The Querulous Effect (8 page)

When the alarm went at 5.30 a.m., it got a very mixed reaction. Tim hit it with the encyclopaedia which was still lying on his duvet and then he and Jay buried their heads back under the bed clothes. But not for long. There was a loud knock on the bedroom door and then Ella burst in, already dressed. Chip rushed in behind, clearly feeling that this was the best time to get up every morning. When the boys at last stirred, prompted by Chip bounding on top of them, they had to agree that it was the perfect summer morning, with the sunlight already filtering through the curtains.

After a good breakfast, Ella helped Mr. Stiggles feed and harness Toby whilst the boys and the Prof finished loading up the caravan with their luggage and the equipment from the laboratory. When all was on board they hitched up Toby and just after 6.45 a.m. they made their way out of the gates of ‘The Cedars'. Mr. Stiggles took the reins for the journey to Grafton Water, whilst the children, Chip and the Prof walked alongside to ease the load for Toby.

The early morning mist had not quite cleared from Grafton Water as Toby hauled the caravan to rest at the lake shore. A slight breeze sent ripples over the broad expanse of water and apart from the gentle plash of the ripples reaching the shore and the calls of the water-birds in the reeds, all was quiet.

Ella unhitched Toby and led him to some lush grass by the lake side. Jay and Tim helped the Prof and Mr. Stiggles unload the caravan, stacking everything carefully along a wooden jetty that jutted out into the lake. By the time this work was completed, the mist had fully cleared and the lake shimmered in the early morning sun. Chip seemed to realise that something important was happening but he did not realise that he was not included in this particular adventure. As in the case of Charlie the chameleon, to whom Tim had said a fond farewell that morning, the general view had been that Chip was not well equipped for the conditions of the Arctic Circle. Not that Chip, even had he known he was excluded, would have dwelt much on the point when there was the present excitement of ducks to chase. Once all the unloading was completed, the rest of the team sat on the packing cases carefully scanning the horizon above the far end of the lake.

After twenty minutes of watching and waiting, Jay suddenly exclaimed, “I think I can hear it!”

Everyone listened intently and then Tim and Ella agreed that they could hear a faint drone which slowly got louder. The children stared into the sky towards the sound for a short while, then they all shouted out together as they spotted a faint speck in the distance. The speck, which glinted in the morning sun, gradually got larger as they watched. The sound became stronger and soon the steady throbbing drone of an approaching aircraft was clear to the adults too. A few moments later, as everyone peered into the shimmering sky above the lake, the distinct shape of Squadron Leader McDoon's restored flying boat could clearly be seen. Gradually the plane appeared larger and larger over the horizon as it approached and dropped down towards the lake. Then as they watched, hardly daring to breathe, it splashed down at the far end of the lake and hurtled across the water towards them. Fountains of water sprayed out on either side as the plane approached them with a deafening roar as the powerful engines were throttled back. With a spluttering final roar it came to a standstill, settled lower in the water and then taxied towards them, coming to rest alongside the jetty.

The pilot waved from the cockpit then disappeared from view as he made his way to the cargo door at the side of the aeroplane. The door then slid open and the lanky figure of Sandy McDoon emerged. He jumped down to the jetty and then helped out a second, figure – his wife, Jeannie, acting navigator. She was a tiny figure in comparison with Sandy, not much taller than Jay and Tim and wrapped up in a flying jacket with a leather flying-helmet. Everyone exchanged enthusiastic greetings, the Prof pumping Sandy's hand vigorously. The boys helped set up a ramp from the cargo door to the jetty and for the next half hour everyone was involved in loading the piles of equipment.

At last all was safely stowed away. Ella helped Mr. Stiggles hitch Toby back up to the caravan and then gave them both a hug of goodbye. Chip was nowhere to be seen. He had no doubt dashed off when the plane had first roared across the water towards them, thinking, perhaps, that this ‘metal bird' would be more of a challenge than the ducks he had been chasing all morning. But Mr. Stiggles promised to search the lakeside to find him and put him securely in the, now empty, caravan for the journey back to the house.

