Ansgar dodged between two adults, ignoring their curses. He ducked behind a pile of hard-framed luggage stacked by a cabin. In the cabin, a man narrowed his eyes at the boy. Ansgar grinned and ran off. A moment later, a red-haired girl of the same age ran past, laughing. Turning a corner, Ansgar threw open the door into the aft dining room. Instead of going through, he ran halfway down the stairs to the cargo hold. He stifled giggles as Eilish neared, then chased after his false trail. With a wide grin, he ran down into the hold and hid behind a crate. He hoped she'd pick up his trail soon. It was cold with the cargo, and running was warmer than hiding. Not that he'd let her get too close. If she didn't catch him by midnight, in twenty minutes, he'd win a kiss. He wanted to win, and he suspected that Eilish wanted him to win, too.

He heard a rumble from somewhere else on the ship, then the floor shook him to the ground. Ansgar climbed back to his feet and resumed waiting. He was looking forward to what came next. Another fascinating evening on the Titanic.