Joel didn’t seem sure how to react to that one, but Alice was in no doubt. “There is, and no one’s touching it.” Everyone looked at her. “We’ll keep it for treating wounds, and if we have to, as an anesthetic.” The implications of her words were grim and Tom could see the unease settling in people’s faces—Toby’s random and sudden death was probably still playing on their minds and it was too easy to envisage the sort of medical emergencies that Alice was hinting at. “There’s something else. It’ll be tough for Shen and me to make the food and water last, so if we’re handling it then I don’t want anyone else going in the galley.”

Tom wondered if one or more of them might object, but when Alice spoke out, she was a force to be reckoned with. So instead, they looked to Joel and he nodded his consent.

“Alice is right, about the alcohol and the galley.” He looked pointedly at Tom. “We all need to play our part. We’ll never survive if everyone just does what he wants.”

Tom held his gaze, and Joel looked slightly relieved when Shen said, “So should we collect some more wood for the fire?”

The fire was burning steadily at the moment, though there was no more wood to put on it when it burned low, but Joel said, “I think that can wait until a little later. For now I think we should finish going through the luggage. Every backpack should have a flashlight and insect spray, and there could be things in the luggage of the other passengers too. Let’s get everything we can find before it gets dark.”

There was an immediate flurry of activity, but again, Tom couldn’t help notice that some were quicker than others to jump up and get busy. Alice, Shen, and Barney all headed off to the steps at the back of the plane, and after a minute of sitting in the middle of the luggage-rifling, Tom got up and followed them.

CHAPTER 13

As he got to the top of the steps he could hear Alice and Shen discussing the food, mentally sorting it and dividing it up. He walked the other way and found Barney working on the second toilet.

Tom looked in on him and then turned and noticed the compartments behind the back seats that held the cases for the life rafts. An idea struck him and he smiled with the simplicity of it.

It was so simple that he began to doubt himself and said, “Barney, could you come out here for a minute?”

He stepped out of the bathroom, looking expectant. “Yeah?”

Tom pointed. “Life rafts.”

“Of course, all planes have them. The emergency slides double as life rafts too, but there has to be enough capacity for everyone on board. Not that it’s much use in a jungle.”