The Emerald Key - By Christopher Dinsdale Page 0,21
attempting a swim to the mainland.
Jamie, however, wasn’t as interested in the islands as he was in the other five ships anchored nearby. He found Officer Keates on deck, barking out orders as the Independence prepared to disembark any identified passengers for quarantine.
“Is there anything I can do to help, sir?”
He smiled at Jamie behind his thick moustache. “No, lad. You’ve done more than enough for this ship.”
Jamie pointed beyond the bow. “Do you recognize any of these ships as the Carpathia?”
Officer Keates shook his head. “No. The Carpathia is a smaller ship than any of those. It must have already sailed on to Montreal. But that doesn’t mean that your brother is not on the island. If he was found to be sick by the station doctor, the doctor would have your brother disembark before the ship sailed on. Either way, they should have a record of the ships’ passenger manifest on Grosse Isle, and your brother’s name should be on it.”
Jamie and Officer Keates turned to the port rail as a rowboat left the quarantine station. They watched its oars rhythmically propel it towards the Independence. Meanwhile, the ship’s crew prepared a long line of wrapped bodies for transportation to the island. Captain O’Malley was wasting no time in his effort to rid himself of the recently deceased.
Jamie decided to check in on Colin. He found the boy sitting at Jamie’s desk, busy drawing pictures with Jamie’s pencil. Colin smiled and held up the drawing for Jamie to see. Jamie walked over and ruffled the little boy’s hair as he admired the piece of art. He could make out four stick people with wings on their backs. All four were standing on a cloud.
“Is this your family?” Jamie asked.
Colin nodded. “They’re in heaven now.”
“That’s a beautiful picture, Colin. Can I fold up your art and put it in your bag for safekeeping?”
Colin nodded. Jamie had kept the best of the family’s worn bags for Colin to use before the other contaminated belongings were disposed of at sea. Jamie had made sure that any of the meagre personal effects of Colin’s parents, such as his mother’s hair brush and his father’s Bible, had been saved and stored. He also hung on to the family’s travel papers. If he was to keep Colin out of an orphanage, he would need all of the required documents for the Canadian government, including the letter from his aunt and uncle that invited the family to stay with them in Canada West.
“Is it time to go?” Colin asked.
“Just a minute,” Jamie replied. He wanted the body of Colin’s mother to be well away from the ship before he took the lad out on deck. “Let me take a look at you first. I think we need to give your collar a fix. And now just a quick brush of your hair. There. Now you should be more presentable for the Canadian authorities.”
Jamie opened the cabin door and led the small boy to the end of a growing line of passengers. Jamie was relieved to see that the bodies had already been removed from the ship’s deck. The first to line the deck for inspection were the passengers with enough money to afford a cabin in first or second class. Colin looked completely out of place among the wealthy travellers. His filthy clothes hung from his thin frame and a tattered sack lay at his feet.
A stocky man with a handlebar moustache and high-collared coat climbed over the ship’s railing and spoke briefly to Captain O’Malley. The captain pointed to the line of waiting passengers. The stern stranger stepped forward and addressed them.
“My name is Dr. George Douglas, and I am the medical superintendent for the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station. According to Canadian law, anyone who appears to be sick or is at high risk for sickness must disembark here and remain in quarantine before being allowed further travel. It is for the health and safety not only of the passengers on this ship but also for the citizens of Canada. If I deem it is necessary for you to disembark, you must immediately move to the ladder and be taken to Grosse Isle, where you will be processed and then have to fulfill a minimum quarantine period of three weeks.”
The doctor moved down the line and quickly examined each passenger. Several men and a woman were pulled from the line and sent to the ladder. Those remaining gave a sigh of relief as they