Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 4: Preparations
"Finn?" George shouted. When nothing happened he called her again. A bit louder this time.
Finally he heard somebody walking into his laboratory with a shuffle.
"Boy, what's all this noise about? Did you notice that it's only six am? You're waking everybody up." George nodded.
"I know, but if we want to leave in the afternoon we better get started. All these things won't pack themselves. There is a lot to do." Finn sighed. Sometimes this man was driving her crazy. Just as curious and impatient as a child.
She stood there for a while watching him pack some things in boxes. He seemed to have forgotten about her presence. This was so typical. She decided to call him back to reality.
"So, why did you call me here?" he looked at her.
"Oh yes, you're right. I'm sorry, I forgot..."
"It's okay, so what is it?"
"Have you seen my thermometer? I cannot find it."
"Nope, I haven't touched it. But the last time I saw it was when Veronica took David's temperature. I don't know if she's still got it." George nodded.
"I'm going to ask her. And at the same time I can wake the others. If you'd be so kind and prepare breakfast, we will be on our way before sunset."
"Of course I will." she said in an unenthusiastic tone, when George had left his lab.
**********
It was about 11am when hectic started to spread among the six explorers. Alasdair was sitting on a chair and watched them packing, searching for things, cursing and blaming each other if something was nowhere to be found. He was still wearing his pyjamas and his parents seemed to have forgotten about him. They were too preoccupied with themselves. His mother was packing things into boxes and his father helped Ned to carry the boxes outside. Alasdair decided to follow them.
"I can't believe I'm leaving this place." Veronica said and sighed when she looked around.
Marguerite patted her shoulder.
"It won't be forever. You can always return."
"I'm not so sure. Perhaps Ned doesn't want to come back with me. Or when David is older he doesn't want to go away. I don't think I could go without them." She sat down on one of the boxes. Marguerite sat down next to her gasping, because a wave of nausea hit her. She hoped Veronica didn't notice. But Veronica didn't seem to do her the favour. She looked at her suspiciously.
"What is it?" she asked. Marguerite waved her hand.
"It's nothing. I felt a little dizzy for a moment. Must be a circulation trouble."
"Probably." Veronica said. Then she saw Alasdair who was just about to enter the elevator.
"Where's your son going?" she asked.
Marguerite looked up.
"Alasdair!" she stood up a little bit to fast, because the nausea returned immediately. But she managed to suppress it. The boy had turned to face his mother.
"Da'y." he said to defend himself. Marguerite lifted him up into her arms.
"No, we're not going to Daddy. He'll be back very soon. In the meantime we're going to get you dressed."
**********
"I wonder, if we'll be able to lift off the ground at all. We're six adults, two children and just think about all this luggage." Ned shook his head.
"It will never work." he said and seemed to be convinced by his own words.
"Don't be so pessimistic. When we arrived on the Plateau we were also six adults and we had a lot of luggage. Well, we had no children then," John had to laugh at the thought of having a child with Marguerite back then, "But they are not very heavy."
"Maybe you're right. I'm just a little on edge."
"Why that?"
Ned shrugged.
"I mean how many times did we try to leave this Plateau by balloon? I'm just wondering, if we'll be sitting in the treehouse in the evening or if we'll be on our way home." John put another box into the balloon.
"Who knows?" Ned was surprised that he kept so calm. When they tried to leave the Plateau the last time he was so excited. But it ended with another disappointment, because Veronica, Marguerite and Alasdair, who was only six month old back then, had been captured by a group cannibals, when they had been just about to leave. And when they had successfully freed the women and the boy, a storm had been approaching and it had been too dangerous to leave then.
Ned decided to ask him:
"Everything alright with you?" Roxton looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, why should there be anything wrong with me?"
"I don't know." He could figure out at least one reason, but he decided that it wasn't up to him to ask Roxton, if there was something wrong with Marguerite or their relationship. He knew that, if something was bothering Marguerite it bothered Roxton, too. They were just two halves of a whole. Ned was sunk in his thoughts when Roxton suddenly spoke.
"What about you, Neddy-boy? You seem to be very distracted today?"
"I'm worried about Veronica."
"What's wrong with her?" Ned sighed.
"I don't know, if she really wants to go. And I..."
"Hey, guys!" It was Finn, who appeared at the edge of the clearing. The men turned. She instantly noticed that she had just interrupted an important conversation. She slowed down a bit and handed a small box over to Roxton.
"Sorry to interrupt you, but Marguerite wanted this to be packed, too. She asked me to bring this to you, because she was too busy."
Roxton took Marguerite's case from her.
"Busy with what?" Finn sighed.
"Have a guess!" He thought for a moment.
"Our son?" Finn nodded.
"Good guess. She's been trying to get him dressed for at least half an hour, I think. Does he always make such a fuss, if he has to get dressed?" Finn still remembered how the child ran from room to room. Marguerite had to catch him every time she wanted him to put one single garment on.
"Not always, but very often." He smiled. Finn grimaced.
