The Emerald Key

CHAPTER 20





The raucous mess hall brimmed with a festive spirit. The workers cheered and raised their drinks when the man they knew as Patrick Kell proudly announced that he had been reunited with a long-lost brother. Beth and Colin were also invited to the celebration. Everyone enjoyed the enormous portions of celebratory food that Mr. Montgomery provided for the event. After dinner, Ryan stood up and gave an emotional toast to family, lost and found. Soaking in the smiles and good tidings, Jamie felt, for the first time since leaving Ireland, truly happy. The cooks served up a special dessert of peach cobbler and by the time the dishes were cleared, everyone felt as if they had been part of something very special.

The sun was setting behind the escarpment as the two Galway boys and the children left the mess hall. Colin tugged on Jamie’s satchel. He was staring at their fishing rods leaning up against the frame of the mess hall.

“Jamie, can Beth and I go fishing?”

“How about saying thank you to Ryan for that delicious meal first?”

The little boy scrunched up his face in a big smile. “Thank you, Ryan!”

“You’re welcome, Colin. And Beth, it was a pleasure having this chance to meet you.”

Beth ran and wrapped her arms around the brothers. “I’m so happy that you two are together again!”

“So are we,” agreed Jamie.

“Come on, Beth!” said Colin, grabbing her sleeve and yanking her away from the embrace.

“All right, Colin,” said Beth, looking back over her shoulder towards the boys. “Someone told us there is a great creek for brook trout just on the other side of the locks.”

“I know the creek,” said Ryan, pointing towards the woods. “After you go over that small hill, follow the creek back a little bit until you come to a big boulder. Just sit on that rock and lower the worms. You’ll get lots of bites!”

“Good luck!” said Jamie.

“Thank you!” they both shouted as they grabbed their poles and ran off.

“Your children are very sweet; Beth nearly talked my ear off at dinner,” said Ryan, cheekily. “You should be very proud of them.”

“You make me sound like I’m their dad,” said Jamie, giving his brother a shove. “I’m just helping them out. They’ve both been through a lot, just like us.”

“Aye, it does take me back, watching those two supporting each other, and all on their own.”

“I’m hoping that they won’t be on their own for much longer,” replied Jamie. “Colin’s aunt and uncle should be here in a few days’ time.”

“Good. It’s important for kids to have a place to call home.”

Jamie stopped and stared at his brother. “Just like you have back in Ireland. The Brotherhood is your home. It needs you.”

Ryan shook his head. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Ryan led Jamie across the top of the worksite. The cleared site portrayed a stunning vista of Lake Ontario and the distant shores of Canada West. To the right, a cloud of mist rising up in the cooling air marked the magnificent natural beauty of Niagara Falls. Ryan opened his arms to the surrounding land.

“I already told you, I’m not leaving this place.”

“You said that you’re not going back because you’ve joined this rebellious band of Irish immigrants? What was their name again?”

“They’re calling themselves an army. Some members are here working with me on the Welland Canal. That’s how I found out about the group. They’re purchasing arms to fight for Irish freedom wherever the British have interests, including here in Canada.”

“But joining an armed militia goes against all of your priesthood vows!”

Ryan eyed him skeptically. “You’re one to talk about going against our vows. What about breaking into the House of Parliament and stealing a brand new steamship?”

Jamie sighed. “I only borrowed the ship, and there’s no longer any House of Parliament, so that incursion no longer counts. Do you realize what this Irish army is planning to do? You’re talking about full-blown warfare! Ryan, you will be attacking and killing British soldiers!”

Ryan locked eyes with his brother. “I know.”

“How can you do this? How can you go out and kill people?”

“Did King David not lead the Israelites into war? Sometimes warfare is necessary.”

“King David was protecting his people from invasion.”

“And so are we. Can’t you see the connection, Jamie? England invaded our land! This is the only way to remove them once and for all! It’s no different from what’s described in the Bible.”

“How is killing going to solve anything?”

“The British government only respects power! How did the American people achieve their independence? Did they simply write a nice letter to the King of England, asking ‘Please, your highness, can we run our own country?’ Of course not! The British responded to their requests for freedom by sending in shiploads of armed redcoats to destroy all those who supported any idea of independence. But unlike us, the American people quietly organized themselves into militias. They gathered weapons. They practised their assaults. When the time was right, the British colonies erupted into a bloody war of independence. It took years and they had to sacrifice much of their own blood, but eventually they gained their freedom for future generations. And I’m saying that the time has come when the people of Ireland must follow the same path.”

