes that most of the table companions are like him, nobody knows yet exactly what this vacation job is all about. Most of them are students like him, who use the semester break to earn easy money. Leslie was an exception; she was unemployed when she applied for this job.

At half past ten they are asked to leave the dining room, then when the guests are on the ship, there will of course be an evening program, but nothing is planned today. All have tomorrow a strict day, which begins already at eight o'clock in the morning.

Under slight protest of some ladies, they retire to the cabins.

"See you tomorrow," one after the other says goodbye. Reto can't remember all the names yet, he is too tired and unfocused. When he turns into the corridor to his cabin, only Rea follows him, a racy, petite woman, she must be somewhat younger than the other women at the table, she wears her black shoulder-length hair open, the colour of her eyes cannot be seen in the corridor, but they should actually be brown, only brown eyes suit this type of woman. At the table she sat further up the table and he could not talk to her, but she caught his eye by flirting with her table neighbour at all costs, but he did not engage in her advances to the desired extent, why, he does not know. At least Reto was able to keep her name, as there were a few whispers about her at the table.

"See you tomorrow, Rea," he says goodbye to his door and enters.

"Bon nuit Reto," she whispers and gently strokes his cheek with her hand.

In the cabin he has to think about Rea's farewell for some time, but after that he concentrates on putting away his laundry. This cabin will be his home for some time and he wants to make it somewhat functional. After that, he undresses and disappears into the shower.

Reto has just soaped himself up when there is a knock on the cabin door. He rinses off some more foam and wraps himself in a bath towel and goes to the door.

"Who might that be?"

He opens a crack. Rea stands at the door in a puff of nothing.

"He, - I cannot sleep, can we talk some more"?

"Come in," he opens the door enough for her to enter, "as you can see, I'm still in the shower, I'll be done in a minute though."

He hangs the bath towel back on the bar and disappears into the shower, when Reto wants to close the door, Rea says dryly, "leave the door open, you have nothing to hide, - right"?

The second time this day he feels exposed, but this time it is much more pleasant. He soaps himself again and tries to forget Rea's presence.

"Reto, you have to know that I come directly from a strict girls' boarding school, I have no experience with men, in fact I don't even know what they look like. So, when I had to stand naked in front of a man for the longest time this afternoon, my body got all worked up. - I also, don't know how long I can stay here, because I left, my parents don't know that I'm here, I explained to them that I'm moving to a friend on an Irish island for a few days. There is no cell phone reception there yet, they should not worry after all. You see, I have to use the time well".

In the meantime, Reto has rinsed off the soap, slowly it's time to leave the shower.

"Let me do it," she breathes and starts to dry Reto off. She enjoys gently stroking his body. Touching her breasts with his wet torso, her nightgown has become transparent. Her firm breasts are clearly visible. Her eyes are shining, they are indeed brown and beautiful. He realizes, sleeping this night can only be the bare minimum.

When he is awakened by the alarm clock the next morning, he is alone in bed. He must have fallen asleep and Rea went back to her own cabin. I don't know if Rea was satisfied with him, he enjoyed the way she explored his body, but he was so, tired from the eventful day that he was suddenly gone.

Reto has to hurry if he still wants to be in time for breakfast. Teeth brushing and washing are done in record speed. Most of the people except Rea are already there, Reto sits down on the first free seat and orders coffee from the young Asian waitress. The rest of the ingredients are served at the buffet. The mood at the table is still a bit tired, it seems that the people from the other side are also, real morning grouches.

He has hardly sat down when Rea arrives for breakfast. She does not sit down next to Reto, but uses the free seat on the opposite side of the table. Apart from a short "hello", the greeting remains cool, she doesn't want the others to know anything about last night, for Reto this is no problem, it's fine for him too. The decisive thing will be whether she knocks on the door again tonight.

For the moment he has to concentrate his thoughts on other things. Shortly after breakfast, they gather everyone in a room. An instructor slowly introduces them to their new activities. It will be a boring dry morning. They will be familiarized with the premises of the big ship. It will be their task to make the entertainment on offer palatable to the paying guests.

