Carlson stood there, not knowing what to do. Zeitel was very serious about obtaining the notebook. He had to think fast.
Suddenly, he saw something white in the corner of his eye. Immediately after, the ship began to jolt slightly.
"What?" cried Zeitel as he turned toward the source of the jolting.
There, right before their eyes, was the iceberg! It was bigger than Carlson had imagined it to be. It was so big it rose about 40 feet above the boat deck. The iceberg seemed to scrape across the entire length of the ship. Zeitel and Carlson stood there perplexed. The ship passed the iceberg, and it floated away behind the ship.
Zeitel was dumbfounded. "An iceberg!" he yelled. "They've run into an iceberg! The idiots!" He then pointed the pistol back at Carlson and returned to the task at hand. "I will be taking that notebook now."
Carlson then remembered the pen that Penny had given him. He quickly took the pen out of his pocket and pointed it at Zeitel.
"What?" Zeitel yelled. Acting fast, Carlson then shot the knockout gas at him. Zeitel screamed, and then passed out, falling to the grated floor.
Now, Carlson had to move fast, the ship would start sinking at any moment! Quickly he climbed down the central ladder leading to the engine room. But just as he arrived at the engine room, he felt a big pain in his head. He fell to the floor.
Just then he heard Vlad saying: "You see my friend? We will all meet the devil. Eventually." Carlson thought he saw Vlad walking away with the notebook. Just then, he blacked out.
When he came to, he found himself lying on the floor of his cabin. For a second he thought he was being given a third chance, but once he felt the slight tilt of the ship he knew he had been carried back to his room. He still felt a sharp pain in his head.
Carlson heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Smethells telling him that the ship was sinking and to put on his lifebelt, as they called them, he opened door. Instead of Smethells, he was surprised to see Penny at the door.
"That's a rather nasty bump." Penny said. "You'll live, but for how long is the question. We've struck an iceberg. The incompetents! The idiots! That was an hour ago! The captain's called women and children to the boats. It's serious! She's sinking by the bow! She's got an hour left, maybe even more.
Penny handed him the Rubaiyat. "The Rubaiyat, and a fine time I had getting it back from the Purser. I have the painting." She handed the painting to Carlson. "Take it." She got out the necklace. "Here's your necklace from the Purser. The Serbian, Vlad, he must have the notebook. The notebook lists the names of Russian radicals. The German's actively encourage Lenin and other revolutionaries. You must recover that notebook! This information is vitally important to our Russian allies! I know you're hurt, but the Titanic's sinking! It's not going to be easy. The lift's have been shut down for good! We must get the evidence off the ship before it goes!" Penny began to leave. "So, off we go. Now get cracking!" With that she ran down the hallway. Carlson knew he had to get that notebook. First he would look for Zeitel, perhaps he would know.
Carlson put on his lifebelt and raced toward the First Class Lounge past hordes of people heading for the boat deck. There was an entrance to a side hallway leading to the First Class Lounge on the A-Deck Landing of the Grand Staircase. At the other end of the hallway was the door to the First Class Lounge itself. Just as Carlson was opening it, Claris Limehouse ran out, visibly distraught.
"If you've come to get me to leave, I'm not going!" yelled Claris. "I'm not leaving Willi! I want to stay near him, on the ship!"
"Willi's dead" Carlson said, breaking the news.
"We met here, in the Lounge, the first night out" Claris responded, her mind obviously somewhere else. "He introduced himself. Willi was so kind. Not like Mama's friends, they just want our money. I'm staying with him."
Carlson could not believe what Claris was saying. "Go up to the lifeboats" he implored, trying to make her think reasonably.
"We went for a walk that night" Claris continued, almost in a crazed stupor. "That night on deck. There were so many stars! Just like tonight. I told him you can't see the stars in New York. The lights burn too bright. I told him to go to Central Park. I was going to take him to the park. To show him the stars."
"Here" she said as she handed him a shawl. "Take this shawl, I don't need it. If you get to New York, visit the park. That's where you see stars. That's where I wanted to take Willi. Goodbye." Claris went down the hallway and to the Grand Staircase. It would be the last time Carlson would see her.
Carlson entered the First Class Lounge. It was just as he'd seen it in the pictures. But wasn't here to sight-see. He found Zeitel standing in front of the bookcase.
"You are proving surprisingly hardy" said Zeitel as Carlson approached him. "So, perhaps you will honor one more request." A woman's scream interrupted him. "The evening's last it would seem."
"Why should I?" fumed Carlson.
"Oh, but you must" Zeitel replied. "You could save a life."
"Whose life?" asked Carlson.
"The Lady Georgia's of course!" Zeitel smirked. "I've poisoned her."
