The Pole (23 page)

“It is now my duty to inform you of my final decision.We cannot all make the final assault. Some must return,” Commander Peary said.

He turned to face George. “I must inform you, dear sir, that you will be heading south.”

“Yes, sir, I understand, sir. It has been my honour to have served you and to have come this far.”

“You have been both faithful and strong and I offer you my sincere thanks.”

They shook hands.

He turned to me. “Danny.”

For a split second I thought I was about to start crying.

“You have come farther than any of us would ever have imagined or believed possible. It is as Captain Bartlett said: you are not a boy, but a man, who has proven his worth at every step of the way.You will be returning with George.”

I felt disappointed and relieved. It had been harder waiting to hear than actually hearing. We shook hands. I guess I should have said something noble, but I was working hard to not show my emotions.

“Ookeah, Egingwah, and Kirik, you three will be returning south as well,” Commander Peary said.

Kirik and Egingwah smiled. Ookeah gave a slight nod of his head to acknowledge he had heard and agreed. He didn't look pleased or displeased. He probably didn't care.

“You have been faithful servants and will be given additional gifts of iron knives and an extra large cooking pot for your efforts.”

Now all three looked happy.

“And leading the returning team,” Commander Peary said, “will be Captain Bartlett.”

My eyes widened in surprise and I almost gasped out loud. I looked at the Captain. I tried to read his reaction but his face was a mask. I turned to George. He looked as shocked as I felt.

“Without you, Captain, this expedition would have floundered on the ocean before it even began. Now I need your expertise and determination to provide me with a safe route of retreat. For without that route I shall reach the Pole and then perish upon the return.”

“I will not fail you, Commander,” the Captain said. “Of that I have no doubt. In the morn, six sledges will start south, each with a team of five dogs.”

“You want half of my team?” I said out loud without even thinking. I was prepared to return south but not to give up Lightning or Blackie.

“Your lead dog will stay with you, Danny,” Commander Peary said.

“Thanks, I mean, he's yours if you want him, sir.”

“A generous offer, but I would not separate you from that dog. He will return leading your smaller team.”

“Could Blackie come as well?” I asked.

“You choose your dogs, Danny,” he said. “The four remaining sledges, piloted by myself, Matthew, Oatah, and Seegloo, will begin the final assault. Now, let us prepare our last meal together and repair to the igloos for a final sleep before the long day ahead.”

I QUIETLY CAME UP
to the Captain from behind. He hadn't heard me yet. He had been standing there by himself on the outskirts of the camp for so long that I'd had time to think about going to speak to him and then talked myself out of it three times and started into a fourth. I'd even walked partway out once before turning tail and retreating back to the igloos. This time I wasn't going back. I was armed with an excuse to be there.

“I brought you a cup of coffee, Cap'n.”

He turned around. “Thanks, Danny.” He took the cup and had a sip.

“I made it special the way ya like it, sir, with four heaping spoons of sugar.”

“That is the way I like it, although even the sweetness of this coffee cannot overcome the bitter taste in my mouth.”

“Do ya want me to get more sugar, sir?”
He laughed. “Not enough sugar in the entire tropics to take away that taste, I'm afraid.”

I wasn't sure what to say next, but I knew what I wanted to say. “I was sort of surprised when he chose not to have ya come with him.”

“As was I,” he said softly. “And disappointed. I thought I had been given both the promise and 'ad also earned the privilege of the Pole.”

“We all know what you did, Cap'n. All of us.” “Thank you for sayin' that, Danny. Now, there is no point in cryin' over spilled milk. Sometimes things just aren't fair … but who said life was fair? Sometimes there's nothing fair about it. You know, Danny, I really admire you.”

“Me?” I asked in shock.

“You. Your life had some turns and spills that no young lad should have to endure.”

Of course I knew what he was talking about—the death of my parents.

“But somehow you found a way to go on.”

“To be honest with ya, sir,” I told him, “I didn't see as I really had much choice about it.” And that was how I felt, that most of what I'd been doing since my mother died was just putting one foot in front of the other and, lately, hoping I didn't fall through the ice to what was waiting below.

“That's what I mean,” the Captain said. “And do you know why ya didn't quit?”
I shook my head.

“Let me tell you a story.”

“A story?”

“Maybe it's more like a joke,” he said. “There's these two sailors, two good lads from St. John's, an' they've been sailin' together for the better part of twenty years. One of them finishes his shift and is hurryin' off to play some dice. His friend grabs 'im by the arm and says, ‘You don't want to be playin' in that game 'cause those dice is fixed … ya can't win.' His friend says he knows the game is fixed and he's gonna lose, ‘But buddy, I know the game ain't fair and I'm gonna lose,' he says, ‘but it's the only game on the ship.'” He looked at me but didn't say a word. Finally he spoke.

“I'm gonna accept what the Commander said. Just like you accepted what 'appened to your parents.We go on, because it's the only game we 'ave to play.We have no choice but to go on. Fair or not fair, it's what we have to do. Understand?”

I nodded my head.

“You're no quitter.You took the worst things that could 'appen to a lad and became somebody I'm proud to know, somebody I respect an' look up to.”

“You respect me?”

“Don't sound so surprised. Now, let's not waste any more breath on talkin' about things.What's done
is done and there's nothing that nobody can do to change that.”

He was right. It was over and there was nothing that could be done … or was there?

I CRAWLED THROUGH
the entrance to the igloo— the igloo of the Commander and Matt. I could see light around the skins hung over the entrance to block out the wind and cold.The light meant they were still awake. I poked my head through the curtain. Matt was reading the Bible and the Commander was writing in his journal.

“Permission to speak to you, sir?” I asked.

“You need no permission. Please.”