Everyone then clambered up into the flying boat. They strapped themselves into their seats and Mrs. McDoon checked that all their seat belts were secure. Then Sandy started the engines and taxied to the end of the lake to give them the full length for the take-off. The roar of the engines increased as Sandy pushed the lever to full throttle and the flying boat started to move forward.

The children could feel the plane vibrate as it cut through the water, thumping along faster and faster as the engines roared louder and louder. Suddenly the vibrations stopped and they realised they were rising from the water. The great flying boat was airborne. It circled above the lake as it rose and the children craned their necks to look out of the port-hole windows. Far below they could see Toby and the caravan and Mr. Stiggles waving his cap in the air and getting smaller and smaller as the plane climbed higher. In a matter of moments they were high up in the sky. Even the caravan was now out of sight and the roads and houses looked tiny, like a toy set.

The sunshine seemed brighter as they climbed higher still. Jay looked at Ella and Tim. They all knew they were on an important mission. It was serious stuff but it was also very thrilling. Everyone had a broad grin of excitement and anticipation. They were on their way to Greenland!

Once the flying boat was on a steady course, Jeannie McDoon emerged from a tiny cabin just behind the cockpit. This was her domain as navigator and it housed the radio and charts for the journey. She helped everyone unbuckle their seat belts and then suggested that Jay go forward into the cockpit to keep Sandy company whilst she and Tim made drinks and consulted the charts for the journey.

In the cockpit, Jay sat in the co-pilot's seat as Squ. Ldr. McDoon explained the basic functions of the vast array of dials, switches and indicators. Through the windscreen and side windows Jay could make out the landscape below and as they chatted the brown and green countryside gave way to sea as they passed over long white lines of surf and out over the ocean. Soon there was nothing but the grey-blue sea stretching to the far horizon.

“Now we are really on our way,” said Squ. Ldr. McDoon. “Next stop Iceland to top up with fuel so that we can search far along the Greenland coast. Plenty of sea before then though!”

As they flew on, Jay could see the occasional ship, tiny from this distance but trailing a white streak behind as it ploughed through the Atlantic waters.

“Cargo boats, mostly,” observed Sandy, “but some are fishing vessels. In fact, one may be the Prof's friend, Tom Claythorne, who is sailing to Greenland with his son in their trawler as back-up for our expedition. They left port a few days ago carrying lots of extra equipment ordered by the professor. They will be much slower than us but once we get nearer to Greenland we'll contact them by radio to see how he is getting on.”

Jay found that bit of information very reassuring. Not that he had been worried or had even given thought to any risk. But it was good to know that this whole expedition had been subject to the Prof's usual careful planning.

Mrs. McDoon appeared in the cockpit with a flask of coffee for her husband. The fur-lined, leather flying-jacket made her look smaller and wider than ever.

“Your drink is ready too, Jay,” she said, “and the cabin is getting colder as we head north. When you've all finished your drinks, you will need to put on another layer of thermal clothing to keep warm.”

When Jay rejoined his friends, the Prof was showing them the flight path to Greenland, tracing the route on a chart spread out on the navigation table.

“We refuel at a jetty just off the Iceland coast near Reykjavik, so that we will have a full tank ready for our search along the Greenland coast for Cosmo's base,” the Prof explained. “For now we better check that the cargo is secure and get out some of those cold-weather clothes from the equipment case.”

Tim led the way along the narrow aisle to the door of the cargo hold and with Jay's help pulled down the lever and swung open the heavy metal door to open the hold. A neon light flickered on as the door opened to reveal all the packing cases and luggage still neatly stacked.

“What's that noise?” queried Tim as they entered. They all listened intently. Through the deep throb and whine of the flying boat's engines they could hear a higher whining noise. Then from behind a pile of packing cases in the corner, there came a scrabbling noise followed by three distinct yelps. Tim and Ella scrambled over the cases to investigate and as they pushed a case aside a scruffy white blur shot out and made straight for them.

“Chip!” they both exclaimed. “No wonder we couldn't find him before we left,” said Ella, “he must have sneaked on board with the luggage.”

Chip was clearly overjoyed to be reunited with the children, fussing round excitedly.

The Prof was less pleased.