However, the leisure activities offered by the celebrities still remain a mystery. Many rooms are simply numbered and located somewhere in the ship; you have to know how to get to these very special rooms. So, someone can only enter these rooms if they are led there by an entertainer.

Until lunch, they are crammed with information. Just before everyone is fighting to fall asleep, it's time for lunch. The food is excellent again, although this time it is only two courses of light fare.

After dinner they have the opportunity to refresh themselves at the pool. In the meantime, Rea is more interested in Jan, so, Reto has to look for a new partner to smear his back with sunscreen. Since he was able to have a nice conversation about rock music and formula one with Patty at dinner, he also, sat down right next to her at the pool. Patty has a pleasant voice. She has short blond hair and comes from England. She seems a bit older than the other entertainers.

She creams his back with a lot of feeling and he also, works on her back with a lot of devotion. When he wants to turn away, she says laconically, "Hey Reto, you're not done yet," while she turns on her back and already splashes plenty of sunscreen on her belly and breasts. She doesn't mind that the bikini top is left behind on the deck chair. Feeling-full Reto continued his massage. When her whole body shines oily in the sun, he moves his deck chair close to hers and also, lies down. A look around shows that all the women have stripped bare upstairs. Reto must say, the personnel manager must have been a connoisseur of women, all were able to present their figure without complexes.

After the tiring morning, they are not in the mood for big talks, Reto soon dozes off as well. Fortunately, Patty wakes him up after a while, otherwise he would have gotten a sunburn.

"Please turn around," she says with a grin, "you don't have to hide your belly".

In fact, it was high time, in a mirror he noticed that the back already shimmers slightly pink. "What would you like to drink? I'll buy you one".

"Good idea, I'll have Coke with lots of ice".

The spending is a bit exaggerated; the drinks are free for everyone. At least the non-alcoholic ones and in the afternoon, they are not allowed to drink stronger stuff yet, it was already in the contract, but it's not a problem for Reto.

He can rest a little more until dinner. The day was still very exhausting. For the first time Reto has time to reflect a little on the events of the last time. The reception on the ship was extraordinarily cool and impersonal, the check was even really disgusting. But after the security check, it was actually very pleasant. All the people he met after that were very upbeat and spread a pleasant atmosphere. Reto's only problem tonight will be which girl to settle down next to. What about Rea, will she come back to his cabin? Probably not, Jan is in a better position at the moment. We will see, maybe Jan is just a distraction and when she is alone in her cabin again, she might feel like it again, - well, you will see, the night with Rea was very exciting and it annoys him that he was too tired, otherwise he could have enjoyed it even better. Maybe something is brewing with Patty, she is enormously sexy, he could certainly have a lot of fun with her. Leslie would also, be worth an adventure, besides, there are other ladies on board, which he could not yet get to know better, just do not rush, he still has plenty of time, he decides to go a little later to dinner, then he sees which seat is still free.

The seats next to Rea are as expected already taken, on one side sits Jan, who is still intensely playing the cavalier, Leslie is also, already taken, but Patty has winked at him and pointed to the still free chair.

The food is excellent again. The time passes quickly, without too much to tell each other privately. The mood is very relaxed and cheerful. Also, today they have to leave the dining room very early. There is still nothing going on the ship, hopefully this will change tomorrow, then the first guests should arrive.

On the way to the cabin, there is a long discussion in the corridors. Reto is still thinking about whether he should invite Patty to his cabin, but then she says goodbye and disappears before he can find her cabin number.

Reto retreats to his cabin, he can finally sleep through the night, Rea obviously spends this night with Jan.

The first guests arrive

The next morning follows the same program. There is a short information about the current offer on the ship. After that, everyone has to try on several suits. These are not standard uniforms, but very tastefully selected casual clothes, which certainly did not come from a department store. Each suit style has its number, which is announced on the computer if this suit is desired. From ten o'clock they can relax again at the pool. Around 2 p.m. the first guests are expected, then it will surely be over with the rest. From that time on, they must be on call in their cabins. When his services are needed, the phone rings, then the order is displayed on the computer.

