Read Online S.O.S. Titanic by Eve Bunting - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eve Bunting
Tags: Historical fiction, Historical, Literature & Fiction, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Survival Stories, Children's eBooks, Teen & Young Adult, Boys & Men, Growing Up & Facts of Life, Friendship; Social Skills & School Life, Cars; Trains & Things That Go, Boats & Ships
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door open, the little penknife in his hand. There was no one there. The ship, serene and warm and quiet, hummed around him. He could hear the music, but fainter now....
He circled back, wide, toward Pegeen Flynn, keeping a distance between himself and the railing, looking up, sideways, every way. She was the only one here.
She wore the long, dark coat and the boots he'd seen her in on the dock, but a black shawl hid her hair and shoulders, blowing a little where she didn't hold it.
"I was certain sure the message didn't get to you," she said.
"It did." Barry had trouble keeping his glance on her. The swinging door was in his line of sight if he stood sideways.
She pointed to the whistle. "What's this?" Then answered herself, "Och, sure, Jonnie and Frank have had a lot of these blown in their faces."
"And they'll have one blown again, and worse, if they come near me," Barry said.
"They'll not be coming near you," Pegeen said. "They're happy enough with themselves for what they already did to you." Her finger, cold as an icicle, touched the stitches in his face and the hurt skin around them.
He jerked his head away. "What they want is to throw me in the ocean."
"They'd never. They're braggarts, the both of them, but they're not bad. Whatever they did in Mullinmore, they had good reason."
"What reason?" Barry asked. He wanted to add "to be thieves," but she was their sister so he didn't say that. Instead he said, "If we're going to keep talking we should go inside before we freeze."
"No. I room with Mary Kelly way below, at the back. She wanted to come with me, for we don't trust you no more than you trust us. I told her I had to come by myself, because what was done to you was done by my brothers. Here." From under the shawl she took the glove. "You were late getting to me. Mary will be fretting already."
The glove was warm from being under the shawl and close to her body. Barry held it in both hands. "Thanks."
"I saw old Mr. O'Neill give the pair of them to you as the ship was leaving," she said. The wind lifted the tail of her shawl, blew it against him, dropped it again. This dose, he could see the shower of freckles across her cheekbones. He saw the tears. "My ma gave me ... this." Her hand touched a silver brooch at her neck. "It has a bit of her hair inside. I wouldn't want to lose it ever in my life." Her voice choked. "Never mind. You'd have no interest in what my ma gave me. I have to go."
"I would have interest. I'm missing Mullinmore and everything. I don't want to leave either." Why was he saying these things to her? Only because she was from home. Only because she'd given him back the glove..."I've never seen you about the town." Cold froze his face, made him pull his elbows against himself, made him hold himself tight and small so there'd be no gap for its bite to come through.
"I've been away, living with my aunt Maggie. There's too many of us at home, that's why—" She stopped and he saw the small shrug of her shoulders that said again,
What do you care?
"I have to go," she repeated, and turned.
He caught at the shawl. "Is your cabin all right?" What a dopey question. She'd know it was just to keep her here an extra minute that he'd asked.
He saw her pleased little smile. She knew.
"It's nice enough, but it's awful small. Mary and I gave our life jackets to Jonnie and Frank to store for us. They take up too much room."
"How did you get to this deck anyway?"
Her smile widened. "Jonnie and Frank were telling the others the way if they wanted to come. There's an alley down on E Deck. The sailors call it Scodand Road. It runs the length of the ship." This time her smile mocked him. "There's a locked gate that's not that hard to go up over." She tugged at the shawl and freed it from his grip. "Now you know. You know how to get down to us if you have a mind for it."
He watched her turn and go. He watched her till the swinging doors closed behind her.
Chapter 7
Sometimes Barry dreamed about his
He circled back, wide, toward Pegeen Flynn, keeping a distance between himself and the railing, looking up, sideways, every way. She was the only one here.
She wore the long, dark coat and the boots he'd seen her in on the dock, but a black shawl hid her hair and shoulders, blowing a little where she didn't hold it.
"I was certain sure the message didn't get to you," she said.
"It did." Barry had trouble keeping his glance on her. The swinging door was in his line of sight if he stood sideways.
She pointed to the whistle. "What's this?" Then answered herself, "Och, sure, Jonnie and Frank have had a lot of these blown in their faces."
"And they'll have one blown again, and worse, if they come near me," Barry said.
"They'll not be coming near you," Pegeen said. "They're happy enough with themselves for what they already did to you." Her finger, cold as an icicle, touched the stitches in his face and the hurt skin around them.
He jerked his head away. "What they want is to throw me in the ocean."
"They'd never. They're braggarts, the both of them, but they're not bad. Whatever they did in Mullinmore, they had good reason."
"What reason?" Barry asked. He wanted to add "to be thieves," but she was their sister so he didn't say that. Instead he said, "If we're going to keep talking we should go inside before we freeze."
"No. I room with Mary Kelly way below, at the back. She wanted to come with me, for we don't trust you no more than you trust us. I told her I had to come by myself, because what was done to you was done by my brothers. Here." From under the shawl she took the glove. "You were late getting to me. Mary will be fretting already."
The glove was warm from being under the shawl and close to her body. Barry held it in both hands. "Thanks."
"I saw old Mr. O'Neill give the pair of them to you as the ship was leaving," she said. The wind lifted the tail of her shawl, blew it against him, dropped it again. This dose, he could see the shower of freckles across her cheekbones. He saw the tears. "My ma gave me ... this." Her hand touched a silver brooch at her neck. "It has a bit of her hair inside. I wouldn't want to lose it ever in my life." Her voice choked. "Never mind. You'd have no interest in what my ma gave me. I have to go."
"I would have interest. I'm missing Mullinmore and everything. I don't want to leave either." Why was he saying these things to her? Only because she was from home. Only because she'd given him back the glove..."I've never seen you about the town." Cold froze his face, made him pull his elbows against himself, made him hold himself tight and small so there'd be no gap for its bite to come through.
"I've been away, living with my aunt Maggie. There's too many of us at home, that's why—" She stopped and he saw the small shrug of her shoulders that said again,
What do you care?
"I have to go," she repeated, and turned.
He caught at the shawl. "Is your cabin all right?" What a dopey question. She'd know it was just to keep her here an extra minute that he'd asked.
He saw her pleased little smile. She knew.
"It's nice enough, but it's awful small. Mary and I gave our life jackets to Jonnie and Frank to store for us. They take up too much room."
"How did you get to this deck anyway?"
Her smile widened. "Jonnie and Frank were telling the others the way if they wanted to come. There's an alley down on E Deck. The sailors call it Scodand Road. It runs the length of the ship." This time her smile mocked him. "There's a locked gate that's not that hard to go up over." She tugged at the shawl and freed it from his grip. "Now you know. You know how to get down to us if you have a mind for it."
He watched her turn and go. He watched her till the swinging doors closed behind her.
Chapter 7
Sometimes Barry dreamed about his
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