横浜市鶴見区に密着した地域型のスワンアカデミー英会話教室。未就園児から大人まで、3人までのグループレッスン、個人レッスン、セミプライベートレッスン、オンラインレッスン

Mason woke up and took stock of the unfamiliar surroundings he found himself in, a rough canvas shelter darkened with soot. Over him was a dirty wool blanket. Slowly, sounds and smells started to attract his senses and then he remembered. After they had been found by Denhard and his men, they were fed and then started on the return trip to the camp. Mason had a vague recollection of Denhard, telling him about the ship but he wasn’t sure if he had dreamed it or not… so many things he was unsure of… was this place even real? He dreamed. He dreamed of Mai-Ling, of the child he had yet to see. He dreamed of his parents, his memories intertwined. The tent flap opened and Mason saw the blurred face of an Eskimo woman. Seeing that he was awake she closed the flap and returned in a short time with MacDonald and something hot for Mason to put in his belly. The ship’s captain took a gulp of hot soup and listened as MacDonald filled him in on the loss of the ship and the deaths they had suffered. He listened in silence. “I failed you Jon, I’m sorry,” said the first mate. Mason coughed and shook his head. “No, Aesop,” he said, his voice straining. “You didn’t fail me. It was karma, that’s all. A debt to be paid for a lifetime of sins. I’m just sorry it was so costly. I should have listened to you in the first place.” “And the whale’s graveyard?” asked MacDonald with a hint of hope. “It doesn’t exist, there’s nothing up that way. What you see here is there,” said Mason with some bitterness. “The dreams of the ancients don’t appear so different from modern man. Where’s Dunn and Hollister? How long have we been here?” “They’re here and ok. Hollister is still blind, he’s resting. Dunn, he’s alright, probably in Ahnah’s shelter now. You’ve been here ten days, you’ve been delirious most of the time. Isaac filled us in on what happened after you left.” Mason nodded, “Where is here?” “South, about 250 miles from the Lincoln Sea, roughly 90 miles east of Kane Basin.” “I guess it’s as good a place as any,” sighed Mason. “Any ideas on how we’re gonna get out of this one?” MacDonald rubbed his bearded chin with the palm of his hand. “I sent Oaks and Irwin further south with some Eskimos for help. We might be able to send another party but we’ve got to stock up on food. We’ve been sending hunters out but the area is lean.” Mason nodded, “I can see. Well, we’ll just have to make do with what we got.” “As always,” said MacDonald. Over the next two weeks, Mason and the others slowly recovered from their ordeal. Hollister didn’t say much of anything. He spent most of his time contemplating a life without sight and it frightened him. When he did leave his shelter to walk about the camp, he was lead by one of the giggling Inuit children, whose sounds partially lifted the veil of darkness that the reporter found himself trapped in. Mason walked about the makeshift camp. There were so few left. His ship was gone, most of his crew were dead, so many of the Inuit as well. This shouldn’t have happened, these people shouldn’t have suffered so. This had been his responsibility, his fault. “It’s over, Captain.” Mason turned to see Dunn standing with Ahnah. “I can’t argue that fact Isaac,” he shook his head “I don’t think anybody would. Ahnah, I’m sorry about Peter and Allawah I wanted to speak to you before…” “Thank you Captain, I know… how difficult it has been.” “They were good people, I’m… sorry.” He felt awkward and thought better to change the subject. “What do you think Isaac? Do Oaks and Irwin have a chance?” Dunn shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know Captain. They don’t have much experience but the Inuit know what they’re doing. They’ll make it.” “Have you thought about what you’re gonna do?” Dunn nodded, “I’m staying with these people, Keelut’s dead and with Peter gone they will need a new leader and this is as good a place as any.” “Are you sure that’s what you want Isaac? What about your family in the states?” Dunn grinned and shrugged his shoulders, “My sister is taken care of, my father and brother aren’t in any hurry to share my company. This is where I belong Jon, it’s where I’m needed.” “If that’s what you want Isaac, I won’t try to talk you out of it.” “Thanks. What about you, any plans?” “For when I get back ya mean?” “Yeah.” “Spend time with Mai-Ling and the baby. Hell, beyond that? I don’t know. I just wanna go home.” “Captain, they killed a walrus this afternoon. Thought maybe you and Aesop might share our dinner.” Mason smiled, meat, fat and blood soup. “I’d like that very much, Isaac. I’m sure Aesop won’t say no.” “We’ll see ya then,” said Isaac and he and Ahnah turned and walked away, a couple that deserved each other. Well, at least some good came out of it all. Mason saw his first mate, “Aesop, a word if you please…”