“War is never the answer,” countered Jamie. “There are also peaceful ways of achieving freedom.”

Ryan shook his head. “But that is only if you command respect from your adversary. Do you think the British government has any respect for us? They take no interest in millions of our people dying of hunger, right next door to their very own country. We’re mere animals to them and to get the respect we need, for us to win back our own country, we must stop rolling over to their every whim and learn how to bite.”

“I don’t agree,” countered Jamie. “If we do what you say and support militias like this, then we’re really no better than the British government. And don’t forget, there are many people in Britain and around the world who also care about Ireland and its people. Distant world leaders have sent us money and food. And you know how important the church is to our people. We provide the food, clothing, and spiritual guidance our people need to survive this tragedy. Our role is clear. It’s non-violent. We cannot take up arms.”

“I know there are some out there who care about the Irish,” Ryan said, taking the Brotherhood ring off his finger, “but there just aren’t enough of them to make a difference. I’m sorry, Jamie. I’m finished with the priesthood, and the Brotherhood. Sometimes there are moments when you just have to fight for what’s right.”

He handed the ring to Jamie. Jamie rolled the ring around in his palm and shook his head.

“You know, I wouldn’t have joined the Brotherhood if it weren’t for you.”

“And I am so proud of you, little brother. We’ve been through so much together, but it’s time to find our own paths. Yours is in the Brotherhood. Mine is fighting for Irish independence.”

A third voice suddenly boomed into the conversation. “And mine is relieving you of the Book of Galway.”

Ryan and Jamie spun to find a tall, narrow-faced man pointing a double-barrelled handgun at them.

“Do I know you?” demanded Ryan, eyeing the gun.

The stranger chuckled. “No. Not really. But I do know the two of you. You are brothers, correct? Ryan and Jamie Galway. You both belong to the Brotherhood, a collection of Irish monks who protect a long forgotten treasure. I aim to get myself a boatload of that treasure and I’m going to need the book that’s sitting in your leather satchel to do it. So, if you don’t mind, just pass the satchel to me and I’ll be on my way.”

Jamie’s eyes flared with recognition. “That was you tracking us in Montreal! You threw Beth into the fire at the House of Parliament!”

“She was simply a loose end. All would have gone according to plan if you had simply put the book into the sack that was brought up ahead of you. I have to admit, I didn’t think that you’d risk keeping it on your person while surrounded by an inferno.”

“I’m going to kill him,” growled Jamie. The man aimed the gun at Jamie’s chest and pulled back the trigger.

“Whoa there, my pacifist brother,” growled Ryan, blocking Jamie with his arm. “If he wanted to kill us, he could have pulled the trigger by now.”

“A splendid observation,” agreed the stranger. “You see, I’m a changed man since that incident in Montreal. I could have killed the children who are sitting over there by the creek and then you in order to claim the book for myself, but the fact that you escaped the fire unharmed … well, I would say that moment falls under what I would call the miraculous category. So who am I to argue with God for choosing to save your life? I shall, in turn, respect His decision and do the same. All I want is the book, and then you and the children can go free.”

“But the book alone is no good to you,” argued Jamie. “Having it in your possession will not get you any closer to the treasure.”

The stranger scratched his chin in thought. “Ah yes, you are speaking of the other keys to the treasure. It’s true that you need all of the keys in order to find the treasure’s location, but I have also discovered that without the book, the other keys will be rendered useless. So that will put the Brotherhood in a rather awkward pickle.… Are they going to share some of the treasure with me to get their book back, or will they allow the treasure to become lost forever? I’m betting that members of the Brotherhood are reasonable folk. They will surely come to see the situation my way. All I’m asking for is enough treasure so that I can live the rest of my life in reasonable comfort. And if the Brotherhood chooses to be stubborn in this matter, then I will at least have in my possession a book that could fetch a very hefty price from a private collector.

“With the sale of the book, I’m afraid that the Brotherhood’s secret of an Irish treasure will finally be out in the open. Treasure hunters from all over the world will descend upon your tiny little island. They will tear apart every inch of countryside looking for it, and they are very good at what they do. I can guarantee, the treasure will be found, if not by me, then by one of them. So really, I am offering the much better alternative. All I’m asking for is a cut of the least important pieces of the treasure and then you monks can keep the rest. Its location will remain a secret for as long as you want.”

“We’re talking about the national treasure of an entire country,” hissed Jamie. “You have no right to take any of it for yourself.”

