East of Desolation

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You’ll never know how much.’

‘That’s all right, Myra,’ I said. ‘You weren’t to know. Part of that fantasy life of mine that we were discussing earlier today and I’m stuck with it. I suppose we all have things we don’t care to discuss in mixed company.’

She had gone very still from the moment that I had used her real name and suddenly I felt bitterly angry and sorry for her, both at the same time.

I grabbed her by the arms and shook her furiously. ‘You stupid little bitch – just what are you trying to prove?’

She struck out at me and wrenched herself free with a strength that was surprising. I staggered back, almost missing my footing and she turned and disappeared down the companionway. There was a murmur of voices and a moment later, Desforge appeared.

‘What in the hell is going on here?’

‘A slight disagreement, that’s all.’

‘Did you make a pass at her or something?’

I laughed. ‘You’ll never know just how funny that is.’

‘But she was crying, Joe – I’ve never seen her do that before.’

I frowned, trying to imagine her in tears and failed completely. Perhaps that other girl, the one in the graveyard at Argamask, but not Ilana Eytan.

‘Look, Jack, anything she got she asked for.’

He raised a hand quickly. ‘Okay, boy, I believe you. All the same, I think I’d better go and see what’s wrong.’

He went down the companionway and the door of the wheelhouse opened and Sørensen came out, his face impassive although I realised that he must have seen everything.

‘I’ve got that met report for you from Søndre, Joe. Things look pretty steady for the next couple of hours, but there’s a front moving in from the ice-cap. Heavy rain and squalls. You might just about beat it if you leave now.’

It gave me a perfect out and I seized it with both hands. ‘I’d better get moving. No need to bother Desforge at the moment, I think he’s got his hands full. Tell him I’ll see him next week. If he wants me to come for the girl before then you can always radio in.’

He nodded gravely. ‘I’ll get the whaleboat ready for you.’

I went below for my things and when I returned, one of the crew was waiting to take me ashore. He dropped me on the beach and started back to the Stella straight away and I got ready to leave.

I did the usual routine check then started the engine and ran the Otter down into the sea. I took up the wheels and taxied down-wind slowly, leaning out of the wide window and checking the water for ice floes before making my run.

When I was about a hundred yards north of the Stella, I started to turn into the wind and found the whaleboat bearing down on me, Desforge standing up in the prow waving furiously. I cut the engine and opened the side door as the whaleboat pulled in alongside. Desforge tossed me a canvas holdall, stepped on to the nearest float and hauled himself up into the cabin.

‘I’ve got a sudden hankering to see some city life for a change – any objections?’

‘You’re the boss,’ I said. ‘But we’ll have to get moving. I’m trying to beat some dirty weather into Frederiksborg.’

The whaleboat was already turning away and I pressed down the starter switch and started to make the run. Twenty seconds later we drifted into the air and climbed steeply, banking over the Stella just as Ilana Eytan appeared from the companionway and stood looking up at us.

‘What about her?’ I said.

Desforge shrugged. ‘She’ll be okay. I told Sørensen to make tracks for Frederiksborg tonight. They’ll be there by tomorrow afternoon.’

He produced the inevitable hip flask, took a swallow and started to laugh. ‘I don’t know what you did back there, but she was certainly in one hell of a temper when I went to her cabin.’

‘I’d have thought you’d have wanted to stay and console her,’ I said sourly.

‘What that baby needs is time to cool off. I’m getting too old to have to fight for it. I’ll wait till she’s in the mood.’

‘What’s she doing here anyway?’ I said. ‘Don’t tell me she just came to deliver that letter. There is such a thing as a postal service, even in Greenland.’

‘Oh, that’s an easy one. She’s hoping for the female lead in the picture I’m making.’ He grinned. ‘That’s why I’m so sure she’ll come round – they always do. She’ll be sweetness and light when the Stella arrives tomorrow.’

He leaned back in his seat, tilting the peak of his hunting cap down over his eyes and I sat there, hands steady on the wheel, thinking about Ilana Eytan, trying to imagine her selling herself, just for a role in a picture. But why not? After all, people sell themselves into one kind of slavery or another every day of the week.

Rain scattered across the windscreen in a fine spray and I frowned, all other thoughts driven from my mind at the prospect of that front moving in faster than they had realised at Søndre. I pulled back the stick and started to climb.

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