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.It was serious stuff but it was also very thrilling.Everyone had a broad grin of excitement and anticipation.They were on their way to Greenland!CHAPTER 18Once the flying boat was on a steady course, Jeannie McDoon emerged from a tiny cabin just behind the cockpit.This was her domain as navigator and it housed the radio and charts for the journey.She helped everyone unbuckle their seat belts and then suggested that Jay go forward into the cockpit to keep Sandy company whilst she and Tim made drinks and consulted the charts for the journey.In the cockpit, Jay sat in the co-pilot’s seat as Squ.Ldr.McDoon explained the basic functions of the vast array of dials, switches and indicators.Through the windscreen and side windows Jay could make out the landscape below and as they chatted the brown and green countryside gave way to sea as they passed over long white lines of surf and out over the ocean.Soon there was nothing but the grey-blue sea stretching to the far horizon.“Now we are really on our way,” said Squ.Ldr.McDoon.“Next stop Iceland to top up with fuel so that we can search far along the Greenland coast.Plenty of sea before then though!”As they flew on, Jay could see the occasional ship, tiny from this distance but trailing a white streak behind as it ploughed through the Atlantic waters.“Cargo boats, mostly,” observed Sandy, “but some are fishing vessels.In fact, one may be the Prof’s friend, Tom Claythorne, who is sailing to Greenland with his son in their trawler as back-up for our expedition.They left port a few days ago carrying lots of extra equipment ordered by the professor.They will be much slower than us but once we get nearer to Greenland we’ll contact them by radio to see how he is getting on.”Jay found that bit of information very reassuring.Not that he had been worried or had even given thought to any risk.But it was good to know that this whole expedition had been subject to the Prof’s usual careful planning.Mrs.McDoon appeared in the cockpit with a flask of coffee for her husband.The fur-lined, leather flying-jacket made her look smaller and wider than ever.“Your drink is ready too, Jay,” she said, “and the cabin is getting colder as we head north.When you’ve all finished your drinks, you will need to put on another layer of thermal clothing to keep warm.”When Jay rejoined his friends, the Prof was showing them the flight path to Greenland, tracing the route on a chart spread out on the navigation table.“We refuel at a jetty just off the Iceland coast near Reykjavik, so that we will have a full tank ready for our search along the Greenland coast for Cosmo’s base,” the Prof explained.“For now we better check that the cargo is secure and get out some of those cold-weather clothes from the equipment case.”Tim led the way along the narrow aisle to the door of the cargo hold and with Jay’s help pulled down the lever and swung open the heavy metal door to open the hold.A neon light flickered on as the door opened to reveal all the packing cases and luggage still neatly stacked.“What’s that noise?” queried Tim as they entered.They all listened intently.Through the deep throb and whine of the flying boat’s engines they could hear a higher whining noise.Then from behind a pile of packing cases in the corner, there came a scrabbling noise followed by three distinct yelps.Tim and Ella scrambled over the cases to investigate and as they pushed a case aside a scruffy white blur shot out and made straight for them.“Chip!” they both exclaimed.“No wonder we couldn’t find him before we left,” said Ella, “he must have sneaked on board with the luggage.”Chip was clearly overjoyed to be reunited with the children, fussing round excitedly.The Prof was less pleased.“Poor Mr.Stiggles,” he said.“He’s probably still searching for Chip and worried out of his mind.We’d better send a radio message to say that he is here with us.But first we have to explain to Squ.Ldr.McDoon that we have a stowaway on board! I’ll go and do that whilst you find your warm clothes.And you’d better find a fleece that you can cut and shape into a coat for Chip; he’ll need it if he is going to stay with us.”The children were worried that Squ.Ldr.McDoon might order Chip to be left ashore at Iceland or even marooned on some rocky island like the stowaways Tim had read of in his pirate books.In the event it was Mrs.McDoon who returned with news of her husband’s decision.“It’s alright,” she said.“Everyone understands that Chip is a member of the team so he can stay.But you have got to ensure that he behaves himself.Meanwhile I’ll help you sew up a little coat as the professor suggested.”Tim and Jay took their thermal jackets and left Ella and Mrs.McDoon to sort out Chip’s needs.They went back to their seats and enjoyed the rest of the journey, now with clouds below them, which parted only occasionally to reveal the sea below, darker and rougher than when they had first left land.By the time Ella came back and Mrs.Mcdoon returned to her navigator’s seat, the plane was being buffeted about in strong head winds but the flying boat was well up to the job as it flew steadily northwards.Jay was musing about the icy wastes they might encounter when his thoughts were interrupted.Over the loudspeaker came the voice of Squ.Ldr.McDoon.“Fasten your seat belts everyone and sit tight.We shall begin the descent to Iceland shortly.”The buffeting and rolling increased as the plane dropped towards the coast of Iceland, which they could just make out through the mist.They dropped quickly through the thin cloud and then with a shudder and bump the great plane put down on the water and surged to a stop.For a moment it bobbed and rolled on the waves, then Squ.Ldr.McDoon fired up the engine again and taxied the plane, splashing through the waves to a jetty running out from the mainland.Having radioed ahead, there were willing hands on the jetty to take the securing ropes and soon the flying boat was safely secured in Reykjavik bay.The rest of the day was spent with re-fuelling both the flying boat and themselves.The Prof spent time on the radio with the help of Mrs.McDoon and was able to inform everyone that Mr.Stiggles now knew that Chip was with them.He was also able to report that Tom Claythorne’s trawler was making good headway and ready to help if ever they needed it.With that good news, it was agreed that they would all sleep on board the flying boat and make an early start next day for the final stage of the journey to Greenland [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]