The Iowa Sisters #2 The Red North

Chapter 19

CHERBOURG FRANCE JANUARY 1954 "POL XIV"

I watched worriedly as Nomadic met Queen Mary at the harbor entrance. The tenders' motions were slow and her eyes flashed with pain every time she made a step.

She was a pitiful sight to see. I loved her more than any other ship I'd ever known but to see her wasting away right in front of me was too much.

I forced myself to face it though. She needed me here and as long as she did, I would stay. Her Propellerous was so advanced that she should've lost control and died by now but somehow she fought on.

I didn't know how or where she found the strength but what mattered is that she did and she was doing it. There hadn't been a turnaround yet but the disease seemed to be slowing down according to Queen Elizabeth.

I couldn't tell, to me Nomadic looked weaker than ever. And with human flu season approaching, I feared she would catch it.

She halted beside Queen Mary and took the Cunard liner's passengers to the dock. Queen Mary watched her and when she returned with the outbound batch, she said "You want some help today Nomadic?"

"No, very few ships are coming into port today. Probably because of that storm that's coming in." Nomadic replied, turning her gaze on the darkening sky.

"I hear it's a big one. Not often you get high category hurricanes on this side of the Atlantic." Queen Mary said.

A large cold front system traveling from the north had converged with a typhoon coming from the south in the Indian Ocean and had been diverted into the trade winds.

Although the trip over Africa had severely drained its power, the storm system was scheduled to reach France by midnight if not sooner with winds in excess of 120 mph. It was regaining strength in the warm Mediterranean waters. Already, there were signs of its imminent arrival. The wind was stronger and the white caped waves flung spray into the ships faces as the swells rose in height.

"Travel safely Mary, you don't know how bad it could be out there." Nomadic ordered. "I will Nomadic. You just stay undercover and you'll be fine." Mary replied.

"Don't worry about me, at least I have a harbor to protect me." Nomadic said. "True enough, but please be careful. If this storm is anything like what I'm hearing, no harbor will be safe enough." Mary replied.

Nomadic pressed her bow against Mary's. "You come back safe, you hear me Mary." She hissed. "I'll be fine Nomadic, I'm built to take weather. Of course I'll come back. After all, I still owe you a stern kicking." Queen Mary replied.

"I look forward to it." Nomadic said, grinning. Queen Mary nuzzled her. "I will come back Nomadic, don't worry." She whispered.

Nomadic nodded. "Godspeed Mary." She whispered. "May he protect us all through this." Queen Mary replied. She turned around and left the harbor for Queenstown, now Cobh Ireland before racing across the Atlantic for New York.

"Have a safe trip Mary!" Nomadic called. "I will thanks." Queen Mary replied. "Maybe if I hurry, I can beat the storm." She said. "Run then, run like you're after the Blue Riband." Nomadic replied. Queen Mary laughed and accelerated so quickly that she had vanished from sight within minutes.

Nomadic shook her head. "Show off." She muttered and turned back inside Cherbourg. I met her at the docks. "The next ship doesn't come in 'till five. You should rest." I ordered. She frowned.

"Tendering is a 24-7 operation Pol, I cannot simply slack on the job to rest." She replied. "Nomadic, it's flu season and you're not as young as you used to be. You're already trying to win the fight against one deadly disease, don't risk trying to fight two." I growled.