“Poor Mr. Stiggles,” he said. “He's probably still searching for Chip and worried out of his mind. We'd better send a radio message to say that he is here with us. But first we have to explain to Squ. Ldr. McDoon that we have a stowaway on board! I'll go and do that whilst you find your warm clothes. And you'd better find a fleece that you can cut and shape into a coat for Chip; he'll need it if he is going to stay with us.”

The children were worried that Squ. Ldr. McDoon might order Chip to be left ashore at Iceland or even marooned on some rocky island like the stowaways Tim had read of in his pirate books. In the event it was Mrs. McDoon who returned with news of her husband's decision.

“It's alright,” she said. “Everyone understands that Chip is a member of the team so he can stay. But you have got to ensure that he behaves himself. Meanwhile I'll help you sew up a little coat as the professor suggested.”

Tim and Jay took their thermal jackets and left Ella and Mrs. McDoon to sort out Chip's needs. They went back to their seats and enjoyed the rest of the journey, now with clouds below them, which parted only occasionally to reveal the sea below, darker and rougher than when they had first left land.

By the time Ella came back and Mrs. Mcdoon returned to her navigator's seat, the plane was being buffeted about in strong head winds but the flying boat was well up to the job as it flew steadily northwards. Jay was musing about the icy wastes they might encounter when his thoughts were interrupted. Over the loudspeaker came the voice of Squ. Ldr. McDoon.

“Fasten your seat belts everyone and sit tight. We shall begin the descent to Iceland shortly.”

The buffeting and rolling increased as the plane dropped towards the coast of Iceland, which they could just make out through the mist. They dropped quickly through the thin cloud and then with a shudder and bump the great plane put down on the water and surged to a stop. For a moment it bobbed and rolled on the waves, then Squ. Ldr. McDoon fired up the engine again and taxied the plane, splashing through the waves to a jetty running out from the mainland. Having radioed ahead, there were willing hands on the jetty to take the securing ropes and soon the flying boat was safely secured in Reykjavik bay.

The rest of the day was spent with re-fuelling both the flying boat and themselves. The Prof spent time on the radio with the help of Mrs. McDoon and was able to inform everyone that Mr. Stiggles now knew that Chip was with them. He was also able to report that Tom Claythorne's trawler was making good headway and ready to help if ever they needed it. With that good news, it was agreed that they would all sleep on board the flying boat and make an early start next day for the final stage of the journey to Greenland.

As Jay put up his feet for the night and snuggled under a pile of blankets ready to sleep, he was full of excitement. Part of him almost wished he was back safely at home or at least in the cosy bedroom he shared with Tim at ‘The Cedars'. But, on the other hand, this was some adventure. What a lot he would have to tell Aunt Mavis when he got back. And, more importantly, whilst Aunt Mavis had assured him that his Mum had agreed to him staying with the Prof and ‘going on a little expedition,' she surely would get a big surprise if she knew just what he was up to! And if she had met up with Dad again as she had planned, what would he say? It really was all too much to think about. Better just concentrate on getting to sleep. A dim, orange light glowed in the cabin and Jay could see Ella already asleep with Chip snoozing alongside. Tim was making the most of the faint light by peering at yet another book – ‘Icelandic Sagas' this time – but even he seemed to be gradually nodding off.

From the navigation room Jay could hear the low murmur of adult voices as the Prof and the McDoons quietly discussed the flight plan for the next day. Once again Jay was reassured by the planning and the calm team around him. Yes, he concluded, this really was a great adventure.

Jay was woken next morning by the throb of the flying boat's powerful turbo-prop engines as Sandy McDoon carried out his pre-flight checks. Mrs. McDoon had already laid out breakfast in the tiny galley beside the chart room – porridge, prunes and thick oat cakes. The children gulped and munched their way through the hefty breakfast, designed, as Mrs. McDoon pointed out, to combat the cold. Tim wondered, since it was, after all, a flying boat, whether the substantial oat cakes were really ship's biscuits, which, he pointed out, were essential supplies on Arctic expeditions. However, he concluded, having read of such things in books about naval explorers, that as he could detect no weevils in the biscuits they must be oat cakes after all. This was a great relief to Jay who had already eaten two without examining the contents.

