keeping guard, because they hadn’t had orders to go.’
‘Where could they go to?’ asked Lillian.
‘There was the sea,’ said Mr Hensley. ‘That book, The Last Days of Pompeii , took the story from Roman writers who were there. The eruption eased off at times, like showers do, and many of the people ran away. The hero and heroine escaped on a ship.’
‘And those who didn’t run away were smothered,’ said Mattie calmly, ‘and if it happens to us we’ll be like those centurions and die bravely.’
‘Aren’t you scared ?’ said Lillian, amazed.
‘It’s different somehow,’ said Mattie. ‘Scared is how you feel when things might be awful and you don’t know what to do if they happen. This is real and it’s happening and I’m sort of ready for what comes next.’
‘Like an animal in a trap,’ said Mr Hensley. ‘All senses alert. If there’s a way out we must find it. Perhaps all we have to do is stay here. The eruption could stop at any time.’
‘We’ll all keep together, the five of us, like one family,’said Mrs Hensley. ‘And put up a stiff resistance, shall we, Lillian?’
‘Count on me!’ said Lillian, and her voice was suddenly loud, as if she were shouting defiance.
Edwin Bainbridge now closed his diary, asked Bridget to find him a Bible, and stood forward in front of everyone.
‘Fellow Christians!’ he said in a strong clear voice. ‘We are duty-bound to preserve, if we can, the life that God has given us. But we know that we are in peril. For myself, I have not the slightest doubt that before this night has ended I will stand before my Maker. Will you join me in prayer?’
A murmur went round the room. Most of them had already been praying silently and even desperately. It would feel better to pray together. They bowed their heads as Edwin prayed: ‘Oh Lord our God, we call to thee in what may be the last hour of our lives. If it be that we are delivered into thy presence, we thank thee for our lives on this earth, for our joys and our blessings and thy loving care in times of trouble. We ask thee to bless our loved ones and ease their burden of sorrow. And if it be that any among us are saved from this peril, let it be a turning point in our lives, to lead us to thee. Our Father which art in Heaven…’
Other voices joined him, the Maoris loudest of all: ‘E to mtou matua i te rangi…’
Then he read the passage in St Luke’s gospel aboutJesus being crucified between two thieves, ending with the words:
‘And the thief said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
‘And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.’
Lastly Edwin prayed again, ‘O Lord, be with us now. Our lives are in thy hands. Should we meet thee at this time, have mercy and forgive. Amen.’
For a few moments there was a stillness in the room, through which the uproar of the devil’s rain, the wind, the earthquake and the volcano came like an intruder. Then several of the listeners went up to thank Mr Bainbridge, including Willie Bird, who had added his own prayer to be reunited with his wife and baby.
But now, from the unseen distance, came the last and greatest roar which boomed across the lake and set the hotel shuddering from end to end.
The southern end of the grim mountain had split wide open to make a chasm eight miles long. This would not be known for many days. But in his little whare Tuhoto, quite alone, knowing well that the mud and stones were piling up over his hut, heard the roar and knew.
Tama-o-hoi had broken out. No one would ever see him, but the old demon was taking his vengeance as the legend promised, on the descendants of Ngatoro-i-rangi.
12
No Longer a Haven
H ow long d’you think this place will hold, Joe?’ asked Charlie Humphreys as they started up the stairs, each with a lantern.
‘Longer than your place at least. I can see what you’re after, Charlie. We’ll take a look from the far
‘Where could they go to?’ asked Lillian.
‘There was the sea,’ said Mr Hensley. ‘That book, The Last Days of Pompeii , took the story from Roman writers who were there. The eruption eased off at times, like showers do, and many of the people ran away. The hero and heroine escaped on a ship.’
‘And those who didn’t run away were smothered,’ said Mattie calmly, ‘and if it happens to us we’ll be like those centurions and die bravely.’
‘Aren’t you scared ?’ said Lillian, amazed.
‘It’s different somehow,’ said Mattie. ‘Scared is how you feel when things might be awful and you don’t know what to do if they happen. This is real and it’s happening and I’m sort of ready for what comes next.’
‘Like an animal in a trap,’ said Mr Hensley. ‘All senses alert. If there’s a way out we must find it. Perhaps all we have to do is stay here. The eruption could stop at any time.’
‘We’ll all keep together, the five of us, like one family,’said Mrs Hensley. ‘And put up a stiff resistance, shall we, Lillian?’
‘Count on me!’ said Lillian, and her voice was suddenly loud, as if she were shouting defiance.
Edwin Bainbridge now closed his diary, asked Bridget to find him a Bible, and stood forward in front of everyone.
‘Fellow Christians!’ he said in a strong clear voice. ‘We are duty-bound to preserve, if we can, the life that God has given us. But we know that we are in peril. For myself, I have not the slightest doubt that before this night has ended I will stand before my Maker. Will you join me in prayer?’
A murmur went round the room. Most of them had already been praying silently and even desperately. It would feel better to pray together. They bowed their heads as Edwin prayed: ‘Oh Lord our God, we call to thee in what may be the last hour of our lives. If it be that we are delivered into thy presence, we thank thee for our lives on this earth, for our joys and our blessings and thy loving care in times of trouble. We ask thee to bless our loved ones and ease their burden of sorrow. And if it be that any among us are saved from this peril, let it be a turning point in our lives, to lead us to thee. Our Father which art in Heaven…’
Other voices joined him, the Maoris loudest of all: ‘E to mtou matua i te rangi…’
Then he read the passage in St Luke’s gospel aboutJesus being crucified between two thieves, ending with the words:
‘And the thief said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
‘And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.’
Lastly Edwin prayed again, ‘O Lord, be with us now. Our lives are in thy hands. Should we meet thee at this time, have mercy and forgive. Amen.’
For a few moments there was a stillness in the room, through which the uproar of the devil’s rain, the wind, the earthquake and the volcano came like an intruder. Then several of the listeners went up to thank Mr Bainbridge, including Willie Bird, who had added his own prayer to be reunited with his wife and baby.
But now, from the unseen distance, came the last and greatest roar which boomed across the lake and set the hotel shuddering from end to end.
The southern end of the grim mountain had split wide open to make a chasm eight miles long. This would not be known for many days. But in his little whare Tuhoto, quite alone, knowing well that the mud and stones were piling up over his hut, heard the roar and knew.
Tama-o-hoi had broken out. No one would ever see him, but the old demon was taking his vengeance as the legend promised, on the descendants of Ngatoro-i-rangi.
12
No Longer a Haven
H ow long d’you think this place will hold, Joe?’ asked Charlie Humphreys as they started up the stairs, each with a lantern.
‘Longer than your place at least. I can see what you’re after, Charlie. We’ll take a look from the far
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