I crawled the rest of the way in and stood up.

“Could we speak privately?”

I could tell that my question had caught them by surprise.

“I'll leave you two gentlemen alone,” Matt responded immediately. He put his Bible down on his skin bed and crawled out through the opening.

“This must be important,” Commander Peary said. “Yes, sir.” Now that I was there and had permission to speak I felt hesitant.

“Don't be shy, Danny. We've been through too much together for that.”

“Yes, sir.” I gathered my words. “Before on the ship … with your daughter …”

“When you saved her life.”

I nodded. “You said you owed me a debt.”

“Yes, I both said and meant that. I owe you a debt so enormous it is almost beyond words. Have you come here to claim that debt?”

I nodded my head ever so slightly.

“Although I do not feel it is wise, I feel that I have no choice but to honour that debt. I will allow you to accompany me to the Pole.”

“Me?” I gasped.

“Yes, you will be coming with me.”

“But … but … you don't understand. I didn't come 'ere to ask you to take me!”

“You didn't?” He was obviously surprised, confused. “No, sir. I was going to ask if you would take the Cap'n with you.”

Now he looked shocked. He quickly recovered. “Does the Captain know that you are speaking to me about this request?”

“No, sir.”

“That is wise.”

I wasn't sure why that was wise but I nodded in agreement.

“I owe a great debt,” he said, “but I owe that debt to
you,
not to Captain Bartlett.”

“But he's done so much to get you this far,” I argued. “No doubt. Without him, this mission would not have succeeded. He has performed these tasks
admirably, outstandingly. But, he has simply been fulfilling his orders as a member of this expedition under my command. Now it is time for him to follow different orders. I need the Captain to secure the return route. There may be new ridges that have formed, there will be more open water and routes that need to be scouted.” He paused. “Let me ask you a question: who would you trust more to mark that route than Captain Bartlett?”

I didn't even need to think. “Nobody.”

“Indeed. And that return route is the very lifeline of the members of the final party. Does that party include you?”

“You mean I can still come with you?”

“My offer was made and it stands. Are you in?” My instant response was to say no. I didn't know if it was out of fear or the sense that it was unfair that I should go and the Captain couldn't. But I did want to come.

“I'm in.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

APRIL 2, 1909

I CRAWLED THROUGH
the entrance. The cold air of outside met me halfway. The sun was still below the horizon so that meant it was somewhere before three in the morning. The sun was now in the sky almost all the time. It would disappear briefly beneath the horizon for a couple of hours, but even then it didn't get dark, as the light reflected up over the horizon. There was still enough light for me to see that at least half the party was already awake and up.That didn't surprise me. I could sense the excitement in the air the night before.

Matt and George and Oatah were standing together and I joined them.

“Danny, I saw you speak to the Captain last night. Did he say anything to you?” Matt asked.

“Say anything? … I don't know what you mean.” “Did he say anything about leaving?”

“I don't understand.”

“He's gone,” George said.

“Gone! He can't be gone! Have you checked in the igloos? He must still be sleeping or—”

“His sledge is gone. His team is gone,” Matt said. “He headed north,” George said.

“How do you know that if you didn't see him leave?” I questioned.

“Tracks.” Oatah pointed at the ice. “Leaving for north. Old.”

“Oatah thinks he left sometime in the middle of the night. Did he say anything to you at all, Danny, anything that would help us?” Matt asked.

“He just said he was disappointed, but that he would do what he was ordered to do.That's all.”

If he had headed north—and I knew that what Oatah was saying had to be true—then he wasn't following orders. But what was he doing? He couldn't have been heading for the Pole by himself … could he?

“Somebody has to inform the Commander,” George said.

“He doesn't know?”

“Not yet,” Matt said. “I think that task falls to me.” He turned to leave and I grabbed him by the sleeve. “No, you don't have to tell the Commander anything … he's back.”

The sun had continued to rise. I could now see a small black smudge to the north. It had to be the
Captain silhouetted against the sun. We stood there in silence, watching, as the sun rose, warming our faces as it continued to rise and the Captain continued to come closer. As he closed in all the dogs in the camp began yelping and barking and howling to welcome back the team. He brought his sledge to a stop just steps away from us.

“Oatah, can you tend to the dogs?” the Captain said. “And choose the five best suited to join your team.”

“We didn't know where you were,” George said. “I was out on the trail.”

“But you came from the north,” George said. “I've broken and marked the first nine miles of the trail … could have got farther but I had to cut through a number of pressure ridges … one was fierce big.”

“But how is that possible?” George asked. “How could you travel that far?”

“First mile or so I did yesterday when the igloos were being prepared. The last seven I did in the middle of the night.”

“Did you sleep at all?” George asked.

“There will be plenty of time for sleep when we get back to land. At the last marker you'll find a cache of supplies under a canvas—not much of anything but enough food to feed some of the dogs. I also took a reading.That spot is eighty-eight degrees and forty-eight minutes north. That is just over
ninety miles from the Pole. Until you pass that spot, for a few brief hours, I lay claim to 'avin' travelled the farthest north of any man.”

“My hearty congratulations on your accomplishment!” George said.The two men took off their mitts and shook hands.

“I just wish I could be there to offer my congratulations when that mark is surpassed,” Captain Bartlett said.

“You should be there,” George said. “You should be there when the Pole is reached.”

“That is not my destiny.”

“But I'm saying it
should
be!” George said. “I understand me being sent back, but not you.Without your gallant efforts no man would reach the Pole! It is not fair that—”

“Enough!” Captain Bartlett said forcefully, cutting George off cold. “It's not your place or mine to question the orders of the Commander of this expedition, just as I would expect you to follow my orders if we were aboard the
Roosevelt
.”