Blue Smoke by Deborah Challinor

wrong?’ Tamar felt a small spider of anxiety beginning to inch its way down her spine.
    ‘Sort of. I went around to Duncan’s earlier this evening to see if he wanted to come out for a meal, and he wasn’t there. In fact, no one was. So I went to the pub he favours, and one of his classmates said the last he’d heard he was off somewhere with a group of his cronies planning an expedition to Spain to fight in the Civil War. On the side of the Loyalists.’
    ‘What?’ Tamar was astounded.
    ‘Exactly. I laughed at first, but the boy insisted it was true. Or so he’d heard, any way. He gave me an address in Stuart Street so I shot around and banged on the door and barged my way in and there they were, this group of university students hunched over a kitchen table, poring over maps and lists and what have you. They got a hell of a fright when I barrelled in.’
    ‘What were they doing? Was Duncan there?’
    ‘No, he wasn’t, but I got it out of them. They were in the middle of getting ready to go to Spain to join one of the International Brigades. Some of their “comrades” have apparently already left. I’m sorry, Mam, but it seems that Duncan was one of them.’
    ‘He’s left? For Spain ?’
    ‘Almost. The ship leaves from Wellington tomorrow afternoon. He’s on his way there now.’
    ‘But what’s the war in Spain got to do with Duncan?’
    ‘I don’t know, but they were all extremely passionate about it, going on about hating the idea of the Spanish being forced by the Fascists and the Nazis to live under a totalitarian regime, and not being able to stand by and watch it happen. I can’t say I disagree, either.’
    ‘But why would he want to fight another country’s war, Thomas?
    Why ?’
    Thomas heard the note of despair in his mother’s voice, but elected not to respond to her question. Why? Quite possibly because Duncan’s father and all his uncles had done it, that’s why.
    Instead he said, ‘If I leave now, I might be able to catch up with him before he gets to Wellington. He’ll have to wait for the ferry across Cook Strait. I could catch him there.’
    Tamar thought quickly. ‘When did he leave Dunedin?’
    ‘This morning, according to his mates.’
    ‘Then you’ll be too late. No, we’ll stop him from this end.’
    ‘But can you?’ Thomas was doubtful. ‘God knows I hate the very idea of any of my nieces and nephews going off to war, Mam, you know that, but he’s twenty-one and can do what he likes now. I’m not sure you can stop him. I’m not sure I could, either, much as I’d like to.’
    ‘I can and I will,’ Tamar shot back.
    At that moment the front door banged open and Tamar whirled as James crashed into the hall, his face thunderous. Tamar said into the telephone, ‘Thomas? James is here. I’ll phone you back later, all right?’
    She replaced the black mouthpiece of the telephone in its cradle, and turned to her son.
    ‘Was that Thomas?’ James demanded before Tamar could geta word in. ‘Did he tell you what that fool boy has done? Only gone and volunteered to fight in the bloody Spanish Civil War! I have to stop him, Mam, the stupid bloody little bugger! He could be killed !’
    Tamar knew that Duncan was neither stupid nor little, but she thoroughly agreed with James that he had to be stopped. By now Keely and Owen had come into the hall and were staring in consternation.
    ‘We’ll leave immediately,’ Tamar snapped. ‘Bring the car around, Owen. Keely, will you help me pack a bag, please? We’ve no time to lose.’
    Keely demanded, ‘What are you talking about, Mam? What’s happened?’
    ‘Duncan’s decided to run off and be a freedom fighter in Spain. He’s leaving tomorrow afternoon.’ James grimaced in frustration and rubbed his eyebrows wearily, fear and worry quickly overcoming his initial anger. ‘We have to stop him.’
    ‘But you can’t go, Mam,’ Keely protested. ‘What about your heart?’
    ‘Never mind my heart! My health won’t