Further speculation on naval breakfasts was interrupted by the arrival of the Prof, who, taking up the nautical mood, announced that it was, “Time to clear the decks! Take-off in fifteen minutes.”

Those orders were quickly followed and soon the children were strapped in their seats as the flying boat taxied out into open water. Then it picked up speed, bumping and bouncing as it accelerated through the waves. Finally, with the throttle fully out and a great roar from the engines, it was airborne on its journey once more. The plane wheeled round and flew higher out towards the Denmark Strait, the long stretch of sea which separates Iceland from Greenland. The flight gave rise to some exciting views as the children stared out from the port-holes. From time to time they spotted, far below, an iceberg, glistening white in the morning sun, as it was borne along by the current on its journey south through the strait's icy waters. Far in the distance they could just make out curling plumes of smoke from a volcano at the northern tip of Iceland.

The plan was to approach the Greenland coast at Scoresby Sound, a great inlet of sea, free from ice in the summer. From there they would track north along the coast. Since there were few settlements in the area and the likely spots Cosmo Querulous might choose as a base had been identified by the Prof, the task was for everyone to be on the lookout for buildings or any signs of development. It was agreed that if aerial reconnaissance did not show any trace of Cosmo's research station or factory by late afternoon, they would land near one of the known settlements and make enquiries.

The flight over Denmark Strait did not take very long thanks partly to a steady following wind. Soon the coast of Greenland was in sight although due to lingering ice and glaciers it was not always easy to make out clearly where the sea ended and the land began. As they approached, the coastline became clearer with towering cliffs and, every so often, white glaciers carving their way from the interior out into the sea. Many of the broad headlands were covered in scrub and grass and as the plane patrolled steadily along the coastline the children saw clusters of musk ox grazing on the grassy areas.

On the right side of the plane – or the ‘starboard' side, as Tim correctly called it – the sea stretched out to the horizon. There were more icebergs out to sea, often with sea-birds, wheeling around them in great numbers. Once, farther out, they spotted a pod of killer whales – Orcas – trailing a wake of white as they surfaced in the deep green waters. Exciting though this was, all the team were conscious that they needed to concentrate on the landward side. Their task today was not to watch nature but to seek signs of human habitation.

As the hours passed, the prospect of finding such signs seemed more and more remote. The plane continued its steady progress along the coast, dipping and circling over every cliff and headland. By mid afternoon Ella had taken a break to play at the end of the cabin with Chip who had been well behaved but was missing his routine exercise. Jay and Tim remained fixed at their task, continuing to peer out of the port-holes but taking it in turns to take short breaks to rest their eyes from the glare of the extensive patches of ice and snow stretching out below far into the distance.

Later in the afternoon, Ella joined them again and had only just started to survey the coastline below when she called out, “Hey, what's that pink stuff in the water down there?”

Tim peered out but could not see anything and said so.

“We've just passed it,” she exclaimed. “It was just spread across the water as if something were spilt.”

“If you're sure,” said Tim, “you'd better go and tell the Prof. He's in the cockpit with Squadron Leader McDoon and they may have seen it too.”

Ella went off to tell the Prof and Tim and Jay peered even more intently out of the port-hole. Ella reported her sighting and although the Prof had not seen anything himself, he was very interested in her description. Just as she was returning back to the boys, they both shouted out together as another pink patch appeared below, snaking in a wispy trail across the surface of the water and out to sea.

This time, as the boys shouted out, the Prof called out that he too had seen the patch. “I think we're really onto something now,” he exclaimed and as they flew on, a few more wispy patches of pink floated away and out of sight below the plane.

They kept looking carefully but after ten minutes there had been no more sightings. Then, as the plane wheeled into a wide inlet leading into a long fjord, it was Squ. Ldr. McDoon who called out that he could see a settlement at the far end of the fjord. Jeannie McDoon hastily consulted her charts and concluded that it must be Ikattaq, a small Inuit settlement of hunters and fishermen.

