Johnny felt a profound sense of satisfaction as he watched his family run around like startled chickens looking for his little brother. Every once in a while, his mother would redirect her attention to him asking feverishly, "are you sure you haven't seen him?" to which Johnny was pleased to be able to truthfully say that he hadn't seen him for hours. For he hadn't. It was at least three hours before anyone noticed that Jacob had gone missing and surely that qualified.

That morning Jacob had willingly trotted down to the pond a few paces behind him; Johnny had promised to take him out on the pond for a fishing expedition. Something Jacob had pleaded him to do for days. They were always together these two; thrown together by circumstance. Just because they were two smaller boys the family seemed to lump them together. But in truth Johnny despised Jacob, found him weak and pitiful. Jacob was always running back to their mother for some comfort after Johnny had played with him a little bit. Johnny looked up to his older brother Gilbert, but he had deserted them with their weak father. Johnny loathed his father for getting sick in the first place. He abhorred his mother too. Really, he hated the lot of them.

His life before his accident was hazy but what he did recall quite vividly was the ethereal other worldliness of the underwater realm. The light took on an aquamarine tone and all was calm and quiet. When he'd first crossed the equator King Poseidon had welcomed him and now he understood that power. He was just getting used to being down there when that blasted Hayford had pulled him out. He'd kicked and thrashed against his saviour, but to no avail. He remembered little after that but had woken a few days later to the sound of his mother snivelling by his side.

Then she hadn't recovered, why he couldn't fathom, and they'd been forced back to stupid Avonlea. They called it home, but it wasn't home to Johnny. Home was on board the ship and now with his family running around concentrating on finding his stupid little brother he decided that he'd rather be a cabin boy than be stuck with these pathetic people.

He'd considered taking the monkey with him, for company and to make himself a bit more exotic but the dratted thing had barred its teeth at him when he tried to stuff it in his coat pocket. Instead, he stuffed a few pieces of bread and some cheese in a satchel and stole away while the hue and cry ensued, suspecting, rightfully that no one would notice his departure until he was far away.

Johnny meant to find a ship to stowaway upon and be rid of his deplorable family forever. He figured he was just about old enough to be taken on too. He'd met boys around his age on ships all the time and had admired their tenacity and freedom. How fine it would be to be the master of your own life rather than have your mother fussing around making sure you washed behind your ears or ate your greens.

With nary a glance back, Johnny stole away down the lane confident that no one would notice him. He was right too, they were so preoccupied with finding Jacob that no one even saw him leave. Deep, deep, down he half hoped someone would stop him, but no one did and before he knew it, he was out of sight with only the sound of the wind in the trees to keep him company as he tramped along the road resentfully.

Marilla felt almost disembodied. She watched herself barely react as a sheath of white gelid calm descended. Ordinarily she would leave the hard job of organising the search to John but as the only parent around she knew it was her responsibility so there was no space to fall apart. If her darling boy was to be found it was on her to manage it. Objectively she knew that later she'd most likely fall apart but for now she had a job to do: to find this boy of hers. Folks rushed up to her to check in and run off to search in another area. Marilla stayed home though she would rather have been out searching too, but if he were found she wanted them to know where to bring him so that she could be with him as soon as possible. If she were out that would delay their reconciliation.

Others marvelled at her calmness. Rachel muttered to Matthew that Marilla seemed remarkably sanguine about the whole affair, but she said this without a shred of judgement, she was just surprised was all.

In the end it was Matthew who located Jacob as the first blush of dawn crept across the dim twilight. Suddenly, inspired by the memory of Jacob's love of boats he made his way down to the pond. He never expected to find him there because surely Jacob would never go there on his own; Marilla had impressed upon them how very dangerous the pond was. Still, he called out Jacob's name across the misty water and waited for an answer. Faintly ever so faintly he thought he heard an answering call. He took a couple of steps in that direction and called again and waited. Yes, it was definitely a response not merely some small animal's cry.

