The cold wind jolted the lovers back to the present. The weather did not improve, as Nikolas had hoped. The sea became choppier and the water cold. There were huge swells forming, like the tail of a giant sea monster hidden underneath the black water.
"Agape," Nikolas said, "hold onto the mast as tightly as you can. I will man the oars and try to get better control of the raft." But there was nothing much he could do, as the forces of the turbulent sea heaved them about.
It became late afternoon. There was still no land in sight. No calling of birds. The only sound was the water breaking against the raft, which was now tossed around like a dry autumn leaf with no will of its own. They were at the mercy of the forces of nature. The sea only grew angrier, the swells larger. The wind started blowing stronger at times whistling maniacally.
The sheet sail started to tear. Nikolas grabbed it and tightened it around Anna, fastening her to the mast. Anna cried out, "God help us!"
Nikolas heard her prayer and said, "God will help us. In the meantime we will do all we can ourselves."
"We must have faith, Niko," Anna replied.
As it became pitch dark, the cataclysm continued. Anna and Nikolas clutched to the raft as thunder and heavy rain fell, as though the gates of hell had opened. The cold, angry sea was waiting to swallow them. When the raft finally shattered into pieces, Nikolas and Anna disappeared into the dark abyss of the foaming sea.
***
"Okay, Kostas, when they left, which direction did they go?"
"They headed south, sir."
"And why didn't you notify me?"
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Are you sure they didn't go east or west?"
"When I saw them leave, sir, they were headed south. But they could have turned east or west later."
"I see. Kostas, go find the captain. Tell him to get the ship ready immediately. We are going to search for them. My daughter is missing, my only child is missing. We must start searching for her right away."
"Yes sir, at your orders."
Stavros and Melpomeni were guests of Manuel Lemakis, the great industrialist, and his wife, Ariadne, at their villa on the serene west side of the Bay of St. Nikolas.
"I told you to get rid of that man. That Asian, that Turkish bastard!" yelled Melpo at Stavros. "I am going to have a nervous breakdown over this," fumed Melpomeni as she fluttered a mother of pearl fan in front of herself. It had been a gift from a sheik. She angrily tossed it to the other side of the room.