To Reto's surprise, the whole afternoon remains quiet, his services are not yet needed. So, he misses the exciting moment when the first celebrities arrive. Do they know each other? Are they show stars, business bosses or politicians?

Shortly before eight o'clock in the evening, the ship begins to vibrate slightly. There are also, some jerky movements and a slight lurching. Through the porthole, Reto realizes that they are casting off. Off he goes, a little worried that he might get seasick. But the ship is quite large and should be stable in the water, he hopes his worries are unfounded. He watches with interest as the tugs pull the huge ship away from the pier. Slowly they glide past the harbour pier to the open sea. The tugs return to the harbour and the engines generate strong vibrations once again. The ship picks up speed, the city of Genoa, gleaming in the evening sun, becomes smaller and smaller and is finally only a narrow strip on the horizon.

Now the phone rings. Reto checks the computer, ah, no new job, it's just time for dinner. Suit number three, is the order of the day. This time he is assigned a table. Reto still has time to shower and shave. After half an hour, he hardly recognizes himself in the mirror, he has become a real gentleman's boy, who would have thought it, but well, "Clothes make the man", that still applies today.

Reto enters the dining room and is curious about his table neighbours. Are they guests or his Animator friends? When he approaches his table, it is still empty. He gets a tomato jus from the buffet and sits down. It doesn't take long and a gentleman is obviously also, assigned to the same table. He chooses a martini and sits down, "I'm Burt", he greets Reto, "great ship".

"Yes, the selection is big. I'm already curious how much excess weight I'll be hauling around after the trip."

A meaningless casual conversation develops. Burt is American, that much is revealed by his broad English, but otherwise there is nothing private to be learned. Reto also, sticks to impersonal topics. The other table companions, who arrive one by one, are not very communicative either. Their private lives are not a topic. So, Reto has no choice but to get an idea of the other guests based on their appearance. In terms of age, most of them are between thirty-five and sixty. The three gentlemen look like bank clerks, the two ladies, whom he classifies rather in the upper age group, he puts in the category, frustrated wives of rich men.

At their table there are still three seats free, also, the neighbouring tables are not fully occupied. At each table sits one of the group of entertainers. According to the instructions, they do not have to identify themselves as entertainers. They appear like normal guests, only a little younger. What's the point of that? - Reto does not know.

With the other entertainers, he mingles with the guests. There are a few tables where women are among themselves, and they are still strangers to each other. Reto dares to ask one of the women to dance. The first partner is relatively tall and certainly over forty. The ideal choice for waltz dancing, because young women usually have problems with the waltz. The blonde over forty years old woman becomes wax in his hands, she goes along with all the figures without any problems, Reto really enjoys it and the blonde applauds enthusiastically after the first dance. Unfortunately, the waltz is not very popular with the other guests, so, the band changes the style. This causes the lady to sit down again.

Around one o'clock in the morning, the ship suddenly slows down and stops after about half an hour at sea. Many guests leave the hall to look on deck to see what's going on. Reto also, mingles with the curious. Now a voice informs over loudspeakers that the ship is still taking on some guests. In the darkness, several smaller boats can be seen approaching the ship and docking alternately at the extended pier. In this way, guests can once again get on board. It's a bit strange to start such a sea voyage, but Reto doesn't wonder about anything anymore, the main thing is that everyone is fine.

When the ship starts moving again, Reto has seen enough and goes back to his cabin. He is disappointed by the evening, the whole thing seems much too stiff, but at least he books the waltz with the blonde lady as a small success, let's wait and see what tomorrow brings.

During the night, the ship takes on passengers three more times. Each time Reto wakes up briefly, but immediately falls asleep again. Nevertheless, he feels poorly rested in the morning. At breakfast, they now have to wait in line for a short time to gather the ingredients at the buffet. Last night also, some animators came on the ship in the boats. The supply of the coffee works out excellently, there is enough Asian staff to cope with the rush.

