34

DECK F CORRIDOR.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1912. 11:22 P.M.

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” exclaimed Hargraves, stomping at the flaming hand triumphantly and pulling the linen from his face. “You did it with a butter knife no less!”

The men slapped Andrews on the back, laughing and shouting. They all removed their masks and whooped in celebration. Marvelous relief hung in the air like confetti.

“Well done,” said Weiss. “Do you think the doors truly closed?”

“I can’t say for certain, Mr. Weiss,” answered Andrews. “But I think I closed them all!”

Captain Smith laid a weary hand on Andrews’s shoulder. “That was some work, Thomas. I’ve seen men do much less with better tools at their disposal.”

“What’s wrong, Lou?” Weiss asked, seeing that Lou wasn’t sharing their jubilation. “We did it!”

“That little mutt saved my life,” the girl muttered. “Now she’s gone like the rest of them.” She sat against the wall and put her head against her knees, exhausted and cheerless.

The smiles faded on the men’s faces. Captain Smith said, “The girl’s right. Many are dead, and we should temper our joy. We are not out of the woods yet. First, we must reach the bridge and discover what has transpired elsewhere on Titanic.”

“Certainly,” said Hargraves, “the time has come to abandon ship.”

Andrews blinked. “But there may still be hundreds of healthy people aboard Titanic, sir. We must gather the healthy and assess the damage. Surely, if we’ve contained the contagion, we won’t abandon Titanic now?”

“Exactly, Mr. Andrews,” Captain Smith said. “But that’s a job for Titanic’s officers and crew. Mr. Hargraves, you’ve proved yourself more than a hero today. Continue with us to the top deck. If it comes time to abandon ship, we’ll be sure you make it off safely.”

The rush of their success and narrow escape was wearing off. “I have a pressing matter to attend to as well.” Weiss eyed the men in turn. “You know by now it’s not exaggeration to say that entire nations could be at risk if the infection escapes this ship. I must find the madman who stole that damned vial from me.”

“Did I hear you right?” said Hargraves, eyes narrowing. “Are you saying you brought this disease aboard?”

Lou looked up from the floor.

Weiss stammered. He had forgotten not everyone present knew the story. “Yes, well, I was … searching for a cure. But the vial was stolen from me when—”

“How could you?” Lou sprung from the ground and lunged at Weiss. “My mum’s dead because of you! Worse than dead! You brought this sickness onto Titanic!” She threw fists at the scientist’s face and chest. Weiss didn’t attempt to block the blows. Finally, Andrews grabbed the girl from behind and restrained her arms.

Something inside Weiss collapsed upon seeing the rage and pain in the girl’s face. “It … it is my fault,” he conceded. “To believe that I could be responsible for something so evil. I was a fool to think I could safeguard this Pandora’s box …” He choked on his own words. “I’m surely doomed to hell for what I’ve done.”

“Murderer,” Lou whispered.

“That’s enough,” said Captain Smith gently, touching the girl’s shoulder.

“He killed my mother!” Lou’s red face screamed defiance.

“Louise,” Smith said, “none of us can change what’s done. We must leave judgment to God.”

“All of this. The monsters, the dead. It’s all your fault!” said Lou to Weiss. She shook free of Andrews, backed away from the men, straightened her skirt, and spat at Weiss.

“I deserve that,” Weiss said, eyes on the floor. “I deserve your hatred.”

“You deserve worse,” shouted Lou. She turned and ran, sprinting up a set of stairs just down the corridor from the watertight door. Weiss started after her, but Captain Smith extended an arm to hold the German back.

“Let her mourn,” counseled Smith. “Later you can make your peace with her, if she’ll allow it.” Captain Smith motioned with Kabul to the stairwell where Lou had just made her escape. “I believe you had no intention to set this scourge loose, but there’s still a ledger to square. Begin by stopping this man from bringing it into the world.”

Weiss bowed his head and nodded. “Up top is as good a place to start looking as any.”

“I’ll escort you, Mr. Weiss,” said Hargraves, bouncing the fire ax in his hands. “Till we find him. Wherever you want to go.”

“Good man, Hargraves,” said the captain. “As for me, I need to remind Mr. Ismay who is in charge of Titanic.”

“Let’s hurry then,” Andrews said. “I doubt the straightest path to the boat deck remains to us. It may take some minutes yet to reach the bridge.”

Bruised and fatigued, the four men hobbled up the stairs together. Weiss was uncertain where he should begin searching, but the German agent was likely to be among the top decks, as far from the contagion as possible.

The floor suddenly lurched as they reached the first landing, sending the four men sprawling. The ship groaned from deep within, structural and ominous, accompanied by a long echoing screech. The stairwell railing vibrated violently with a low metallic hum as the men found their bearings.

“My God,” said Hargraves. “What have the monsters done?”

Smith shook his head. “No zombie can rock a ship like that.”