Free Silver by Andrew Motion Page B

of day beginning to fade around us, I felt we were also brought together. By this I do not only mean to acknowledge my willingness to steal the map, but also to show that we needed to combine our efforts, and help one another, in order to complete our purpose. Our oars made untidy splashes as they propelled us through the water; our backs and arms ached. My consolation was to imagine the lights of ships and boats around us (much less numerous than in daytime) winked like partners in our conspiracy. Men and women tramping home along the towpath, heads down and intent on their ownpurposes, persuaded me that we were invisible to the rest of humanity.
    Arduous as they were in certain respects, these circumstances encouraged Natty to speak about her parents more freely than before. As we passed through Rotherhithe, and began to tackle the widening stretch towards Greenwich, she told me that Mr Silver’s ill health and her mother’s religion, which might easily have united them as patient and nurse, had in fact led them into rather separate existences, him in the crow’s-nest of the house, her in the midships. It was Natty who cared for her father, while her mother managed the business of the inn.
    At this time in our knowledge of one another, I hesitated to press Natty for more details of her life, since my questions might easily have given hurt when they only meant to show interest. I felt no such reserve in mentioning our adventure – so when I thought we might have exhausted the subject of her father for the time being, I asked, ‘Supposing we find our island. Supposing we find it, and afterwards come home safely and rich. What do you see after that? What do you want?’
    I expected a bright reply, but Natty surprised me by speaking very gravely. ‘I don’t expect to come home,’ she said.
    ‘Not come home?’ I repeated, looking into the narrow fields that now began to open on either side of us.
    ‘No, never come home.’
    ‘You mean not survive?’
    ‘Oh,’ she said, with a weary relaxation, ‘I expect to
survive
. I mean not come home to England. You have seen my life here.’
    This invited me to make a judgement that might offend her, so I replied evasively. ‘Both our lives have their frustrations,’ I said.
    ‘Mine are more than frustrations,’ Natty replied, with the sameair of steadiness that characterised all her conversation. ‘This adventure will allow me some liberty, at least.’
    I thought her admission proved she would not mind me speaking more directly. ‘Does your father know this?’ I asked.
    ‘What does my father know of anything? He rambles – you’ve heard him. He knows the past but not the present. Perhaps your father is the same?’
    I agreed vigorously with this, and Natty continued.
    ‘He speaks about how he has changed, which is true in certain respects. He is not a pirate any more. He is a law-abiding gentleman – for as long as he remains in the world. But he cannot change entirely, because he cannot forget the island. He must have that map of yours. He must have the map, and then he must have the silver.’
    ‘Well,’ I said, somewhat dully, because my mind was still fixed on practical things. ‘At least that should mean he has found us a reliable crew.’
    Natty nodded, and despite the gathering darkness I saw that her face was flushed – which I thought had more to do with the heat of our talk than the effort of our work. ‘We shall not have the same experience as our fathers,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I can assure you of that. I have met this crew and their captain. They are all good men – Captain Beamish especially.’
    ‘You know them all?’
    ‘I said I have met them. The hands have all been hired by the captain. He is the only one I
know
. But I assure you we shall be safe. My father wants his treasure too much to allow it otherwise.’
    ‘But how will he have it, if you do not return to England?’ As I asked this question, I already knew how Natty