Reto gets to know some new people, it remains as yesterday with superficial conversations. But slowly he gets used to the small talk. The stops last night and the beautiful sunrise, which he unfortunately missed, are the preferred topics. They are only on first name terms, but the mood is still a bit stiff. According to his computer, he has to be at the pool at 10 am.

The workday starts a bit more relaxed this time. You have to prove yourself as an actor. Play-back show is the order of the day. Marcel, the chief animator, a wiry Austrian, obviously has a lot of experience. With a critical eye, he examines the respective candidates and, after a brief consideration, suggests two or three artists who could double them, then the candidate can decide which one suits him better. Once the performer has been chosen, three of his or her titles can be selected.

Reto may choose between Peter Kraus, Shaking Stevens and Bryan Adams. He chooses "Summer of 69" from Bryan. It doesn't take long and he has the song down pat. He's not really a show star, but the rhythm really hits home and he can identify with the song.

The training session goes by quickly, with practice in three rooms. In his group Leslie still performs as Kylie Minogue with "The Locomotion" and Alfonso, as Wolfgang Petri with a German song "Madness". Especially Alfonso, a tall lanky German still has some problems with the song, he stumbles around a bit helpless on stage. Since Alfonso, has to practice again and again, the song slowly drives Reto crazy himself. Leslie, on the other hand, is a feast for the eyes, in her short mini she shows off her long legs well. She doesn't have to practice long either, she has a lot of talent and moves automatically to the beat. When Alfonso, stumbles across the parquet, Leslie and Reto watch with amusement. Finally, the choreographer sends them to the dressing room and he continues with Alfonso, alone.

Reto is able to talk to Leslie a bit on the way to the dressing room. She wants to start studying law in Gothenburg in August. She has had her high school diploma in her pocket for two years, but had a hard time deciding on a field of study and spent a year working in seasonal jobs as a waitress.

In the afternoon, Reto receives his first order, "so, he is not here just for pleasure." The job is simple, Reto has to pick up Pierre, a Frenchman a little over fifty years old, at the upper pool and take him to the fitness centre. Reto pulls his shorts over his bathing suit, slips on a T-shirt and crosses the boat. At the upper pool are the older ones, who like it quiet. You need a pass to enter here. The people here are offered a special program. When Reto stops by to pick up the gentleman, a team of synchronized swimmers is swimming in the water and showing their program to classical music. Reto finds his customer, as agreed, at the bar.

"Hello, I'm Reto, who is Pierre?" he asks in French.

"That's me, I want to do something for fitness, can you take me there"?

"Yes, it's not far, you just have to know where to go, no problem".

The Frenchman is the first to be really excited about the ship and now wants to do something about his tummy, which he caresses lovingly. Surely the young ladies of the water ballet have spurred him on, he will secretly hope to nibble one of them.

Reto stops at a door that looks like a normal cabin, this must be it. On a keypad he enters the appropriate code. After a short wait, the door opens and a Chinese lady in a silky bathrobe opens the door. The bathrobe cannot hide her exciting figure.

"Ah, Pierre, - welcome, please come in".

Turning to Reto, the lady thanks him, "thank you Reto, that's all, we'll take care of Pierre now, he'll find his way back on his own".

Reto goes back to the back pool, most of the girls are dancing topless and getting up close and personal with the guys. A group of girls form a circle and try to throw Reto and other guys into the water. They all fight back as best they can, but the girls use all their tricks, one wiggles her beautiful breasts right in front of Reto's nose. It's time for him to surrender. Together they fall into the water, to the applause of the audience.

Reto spends the rest of the afternoon with a group of young girls. As Reto was able to find out, they all won the dream trip to a disco in a dance contest. A free cruise, that lifts the spirits. In addition, they received a pass that allows them to raid the bar for free, in return for which they will assist the entertainers with certain tasks. Now they are enjoying the ride to the fullest. Four of the girls come from Cologne, just as many from Frankfurt and, unmistakable by their large bust size and the native dialect, from Munich.

