seal-meat porridge, they broke camp and
headed back towards Autisaq. The journey was uneventful and they reached the
settlement late that evening. While Bill went back to the hotel to change out
of his travelling clothes, Edie took off home for a hot shower then drove round
to Sammy's house to ask after Joe's expedition. She'd been hoping to see her
stepson's snowbie parked outside her house but it wasn't there and there were
no tracks to indicate anyone had come by that way. On the way to Sammy's she
passed by Minnie's house just in case he'd decided to stay with her, but his
snowbie wasn't there either. Sammy's place smelled of the usual blend of stale
booze and junk food.
'See
Joe yet?'
'Nope,'
he said. He was sitting on the sofa watching an episode of Columbo and didn't
look up. 'Don't expect to, least not for a day or two.'
'They
get bad weather?'
Sammy
nodded. He didn't seem too bothered.
'How
bad?' Her voice sounded calm. She reminded herself to keep it that way.
'Bad enough
we can't reach them on the sat phone.'
'A
spotter plane go out yet?'
'Maybe,'
Sammy said in a vague tone, his eye still half on the cop show. 'Poor
visibility over there today but it'll clear, always does in Craig this time of
year. Don't worry so much.'
Edie
envied Sammy his cool-headedness. Inuit men were brought up that way, to save
the worrying for the things they could actually do something about. Everything
else stayed buried under the surface. Joe was the same. She didn't know why she
worried so much - perhaps it was the qalunaat in her, perhaps it was
just part of being a woman.
She
went across to the hotel to check on Fairfax and give him the news, and found
him in the communal area, drinking a large mug of hot chocolate and making
notes in a fancy-looking hardbound book. He was immersed in his own discoveries
and, she thought, didn't seem particularly concerned about the situation,
except in so far as it might delay his return home. He had family business to
attend to. If Taylor was delayed too long, he would have to leave without him.
'It
was his idea anyway.'
Edie
raised her eyebrows.
'You
thought I put up the money?'
'Actually,
yes.'
Fairfax
shook his head. 'Andy contacted me, said he had interest from some TV outfit,
but their schedules meant we'd have to go up on a recce right away.'
She
recalled what Taylor had said about being broke. Maybe he was just the hustler
for the TV company.
'No
offence, why did he need you?'
Fairfax
looked up, a little offended all the same. 'The name,' he said. 'I'm the name.'
Sleep
eluded Edie that night. She passed the long hours touring the list of rational
explanations for Joe's absence.
Trips
got weathered out all the time. The ice shifted, some large leads unexpectedly
opened up, the wind started gusting badly, the air whited out. It was
nothing—nothing—to be two, three, even four days late on even the shortest
trip. All these things she told herself, over and over, until by the time the
morning came she felt exhausted by them.
It
was hard to concentrate on her teaching that day and the children sensed it. As
a result, the lessons went badly; the class was bored and played up. Edie felt
rotten for letting them down but didn't seem able to pull herself together. The
moment the final bell rang, she yanked on her outdoor boots and went to the
mayor's office. No further news of the Craig Island expedition.
At
four the supply plane came in, unloaded its cargo, loaded up the mail and a few
bits and pieces of electrical plant being sent away for repair. Fairfax took
his seat beside the pilot and was gone.
On
her way home, Edie was taken with a sudden impulse to search Andy Taylor's room
in the hotel. It was unethical, but right now she didn't care. Padding upstairs
and along the
headed back towards Autisaq. The journey was uneventful and they reached the
settlement late that evening. While Bill went back to the hotel to change out
of his travelling clothes, Edie took off home for a hot shower then drove round
to Sammy's house to ask after Joe's expedition. She'd been hoping to see her
stepson's snowbie parked outside her house but it wasn't there and there were
no tracks to indicate anyone had come by that way. On the way to Sammy's she
passed by Minnie's house just in case he'd decided to stay with her, but his
snowbie wasn't there either. Sammy's place smelled of the usual blend of stale
booze and junk food.
'See
Joe yet?'
'Nope,'
he said. He was sitting on the sofa watching an episode of Columbo and didn't
look up. 'Don't expect to, least not for a day or two.'
'They
get bad weather?'
Sammy
nodded. He didn't seem too bothered.
'How
bad?' Her voice sounded calm. She reminded herself to keep it that way.
'Bad enough
we can't reach them on the sat phone.'
'A
spotter plane go out yet?'
'Maybe,'
Sammy said in a vague tone, his eye still half on the cop show. 'Poor
visibility over there today but it'll clear, always does in Craig this time of
year. Don't worry so much.'
Edie
envied Sammy his cool-headedness. Inuit men were brought up that way, to save
the worrying for the things they could actually do something about. Everything
else stayed buried under the surface. Joe was the same. She didn't know why she
worried so much - perhaps it was the qalunaat in her, perhaps it was
just part of being a woman.
She
went across to the hotel to check on Fairfax and give him the news, and found
him in the communal area, drinking a large mug of hot chocolate and making
notes in a fancy-looking hardbound book. He was immersed in his own discoveries
and, she thought, didn't seem particularly concerned about the situation,
except in so far as it might delay his return home. He had family business to
attend to. If Taylor was delayed too long, he would have to leave without him.
'It
was his idea anyway.'
Edie
raised her eyebrows.
'You
thought I put up the money?'
'Actually,
yes.'
Fairfax
shook his head. 'Andy contacted me, said he had interest from some TV outfit,
but their schedules meant we'd have to go up on a recce right away.'
She
recalled what Taylor had said about being broke. Maybe he was just the hustler
for the TV company.
'No
offence, why did he need you?'
Fairfax
looked up, a little offended all the same. 'The name,' he said. 'I'm the name.'
Sleep
eluded Edie that night. She passed the long hours touring the list of rational
explanations for Joe's absence.
Trips
got weathered out all the time. The ice shifted, some large leads unexpectedly
opened up, the wind started gusting badly, the air whited out. It was
nothing—nothing—to be two, three, even four days late on even the shortest
trip. All these things she told herself, over and over, until by the time the
morning came she felt exhausted by them.
It
was hard to concentrate on her teaching that day and the children sensed it. As
a result, the lessons went badly; the class was bored and played up. Edie felt
rotten for letting them down but didn't seem able to pull herself together. The
moment the final bell rang, she yanked on her outdoor boots and went to the
mayor's office. No further news of the Craig Island expedition.
At
four the supply plane came in, unloaded its cargo, loaded up the mail and a few
bits and pieces of electrical plant being sent away for repair. Fairfax took
his seat beside the pilot and was gone.
On
her way home, Edie was taken with a sudden impulse to search Andy Taylor's room
in the hotel. It was unethical, but right now she didn't care. Padding upstairs
and along the
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