Hundreds of young men and women line the decks, hanging over the sides to watch the waves roll away. Livi puts a hand in her pocket and feels the gun. Her fingers move past the weapon to find the tiny knife, her talisman. It is as much a part of their struggle to survive as their mother’s spiritual presence.
‘Magda,’ she says, quietly. ‘I’m going to chuck my gun into the sea.’ It doesn’t belong with the knife. While they could both kill, the knife has only ever come to her aid.
‘What? Don’t be so stupid, Livi. Someone will see.’
‘They’re not looking at me.’
‘You can’t know that for sure. Please, leave it alone.’
And before Livi can take the gun out of her pocket to launch it into the waves, they are joined by a couple of the girls they had trained with. ‘Did you hear?’ says one, breathlessly.
Magda, instantly on the alert, stares into the vast expanse of empty sea, the port in the distance growing smaller and smaller, and then into the clear skies. No Communists or British ships in sight. So far, so safe.
‘There’s not enough bunks below for all the passengers so they’re looking for girls to sleep on deck with the boys.’ Magda can tell from the glow in their eyes, the pink of their cheeks, that they’re excited, thrilled by their daring. ‘We’re going to say yes. Do you want to join us?’
Magda allows herself to feel the same thrill. ‘Sure,’ she says. ‘Why not? Livi?’
‘I signed up for adventure,’ says Livi, taking her hand out of her pocket. ‘Of course I’ll sleep on deck.’
‘We’ll be in Israel in less than a week,’ says Magda, staring at the unending sea ahead of them. ‘I think five nights under the stars is a great way to prepare ourselves.’
‘Let’s go and find the perfect spot,’ urges Livi.
‘Well, that will be wherever the boys are, right?’ says the breathless girl.
‘I was thinking as far away from the engine as possible, if we’re to get any sleep,’ says Magda, sensibly.
‘Who wants to sleep?’ asks the girl. ‘I don’t think I will ever sleep again.’
Livi takes Magda’s hand as the girls lead the way to their new sleeping quarters. ‘Please tell me you’re excited, Magda,’ says Livi.
‘I am, I really am. But I’m scared too, Livi. I really hope we make it without any trouble. But, I guess’ – Magda pats her pocket – ‘we have these guns.’
The girls duck under a rope and Magda follows, unaware that Livi is hanging back. When she realises her sister is no longer by her side, she turns round to see Livi facing a man with greasy black hair. He’s older than the sisters, and there is something wrong with the expression on his face. He’s sneering not smiling. Livi and the man don’t move. They look like statues.
‘Livi!’ shouts Magda. ‘Come on. What are you waiting for?’ Magda starts forward, ducking back under the rope until she’s standing beside her sister.
‘Well, well,’ says the man to Livi. ‘Who do we have here?’
‘Stay away from me.’ Livi’s voice is trembling.
‘Livi. What’s going on? Who is this man?’ Magda takes her sister’s arm to pull her away, but Livi doesn’t move.
‘Going to the promised land, are you?’ he hisses. Magda shivers as she sees his mouth open in a leer to reveal chipped yellow teeth. He takes a step towards the sisters.
Magda’s hand goes to her pocket.
The man catches the movement and steps back. ‘I never thought you’d make it,’ Isaac says.
‘Same,’ snaps Livi, emboldened a little by Magda’s presence. ‘You should have been shot along with the Nazis for what you did.’
Magda, her hand still in her pocket, positions herself in front of Livi, blocking her view of the man. ‘Livi. Who is he?’ she says over her shoulder.
But Livi leans past her and spits into the man’s face.
‘You going to be a problem for me?’ he asks, dragging a sleeve across his cheek.
‘I might be. And what will you do about it without any of your Nazi friends to save you?’
‘I’m entitled to a fresh start. Just like you.’
‘I’m nothing like you.’ Livi grabs Magda’s hand and drags her away.
‘It’s a big ship,’ he calls, as they walk away. ‘Who would notice if a little mouse fell overboard?’
Magda turns round, drawing the butt of the gun out of her pocket. ‘And who would care if a big oaf like you got a bullet in the back of his head?’ she snarls.