Chapter 5. Interwoven

The sway of the train carriage nudged Innis awake.

Sitting next to him, Eurides looked out the window at the

passing countryside.

He rubbed his face. "Where are we?"

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

The last thing Innis remembered was the fire. He leaned back

against the seat. "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."

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"I see." Innis said, "it was as simple as that."

"It was." Eurides said.

He looked at the clothes he was wearing. "Whoever these

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

"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." 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, "although I doubt she

will remember it."

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 the good Doctor will be asking for it back any time

soon, so it’s yours now."

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

"For you to start a new life." Eurides said. "Do whatever you

want, come and go wherever you please. The only thing I

ask - is that whatever you do, you do it quietly."

"What does that mean?" Innis asked.

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

had recognized that you were wearing her Father's 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 nodded his head. "Quietly it is then."

Eurides leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Our lives are

intertwined now." Her hazel eyes glowed. "Thank you."

He sensed she was leaving. "Wait." he said. There were so

many questions he wanted to ask, but Eurides was already

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.

*