The stranger waved his gun. “I think I’ll let the other members of the Brotherhood make that decision. Now, Mr. Galway, hand me the book. Even though I don’t want to use force, you may leave me with no alternative.”


Sitting on a large rock, Beth and Colin soon came to realize that Ryan had led them to an almost magical fishing location. They barely had to dip their worms into the rippling rapids of the creek before their rod would snap down with a tremendous hit. Squealing with delight, the children pulled up trout after sparkling trout.

Beth couldn’t contain her smile. Since being orphaned from her parents two years previously, she had never been happier. She finally felt important and needed. She had saved Jamie’s life from a fiery disaster, and now she was witness to a wonderful reunion with his brother. Sitting cross-legged, she silently hoped that these times would never end, that their adventure could continue on forever and ever.

Beth sighed. She also knew that was just silly daydreaming. Jamie, from the very beginning, had said that he needed to go back home to Ireland. She couldn’t bear the thought of not being with him any longer. Besides her family, she had never been closer to anyone in her whole life. Beth made her decision. She would go back to Ireland with Jamie. That seemed like such a crazy thought, but she could think of no alternative. Yes, he was a priest, but she cared so much for him, perhaps she could join a nunnery so that they could still be together in some way. Then, she remembered the ashen faces of her parents, their spirits slipping away from her down in the dark putrid belly of the ship. Her parents had died trying to get her away from that diseased island, and now she was determined to go back. Her heart broke as she contemplated her dilemma. But what else could she do?

Above her on the hill, she had seen Jamie and Ryan walk by as they caught up on all of the activities of the past few weeks. She couldn’t imagine their happiness. What would it feel like to be reunited with members of her family, her mom or dad, after she thought that they had passed away? What would be the very first words she would share with them? How different would her future be?

Colin suddenly lifted up his rod and broke her train of thought. A golden brook trout wriggled furiously on the end of his line.

“Beth, can you help me?” he asked.

“Sure, hold it still. Let me grab the line. There we go.”

While holding the line steady with one hand, she grasped the slimy fish with the other. Then, she slipped her small fingers into the fish’s mouth and carefully worked the hook out of its gasping gills. As she turned to throw the fish into the bucket, a movement caught her eye. She looked up the hill to see a tall, thin man with a long coat walking in the same direction the brothers had just taken. His long hooked nose and cold eyes instantly sent a shiver down her spine. She gasped. She had seen that face before.

Beth quietly lowered her rod to the ground.

“Why aren’t you putting a new worm on the hook?” complained Colin.

“Shh!” commanded Beth. “Quietly put down your rod and follow me.”

Colin could sense Beth’s apprehension and did as he was told. Together, they carefully slid off the rock until they were shielded from view.

“What’s wrong, Beth?”

“I think Jamie and his brother are in trouble.”

“Trouble?”

“I just saw a bad man follow Jamie and his brother into the woods. They might need our help. Remember how Jamie is helping you find your aunt and uncle?”

He nodded.

“Would you like to help him now?”

Bravely, he nodded again.

“You must promise me two things. You mustn’t say another word and you must do exactly as I say. Promise?”

He nodded.

“Good boy. Now let’s go find Jamie and Ryan.”


Jamie pulled the Book of Galway out of the sack and held it against his chest. “I can’t give it to you.”

Ryan looked to him in shock. “Jamie, what are you doing? Just give him the book!”

“Just as you’re prepared to die fighting for Ireland, I’m prepared to die for this book.”

“We’ll figure something else out!” Ryan argued. “He’s going to kill you! What about the kids?”

“They’ll be all right. Beth can look after Colin.”

“Well, I don’t want to lose you! You’re my brother! Give him the book!”

“No.”

Wilkes sighed. “Well, I suppose I knew it was going to come down to this.” Wilkes raised the gun and pointed it at Jamie’s head.

“Jamie! Jamie! Jamie!” a little voice called out. Colin burst into the clearing, ran towards Jamie, and threw himself into his arms.

“Colin,” Jamie cried, “what are you doing? You shouldn’t be here!”

Distracted, Wilkes lowered the gun slightly. A child in Jamie’s arms complicated things and he hesitated, not sure what to do next. He had only two bullets loaded in his gun. Jamie turned sideways to protect the child from the firearm, giving Wilkes another clear target, the back of Jamie’s head. He lifted the gun and began to pull the trigger.