Carlson felt a rage like he had never felt in his life. First, Georgia's friends thought she was nuts, second, Charles was going to put her away, and now this!
"I don't believe you!" Carlson yelled.
"If you decide against helping me, she will die!" Zeitel threatened. "But if you cooperate, I have the antidote for her. So, will you help?"
"Yes, I will help" Carlson replied. He would do anything to save Georgia.
"Good. Listen closely" responded Zeitel. "You have the painting, and we both know its true value. Please! The painting! Hand it to me!"
Zeitel was obviously very desperate. Carlson had to save Georgia, no matter what. He would just have to figure out how to get the painting back.
"Take the painting" Carlson said as he held out the painting. Carlson knew it was for the greater good.
"Thank you" Zeitel said as he took it. "And, since I am a man of my word, the antidote." He handed the bottle to Carlson. "And, in the spirit of the evening, I will even tell you where she is. Sasha's cabin, A-14."
"Thank you!" Carlson exclaimed as he dashed out of the First Class Lounge. He ran back to the Grand Staircase, past more hordes of escaping passengers, and to the A-Deck cabins. He found that running was a little bit harder since the floor was tilting. He quickly found Sasha's cabin and knocked on the door. Georgia answered it. She was obviously quite shaken.
"Help me! Please!" Georgia screamed between heaving breaths.
Wasting no time, Carlson held out the antidote. "Here! Drink the antidote!" he commanded.
"Quickly!" Georgia yelled as she took the antidote from Carlson. She drank it down and handed it back. "God! Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Why has he done this?"
"Zeitel poisoned you because he wanted a painting" Carlson told her.
"The one Sasha has? He wouldn't let it out of his sight" Georgia remarked. "Sasha ran below, towards the turbine room, to retrieve his valuables."
"That must be where Vlad is!" thought Carlson. "Get to the lifeboats now!" he ordered.
"Meet me then, on the boat deck." Georgia replied. "With the necklace. It's a new start. Go now! We'll leave together!" She exited down the hallway.
Carlson wasted no time in getting to the Second Class Stairs. On the boat deck was a scene of utter chaos. Passengers were everywhere. Most of them didn't even know the severity of the situation He found the Second Class Stairs and started down. On the B-Deck landing, a crewman stopped him.
"This deck's closed!" The crewman barked. "If you go down there, I can't guarantee you'll come back."
"I'll take my chances" Carlson said.
"Suit yourself" replied the crewman.
Carlson raced down the stairs to the F-Deck cabins, down the stairwell, and to the Turbine Room. By that time, he felt like his lungs would burst. Fortunately the Turbine Room had not flooded yet. He walked down the steps leading to the floor of the Turbine Room. Turning to his left he saw Vlad standing over Sasha who was laying on the floor. Immediately, Carlson knew he was dead.
"You have found me" Vlad sighed. He motioned toward Sasha's body. "And Sasha"
"Did you kill him?" Carlson asked.
"Yes" Vlad replied. "Sasha cared only for himself. Not Serbia! Not the Black Hand! This is war! Deserters are shot! Like dogs!"
Carlson felt that Vlad was just as crazy as Claris was.
"Maybe you come for the notebook" Vlad continued. 'The one the German wanted? It is mine! To sell! The money for the Black Hand! Then you will see! Somewhere, sometime, within a month, in a year we strike! We will start a fire! A fire that will destroy the Austrian oppressors, destroy Europe, and all Serbs will know freedom! I must leave!" A creaking sound came from the next room. "I must get on a lifeboat! Once again, I must ask for your help. Find me a way to get into First Class. Women and children only is the rule."
Suddenly, Carlson thought of the shawl. "I can get you into First Class" he said.
"What? How?" asked Vlad with disbelief.
"Disguise yourself as a woman with this shawl" Carlson said.
"A disguise?" Vlad pondered. "No! I die like a man."
"Drowning won't help your cause" Carlson replied, trying to talk some sense into him.
"You can get me into First Class?" Vlad responded. "To the boats? What can I give you?"
"The notebook" Carlson demanded.
"Never!" Vlad resisted. "It is for Serbia!" More crashing sounds came from the next room. "Quickly! What do you take?"
"I want the notebook" Carlson insisted.
Vlad handed the notebook to Carlson. "Take it, and give me..." More crashing sounds interrupted him. "Give it to me! If I can disguise myself, I can get to the boats!" Carlson handed over the shawl. Vlad began to run. "The sea! It's coming in!" Vlad yelled. Sure enough, the room was beginning to flood.
Carlson ran out of the Turbine Room. Now, he had to find a way to get the painting back.
And he had to get to a lifeboat.
COMING NEXT: Race Against Time