Touch the Sky (Young Underground #8) (29 page)

             
Peter only paused for a moment before they traded places in the ancient fishing boat. There was no time to argue. After Elise dropped the oars in place, she began rowing toward the middle of the bay. At the same time, Peter quickly wound the starter rope around the cereal
-
bowl
-
sized flywheel on the top of the motor, adjusted the controls, and pulled.

             
“
Keep trying,
”
Elise urged him, and he rewound the rope.

             
“
Come on,
”
Peter urged the motor.
“
Start!
”

             
“
Does it have any gas, Peter?
”

             
Peter unscrewed the top of the small black cylinder on the back of the engine, peered inside, and groaned.

             
“
Not much.
”

             
“
But there
is
some.
”
Elise gave another pull on the oars.

             
They were making good time, but they were still far from Henrik
’
s boat. Peter gave another tug, then another, and another. Still the rusty, old engine refused to start. By about the tenth try, Peter
’
s arm was starting to feel yanked out of its socket.

             
“
Maybe it
’
s not going to start,
”
Elise said quietly.
“
You want to take a turn at the oars?
”

             
“
We
’
re never going to catch up with him rowing,
”
Peter shot back. He wiped his brow and tried once more. This time, a sputter.

             
“
There it goes!
”
he cried. Two more yanks and the motor roared to life, sending the boat surging forward. Peter nearly flew over the back end, but Elise caught him by his swimsuit.

             
“
Hold on!
”
Peter said, falling back into the boat. He grabbed the steering handle, sat down, and scanned the water ahead.

             
“
I knew it would work,
”
he panted.
“
I just knew it.
”

             
Elise pulled her oars back in, stowed them under her seat, and crawled to the front of the boat to serve as lookout.

             
“
Straight ahead!
”
she called back, but Peter could see the little boat ahead in the distance, too.
“
He
’
s almost reached the other side of the bay.
”

             
Peter squinted.
“
Yeah, but does it look like Henrik?
”

             
Elise said nothing for several minutes as they drew nearer, then shook her head.
“
That
’
s not him rowing.
”

             
“
That
’
s what I was afraid of. Watch the water for Henrik.
”

             
A few minutes later, they reached the halfway point across the big bay, but no Henrik. On
the far side, the man in the rowboat had almost reached shore.

             
“
He
’
s going to get away, just like that,
”
Peter groaned.

             
“
Well, what were we going to do? Ram the boat? What if he still has his gun?
”

             
“
I thought of that.
”

             
“
We
’
d better think about finding Henrik instead.
”
Elise scanned the water once more.
“
Try off there to the left.
”

             
Peter turned, but still he could see no sign of their friend.
“
He
’
s obviously not in the rowboat. I sure hope we don
’
t have to look for him the way we had to look for you back at the lake.
”

             
“
Don
’
t say that, Peter.
”

             
“
But I don
’
t see him, Elise. Don
’
t you think
...”

             
“
Up there!
”
She pointed straight ahead, beyond where they had at first thought Henrik might be. But there it was
—
a hand was waving at them from the water.

             
“
Henrik!
”
Peter cut the motor when they were almost on top of their friend, and they drifted up next to him. He was grinning and waving.

             
“
I thought you
’
d never get here,
”
Henrik told them as Elise helped pull him over the side. He sat in the bottom of the boat for a minute, breathing hard.

             
“
Boy, am I glad
...”
began Peter.
“
I was starting to think we might not find you.
”

             
Henrik shook his head like a dog, took a deep breath, and leaned his head back.
“
I go out to save you, and you end up saving me.
”

             
“
But didn
’
t you know it wasn
’
t me?
”
Peter asked.

             
“
Not until I was right up next to him. He was low in the water, and when I reached down to grab him, and he just pulled me in. As if he was waiting. Then he punched me right here, crawled up into my boat, and rowed away.
”

             
Henrik pointed to his eye, which was swollen and bruised.

             
“
You couldn
’
t stop him?
”
wondered Peter.

             
“
Stop him? Once he got into the boat, he started swinging the oars at me, and he almost hit me right on the head. Mr. Broken Nose is one mean guy.
”

             
“
Matthias said his real name is Abu Ladin,
”
Elise reported.
“
And he was going to sink the immigrant ship somehow. Probably one of those suicide missions.
”

             
They looked toward the beach on the far side of the bay.

             
“
There, see him?
”
asked Henrik. He pointed at the boat, and they could see Abu Ladin drift toward the beach, jump out into the shallows, and wade ashore. No one else was in sight.