Later in the afternoon, there is a welcome show at the upper pool. The entertainers dress up as show stars. In the meantime, the welcome show has started, most of the performances are perfectly. Alfonso's performance becomes a first-class laughing stock, the audience doubles over with laughter. Reto's performance succeeds well, the audience goes along with it and is enthusiastic. The mood at the pool is excellent.

Slowly, the guests get into the vacation mood. After the performances, a band plays for dancing. The bar and the casino are also, open.

Before dinner there is work again. Reto must bring a woman to the massage. At the bar of the upper deck, he finds Clementine immediately. She approaches him: "You must be Reto," she asks, putting on a charming smile, "would you like another drink?"

"Yes, with pleasure, but only a Coke, in this heat I prefer without alcohol".

"Oh, one from the serious faction," she notes in barely intelligible dialect.

It takes him some time to classify the dialect, but it's clear she must be from Austria, probably a real Viennese. But true to the motto of maintaining privacy, he keeps this insight to himself. For his job, he doesn't need any more precise information.

Reto climbs onto the bar stool. Now he feels a bit more comfortable, the slim woman is certainly taller than one meter eighty and he felt a bit small. Now the difference is evened out and only the age difference remains, she is certainly over fifty.

She gushes a bit about the fresh sea air and how good it does her. Reto misses a wedding ring on her hand, but she wears a sinfully expensive diamond ring instead. Next door, two obese gentlemen are talking about money. They are quite thick when it comes to the amounts they are talking about. They are unable to impress the slim lady, who is more interested in the beauty of nature.

After half an hour, Reto discreetly informs her that she must keep her appointment with the masseur, otherwise it will be taken elsewhere. She apologizes, "oh, I almost forgot, it was nice chatting with you".

The Asian masseur does not let on that she is a good ten minutes late. With a smile, he asks her to enter.

"Be careful, the doors in the ship are not built for us, please keep your head down".

The Us refers to height, not weight, he must have around a hundred kilos of beautifully sculpted muscle, a real Adonis. I'm sure the lady will quickly forget Reto and enjoy being kneaded by the muscleman. Similar to his colleague in the fitness centre, he wears a silky bathrobe, which, however, is not closed in front. Underneath he wears only a very tight bathing suit.

When Reto finally arrives back at the pool, the party is more or less over. The disco-queens are already in their cabins, preparing for dinner and a long night. Reto also, retires to his cabin. A nap before the evening events, will certainly do good. Inevitably, he starts thinking about the various people on the ship. On the upper deck, quite an illustrious middle-aged company is obviously meeting. In the area of the rear deck the post goes off correctly, many young set up people, he suspects that the Disco-queens from Germany are not the only ones, which won this journey. With a normal student budget such a journey is not to be paid. It is also, noticeable that only beautiful interesting people can be found in this area. The lower decks seem to be occupied by the working staff, mostly Asians. The masseur, the lady from the security service, the fitness centre attendant and the waiters are never to be seen the whole day. Also, the colossus of the security service is never to be found on the deck and he would surely attract attention.

Reto is curious to see which port city they will call at next. His knowledge of navigation is not very good, probably they cross the Mediterranean to the west and should soon reach the Atlantic. Maybe, the south of Spain is the first destination, however, nothing indicates a stop yet. The computer now shows the evening program. Suit five, this is rather sporty, casual and suits him quite well. After dinner, the Animateurs make another appearance as show stars. This time they perform on the upper floor, in front of the illustrious gentlemen, which is sure to be a dry affair.

At dinner today, Reto is assigned to another table. The four ladies are members of a carnival click from Belgium, they were invited under the condition that they perform two or three performances as Spark marionettes, which is quite little work, if one thinks of the beautiful journey. In any case, the Belgian girls enjoy the sweet idleness. The only problem they have to fight with is the strong sunburn, which some of the troops have caught. Getting up is also, a problem, none of the women is sober, Reto doesn't know how they will survive the evening disco.

Well, he can't care, he doesn't want to do anything before his performance anyway. He stands at the bar and watches the people. At the other end of the bar Rea sits loosely on a bar stool, she has already fished herself another new lover, Rea really has an enormous need to catch up, if only that goes well. On the dance pile tonight, the Irish provide for mood. An Irish rugby team has taken over the pile. Every woman who dares to come near them is dragged into the middle and pushed back and forth. The brave ladies don't mind, most of them let themselves be captured voluntarily.

