Around the World in 100 Days

Around noon the next day, they came upon a town that consisted of half a dozen houses, a small whitewashed church, and an army barracks, all built of logs. The sight of their motorcar brought peasants, soldiers, and clergy swarming from their respective buildings, openmouthed in astonishment.

An officer who spoke a little English invited them to his quarters to share what passed for luncheon in Siberia—tea, salt fish, and heavy black bread that was ostensibly made from rye flour but featured some other ingredient that tasted rather like powdered pine bark—which, in fact, it was. To make tea, the man hacked a chunk from a large brick of grayish stuff and boiled it for a quarter of an hour. These bricks were called kerpichni chai, and consisted of the dust and twigs and crushed leaves that were swept up off the floor of tea merchants’.

“It’s very filling,” put in Elizabeth, forcing a smile. She pushed her chipped china plate aside. “In fact, I don’t think I could possibly eat another bite.”

Charles quickly changed the subject. “We were surprised at how solid and dry the roads are here. In America, we had to fight our way through knee-deep mud at times.”

The Russian officer nodded gravely. “There is a reason why the roads are so dry and the rivers so shallow. We have had five months of . . . what is the English word?”

“Yes. Drought. The grain harvest this year was very poor. And the people cannot plant their winter crop in such dry ground.” He took a bottle of clear liquid from a shelf and poured a shot for each of them. “Fortunately, vodka may be made without grain. Nostrovia.”

“Cheers,” said Harry. Though it had little flavor, the vodka took the taste of pine bark and tea dust out of their mouths. “What is it made of, then?”

“Sugar beets.” The officer downed another shot and shook his head. “I do not know what will become of the people here. If the government does not send aid, I do not see how they will survive. Some, I regret to say, have left their farms and taken up robbery. We spend much of our time chasing after these outlaws.”

But apparently the bandits they really needed to fear were the Chungese, nomads who lived in northern Manchuria. “Oh, well,” said Harry, “we won’t be passing through China.”

The soldier shrugged. “No matter. We control the province of Manchuria—for now, at any rate. You will find several garrisons of our soldiers, who will assist you if you need it. Since we are a hospitable people, they will no doubt feed you, as well.”

When they emerged from the barracks, they found the Flash surrounded by villagers—more of them than it seemed the little settlement could possibly contain. The men were all dressed more or less alike, in blue shirts, brown trousers, and bearskin caps; the women wore faded print dresses, the children patched hand-me-downs. Though the men had boots, the women and children were barefoot, despite the chill.

Johnny sat slumped in the front seat, looking so much like a cornered animal that Harry couldn’t help laughing, though he hid it well. Luckily, none of the townsfolk were attempting to touch the car. In fact, they seemed a little afraid of it. Then one boy of ten or eleven, so thin that he seemed all knees and elbows, crept cautiously forward and touched the metal; he gave a triumphant shout, as though he had survived some ordeal.

“You want to take a ride in her?” said Harry. He held open the driver’s door and gestured to the boy. “Go on, get in. We’ll give you a ride.” Though the boy obviously knew no English, he grasped Harry’s meaning. Ignoring the protests of his mother, he climbed in. “It’s all right,” Harry assured the woman. “It’s perfectly safe.”

“She thinks we’re kidnapping him,” said Elizabeth. “I’ll stay here as hostage until you come back.”

They drove a few yards up the road, with the boy laughing in delight, then returned. The other children pressed forward, pleading for a ride. “Now you’ve done it,” said Charles.

Harry shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he told the children. “No more rides. We have to be on our way.” The disappointment in their faces was heartbreaking. Harry dug through their supplies, came up with a bag of desiccated pineapple he had bought in San Francisco, and handed it to the boy who had ridden with him. “Here. Pass that around, will you?” While the children were distracted, Harry took Elizabeth’s arm. “Let’s go!”

As they headed out of the village with yapping dogs and shouting children in their wake, Harry said, “Sorry to leave you at the mercy of the crowd, Johnny. I’ll stay with the car next time.”

“You two are just trying to avoid the twig tea and pine-bark bread,” said Elizabeth. “Next time, I’ll stay with the car.”

Harry laughed. “We’ll take turns, all right?” After a time, he said, more soberly, “I wish I could have given them more than just bag of pineapple.”

“We can’t supply every village in Siberia,” said Elizabeth. “Besides, there may be a better way to help them. I’ll tell my readers how truly desperate the situation is here; surely it will motivate someone to organize a relief effort.”

“I do have one from time to time,” Elizabeth replied brusquely, as though he had insulted rather than complimented her. Perhaps, Harry thought, she was as unaccustomed to praise as the rest of them were.

That evening, as he and Elizabeth sat throwing green branches on the campfire and dodging the clouds of smoke, Harry said quietly, “You promised to tell me about yourself and your family.”

She tossed another limb on the fire. “My father . . . My father has been less fortunate than yours. He once had a well-paying position and a good reputation. But then, a year or two after I was born, he . . . he committed a single foolish act, and lost it all. My mother was so distressed by this change in their fortunes that her health declined drastically. Naturally, we could not afford proper care for her. When I was six, she died.”

“Yes,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. She cleared her throat and raised her chin resolutely. “But it also made me strong. And resourceful. And determined to succeed.”

“Actually, my father had much the same experience. His parents, too, lost everything they had. From the time he was my age, he was forced to make his own way in the world.”

“Nor did I, until recently.” Harry stretched and yawned. “I believe I’ll call it a day.” He headed for the Flash, but turned back to say, “I’m glad you talked me into letting you come, Elizabeth. I hope it brings you that success you’re after. I hope your newspaper stories are a sensation, and make your name—whatever it is—into a household word.”

Elizabeth could find no words to reply. She sat gazing thoughtfully into the fire and sipping strong tea, brewed from the last of the tea leaves she had brought, to keep herself awake. It worked so well that, when it was time to rouse Johnny for his turn at guard duty, she let him sleep.