The Emerald Key - By Christopher Dinsdale Page 0,23
deck!”
After fighting through the strong river current to the quarantine station’s dock, the oarsmen tied the rowboat to the dock and helped many of the weakened passengers disembark. Jamie was surprised to see that the island was a bustling hive of activity. Dozens of families were spread out in little clusters along the rocky shoreline. Some were cooking over small campfires; others were washing their clothes in the cold waters of the river. Some of the children stopped their playing along the shore to eye the passengers from the Independence curiously as they made their way towards the wooden buildings. Several nurses dressed in the long white habit of a Catholic nun met the passengers at the end of the dock. One stepped forward and greeted the new arrivals.
“Welcome to Canada! Please stay in your family groupings and follow me to the immigration building where you will be processed.”
Jamie and Colin followed the crowd into one of the smaller buildings and waited in queue for their turn to be processed. Finally, a man with spectacles and a long nose called them forward.
“Papers?”
Jamie handed him their travel documents. He also passed over the paper that Officer Keates had quickly created before he had left the ship. It was signed by Captain O’Malley himself.
“I’m a crew member on board the Independence and a friend to this boy,” explained Jamie. “His family died during the voyage, but he has extended family living in Canada West. I was to arrange a meeting in Montreal in order to return him to his relatives.”
The official glanced wearily over his spectacles. “I see from the list that his entire family died of contagious typhoid. He will have to stay here in quarantine for three weeks before he will be permitted to sail on to Montreal.”
Jamie pushed Colin forward until he was on full display before the desk clerk. “Why quarantine? Just look at him. He’s a healthy boy! There’s no reason why he can’t continue to travel on with me to Montreal.”
The man shuffled through the papers. “I don’t see a note among the papers that states that you, Mr. Galway, are a certified physician. This quarantine order was signed by Dr. Douglas himself. Neither you nor I have the power to change the order.”
“He obviously made a mistake. Why do I need to be a physician to see that he’s a healthy lad? You can see that for yourself.”
The official gave Jamie an icy stare. “I’m a very busy man, Mr. Galway. You may go back to the ship, but he stays.”
“But who will look after him if I leave?” Jamie demanded.
The official sighed. “We are not an orphanage or a babysitting service. He will have to stay in the quarantine building, where the nurses will feed him and keep an eye on him as best they can.”
Jamie looked at him with disbelief. “Keep an eye on him? He just lost his entire family!”
The officer didn’t bother looking up from the paperwork. At the top of Colin O’Connor’s papers he slammed down a rubber stamp that stated family deceased.
“Mr. Galway, we’ve just had three large passenger ships dock within ten hours of one another. As you can see, we’re a little overwhelmed at the moment. But don’t worry, we will not lose the boy. Please drop him off with his papers at the quarantine building. It’s the large building at the top of the hill. Next!”
Jamie stepped forward and placed his hands on the large oak desk. “Please, sir, just one more thing. I’m also looking for my brother who might have arrived here a few days ago. His name is Ryan Galway. Do you know if he is here in quarantine on Grosse Isle?”
“I’m a simple immigration officer, Mr. Galway. I don’t have access to such information. Ask for him up in quarantine. Next!”
Jamie shook his head in frustration, grabbed the papers, and took Colin’s hand.
“Come on, Colin. Let’s go find the next building.”
They left the office and climbed the low hill to a much larger building. Its two storeys stretched out across
the island with its many windows facing out towards the St. Lawrence River. They climbed up the steps to the wooden veranda that ran along the face of the building, crossed the creaky planks, but froze as they stepped through the open double doorway. The nightmarish sight before them brought Jamie right back to the fourth-class compartment on the Independence. It seemed that every square inch of floor space within the building was