“Cambridge is a two-, maybe three-day walk,” Cal says while we discuss whether to try to escape London. We are sitting on the floor of the shack. Cal and Cinn have their backs against the worn wood walls. Amon, Clove, Dodger, and I sit near the hole in the floor. Lem sits closest to the doorway and keeps watch.
“Do you know the way?” Lem asks.
“Cinn and I can figure it out. No problem. But the walk will be difficult.” Cal nods in Clove’s direction. We all look at the little girl.
“Clove wouldn’t be able to do a three-day walk,” I say.
“I can carry her,” Amon volunteers, putting an arm around her.
“We’ll take turns carrying her,” Lem insists.
“Even if we carry Clove, and carry food, and drink, and stay out of the way of any scavengers or murderers we come across, six kids can’t walk all the way to bloody Cambridge,” Cinn says. He kicks a piece of wood on the floor. He looks defeated.
“What if we stole a boat? We could sail north and then walk in from the closest docks,” I suggest.
“You want to steal a ship?!” Cinn snorts. “Good luck with that, Rose.”
“Not a ship,” I say. “A rowboat. The six of us could fit in a rowboat, right? There are so many rowboats at the docks. They wouldn’t miss one. We could pack up food and drink into bundles and sacks. Take shifts paddling and sleeping. Row day and night.”
“Paddle to Cambridge?” Cinn snorts again.
“Do you have any better suggestions?” I ask.
We are all silent.
“Rowboat it is, then,” says Cal.
I take command of the plan. And start giving each person a job.
“Amon, take out everything from the cold cellar so we know what we have.”
“Cinn and Cal, go to the docks. Target a rowboat that will be easy to steal.”
“Lem, look for something to bundle the food up in.”
Amon starts taking food out of the hole.
“We will need something to protect the girls from the weather out at sea. It could be windy, sunny, or cold. There could be storms; the weather can be unpredictable at sea in the fall,” Cal says.
“Blankets? Clothes? I’ll see what I can find,” Cinn says.
“Multipurpose and light,” Cal suggests.
“I have a question,” Lem asks. “Can anyone here swim?”
We are all silent.
“So … it’s … Cambridge or death?” Lem says weakly.
“Yes, Lem,” I say. “That is exactly what it is. If we stay in London, we die. If we sink at sea, we die. If we make it to Cambridge, we live.”
The Plague Doctor told us as much. This is the last chance for all six of us to escape the Plague.
“So,” I say, “Let’s plan on surviving.”
“Living works for me,” Cal says.
“I like living,” Amon says.
“Me too,” Clove says.
“Count me in,” replies Cinn.
“Are you with us, Lem?” I ask.
Lem nods his head yes. “Okay, friends, let’s try to survive,” he says.
Amon returns to bringing things out of the hole. We spread everything out on the floor and take stock of what we have, what we can sell, and what we need.
“Let me see your feet,” Cal says to Clove. He unlaces her boot strings and takes off her boots. He holds the boots up to the bottom of her feet. “These boots are too small,” he decides.
“Bigger boots for Clove … got it,” Cinn says, tapping his finger to the side of his head to show he has noted it in his memory.
“What about the rest of you?” Cal asks.
We all take off our boots and measure them up to our feet. Cinn, Lem, and I all fit our boots fine. Amon on the other hand is a different story.
Amon’s foot is at least a big toe bigger than his boots.
“Whoa, brother, how can you even walk in those?” Cinn asks.
“I crunch my toes up,” Amon says.
“Doesn’t it hurt?” I ask.
“I got used to it,” Amon says. His eyes tell me he has a lot of experience dealing with pain.
“We won’t be able to find big boots like that at the Rag Fair,” I say.
“I forgot you know about the Rag Fair,” Lem says.
“I know about a lot of things, Lem,” I say.
“Boots that big have to be made special,” Cinn says.
“Don’t worry, Amon. Cinn and I will figure something out,” Cal says.
“We will,” Cinn promises.
I reach into my pocket and take out our last bottle of Thieves Oil. I offer it to Cal.
“Are you sure?” he hesitates before he takes it.
“We are counting on you and Cinn to get what we need so we can make the journey. This oil will offer protection for you.”
“You can count on us,” Cal promises.
“We won’t let you down,” says Cinn.
I can tell by their faces they both understand the responsibility of having the last bottle of oil.
Cal takes the bottle of Thieves Oil and puts it in his pocket.
“Sell things we don’t need at the Rag Market,” I say. “See what you can do about getting boots,” I say.
“And a boat that won’t sink, please and thank you,” Clove says.
We all chuckle.
“Got it. An unsinkable rowboat,” Cinn waves his hand like he is a sailor getting an order from the captain.