Free The Secret of the Lonely Isles by Joanne Van Os Page A

strange compulsion to pick it up, and then suddenly remembered the phone call Ella had taken the night before. ‘How was Professor Penhall?’ he asked.
    â€˜He was fine, just irritated at being broken into again.’
    â€˜Was anything taken?’ asked Tyler.
    â€˜He thought so. But then he can’t remember what he has in his house any more, he’s got so many old things,and they’ve been there for so long.’ She frowned, remembering something. ‘He did say that the old globe had been opened too. It’s strange that someone breaking in would think of looking there – not many people would even know it could be opened.’
    â€˜Maddy opened it by mistake – probably the thief did too, just bumped it or something,’ said Jem.
    â€˜Perhaps. Anyway, we needn’t bother ourselves with that.’ She opened up a battered satchel and pulled out a manila folder.
    â€˜Things often look different when you’re at sea,’ she said, handing a few sheets of paper to each of them. ‘These are copies of letters I found in London. Let’s go through all of them, and see if we understand anything differently. I’ll read you the most useful information I’ve found so far.’
    The first letter was from a Mr Robert Perceval to Mr Montgomery Fox, and Ella read:
    Captain Nancarrow has today advised that we shall arrive at the island in less than two weeks from this date. He feels that the monsoons may bear down upon us sooner than expected, and we could be delayed, but all things being in our favour, we shall set foot upon the chosen soil by November 15th. The island is far enough offshore so as not to excite interest,it being out of the common sailing route. All the provisions for the colonists have survived the voyage, and we shall be loading the livestock and fruit trees in Timor which we expect to reach very soon. We continue in good health, and there have been no more deaths since the Jellicoe lad out of Cochin. I shall write again from Timor.
    Yours etc,
Robert Perceval
    â€˜So, from this letter,’ said Ella, ‘we know that they planned to reach an island “out of the common sailing route” and a fair distance off the mainland. We also know they were planning to buy goods in Timor. Tyler, will you read one please?’
    Tyler cleared his throat.
    Dear Mother,
    We have today sailed into Colombo …
    â€˜Where’s Colombo?’ he asked.
    â€˜Sri Lanka, off the coast of India,’ answered Ella.
    He went on.
    â€¦ and we will remain here three days. Brother Perceval has said we shall go ashore tomorrow, and we may trade for goods with the natives …
    â€˜I can’t read the next bit … something something … “when we reach our destination we shall praise the Lord in his, in his …” nah, it’s too blurry. Musta got wet some time.’
    Jem picked up a sheet of paper, and read it out.
    My dear Wife,
    It is with utmost sorrow that I must tell you of a tragic event. Our son Tobias is now with the Lord. He took very ill with the fever after we departed Cochin, and the Lord saw fit to take him to His Bosom on September 7th. Silas, Josiah and myself carry on, and we shall send for you and the young ones when the village is built. Brother Perceval says we will reap great reward for our suffering on this Earth, and we must not be downhearted. I shall write again when we arrive at our next port, in Timor. Remain strong.
    Your loving Husband,
Augustus Jellicoe
    Ella was writing a list in her notebook. ‘We know they got as far as Timor – because we have the bills of sale for things they bought,’ she said. ‘But we need to know where they went after that.’
    Zac read out a letter from a Mary Cavendish to her sister Ann. Again it described the voyage so far, and their hopes for the future. None of the letters contained anything about the destination, or whether they ever reached it.