Half an hour before the start of the evening program, the show troupe meets in the dressing room. Marcel, the choreographer, distributes the clothes, the costumes are generally skimpy, a Bryan Adams would never get on stage like that. Reto doesn't care, as long as he is still allowed to wear his pants. The female performers are also, put into sexy outfits. To my surprise, the Cologne disco girls are also, there, wearing no more than they did this afternoon at the pool. So, slowly I understand the principle of the cruise, "everything for the VIPs", is the motto.

In the meantime, the show has started. In the small dressing room, one gets the mood outside in the hall well. The initially stiff atmosphere slowly loosens up. Reto has to leave early. He gets an appreciative applause, but it was not the really great performance. Also, in the dressing room the mood rises, the half-naked girls come in body contact all the time, it cannot be avoided that one comes physically closer. To the amusement of the ladies, Alfonso, has a problem with this, in his pants, which are also, very tight, there is clearly a space problem. The girls contribute their part to the fact that he cannot calm down.

Exactly now, where the bulge is the biggest, Marcel sends him on stage. There he is received with great enthusiasm. The fact that he never hits the set beat during his "madness" doesn't bother anyone. The older ladies really get on his nerves, his pants are already torn and if he hadn't held the last scrap of cloth with his hand, he would have returned to the dressing room completely naked.

The now following actors are also, sent on stage with increasingly scanty clothing and come back with heavily battered scraps of cloth. But the performers were well selected, no one has a problem with it, only a Cologne woman protested energetically when an old lady wanted to get into her pants, she is not at all into ladies, where there are so, many interesting men in the hall.

After one hour the show is actually finished, the VIPs do not miss the opportunity to invite all actors to a drink at the bar. With champagne they toast to the good show. Now a band starts to play. Soft classical music is the order of the day. As the music plays a waltz, Clementine asks Reto to dance.

She is wearing a very fine evening dress. From the belt, two narrow straps go up to her neck. The two straps, actually have the task of protecting her bosom from prying eyes, a task they are in no way up to. Reto has no choice but to put his hands around her naked waist. Her skin is tender and she obeys his every command. After the brilliant final turn, she bows deeply, now Reto can also, risk a look and she enjoy being admired. Finally, the music has a rest and he takes a break. He still accompanies Clementine to her place and goes back to the bar.

"That wasn't bad," the bartender says, "but that's it for you, we don't need you here anymore, you can go back to the lower deck, your show is over."

A questioning look to his dance partner tells Reto that now it's the turn of the older gentlemen, he just had to get them in the mood a bit, now the ones of the same age are reaping the benefits. That's fine with him, it's not his style anyway.

Together with the disco-queens and Alfonso, they leave the bar. Jenny and Yvonne hook up with Reto, closely entwined they look for a cabin, so, scantily clad they cannot appear at the party at the back pool, quickly they agree, Jenny buys another drink in her cabin. Ariane and Ronda take care of Alfonso, he has drunk a bit much champagne and besides, his damaged pants must be protected from prying eyes.

The next morning Reto almost misses breakfast. It got very late yesterday. The girls were so, hyper that sleeping was out of the question. After the first sip of coffee, he slowly becomes aware of his surroundings. He notices that the swell is much more noticeable than it was the night before. His hunch seems to be confirmed, they have passed the Strait of Gibraltar during the night and are now cruising in the Atlantic. Few guests are concerned about the course, but Reto would like to know where the journey is going. According to his estimates, they are on a southwest course.

Today he shares the table with a Spanish flamenco troupe. He understands some Spanish, but not nearly as well as English, German or French. So, he doesn't hear much from his table neighbours, and he feels too tired to follow the conversation.