Behind Wilkes, Beth crawled out as close as she dared, then burst out of the bushes. Wilkes heard her and turned, swinging his pistol, but it was too late. Beth threw herself into his long, spindly legs, her shoulder hitting him right behind the knees. He screamed in agony as both he and Beth crashed into a heap before the boys. Ryan grabbed hold of Beth’s hand and launched her up and out of the tangled mess. Jamie kept his grip on Colin and together they fled from the armed attacker. Wilkes, still with the gun in his hand, cursed and scrambled back to his feet.

“Come on!” yelled Ryan. “This way!”

There was a bang, and a bullet whistled past Jamie’s ear. Wilkes was not about to give up. With Ryan in the lead, they splashed through the creek and turned back towards the canal. A second shot rang out and bits of stone exploded from the rock Beth and Colin had been fishing on only moments earlier. Jamie stole a glance behind him. The stranger was limping slightly but still moving towards them with surprising agility. If he didn’t have Colin in his arms, and Ryan leading Beth, then the young men could have easily outrun him. Now it was an even race.

They scrambled over the hill that led down to the highest lock. Ryan ran up to the work shed at the top of the canal, tried the door, but it had already been locked for the night. It was getting dark and the work site was deserted. They needed a place to hide. The area was wide open and provided no hiding spots. Ryan looked to the lock itself.

“Follow me!”

When they reached the edge of the finished first lock, Jamie noticed that the canal behind the lock was full of water from the distant Lake Erie. The water was being held back by the set of large wooden doors. They came to a stop at the top of a metal ladder that led down into the bottom of the empty lock.

“Climb down!” he ordered.

“Down there?” Jamie argued. “We’ll be sitting ducks! It will be like shooting fish in a puddle! We won’t have a chance!”

Ryan gripped his brother’s shoulder. “Trust me!”

Jamie took a deep breath and nodded to Beth.

“Go!”

Beth clambered down the ladder with Jamie and Colin close behind. Ryan glanced over to the shed while descending and, just before his head disappeared behind the stone lip of the lock, saw Wilkes running to the shed.

Bursting upon the construction site, Wilkes had scanned the open area for the children and the young men, but they were nowhere to be seen. He knew they hadn’t had time to cross the entire barren area before he’d arrived so they must be somewhere close. The shed was the logical place to hide. He limped quickly over to the door, but it was locked. He glanced in the window, checking every nook and corner of the shed. It was empty. He saw the mess hall in the distance but decided that there was no way the group could have made it all the way across before his arrival. He was just about to curse his bad luck when his ear picked up the echo of a kicked pebble. It came from the direction of the locks. Senses alert, he limped over to the edge of the first lock and looked down. Then saw Ryan, the older brother, bending down into a large round pipe at the bottom of the canal. Wilkes aimed his reloaded gun and fired. A spray of blood splattered the side of the lock as Ryan disappeared into the pipe. He’d been hit. Wilkes reloaded his gun once again. Now there was no need to rush. The whole lot of them were trapped inside the pipe. With his gun pointing at the mouth of the pipe, he walked cautiously toward the steel ladder and lowered himself down into the bottom of the lock.

“Stop here,” ordered Ryan as they huddled in the pipe. Jamie could hear him gasping for breath.

“Are you all right, Ryan?” asked Jamie, unable to see anything in the pitch darkness of the pipe. “I heard a shot.”

“I’ve been shot in the shoulder,” replied Ryan, “but I’m fine,”

“Shot?” Jamie exclaimed. “Let me see!”

“No! Listen! We don’t have much time! Wilkes knows where we are, and I can guarantee he’ll be right on our tail in just a few seconds. Jamie, I can’t move my right arm so you’re going to have to do everything. Now listen carefully. Here’s the plan.” After Ryan had explained his idea, Jamie left the children with his brother, swung open a metal door on the side of the pipe, stepped through the small opening, and entered a second pipe. He then closed the metal door behind him and locked it in place with a metal bolt.

“Ryan, I don’t like the dark.” whispered Colin.

“I know this pipe like the back of my hand,” soothed Ryan. “I know every weld and bolt, and I can walk you through it with my eyes closed.”

“But my eyes are open, and I still can’t see anything!” complained Colin.

“Shhh,” Beth commanded.

“Beth, I’ll hold your hand, and you hold Colin’s. Whatever you do, don’t let go of each other’s hand! Now follow me.”

