Seven Days Later

The seven days Henry had agreed on with Old George had arrived. He was getting ready to drive there alone. This time, he didn't need anyone to take him or introduce him.

Old John was still puttering around near the bar, as though there was always work to be done. Seeing Henry about to leave, he asked, "Is Old George definitely heading out to sea? Why not call first, so you don't make a wasted trip?"

"It's fine. I need to get my documents from Tom anyway. Even if they aren't going out, I can at least check on the situation."

Henry did not actually have much to pack. Once aboard a crab boat, no one really wanted to bathe or change into clean clothes. The moment you stepped onto the deck, you would be soaked like you had taken a dip in the sea within three minutes.

Raincoats and heavy coats were mainly for blocking the wind and keeping body heat from being carried away too quickly. Wanting to stay dry was nothing but wishful thinking.

So there was no need to bring spare clothes aboard. The boat would have all the necessary equipment as well. Henry's so-called preparations simply meant showing up empty-handed.

Still, Henry took the cash bag the bank had provided from the old backpack Tom had given him. After pulling out a few small bills, he set the entire bag on the bar.

"John, this is my pay from last time. Find somewhere to keep it for me. If you need any of it, help yourself."

The old man said with a look of disgust, "Fuck, why didn't you put that money in the bank? Why carry it around everywhere?"

"When you found me, you saw me naked. Do you think someone like that would have a bank account, or the documents needed to open one? I'm going to pick those things up today."

"Fuck, then why not deposit it in that damn account today?"

"I already withdrew it in cash and got hit with a fee. Why would I be stupid enough to hand it back to those Vampires, then get charged again when I wanted to withdraw it later? Do I look that dumb?"

"Anyway, I don't think you're all that smart. You idiot, you can't even tell Scotch whisky from bourbon."

"If that was my first time eating shit, how was I supposed to know what shit tasted like? You're making things difficult for me, old man."

"Either way, I don't want to touch your money. It reeks of fish."

"If it smells like anything, it smells like king crab. If I don't ask you, am I supposed to bring it aboard? That would be even more troublesome. Or leave it in the car? That would practically be giving it to thieves. You know how chaotic that town down south is."

As a dock town that sent boats out during crab season, it might not have been as large as the major fishing ports, but it always drew people looking to make money during this time of year.

And not all of those people made money by boarding crab boats. Some did business with the crew, some ran scams; naturally, there were also plenty of petty thieves who occasionally moonlighted as robbers.

That was why Henry had never considered leaving the money in the car. That would just be asking for trouble.

Knowing Henry was telling the truth, Old John said impatiently, "Fuck, you're a troublesome kid. Leave it beside the cash register. I'll put it in the safe later."

"Thanks." Henry picked up the emptied old backpack and headed out.

By late October, Alaska was cold enough to make a man's balls shrivel outdoors, even in a heavy coat and padded pants.

Though Henry had Superman's physique and feared neither heat nor cold, he could still tell the difference between them. He could move around normally shirtless in this weather, but there was no need to seem so abnormal in front of others.

So he went with the flow and wore what most people wore when going out in this weather.

When he was driving himself, he did not care about speed limits or safe driving. He focused his enhanced senses on the road ahead, and once he knew there were no cars for a long stretch, he nearly floored the accelerator.

The 1965 Cadillac DeVille he had bought from Tom was a twenty-five-year-old car, but the old man had maintained it thoroughly, and it had never been in a serious accident. Its condition was excellent.

On a two-lane highway like this, it could easily exceed a hundred kilometers per hour. Though there was ice on the road, the tires still had plenty of grip.

At least, with Henry's Super Senses assisting him, the Cadillac sped steadily down the highway. In less time than his last trip, just over two hours, he reached the southern town for crab season.

Henry headed to the docks first, intending to meet up with Old George.

If they could head out to sea, he would call Tom and tell him he could pick up the documents after returning to port. If not, he would go straight to see Old Tom.

At the rest area outside the dock administration office, Henry spotted Old George and the other crew members at a glance, including the Mutant kid he had saved last time.

But after counting carefully, he noticed one of the old crewmen who had boarded the boat last time was missing. In his place, the Mutant kid had brought along another Mutant companion.

The big guy had to be over two meters tall and probably weighed two hundred kilograms. He was practically a little giant. Henry could tell he was also a Mutant because his arms were disproportionately thick.

Ever seen arms thicker than legs? That was what this guy looked like.

Because his arms were so unusually proportioned, even though he had clothes in his size, he wore them all as sleeveless shirts. Despite Alaska's freezing weather, both his arms were bare.

Although Henry was the last to arrive, there were still more than ten minutes until the agreed time, so he was not late. But with everyone present, George did not insist on waiting and stood up instead.

"First, let me tell everyone two things. The first is that I contacted Annie 21 by radio. Their crab catch is running a little behind schedule, and they are expected to dock in two days.

"So, two days from now, we'll gather here at the same time. Once Annie 21 docks and unloads its cargo, we'll take over the maintenance and resupply work. Any problems?"

The group answered in twos and threes, "No problem, boss." "Works for me." ...

"The second thing is that one old guy went to captain another boat, so we found another Little Green. This big fellow is very strong. I saw him lift a crab pot by himself. He's a little slow, though, so everyone look after him."

"Oh, welcome, welcome." "Being strong is good. Help carry the load aboard." ...

Little Greens had no rights on crab boats. They did not even have the privilege of being called by name. So no one asked the big guy what his name was.

As for why strength alone made him welcome, and why no one cared that he was a Mutant, that was perfectly normal.

The most dangerous part of working on a crab boat was a suspended crab pot swinging wildly. If someone got hit, losing half their life would not be surprising.

Henry had experienced it firsthand last time, when someone had been dragged and flung toward the sea. That was also a common kind of accident. Having someone strong enough on board really could prevent many accidents.

If it truly came down to strength, Henry was confident he would not lose to a Mutant. But he still looked like an ordinary person, so there was no need to expose himself unnecessarily. Thus, like everyone else, he welcomed the newly joined Little Green.