The new daily program is listed on the computer. There is a lot to do today. Starting at eleven o'clock, a new show has to be rehearsed. Even before that, there are three short sessions for the VIPs, two massages and one fitness session. Last night was also, quite turbulent for the celebrities. At least that's what Reto concludes from two overheard remarks. Clementine was apparently able to live out her exhibitionist tendencies to the full. She was not the only lady who put on a show.

At eleven o'clock sixteen young people meet in a small hall. This time there are not only animateurs in the group, to Reto's delight, the disco-queens from Bavaria and Cologne are also, part of the party. A bit embarrassed he greets Jenny, how are her feelings after last night? His fears are in vain, she does not claim any possession. She has also, otherwise coped well with the night. She doesn't worry about whether she let herself go too much at the party. "You are only young once and you should enjoy life," is her motto for this cruise. Her three friends are also, there with the same serenity.

Now Marcel, who has already organized the playback show, takes over. With a rocking roll he asks everyone to dance in. As a good observer, he has noticed that most of them are not fully there yet. He dances ahead and soon the whole group is on their toes. The music kicks in and chases away the tiredness.

After about ten minutes, everyone is drenched in sweat but in top form. The tiredness has disappeared. They sit down in a circle around the chief animator. After they have recovered a bit, he explains what he has in store for them today: "I have slips of paper here, now everyone draws one, and it says what role they have to play. You'll see how it works in a moment, it's very simple".

Reto excitedly unfolds the piece of paper. Tarzan is written on it. He is supposed to play Tarzan. Now he waits in anticipation to see what else is on the list. Well, he really doesn't feel like Tarzan, more like an asparagus Tarzan. He squints eagerly at the note of his Bavarian neighbour. She must appear as Cleopatra. On the other side sits Judy, a dark-haired Frenchwoman, "and what did you draw"?

"Me, - Monika Lewinsky, isn't that the one with Billy Clinton"?

"Yes," replied Philip, Marcel's assistant, with a slight smirk, "that's the one with the cigar."

"But I don't do anything like that," she replies indignantly.

"Is someone not happy with their note," Marcel asks.

Now Judy comes forward, "yes I am."

"You can go, - Philip will take you outside, you will get a new assignment for tonight".

The two leave the hall together. Marcel thinks for a moment, then asks, "Any of Casanova's playmates want to swap? I'd be very happy, otherwise the act falls flat".

"Who's playing Clinton," asks a blonde.

"That's me," Bennie, a tall Irish rugby player, comes forward in broken German; he's a handsome figure and certainly has an admirer among the ladies.

"Good", Ronda reports, "I'll take over".

Now they could start with the training. Reto is assigned the ideal Jean with Leslie, the blonde Swede.

"We practice only dry, the real show rises only tonight, then you also, get the fitting outfits".

Marcel's stage directions are clear, he expects more than Tarzan just running after Jean, there has to be some action.

"We are not performing in a children's club today, the guests have high expectations", he underpins his statement with an unambiguous gesture.

Reto studies the script with Leslie for another hour. Leslie doesn't seem to have any problems with the role, but he doesn't know yet how Reto will do in front of an audience, in any case the performance makes him nervous.

The afternoon everyone spends at the pool, the weather is very nice and it is despite a fresh wind, very hot. As yesterday, the mood is very relaxed. Many young girls are dancing in the pool. Leslie is not at the pool, so, Reto joins the German girls from Bavaria and Cologne, they also, feverishly await tonight. Lilo and Hanna, play the playmates of Casanova, Yvonne will not have it easy as the leading lady in "Histories O", either. Ariane has it easiest as Cleopatra's maid.

In the course of the afternoon, there are still three small jobs to be done. An elderly lady wants a massage and two gentlemen have the need for fitness, the jobs are done quickly, the tip for the errands is easy money. For the first time Reto is happy about these jobs, it distracts a bit. At dinner Reto unconsciously looks for egg salad at the buffet, by the time he notices it's already too late, "do you need this?" asks Ariane, casting a questioning glance at my pants.

"You never know, better safe than sorry," he replies, "I might have to help out Caesar, I don't want to make a fool of myself".

"O.K. then celery salad on top, that's supposed to be good too".

"How do you know about that"?