They took a few more steps along the pipe until Ryan abruptly stopped in the pitch darkness. He sat down on the floor of the pipe. He reached back and pulled Beth down onto his lap. He then had Colin sit on her lap, as if they were ready to zoom down a snow-covered hill on a long toboggan.

“Why are we sitting like this?” she asked.

“Do you like slides?”

“Oh, yes!” said Colin.

“Well, here’s a good one for you. Beth, this has to be a silent ride. Cover his mouth and don’t let go.”

“Okay.”

Ryan put his good hand over Beth’s lips and then without warning, pushed them off the edge. Beth and Colin gave a muffled scream as they all shot straight down the pipe and into the unending darkness.


Jamie had to time his move perfectly. Reaching the base of lock number two, he slowly stuck his head out of the pipe and looked backwards toward lock number one. The huge wooden doors of the lock were shut and everything seemed to be quiet. As silently as he could, Jamie stepped across to the metal ladder and started the climb up, one rung at a time, toward the top edge of the lock.

Upon reaching the ground, Jamie quietly rolled onto his stomach. He stayed low and crawled over to the edge of lock number one. He peered over the stone edge of the lock. There! He could see their attacker. He was just reaching the bottom of the ladder, gun drawn and aimed toward the pipe. Wilkes was moving slowly, cautiously, not taking any chances. Jamie knew he assumed they were trapped in the pipe and had nowhere to go. Finally, Jamie saw him disappear into the pipe.

It was now or never. Jamie got to his feet and burst into a sprint for the head of the lock.


Ryan helped Beth and Colin crawl onto the floor of a huge building. Their wet, dark ride in the pipe had ended just feet away from the paddles of a massive waterwheel. Ryan, Beth, and Colin clambered over the top edge of the sluice channel which would, when full of speeding water, power the waterwheel. Ryan held a finger to his lips, reminding them to be quiet. Suddenly, from inside the pipe, a faraway voice echoed down to them.

“There’s no point hiding any longer. Give yourselves up now, and I’ll let the younger two live.”

Ryan stumbled over towards a pile of building material left from the construction of the sawmill. Beth grimaced at the sight of Ryan’s back as he made his way across the massive building. The back of his shirt was completely soaked in blood. Ryan slung two pieces of wood under his good arm and returned to the children. He passed one piece to Beth and kept the other for himself.

“The piece of wood for you is in case I pass out,” Ryan whispered as he leaned heavily against the wall. “I want you to watch that pipe like a hawk, young lady. If anything but water comes out of it, I want you to start whacking it as hard as you can and don’t stop whacking it until it stops moving for good. Understand?”

She nodded, gravely, lifting the wood above her head.

“Good girl.”

Ryan pulled Colin around until the little boy was behind him, protecting him from what might soon come their way. Together, they stared silently at the opening in the pipe and waited.


Wilkes stepped further into the darkness.

“I know you’re in here. Sitting quietly and waiting for me to leave isn’t going to work. I’m going to hunt you down, one by one. If I have to come in and find you, I’ll have to kill each one of you as I flush you out of this rat hole. The deal to save the children will then be off.”

Wilkes paused and listened. Only a thick silence hung in the air. Something was wrong. His intuition was telling him that he should be hearing at least a slight sign of life in these tight confines … a shuffle, a whimper perhaps, at least something … but there was nothing. Had they found another way out? His foot came to the edge of a sudden drop downwards in the pipe. He didn’t want to risk a suicide plunge into the unknown. Then, a noise did come down the pipe, but it was coming from behind. It was a sound that sent a shiver down his spine. It was the sound of rushing water! Wilkes turned and sprinted as fast as he could for the mouth of the pipe.

Jamie cranked the handles as fast as his arms would turn. The handles were attached to a round gear, which was then connected to a long metal rod. The rod extended down to the bottom of the gate and was attached to a door. The door held back the water from the canal. As Jamie cranked the gear, the door rose and a torrent of water sprayed into the lock. There were four doors in all. After cranking the first one wide open, Jamie ran for the second gear and started turning that handle as well. A second geyser of water erupted into the lock. He watched with satisfaction as the water frothed along the base of the lock and angrily disappeared into the pipe that contained their attacker.

Jamie finished the second gate and was jogging to the third when a movement caught his eye. Much to his disbelief, a hand suddenly appeared from the pipe that was quickly filling with rushing water. It reached out and grabbed on to the ladder next to the opening. A second hand swung around and wrapped its fingers around a different rung, while somehow still holding on to a gun. Wilkes, drenched and exhausted, pulled his body out from the frothing current.

