Unsinkable by Gordon Korman Read Free Book Online Page B

all that and more, because she also represented the promise of the wonders to come in this new century.
But Mother saw none of this. She was determined to keep her focus narrow. Suffrage, the cause — that was all that existed for her. It wasn’t that she disapproved of the magnificence of the great ship. She simply didn’t notice it. The Titanic was a means to get home so Amelia Bronson could hold rallies and disturb the peace of American cities, just as she had done in the English ones.
Their suite, B-22, was large and beautifully appointed. Even so, Sophie could not remain indoors. She wanted to be on deck, waving to the crowd. Shewould not miss this historic occasion. Huge throngs had assembled to see the Titanic off, and Sophie intended to be a part of it all. This would be something she could tell her grandchildren. Far better than telling them how she had once spent a night in an English jail in the company of their sainted great-grandmother.
As she stepped out onto the promenade, she was as high up as the steeple of a cathedral. Southampton stretched before her, and beyond that, the deep green of the English countryside.
The horn sounded again — the signal for all ashore. High up, and close to it, the sound was almost deafening. When it died away, it was replaced by the excited chatter of the multitude on the dock, which seemed to have doubled as departure loomed.
Teeming humanity covered every inch of the wharf, except for one spot directly below. An elegantly dressed woman stood there, and those around were giving her a wide berth. She brandished a large white handkerchief, alternately waving it, weeping into it, and then blowing her nose. Even at this distance, Sophie could hear her wailing.
Is she looking at me? Sophie plotted the trajectory of the woman’s gaze. No, not at me, but someone on this deck, just a little farther down …
Sophie’s eyes lit on a slender figure, a young girl her own age, perhaps slightly older. Her heart leaped. Another girl! Someone to spend time with, to share the sights and sounds of this amazing voyage. Someone who had never heard of Mother and the cause.
Sophie caught her attention and waved shyly.
The girl’s back stiffened. Her reply was not an answering wave, but a curt nod. She turned on her heel and disappeared from the promenade.
Stung, Sophie lowered her hand and her gaze as well. What did she expect? When you arrive at the embarkation point under escort by the police who were expelling you from their country, you can hardly expect to be accepted.
So she was an outcast — and they hadn’t even sailed yet.
Thank you, Mother.

CHAPTER TEN
SOUTHAMPTON
W EDNESDAY, A PRIL 10, 1912, 12:15 P.M.
Paddy Burns was in pickpockets’ heaven.
True, Belfast had been home to purses aplenty, but a fellow had to know what to look for. Here on the Titanic’s first-class promenade, the wealth was so abundant, it seemed like you ought to be able to hold out a bucket and have it fill itself with silver and gold.
It was a struggle to keep his eyes in his head as elegant ladies stood waving at the rail, wrapped in thick, lustrous furs and bedecked with jewels that would not have been out of place in the Tower of London. If their menfolk glittered somewhat less, it was in suits and cloaks of such exquisite tailoring that even a Belfast street lad could not fail to notice the quality. Paddy could only imagine the contents of the purses and money clips that bulged beneath all that finecloth. Far more than the measly one-pound banknote that had cost poor Daniel his life.
The thought triggered a wave of melancholy, and Paddy patted his breast, where he still kept Daniel’s sketch for Thomas Andrews.
He had seen Mr. Andrews around the ship several times already. It was strange — for all the Titanic’s grandeur, Andrews seemed to see only problems. Paddy had overheard him lamenting the number of screws in the stateroom coat hooks, or the fact that the kitchen stores could accommodate only