Night Over Water - Ken Follett [56]
Mickey looked a little hurt that Eddie did not want to go with him. He shrugged, said, “See you later,” and went out.
Where the hell was Steve Appleby?
He sat and stared at the wallpaper for the next fifteen minutes.
At last he picked up his case and went slowly down the stairs, staring at the phone as if it were a rattlesnake poised to strike. He stopped in the hall, waiting for it to ring.
Captain Baker came down and looked at Eddie in surprise. “You’re running late,” he said. “You’d better come in the taxi with me.” The captain had the privilege of a taxi to the hangar.
“I’m waiting for a telephone call,” Eddie said.
The ghost of a frown shadowed the captain’s brow. “Well, you can’t wait any longer. Let’s go!”
Eddie did not move for a moment. Then he realized this was stupid. Steve was not going to call, and Eddie had to be on the plane if he was going to do anything. He forced himself to pick up his case and walk out through the door.
The taxi was waiting and they got in.
Eddie realized he had been almost insubordinate. He did not want to offend Baker, who was a good captain and had always treated Eddie decently. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I was expecting a call from the States.”
The captain smiled forgivingly. “Hell, you’ll be there tomorrow!” he said cheerfully.
“Right, Eddie said grimly.
He was on his own.
PART II
SOUTHAMPTON TO FOYNES
CHAPTER SIX
As the train rolled south through the pine woods of Surrey toward Southampton, Margaret Oxenford’s sister, Elizabeth, made a shocking announcement.
The Oxenford family were in a special carriage reserved for Pan American Clipper passengers. Margaret was standing at the end of the carriage, alone, staring out of the window. Her mood swung wildly between black despair and rising excitement. She was angry and miserable to be abandoning her country in its hour of need, but she could not help feeling thrilled at the prospect of flying to America.
Her sister, Elizabeth, detached herself from the family group and came up to her, looking solemn. After a moment’s hesitation, she said: “I love you, Margaret.”
Margaret was touched. Over the last few years, since they had been old enough to understand the battle of ideas raging throughout the world, they had taken violently opposite points of view, and because of that, they had become estranged. But she had missed being close to her sister, and the estrangement made her sad. It would be wonderful if they could be real pals again. “I love you too,” she said, and she hugged Elizabeth hard.
After a moment Elizabeth said: “I’m not coming to America.”
Margaret gasped with astonishment. “How can you not?”
“I shall simply tell Mother and Father that I’m not going. I’m twenty-one—they can’t force me.”
Margaret was not sure her sister was right about that, but she let it pass for the moment: she had too many other questions. “Where will you go?”
“To Germany.”
“But, Elizabeth,” Margaret said, horrified, “you’ll get killed!”
Elizabeth looked defiant. “It’s not only socialists who are willing to die for a cause, you know.”
“But for Nazism!”
“It’s not just for Fascism,” Elizabeth said, and there was an odd light in her eye. “It’s for all the thoroughbred white people who are in danger of being swamped by niggers and half-breeds. It’s for the human race.”
Margaret was revolted. It was bad enough to be losing her sister—but to lose her to such a wicked cause! However, Margaret did not want to go over the bitter old political argument now: she was more concerned about her sister’s safety. She said: “What will you live on?”
“I’ve got my own money.”
Margaret remembered that they both inherited money from their grandfather at the age of twenty-one. It was not much, but it might be enough to live on.
She thought of something else. “But your luggage is checked through to New York.”
“Those cases are full of old tablecloths. I packed another set of bags and sent them ahead on Monday.”
Margaret was astonished. Elizabeth had arranged everything perfectly and carried