Safe Harbour by Marita Conlon-Mckenna Read Free Book Online Page A

wished them luck, before disappearing into the crowd. Sophie suddenly realised just how much on their own they were now.
    ‘All passengers aboard! All passengers aboard!’ An announcement came through the loudspeaker and sent a shiver of excitement through the multitude of people pushing to look out over the rails as the massive engines began to judder and surge into life and a wash of churning water developed between them and land.
    ‘Follow me!’ ordered Mr Cox, briskly leading them to a busy lounge filled with wooden seats and benches.
    They plonked down, shoving their cases underneath, and using the stuffed pillowcase like a bolster to lean against.
    ‘I’ve a few jobs to attend to, so you’re to sit right there! I’ll be back as soon as I can,’ their escort said.
    All the seats began to fill up. Sophie watched their fellowtravellers out of the corner of her eye. The rest of them were all excited and happy about going to Ireland.
    ‘It’s good to be going home!’ someone said.
    ‘First time back to the old country in two years!’ answered another.
    ‘My mother said I was to come back and not risk getting blown to bits by the Germans!’ answered a happy-looking young woman.
    Some had such strong accents that Sophie could hardly make out a word they were saying. They all seemed to be laden down with cases and brown paper packages tied up in strange, curious shapes.
    The ship was turning, swinging outwards. Everyone suddenly made a lunge towards the lounge door, shoving towards the open deck. The two children followed them. They were all waving themselves silly. It was so stupid, but Sophie and Hugh copied them as the mail-boat sailed away from Holyhead and the Anglesea coast.
    ‘Hugh! We’d better get back inside in case Mr Cox is looking for us!’ said Sophie after a few minutes.
    ‘No! Please, Sophie, can’t we stay out here?’
    Sophie looked at her young brother. He was strangely pale and clammy. He was inhaling deep gulps of air and swallowing them down in an effort to make himself feel better.
    Sophie felt fine and leant against the rail watching the people promenade past. The air around her was salty and damp, and her face felt moist with the sea-spray.
    The ship was slowly and sluggishly turning away from theWelsh coast, pushing out into the choppy Irish sea.
    There were other children on board, but most of them were with adults. Two or three boys paraded past Sophie in school uniforms, heads together, talking in upper-class twit accents.
    ‘I say, old fellah!’ Sophie shouted into the wind.
    The three of them turned around, puzzled for an instant, but seeing only herself and Hugh, who was by now feeling very sorry for himself, shrugged their shoulders, and moved on.
    ‘Soph! Soph! I feel sick!’ Almost as he said it, Hugh threw up. Most of it went over the ship’s side but a bit clung ominously to the rail and deck. Sophie fumbled up her sleeve and in her knicker leg – she definitely had a handkerchief somewhere.
    ‘It’s all right, Hugh! Here you are!’ She held it out to him.
    He took it and tried to wipe himself. But the hanky was not much good, as he got violently seasick again, and again. In the end he slumped down on one of the wooden deckchairs. ‘I feel awful!’ he sniffed, ‘why did we have to go on this stinky old ship?’
    ‘I know, Hugh! I know!’ was all she could say.
    At this stage the swell and the rocking motion of the waves were beginning to affect more of the passengers, and green- and grey-faced adults clung to the rails of the boat, sucking in the fresh air as if their very lives depended on it. Others just chatted away and enjoyed themselves. Sophie hoped that she had a strong stomach, as it would be disastrous if they were both sick.
    Hugh looked exhausted but he had stopped retching. His stomach must surely be empty by now, Sophie thought.
    ‘Come on, Hugh! Let’s get you to the toilet.’
    They walked through the lounge where the smell of sick clung in