Chapter 9

When is this going to end?

 

It took me long time to find the mess-hall after my encounter with Alan. I was so shaky that I kept slipping on the ice. My legs were spotted with bruises and I was very tired by the time I reached the the hall. Everyone else was waiting for me, to start eating. I felt bad in a way. I said an apology and sat down, as soon as I did everyone started eating. I ate a few mouthfuls before sliding over to Donald.

Donald looked quite weary and was eating slowly.

'Oh, hello Jenny. You ok?'

'I'm not sure, do you know a place that we can talk alone? I have made some discoverys that have made me...uneasy. Do you know of any place?'

Donalds face grew paler.

'Yes, I do and I am very sorry.' He gave me a weary smile. I could not believe him. The food was better then I had expected it to be. We had a mutton stew thing which calmed me down a little. The men had beer to follow, but I stuck with some water.

After that we discussed the plans some more. The ship was going to Greenland and would drop us off somewhere on th coast of the Artic in three days. We would then hike inland for about a week until we come to the ice-caves, in which George had been lost. We would search for him for three weeks before we would have to go back.

'Any questions?' Asked Donald after explaining this.

'If..we do...find...Slobodkin...how will we...be able to...get back...for help?' Ivan asked in his struggling english.

'Mr. Blake has assured us that the radio he carrys will be able to pick up any ships-radio in the area and send them an urgent message, saying that we need help. It's the best that we can do, I'm afraid.'

Ivan nodded. I felt sick inside. If we did find George, he would have to wait ages and ages, until a ship came. And we would have to hike to the coast with him. This was a rubbish plan! How could Donald even concieved such a plan? I really wanted to talk to him now!

'If there are no more questions, we should all head off to bed.'

No one had anymore questions. Everyone trudged off to bed. As everyone else was leaving Donald whispered in my ear: 'Meet me at the top deck in half an hour, and wrap up warm,' then much louder, 'sleep good Jenny, night!' And was gone. I made my slippery way to my room. I still could not believe that Donald was serious with this crazy plan. Why didn't Henry just force Donald to tell him where the caves were? Why go through all this trouble of hiding everything? And why was he bringing his little son on a trip like this? I was confused. I reached my room and went inside. It was so cold in there. How could one change and shower in such a freezing room? I started to wrap-up even warmer. I was english and welsh and George was english and scottish, and we both had grown up in the north of England, so we were used to colder weather. We also had spent alot of time in Scandinavia and Greenland. But I had never been cold like this. I wondered why as I put three more layers of socks on.

As I was doing so, I heard someone coming up my corridor. This worried me, for my corridor was a dead-end, so the only thing that they could possibly doing would be coming to see me. I quickly put my boots on. Sure enough someone knocked on my door. I slowly got up and opened it. It was Henry Blake.

'Hello, Mrs. Slobodkin. I was wondering if I could have a word with you?'

'Yes, of course.'

'Then would you take a stroll up to the deck? I'm afraid your room will not do.'

I thought what a rude git he was, but politely answered;

'Alright, just let me get my coat.'

I turned and picked up my coat putting it on. I was panicking inside wondering what on earth he could want to talk about.

As soon as my coat was on, Henry started walking fast towards the deck. I couldn't keep up with his huge strides and kept slipping. Half-way there I finally gave-up. I fell on my face on a filthy pile of rope and sat back feeling like murder. I sat up and saw that he had already gone. I tried to pull myself and stand, but I kept on falling down again. After a few minutes of struggling, Henry came back. When he saw me he laughed.

'It's not that hard. Come on! Oh, come here.'

He roughly pulled me up.

'Thank-you Mr. Blake.' I said irritated as heck. Laughing at me! The nerve!

'Your welcome, Mrs. Slobodkin, your accident has made my day. That was hilarious.'

He laughed once more as we started our 'stroll' again. I fell a few more times much to the amusement of Henry. We finally made it to the middle deck. I was not very bruised and even more mad at Henry then before. I was also a little relieved that he had not meant the top deck, because that's where Donald must be waiting to talk to me right now.

I leaned against the railing of the ship watching the ship cut through the waves and ice as we made our course forwards. I thought about George. He was the only thought that was keeping me from blowing-up right now.

'Now that we are finally here, I would like to talk to you about George. I don't know much about him or his career, and would like to know more about the man who I am trying to rescue. Would you tell me a little more about him?' He drawled casually.

But, I knew what he was really thinking; he wanted to know more about the Idol and it's history and if George was a gangster like him who might've made off with the Idol himself. Or something like that. Henry wasn't going to trap me that easily.

'Oh, he is such a wonderful man. The perfect husband really. He was a proffessor at Oxford Uni. for archeology. And so young too! Everyone thought that he was a student there, but he was really very clever and rose to the top pretty fast once he was in there. There would be days and weeks were I wouldn't see one trace of him, he would be studying so much. He also loves traveling. The places' we would go! I've seen half of the world, I'm sure. It's hard to talk much about him anymore.'

This was actually true. I missed him like heck. I hoped that I'd been vauge about what I'd said about him.

'My deepest sorrow that the poor chap had to go missing. I know that it's hard but maybe just a little more on what he did as a proffessor.' He drawled in a most pushy tone.

'Well, I'm not nearly as smart as he is and still don't understand much of what he did, but I do know that he was involved in many important expeditions and has written quite a few books on archeology,' I turned on some crocodile tears, 'Does that help anymore, Mr. Blake?'

He muttered something about stupid, brainless, woman. 'Thank-you, that's just perfect.' Sarcastic pig, I thought as I gave him a dumb-blonde smile.

'If you don't mind, I'm going to get some air on the top deck before I retire, good-night Mrs. Slobodkin, and thanks for your time.' He muttered and swiftly made his way to the top deck. As soon as he was gone I breathed a sigh of relief. That man was a animal! It took me a few minutes to calm down and remembered Donald who probably up there having to deal with Henry. I made my painful way up the spiral stair-case and found Donald alone. But, something was weird about him. He looked deathly pale and was muttering rapidly to himself, having an argument.

'Let me have it back! I can't do this!' He muttered again and again. looking franticly around. He suddenly stopped and a horrible raspy voice came from him.

'You will Donald. You must. I need his wife, only then will I be able to fulfill my plan. You said to us that you would do anything to undo the killing of the poor souls that you lead to their painful deaths. Just this one girl. Just her, and this will all go away. It's fine. Just take her to the place. Good.'

Donald slumped over the railing.

Author's Note

Please tell me if my story is boring you!!