Chapter 5. Interwoven

The sway of the train carriage nudged Innis awake.

Eurides was sitting next to him looking out the window

at the passing countryside.

He rubbed his face. "Where are we?"

"On a train to Port Melbourne." she said.

The last thing Innis remembered was the fire.

He leaned back against the seat. "Well, how did I get here?"

"You left the beach before first light and walked until

you reached the railway siding. You had a pleasant

conversation with a rather surprised telegraph operator.

Then you paid for a ticket and boarded this train when it

stopped for water."

"I see." Innis said. He looked at the clothes he was wearing.

"Whoever these clothes belonged to, they're very well made."

" A Dr.Carmichael booked passage on the Loch Ard with his

wife and children in the hope of starting a new life in Australia."

"Didn't work out the way he intended then." Innis said.

"Things seldom do." Eurides said.

"Did any of the family survive?"

"One of the daughters, Eva."

"How do you know that?"

"I helped her ashore." Eurides said.

Innis nodded, and they travelled on in silence.

There was a medium sized bag on the seat next to him.

"I believe it’s called a Gladstone," Eurides said.

"It's a carry all for a Doctors’ tools of the trade."

Innis unclipped the clasps, looked inside and whistled.

"Do all Doctors carry around a small fortune hidden

in their bag?"

"I don't think Dr. Carmichael will be asking for it back

any time soon. It’s yours now."

"Why are we going to Port Melbourne?" Innis asked.

"For you to start a new life." Eurides replied.

"Do whatever you want. Come and go in whatever

direction you please. The only thing I ask, is that you do

it quietly. Try not to draw attention to yourself."

"What do you mean?" Innis asked.

"If you’d gone to back to the Glenample homestead,

and Eva had recognized that you were wearing her

Fathers’ clothes, it would of caused a fuss - and whether

you wanted to or not, I would of made you kill them all,

including Eva."

Innis smiled. "Quietly it is then."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Our lives are intertwined now."

Her hazel eyes glowed. "Thank you Innis."

He sensed she was leaving. "Wait." he said.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask

but Eurides was gone. The train travelled on and

when it emerged from a tunnel, Innis caught sight of his

reflection in the carriage window.

He was a young man again - fresh faced and even featured.

*