Stunned by the turn of events, Jamie left the gates and ran along the side of the lock, keeping away from its edge so that Wilkes couldn’t see him approach. When he was within arm’s reach of the ladder, he removed the leather satchel from his shoulder and lifted the flap. Eyes closed in prayer, Jamie took the ring of the Brotherhood off his finger for the first time since receiving it years ago and placed it, along with the book and his brother’s ring, in the satchel. He put the satchel on the ground, and then crept to the top of the ladder and waited.

First a hand and then Wilkes’s head appeared over the stone lip of the lock. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jamie lashed out with his foot and crashed it into Wilkes’s wrist. Wilkes screamed in pain as the gun went flying into the flooded lock below.

Before Wilkes could get himself off the ladder, Jamie lashed out again with his foot, catching Wilkes on the shoulder. Wilkes felt his shoulder explode in pain, but this time he was prepared for the attack and on contact, he wrapped his arm around Jamie’s leg. Jamie wasn’t expecting such a quick move, and he stumbled off balance toward the edge of the lock. Trying to stop himself from being thrown into the water below, Jamie made a desperate grab for the top of the ladder, reaching out with his left hand. He swung off the edge of the lock and caught the ladder, but his momentum carried Jamie out over the water and swung him about in a big arc. He grabbed the far side of the ladder with his other hand and buried his two knees hard into Wilkes’s lower back. Wilkes howled in pain as Jamie tried to scramble up his attacker to reach solid ground. Enraged, Wilkes swung a fist up and over his head, which connected squarely with Jamie’s jaw. Jamie felt his head explode as the fist smashed his jawbone. Jamie lost his grip on the ladder and in desperation, grabbed on to the only thing he could, Wilkes’s coat. Wilkes, hanging on by only one hand, couldn’t handle the sudden weight on his back and his remaining hand slipped off the ladder. Together, Wilkes and Jamie fell with a tremendous splash into the bottom of the lock.

Lying on their backs and gasping for air, the two men were swept into the pipe by the raging current. Both were momentarily stunned by their predicament as they were swallowed up by darkness. Their bodies accelerated down the slippery metal tube. Jamie’s only advantage over Wilkes was that he knew what was coming. The sudden drop would be upon them in a second. He only had one chance. Catching Wilkes by surprise, Jamie clawed and crawled like a madman over Wilkes’s body, pushing him ahead in the water, while Jamie fell in behind. Before Wilkes could respond, they hit the edge. The bottom of the pipe seemed to drop out from under them as the two men were sent into freefall with the gushing water. Like bullets from a gun, the men accelerated down the tube until the pipe suddenly levelled off. Jamie braced himself. He curled himself up into a ball, praying that Ryan’s plan would work.

Wilkes screamed in horror. A giant paddlewheel suddenly materialized in the gloom, its blades briskly spinning in the torrent of rushing water. Wilkes’s legs were the first to emerge from the pipe and then disappear under the paddles, the bones in his legs snapping like toothpicks. The waterwheel then crushed its way up his body until it reached his chest, grinding to a halt, impeded by the sheer mass of his body. Wilkes managed a final gurgle as water sprayed out in all directions, searching for a way around the human obstruction. Jamie came next, crashing hard into Wilkes’s pinned head and shoulders. Jamie, too, was caught in the torrent of water, his body thrown up against the stationary waterwheel and pinned there by the sheer force of the torrent. He thrashed about, trying to find something to grab on to. Suddenly a hand grabbed him under his armpit, pulling him out of the raging torrent and onto the wet wooden floor. In the dim light, he could make out Beth’s drenched face looking down at him, alarmed.

“Jamie, are you all right?”

Jamie hacked up a lungful of water.

“Thanks to you.…” He coughed. “You saved me again.”

“Can you stand? Ryan’s badly hurt. He needs to see a doctor.”

Jamie looked over to the wall to where Ryan was slouched, unconscious. Colin sat next to him, stroking Ryan’s hair. Jamie somehow staggered to his feet and made his way over to his brother. He bent down, gathered Ryan in his arms, and found the strength to pick him up off the floor.

“I’ll take him down to base camp with Colin to find a doctor. Beth, I need you to run back up to the highest lock and grab my satchel. It has the book in it.”

“And what about him?” she asked, pointing to the jammed waterwheel. A pale arm hung over the side of the pipe below the tremendous spray of water.

Jamie staggered towards the door with his brother. “I don’t think we have to worry about him anymore.”