             
“
He
’
s going to get away,
”
Elise said.

             
“
No he
’
s not.
”
Peter turned back to the engine, rewound the starter rope, and gave it a mighty tug. This time it started on the first try, and they shot ahead toward the shallower water. The tide was finally starting to turn, showing the edges of mud flats and shallow areas along the shore.

             
“
What are you doing?
”
Elise asked.
“
We can
’
t go chasing after him.
”

             
“
Well, we can
’
t just let him go.
”

             
“
But what would we do if we caught him?
”

             
Peter wasn
’
t exactly sure how to answer his sister. All he knew was that he was going to get closer.

             
“
This must be what a moth feels like flying into a flame,
”
Henrik muttered.

             
“
He
’
s running off into the woods,
”
Elise reported a few minutes later from the front of the boat. They were within a stone
’
s throw of the shore, and the man disappeared as they watched.

             
“
We could follow his footprints,
”
Henrik suggested as they drifted into the Ringsteds
’
old rowboat with a little bump.

             
Elise held on to the back end of the rowboat, then pointed at the woods.
“
I don
’
t think we
need to do that. Look who
’
s coming back!
”

             
Abu Ladin sprinted out of the woods straight toward them, and the look on his face was enough to turn Peter
’
s blood cold. A second later, another shape exploded from the bushes, and instantly they understood why the man was running.

             
“
Hector!
”
said Peter and Elise at the same time.

             
“
Let
’
s pull the boat back into deeper water,
”
Henrik yelled.
“
Hold on to it, Elise!
”

             
Elise looked over her shoulder for an instant. The running man would be upon them in less time than it took to explain. Peter didn
’
t even have time to tell the others that there was no reverse on the old outboard motor. He tried to turn them to the side, but the propeller scooped into the muddy bottom of the bay.

             
“
Reverse!
”
cried Elise. She pulled back as the man jumped into the water and reached for their boat.

             
“
What do we do, Peter?
”
asked Henrik. It was too late to push out and escape, and Peter had no intention of wrestling Abu Ladin.

             
Instead of grabbing their boat, though, the man pitched over into the shallow water face first, with Hector riding on his back. Peter wasn
’
t quite sure if the dog was serious, but the growl sounded like the real thing.

             
“
Hector!
”
shouted their Uncle Harald as he ran across the beach toward them. Uncle Morten was right beside him, a coil of rope in his hands.

             
A moment later, they were all thrashing around in the shallow water. Abu Ladin was squirming like an angry alligator, Hector was keeping close watch over his catch, and Uncle Morten and Uncle Harald were yelling out instructions to each other. Peter, Elise, and Henrik could only watch helplessly from their boat, rocking just inches from the contest.

             
Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was all over. Uncle Harald and Uncle Morten pulled Abu Ladin from the water and up onto the beach. Hector followed, trotting alongside and nipping at the sputtering man
’
s heels. Abu Ladin kicked his feet but couldn
’
t get away from the enormous dog.

19

T
o the Pilot

             
“
One more toast!
”
announced Grandfather Andersen, raising his glass of orange soda. He stood next to the makeshift table they had set up in the Ringsteds
’
backyard, and his red cheeks glowed.
“
To Denmark
’
s best pilot!
”

             
Peter blushed and shook his head but smiled as the others applauded. Matthias clapped with his one good hand against his leg, his right arm in a sling.

             
“
Speech!
”
Henrik cheered, but Peter only waved his friend off with a smile. After their picnic dinner, his two uncles had already given speeches, and Pastor Kai had said something to the dinner group, also. It was almost like a wedding, all the speeches.

             
Of course, that was the way Danish people liked it. Lots of speeches. Grandfather had stood up and told everyone how proud he was of his grandchildren. Uncle Morten and the twins
’
father had said a few words, too.

             
Peter even heard Henrik telling his mother that morning about how he had decided to follow the Messiah, and that he wanted to be baptized. But instead of getting upset, as Peter had expected, she only looked at her son and sighed. Uncle Morten, it turned out, had already told her what had happened.
“
I don
’
t quite understand it,
”
Mrs. Melchior had told her son,
“
but I suppose you
’
re old enough to make those kinds of decisions.
”

             
That had been the last thing Peter had expected her to say. But then, nothing else had turned out the way he had expected, either.

             
Peter smiled when he looked around at the little sea of faces at the dinner party: Henrik and his mother; Matthias; Elise and their parents; their cousins Kurt and Marianne; Uncle Harald and Aunt Hanne; Uncle Morten and Lisbeth; Pastor Kai and Mrs. Steffensen with their little boy, Jakob, plus Johanna. And then, of course, there was Hector. Their dinner party had been delayed a day because of all the excitement, and now it was time to celebrate.