"I hope I'll never ever have children." The men had to laugh. Finn turned and wanted to go.
Roxton looked at the small box Finn had given to him. He recognized it. It was the case in which Marguerite kept her jewellery. I knew it, he thought.
"Finn!" he called after her. She turned.
"What did Marguerite say she'd do, if I wouldn't pack this?" Finn shrugged.
"I had the permission to shoot you with my crossbow."
**********
"Come on, Veronica. The others are waiting for us." Marguerite put one hand on Veronica's shoulder. The younger woman was carrying her baby in her arms and had tears in her eyes. She was standing in the middle of the livingroom.
"Yes, I just want to say goodbye." She bursted into tears.
"This has been my home since I could start to think." Marguerite began to rub her back. She wanted to embrace Veronica to support her, but they were both carrying their children.
"Every goodbye is hard. Especially if you took it for granted all the time. And if it's gone or about to go, well then you realize how important it really is to you. But you have to be grateful that you have the chance to say goodbye." Veronica smiled at her sadly.
"You're right. Thank you." Marguerite returned the smile.
"No problem. And just remember: This won't be forever, you'll be back before you know it."
They went to the elevator.
"I have to admit I'm going to miss the treehouse, too." Now Veronica had to laugh.
"I can hardly believe that."
**********
Marguerite hated walking through the jungle with Alasdair. It gave her a feeling of uneasiness. Although she had her pistol ready to fire and her son safely in her arms, she took a look around every ten seconds. So she felt more than relieved when they finally reached the clearing. The others were already waiting for them.
"What took you so long, Vee?" Finn asked. Impatient as usual, Veronica thought, Good to know, that some things never change.
Marguerite and Veronica reached the balloon. Roxton and Ned took their sons from the women so they could get in more easily.
"I bet you'll enjoy flying, little one." John said while he helped Marguerite into the balloon.
Ned and Finn jumped out again to cut the ropes.
"I can't believe it. I have the feeling that we could really make it this time. I mean we haven't been attacked so far. That's a good sign, isn't it?" Marguerite smiled.
Ned and Finn jumped in.
"Okay, we're ready to go." Finn said. She seemed to be excited to go into the new world.
"Then may the good Lord preserve us. That we'll reach London in one piece." Challenger said.
Everybody nodded. The balloon went up and nobody knew where it was taking them.
End Chapter Four...
The next chapter is going to be more interesting. You have my word on it!
Please keep on reading, you won't regret it (at least I hope you won't:- ))!
And don't forget to review...
Chapter 4: Preparations
"Finn?" George shouted. When nothing happened he called her again. A bit louder this time.
Finally he heard somebody walking into his laboratory with a shuffle.
"Boy, what's all this noise about? Did you notice that it's only six am? You're waking everybody up." George nodded.
"I know, but if we want to leave in the afternoon we better get started. All these things won't pack themselves. There is a lot to do." Finn sighed. Sometimes this man was driving her crazy. Just as curious and impatient as a child.
She stood there for a while watching him pack some things in boxes. He seemed to have forgotten about her presence. This was so typical. She decided to call him back to reality.
"So, why did you call me here?" he looked at her.
"Oh yes, you're right. I'm sorry, I forgot..."
"It's okay, so what is it?"
"Have you seen my thermometer? I cannot find it."
"Nope, I haven't touched it. But the last time I saw it was when Veronica took David's temperature. I don't know if she's still got it." George nodded.
"I'm going to ask her. And at the same time I can wake the others. If you'd be so kind and prepare breakfast, we will be on our way before sunset."
"Of course I will." she said in an unenthusiastic tone, when George had left his lab.
**********
It was about 11am when hectic started to spread among the six explorers. Alasdair was sitting on a chair and watched them packing, searching for things, cursing and blaming each other if something was nowhere to be found. He was still wearing his pyjamas and his parents seemed to have forgotten about him. They were too preoccupied with themselves. His mother was packing things into boxes and his father helped Ned to carry the boxes outside. Alasdair decided to follow them.
"I can't believe I'm leaving this place." Veronica said and sighed when she looked around.
Marguerite patted her shoulder.
"It won't be forever. You can always return."
"I'm not so sure. Perhaps Ned doesn't want to come back with me. Or when David is older he doesn't want to go away. I don't think I could go without them." She sat down on one of the boxes. Marguerite sat down next to her gasping, because a wave of nausea hit her. She hoped Veronica didn't notice. But Veronica didn't seem to do her the favour. She looked at her suspiciously.
"What is it?" she asked. Marguerite waved her hand.
"It's nothing. I felt a little dizzy for a moment. Must be a circulation trouble."
"Probably." Veronica said. Then she saw Alasdair who was just about to enter the elevator.
"Where's your son going?" she asked.
Marguerite looked up.
"Alasdair!" she stood up a little bit to fast, because the nausea returned immediately. But she managed to suppress it. The boy had turned to face his mother.
"Da'y." he said to defend himself. Marguerite lifted him up into her arms.
