“All right,” said Gus. “Just while we decide what to do next.”
“We can always throw a picnic blanket over his head if anyone comes,” laughed Edie, trying to sound more relaxed than she felt. She poked her nose out of the end of the tunnel and looked quickly in both directions. “Come on.”
She darted out into the sunlight, picked up the basket of food they had left on the side of the bank, and scurried behind the tree.
The others followed. Karl winced and shielded his eyes from the sudden bright light.
“Here, drink this,” she said, digging into the basket when he had sat down in the shade of the tree. She handed him the old ginger beer bottle filled with water that she had packed this morning. “I hope it hasn’t gone too warm in the sun.” But from the way Karl gulped the water down, it seemed it could have come fresh from the mountain streams of the Alps.
Then he ate all the boiled eggs and most of the cake too, cramming it into his mouth with shaking hands.
“I thought we were supposed to share,” said Greta.
Edie’s own tummy was rumbling but she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.” She handed Greta a piece of bread. “Have this.” She just hoped that cake and eggs weren’t going to be too rich for Karl. Aunt Roberta hadn’t allowed her anything like that when she was ill. He’d probably have been better with a little beef tea after having eaten nothing at all for so long.
“What are we going to do now?” she whispered, edging down the bank a little with Gus as Karl lay on his back and sighed contentedly. Greta was making daisy chains for him.
“We can’t hide him any longer,” said Gus. “We have to hand him over to the Home Guard. It’s what we should have done in the first place. Colonel Crowther will do the right thing.”
“But the colonel’s not here,” said Edie. She remembered what Mr Hodges had said when he delivered the scraps from the pig club this morning. “He’s gone to London.”
“That means the Snigsons will be in charge… ” said Gus. He glanced over his shoulder, whispering even lower. “And you know what they’ll do to Karl if we hand him over to them.” He made a swift cutting motion with an imaginary knife at his throat.
Edie shuddered. “It’s not just what they’ll do to Karl; it’s what they’ll do to you,” she hissed. “Imagine if they find out you’re German and you let an enemy airman escape.”
“Even Greta wouldn’t be safe,” said Gus. “Perhaps we should tell Aunt Roberta and Uncle Peter.”
“No,” said Edie firmly. She was surprised how strongly she felt certain that they shouldn’t, although a big part of her had a suspicion it would be the sensible thing to do. “We shouldn’t get them involved unless we absolutely have to. Not yet. People might think they were in on it somehow. They might say Uncle Peter was a spy too. He does speak German… ” She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone questioning him – shouting and raising their voices or trying to lock him away. He couldn’t even be in the stable workshop without the door wide open. “At the very least he would lose his job with the government.”
“You’re right.” Gus nodded. “We’ll have to hide Karl. But where? He can’t go back into the tunnel. Not now the trains are running.”
Edie thought for a moment. “How about HQ?” she said. “It would be perfect.” They could sneak Karl along the edge of the railway line and make him a bed hidden under one of the old tables in the dining car. Edie was sure it would be safe. Nobody except their little gang ever went there and it was certainly better than the tunnel. “It won’t be for long. All we’ll need to do then is keep him fed and watered until Colonel Crowther gets back,” she added.
“It might just work,” agreed Gus and he began to explain the plan in German to Karl.
“Tell him the colonel is an honourable man,” prompted Edie as the young airman’s face looked worried. “Say he’ll treat Karl fairly under the proper code for prisoners of war, or whatever it is called.”
Gus translated what she had said and Karl gave a solemn nod.
“Good,” said Edie. “Then that’s agreed.” She was certain Karl was too weak and try to run away from the old railway carriage. He just wanted to be safe and cared-for now, waiting to go home again when the war was over.
“Come on then.” She packed away the remains of the picnic. “Let’s get going.” She glanced anxiously along the tracks.
All they had to do was get the airman safely hidden in HQ before anyone saw them.
Chapter Nineteen
The Lie of the Land
“Ey up. Where’ve you been?”
Perky was waiting for them on the lane above Three Chimneys.
“Nowhere,” said Edie and Gus together.
“Nowhere at all,” said Greta, twisting her hair round her fingers. Edie could feel herself going red. The plan to hide Karl had gone smoothly, but they had agreed not to tell Perky anything about the airman unless they absolutely had to. Edie wasn’t sure he would keep it secret if he found out. He might insist they do their patriotic duty and hand the prisoner over right away, even if that did mean leaving him at the mercy of the Snigson brothers. On the other hand, if Perky did decide to help, he would lose his job at the post office, for sure. Anyone accused of harbouring an enemy airman would never be allowed to deliver telegrams again. His aunty Patsy might even lose her position too. The only problem was going to be keeping Perky away from HQ for the next few days; they’d just have to think of something else
