Chapter Twenty Four
Hanging Lockers
Hanging locker: The definition from a marine glossary in Bibi’s Guide to Altuna: “A vertical storage cabinet on board, used for hanging long items, such as coats, rain gear, dresses, suits, etc. Often tall and narrow.”
The slave freighter’s hanging lockers however, served two purposes that were considerably different from the above definition. Specifically, they frequently functioned as a neat and silent storage facility for the young women selected to involuntarily join the cruise…in many cases, permanently. Because of this somewhat unorthodox use, the lockers were well hidden and often camouflaged to appear as something else. Those in the main salon, the master’s cabin, the owner’s cabin, the engine room and even crew’s quarters, were most often des