"No, we're not going to Daddy. He'll be back very soon. In the meantime we're going to get you dressed."
**********
"I wonder, if we'll be able to lift off the ground at all. We're six adults, two children and just think about all this luggage." Ned shook his head.
"It will never work." he said and seemed to be convinced by his own words.
"Don't be so pessimistic. When we arrived on the Plateau we were also six adults and we had a lot of luggage. Well, we had no children then," John had to laugh at the thought of having a child with Marguerite back then, "But they are not very heavy."
"Maybe you're right. I'm just a little on edge."
"Why that?"
Ned shrugged.
"I mean how many times did we try to leave this Plateau by balloon? I'm just wondering, if we'll be sitting in the treehouse in the evening or if we'll be on our way home." John put another box into the balloon.
"Who knows?" Ned was surprised that he kept so calm. When they tried to leave the Plateau the last time he was so excited. But it ended with another disappointment, because Veronica, Marguerite and Alasdair, who was only six month old back then, had been captured by a group cannibals, when they had been just about to leave. And when they had successfully freed the women and the boy, a storm had been approaching and it had been too dangerous to leave then.
Ned decided to ask him:
"Everything alright with you?" Roxton looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, why should there be anything wrong with me?"
"I don't know." He could figure out at least one reason, but he decided that it wasn't up to him to ask Roxton, if there was something wrong with Marguerite or their relationship. He knew that, if something was bothering Marguerite it bothered Roxton, too. They were just two halves of a whole. Ned was sunk in his thoughts when Roxton suddenly spoke.
"What about you, Neddy-boy? You seem to be very distracted today?"
"I'm worried about Veronica."
"What's wrong with her?" Ned sighed.
"I don't know, if she really wants to go. And I..."
"Hey, guys!" It was Finn, who appeared at the edge of the clearing. The men turned. She instantly noticed that she had just interrupted an important conversation. She slowed down a bit and handed a small box over to Roxton.
"Sorry to interrupt you, but Marguerite wanted this to be packed, too. She asked me to bring this to you, because she was too busy."
Roxton took Marguerite's case from her.
"Busy with what?" Finn sighed.
"Have a guess!" He thought for a moment.
"Our son?" Finn nodded.
"Good guess. She's been trying to get him dressed for at least half an hour, I think. Does he always make such a fuss, if he has to get dressed?" Finn still remembered how the child ran from room to room. Marguerite had to catch him every time she wanted him to put one single garment on.
"Not always, but very often." He smiled. Finn grimaced.
"I hope I'll never ever have children." The men had to laugh. Finn turned and wanted to go.
Roxton looked at the small box Finn had given to him. He recognized it. It was the case in which Marguerite kept her jewellery. I knew it, he thought.
"Finn!" he called after her. She turned.
"What did Marguerite say she'd do, if I wouldn't pack this?" Finn shrugged.
"I had the permission to shoot you with my crossbow."
**********
"Come on, Veronica. The others are waiting for us." Marguerite put one hand on Veronica's shoulder. The younger woman was carrying her baby in her arms and had tears in her eyes. She was standing in the middle of the livingroom.
"Yes, I just want to say goodbye." She bursted into tears.
"This has been my home since I could start to think." Marguerite began to rub her back. She wanted to embrace Veronica to support her, but they were both carrying their children.
"Every goodbye is hard. Especially if you took it for granted all the time. And if it's gone or about to go, well then you realize how important it really is to you. But you have to be grateful that you have the chance to say goodbye." Veronica smiled at her sadly.
"You're right. Thank you." Marguerite returned the smile.
"No problem. And just remember: This won't be forever, you'll be back before you know it."
They went to the elevator.
"I have to admit I'm going to miss the treehouse, too." Now Veronica had to laugh.
"I can hardly believe that."
**********
Marguerite hated walking through the jungle with Alasdair. It gave her a feeling of uneasiness. Although she had her pistol ready to fire and her son safely in her arms, she took a look around every ten seconds. So she felt more than relieved when they finally reached the clearing. The others were already waiting for them.
"What took you so long, Vee?" Finn asked. Impatient as usual, Veronica thought, Good to know, that some things never change.
Marguerite and Veronica reached the balloon. Roxton and Ned took their sons from the women so they could get in more easily.
"I bet you'll enjoy flying, little one." John said while he helped Marguerite into the balloon.
Ned and Finn jumped out again to cut the ropes.
"I can't believe it. I have the feeling that we could really make it this time. I mean we haven't been attacked so far. That's a good sign, isn't it?" Marguerite smiled.
Ned and Finn jumped in.
"Okay, we're ready to go." Finn said. She seemed to be excited to go into the new world.
"Then may the good Lord preserve us. That we'll reach London in one piece." Challenger said.
Everybody nodded. The balloon went up and nobody knew where it was taking them.
End Chapter Four...
The next chapter is going to be more interesting. You have my word on it!
Please keep on reading, you won't regret it (at least I hope you won't:- ))!
And don't forget to review...