The Prof declared that in view of the recent ‘pink' sightings, they should definitely make contact with the settlement. Mrs. McDoon immediately radioed the coastguard service requesting them to alert the families at the settlement and check whether the flying boat had permission to land. Squ. Ldr. McDoon circled the plane over the brightly coloured wooden houses that made up the settlement whilst they awaited a reply. A few minutes later, Mrs. McDoon reported that the Inuit villagers had agreed that the team could land and visit the settlement. The Prof was clearly very pleased at this news but, as the children donned their out-door thermal clothes, he cautioned them that it might not be wise to say too much at the outset about the pink patches or their search for Cosmo. He felt it would be useful to see whether the villagers themselves volunteered any information about odd happenings or made reference to Cosmo or his employer, Blusterton International.

The plane circled once more over the end of the fjord as the children strapped their seat belts over their thick thermal gear and made final preparations for the landing. Squ. Ldr. McDoon carefully adjusted the landing approach to allow for the tricky winds at the lower levels and then gently brought the plane down to settle on the water a few hundred yards from the shore.

As they were landing, the children saw a number of figures emerge from the bright blue and red buildings and run down to the shore. By the time the plane had taxied to a halt, two Zodiac boats – motorised dinghies – had been launched and were scudding across the water to meet the plane. The boats pulled alongside and as the Prof swung the door of the flying boat open there were shouts of greeting from both sides. It was agreed that the Prof and Ella would travel in the first boat, with Jay and Tim in the second one. The McDoons would stay on board the plane to ensure that it was safely secured and to make preparations for the return flight once the visit was over. Squ.Ldr. McDoon emphasised that he was keen that they should all be back in a maximum three hours to ensure they could start that return flight in good weather.

The children put on a final layer of clothing, fastened on their lifejackets and then eased their way out of the door and edged carefully along the side before clambering down onto the Zodiac boats moored alongside. Ella had also put a thermal coat onto Chip and the Prof handed him along first to Jay, then to Tim before he was passed down to Ella waiting for him in the boat. This caused the waiting Inuit boatmen great amusement, especially as Chip looked as indignant as he could at such humiliating treatment. When he finally got on board he barked heartily which surprised and amused the crew even more since, as they explained, Greenland dogs do not bark but generally howl if they have something to say.

As the boat made its way back to the shore that fact was borne out by the prolonged plaintive howling of a large pack of sled dogs tethered outside one of the houses who were anxious to warn the settlement of the arrival of the new and unexpected visitors. Now it was Ella's turn to be surprised because Chip pricked up his ears then threw back his head and gave a long answering howl. Tim observed that this was all quite normal and was Chip just making sure that he would get a friendly welcome when he landed.

Even wrapped up in their thermal gear, the children felt the cutting chill of the wind as the Zodiac raced towards the pebble shore, where the dogs were not the only welcoming party. A crowd of children had assembled on the beach and stood waving as the Zodiac came to a halt and a number of adults joined them to help haul the boats ashore. Although most of the people spoke the local East Greenlandic language amongst themselves, some of the younger ones spoke a little English, having studied it at school. Many, especially the older adults, also spoke Danish, which the Prof could understand fairly well, having visited Greenland and Scandinavia on his travels before. So by trying out various phrases and with plenty of gestures everyone was more or less able to make himself understood.

From the various greetings and opening conversations on the beach, the Inuit welcoming party soon realised that their new visitors were not tourists. The Prof, bearing in mind his own advice not to say too much about their mission, merely explained that he and his team were undertaking a scientific survey and were looking for any research station or outpost that might be nearby. One of the older adults, dressed in a fur anorak and with fine parchment skin the colour of teak, appeared to be the leader. He suggested that they discuss the details of the Prof's expedition in the warmth of his family house. In accepting this offer, the Prof mentioned that he had brought some supplies of tea and biscuits in his backpack which perhaps they could share as they talked. This suggestion was also warmly accepted and with much chatter and gesticulating between the new found friends, the party headed away from the shore and up a slope towards the group of brightly painted wooden houses that made up the settlement.

Not everyone had joined the welcoming party. As the small group made its way past the tethered pack of sled dogs and frames of seal skins drying in the sun, they were being watched intently from the window of a long, low, corrugated iron building on a small hill overlooking the village. The solitary figure staring out could not make out who the visitors were but he had heard the flying boat circling overhead and guessed that, whoever they were, they might well be looking for him. With his mind in turmoil he stepped back from the window, closed the blinds and returned with even greater urgency to his work.