             
“
A
-
hem.
”
Matthias cleared his throat and tapped the side of his glass with a spoon, and everyone quieted down. A couple of sheep in the fields behind the barn called out, and one of them sounded almost like a baby crying.

             
“
As long as Peter isn
’
t going to make a speech,
”
began Matthias,
“
I do have something to say.
”

             
“
Don
’
t stand up, Matthias.
”
Uncle Morten put out his hand.
“
You take it easy.
”

             
Matthias nodded.
“
Now Elise and I
both
have to rest. I guess I don
’
t have to stand up to apologize....
”

             
“
Oh, now, wait a minute,
”
objected Mr. Andersen, but Matthias cut him off.

             
“
Now, Arne, you
’
ve had your turn. Let me just apologize first of all to the kids for bringing all these dangers into your lives. Especially Abu Ladin, even though the police have him now. And the accidents
...
this was all my fault.
”

             
“
We
’
re fine,
”
answered Peter.
“
I
’
m just sorry about your plane. How are you going to get to the ship now?
”

             
“
We can fix the plane, although I
’
m probably not going to be flying in it anymore. And there will be other ships. But to Ruth, I
...
er
...”

             
Matthias looked at the ground, as if searching for words to say.

             
“
I want to publicly apologize to Ruth,
”
he finally continued.
“
And to Henrik, too. I asked too much. I demanded a decision too soon, and I
’
m sorry. And after some serious thought, I
—
that is,
we
—
have decided to delay our plans. There
’
s no need to rush into things.
”

             
Everyone stared at Henrik
’
s mother, stunned at the announcement, and she nodded.

             
“
You
’
ve all been so kind,
”
she said, looking around the table.
“
And you
’
ve been like a family to me. So I
’
ve come to realize in the last few days that I just can
’
t leave you. This is my
...
this is
our
home.
”

             
“
I am continuing on to Palestine in a few months,
”
added Matthias.
“
When the doctor allows it. Perhaps someday
...”

             
His voice trailed off, and Henrik looked up brightly at his mother.
“
You mean it, Mother? We aren
’
t going after all?
”

             
Mrs. Melchior nodded seriously, but there was a twinkle in her eye that gave Henrik permission to jump out of his seat with a whoop.

             
“
Did you hear that, Peter?
”

             
Peter jumped up, too, and they pounded each other on the backs in wild congratulations.

             
“
I
knew
it,
”
Henrik repeated, grinning from ear to ear.

             
“
No you didn
’
t,
”
Peter corrected him.
“
You thought you were going for sure.
”

             
“
Well, maybe for a couple of days.
”
Then he turned to his mother.
“
Good thing we didn
’
t sell our furniture, huh, Mother? Aren
’
t people going to be surprised when they see
us
back home again on Star Street?
”

             
He whooped again for joy, but Henrik stopped when he saw the look on Matthias
’
s face. Henrik walked over, paused, and gave him a big bear hug.

             
“
Maybe in a few years,
”
Matthias told Henrik, slapping him on the back.

             
“
Maybe, Matthias,
”
Henrik managed to choke out.

             
Peter looked around, and he couldn
’
t see anyone else with dry eyes, either.

             
“
And there
’
s one more thing I must say.
”
Matthias took a step back, still clutching Henrik
’
s shoulders.
“
And that is thank you to all of you. Elise, especially, after all you
’
ve been through, then you helped to save my life up there in that plane with the crazy man.
”

             
Elise looked embarrassed but smiled.
“
We all helped. Henrik and Peter, they did most of the work.
”

             
Matthias nodded.
“
Yes, I suppose you all did help. And now there is a ship full of people out there that has a better chance of making it to the Promised Land, Eretz Israel, because of what you
’
ve done.
”

             
“
Aw,
”
said Henrik,
“
it was Hector who really caught that Abu guy.
”

             
“
You kids are all too modest,
”
insisted Matthias.

             
Little Johanna began to giggle when Hector licked the gravy off her plate, and the others joined in the laugh.

             
“
A toast to Hector!
”
chimed in Elise, holding up her soda.
“
And to Eretz Israel!
”

             
“
And an extra piece of meat!
”
Uncle Morten added.

             
“
Shalom!
”
cried Henrik.

             
Everyone stood up and cheered while Hector barked in agreement. Peter grinned and put his arm around his friend
’
s shoulder.

             
“
Shalom, Henrik.
”