atmosphere as throngs arrived by car, by bus, by limousine, and even by horse-drawn carriage. With each passing minute the pier grew more crowded. A band played near the ramps leading to the gangways, adding to the party. People were hugging and crying and generally thrilled by the prospect of sailing on the greatest ocean liner of their time. Porters hurried along with carts loaded down with suitcases and steamer trunks. Horses and cars were put into the hold. Huge crates were hoisted up by a crane and lowered into the cargo areas.
There was far too much going on for Courtney or Dodger to recognize anyone. Making matters worse was the fact that most men wore hats, so they couldn’t get a good look at their faces. To Courtney everybody looked like Indiana Jones. She stood on a cement barricade, desperately scanning the crowd, but fearing Mark could walk right past without her knowing.
Half an hour before the ship was scheduled to sail, Dodger ran to her and exclaimed, “This ain’t workin’.”
Courtney was near panic. “He could easily have gotten past us. He could already be on board!”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Dodger announced.
He took her by the hand and pulled her through the crowd. Courtney didn’t argue. She figured anything would give them a better chance of weeding out Mark than what they were doing. The two ended up bumping into more people than they avoided, but they didn’t stop until they got to the bottom of a long gangway that led up and onto the ship.
“We’ve got to get to the purser,” Dodger announced.
“The who?”
“The guy in charge of the passengers. He can tell us what cabin Mark is in. Once we know that, we’ll go there, grab him, and get him off the ship with time to spare.”
“Wait, you want us to board the ship?” Courtney exclaimed, horrified.
“It’s okay. Families and friends are let on during boarding to get the lowdown on the ship. They get bounced before shove-off. Trust me.”
Dodger dragged her to an official in uniform who looked to Courtney like a naval officer. He stood at the bottom of the gangway with a clipboard, checking off names. Dodger ran up to him and spoke with a British accent. “‘Ello, guvna! Got here just in time to see me brother off, we did!”
Courtney thought it was the worst British accent she had ever heard.
The officer gave Dodger a sour look. He didn’t think much of the accent either. But he was polite and helpful. “And what would your brother’s name be, lad?”
“It would be Dimond,” Dodger answered, his accent getting worse. “Mark Dimond. He’s an inventor, he is! Going back to Merry Old to make his fortune!”
The officer scanned his clipboard. Courtney bit her lip nervously. She wished Dodger had just spoken normally. Was the lie going to work? Was Mark even on the passenger list? Dodger gave her a sideways look. He may have been putting on a confident air, but he was just as nervous as she was.
“Right!” the officer finally announced. “Mark Dimond.”
“Has he boarded yet?” Courtney asked excitedly, with no British accent.
“Yes, he has. You’ve just enough time to wish him well.”
“What’s his cabin, guvna?” Dodger asked.
“Afraid I don’t have that information, lad. You might want to check with the purser’s office on board.”
“That we will! Thank ya, guvna!” Dodger tipped his cap and pulled Courtney on to the gangway. The two ran quickly up the incline.
The officer yelled after them, “Be quick about it! We sail in twenty!”
“Will do, guvna!” Dodger yelled back.
“What is this ‘guvna’?” Courtney asked sarcastically.
“Hey, no complainin’. It got us on, didn’t it?”
The two boarded the ship and found themselves on a deck called “Promenade.” It was even busier than the pier. Between the excited passengers, the porters, the crew, the band, the family members and friends wishing a bon voyage, it was a jammed madhouse.
Dodger grabbed one of the ship’s officers by the arm and asked, “We’re looking for our brother to say good- bye. How do we find his cabin?” Courtney was relieved that he had dropped the lousy accent.
“Try the purser’s office,” the officer said. “Forward on this deck to the Regent Street shops. From there take the lift down one level and you’ll find it.”
The two bolted without taking time to thank him. They needed every possible second. It was like trying to fight their way through a 1930s version of a rave. People were dressed elegantly, as if attending a grand ball, not an ocean cruise. Everyone had excited smiles and spoke a bit too loud. They found the place called “Regent Street,” which was lined with elegant shops and was already teeming with people. The shops sold jewelry and crystal and knickknacks of all sorts. Courtney had never been aboard a luxury ship of any kind and couldn’t believe these stores actually existed on a ship.
Chimes sounded.
“What’s that?” Courtney asked.
“Don’t know, don’t care,” Dodger declared. He was on a mission, but getting through the mass of people was nearly impossible. They ran into an elderly woman who was coming out of a jewelry shop. She had a small white poodle on a leash who looked every bit as anxious as Courtney and Dodger.
“Oh!” the old woman screamed as if they had just knocked her down and beaten her.
Instantly her little dog started barking. And barking. And barking.
“Sorry, sorry!” Courtney apologized.
The woman looked at them as though they were prison escapees.
“This is not an area for hooligans!” the woman bellowed. “Officer!”
She raised her hand, summoning one of the ship’s officers as if he were her personal servant.
“What’s the problem, mum?” he asked, tipping his uniform cap.
“These ruffians should be escorted to… to… somewhere else,” she bellowed haughtily.
Courtney froze. She squeezed Dodger’s hand.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” she said under her breath.
“Not yet,” Dodger said. He turned to the officer and said with his most polite voice, “Sorry for the disturbance, sir, but we’re looking for our brother, who’s sailing with you today. Perhaps we don’t belong on this deck, but we’re sure that our brother does and OWWW!”
Courtney squeezed Dodger’s hand again. “Now!” she hissed under her breath.
“Too late to see him off now, I’m afraid,” the officer said. “All ashore that’s going ashore. Please make your way back to the gangway.”
“Yes,” the elderly woman added. “Sooner rather than later.”
“No problem!” Courtney said, and pulled Dodger away. She didn’t pull him toward the gangway. She brought him deeper into the ship.
“What are you doin’?” he complained. “We gotta get off the ship.” “We can’t!” Courtney squealed. “Why not?” Dodger asked.
Courtney lifted her hand. Her ring was glowing. In seconds it would be shooting out light and music for the hundreds of people around them to see.
Dodger didn’t hesitate. He grabbed her hand and the two quickly made their way through the mass of excited people, making no friends as they slammed into most every person they passed. Dodger kept glancing around, looking for a place to go. Any place to go.
“There!” Courtney shouted.
They were in a lounge area. Near them was an open door leading to somewhere. It didn’t matter where. They had to get away from the crowd. They blasted through the door to find themselves in a pantry where white- smocked waiters hurried through with drinks for the passengers.
Courtney clamped her hand over the ring to try and keep the light from leaking out. They ran to the end of the pantry and into a small kitchen. The crew was too busy to notice them or care. Courtney knew that in a few seconds they’d see a show that would make them notice and care a whole lot. Dodger pulled Courtney to a door on the far end of the kitchen that had a heavy, metal handle.
“Cold storage, just like at the hotel,” Dodger said. “We might get lucky.”