"Well, that's the kind of thing you learn when you've had an older boyfriend", she replies glibly, "but that's over now".

As harmless as the conversation seemed, Reto makes her even more nervous. He is relieved when it's finally time to go to the dressing room. The costume can hardly be described as such, then it finally starts, they have to go out first. Jean sits by an artificial lake and combs her long blond hair, Tarzan's primal scream from the loudspeaker startles her. With one leap Reto jumps onto the stage. Jean wants to flee immediately, but stops a little later as if rooted to the spot and looks at him in amazement. He creeps around her, closer and closer, his eyes only on her great figure.

Jean bends over slightly, her bosom almost falling out of the leaves knotted into a bra. Once again Tarzan lets out a loud scream and drums his fists like a gorilla on his chest, really, with Reto's figure not a very impressive threatening gesture. The effect on Jean is different than expected, instead of getting scared, she now seems interested, she stretches out her hand and wants to touch him. He flinches twice, then goes on the offensive himself and reaches for the leaves. She retreats with the result that Tarzan holds the leaves in his hand and Jean's great bosom can be viewed uncovered. The ensuing wrestling match results in both of them losing the last of their clothes. Now Jean is unstoppable, her hands grope Reto's body. The egg salad begins to take effect. Reto's hands also, glide exploratively over Jean's body and after a few questionings looks about what to do with the celery-starched thing, they finally find the right place where it fits.

Now the director has a sympathy with the two and lets the curtain fall, the applause is stormy, the audience is satisfied.

"You put your costumes back on and sit at the bar", Marcel orders "I'll call you when the show is over".

It doesn't take long and Leslie aka Jean, is surrounded by older men at the bar. Reto becomes uncomfortable with the close contact with the gentlemen, he evades to the right, there are two ladies over forty involved in an intense conversation. They indicate that his presence does not disturb them in any way, but they do not allow themselves to be interrupted in their conversation.

Reto tries to follow the conversation, sure they are engrossed in some gossip. While the dark-haired woman, who is now sitting right next to him, continues to talk about large sums of money and tied-up capital, her hand unobtrusively feels along Reto's leg.

Claire, the name of the woman with the delicate hands, comes from Geneva and has a lot on her mind. She bombards her conversation partner with numbers. Only slowly does Reto understand what is at stake. She is of the opinion that the economy could invest larger sums if one were to switch to a staggered payment system instead of the long-established system of paying on the twenty-fifth of every month.

"You can't do that, - imagine how the workers would complain if they always got payday on a different day, they never go along with it."

"Of course, it has to be handled fairly," she explains, "those who have payday on the tenth don't have to pay their bills until the sixteenth day of the month either. Whereas those who have paydays on the sixteenth don't have to pay their bills until the twenty-first. I think that one would get along with four groups. The groups could be grouped, for example, in Switzerland, according to the first three digits of the AHV numbers, until number two-hundred and fifty has on the first payday, the following to five hundred have on the seventh day their money on the account. So, whoever is assigned in the second group has to settle their accounts by the twenty-first day, so, they all have the same conditions."

"Yes, and what's the point of all this?"

"I explained it to you earlier", now she is getting a bit impatient, "the flow of money is smoothed, the companies don't have to provide such large amounts all at once to pay the wages with. The wage bill will only be a quarter, which means that more money can be invested. That makes sense, - doesn't it"?

The Or was also, addressed to Reto, who nodded in agreement, "you see, he also, has something in mind."

"Are you sure he's got it", asks the blonde lady, "he's just pretending".

"Maybe you're right, he's a bit slow on the uptake, sometimes you have to help things along", she looks at him reproachfully, and asks "how is that now exactly"?

With that, she takes his hand and places it between her thighs, pulling her skirt up a bit more.

"Well," Reto begins, a little embarrassed, and feels his finger further forward, "well, according to the old system, just before the twenty-fifth all the money is in the bank, but the bank can't invest it, you know that on the twenty-sixth most of it flows out again."

"See, he does get it," Claire says, suspecting she means his dexterity more than his explanation, "go ahead."