It was a few minutes moments until he located the child. Jacob was grimly clinging to a piling just above the water line. His small white oval face upturned in anguish. "Right, I got ya," Matthew reassured him though in truth he wasn't entirely sure how he'd rescue him. "I'll be right back," he said edging away, but Jacob's distressed cry stopped him in his tracks. Scratching his head, he looked down and got on all fours to see how he might approach the child. "Hang on," he said reassuring his nephew. "I'll be there in a jiffy."

Carefully he edged down and fetched up just above the boy. Reaching down he got a good grip on Jacob's collar and pulled. Nothing happened. "I got ya, Jacob. Ya gotta let go. Can you? Can you let go, son?" Frozen and cramped Jacob had been hanging on for dear life for so long he was practically locked in place. He tried to unclench his fingers and as he did so, Matthew pulled. Matthew fancied he could feel Jacob's fingertips being pulled off one by one until at last, he had him dangling from his jacket. Then carefully more because the child was unwieldy than because of his weight Matthew swivelled around and lifted Jacob above his head hoping he might be able to scramble to the pier. He wished he were not alone because it would have been so much easier if someone were able to grab the child. In any case Jacob was able to do as Matthew urged and he sat in a small heap on the jetty and hugged his knees. Matthew joined him moments later and he gathered the shivering child into his lap, and they sat there for a moment collecting their wits.

"Better get ya back to your Ma, don't you think." Matthew said as he picked Jacob up and wrapped him in his coat. As he walked, he could feel Jacob's cold body suck the heat out of his. He smelt dankly of muddy water and tarry old wood. Deciding now was not the time to talk, Matthew strode silently to Green Gables and deposited Jacob into his sister's willing arms then watched as Marilla cradled him in her lap. Someone, Rachel probably, drew a bath and they put Jacob in it as soon as it was ready. After a quick bowl of porridge, he was put to bed with his mother wrapped around him for warmth and comfort. Matthew took Susanna back to Green Gables; in the confusion no one noticed that Johnny was nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't until the next day that they asked Jacob what had happened. Tearfully because he was still upset, he told them that they had gone down to the pond because Johnny had promised to take him fishing but that when the boat started taking water Johnny had jumped out and said he would go find help. Jacob had just enough time to scramble up a pile before the boat sank completely. When his brother did not return Jacob settled in for the night though he was worried that he might not make it. "I was so scared Mummy," he said snuggling into her chest relishing her warmth and her comforting smell.

Johnny! Marilla's blood ran cold. She looked up at Matthew who seeing the look in her eyes went to find the boy. Half an hour later he returned saying, "he's nowhere to be found."

"You seem to have a problem hanging onto these children of yours, Marilla," Rachel offered, unhelpfully.

"Hush," Matthew chided her as Marilla rolled her eyes. "Dunno where he's got to," Matthew added. "There's no sign of him. His bed's not been laid in either, I reckon."

Marilla handed Jacob over to Anne and climbed the stairs. The room was neat and tidy with an air of emptiness about it. Johnny had always been meticulous, something she admired in him, but this was clinical as though all trace of him had disappeared. "Is there a note?" Rachel asked. They searched but found nothing. It was as if Johnny had never lived there.

Putting her head in her hands Marilla sighed. Just then there was a knocking at the door. They all trooped downstairs to see who it might be. Abner Sloan stood out on the lawn. "Found the boat, Marilla," he said. "You might want to come and have a look." Clear as day they saw numerous drill holes in the hull. Abner sniffed, "looks like an open and shut case. Someone wanted your boy to get into difficulty, I'd say." Marilla staggered, grateful when Matthew caught her.

They talked about it quietly on the way home. Preferring to keep their suspicions within the family. "Hate to say it, Marilla. It looks as though Johnny had it in for Jacob, 'specially as he's run off."

Marilla said, "I think you might be right. Where do you think Johnny's gone to? I feel just awful for saying this, but I don't know if I want him back just now." She sighed, "he was such a sweet boy, before. But something's changed in him. Ever since," she ran out of words unable to voice her concerns even to Matthew. Silently he nodded, catching her drift.

Word came later that day that Johnny had been seen in the harbour disappearing into the hold of a schooner just before it set sail.