Ghost Boy by Felicity Pulman

Author:Felicity Pulman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 2004-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

As they made their way back up the hill, a low whistle caught Froggy’s attention.

It was Tad, sitting on a rock in an attitude of patient boredom, as though he’d been waiting at least a century for them. He beckoned them over.

Froggy nudged Cassie. ‘Over there,’ he whispered. ‘It’s Tad.’ They looked down at the group, now filing across to have a look at the first class accommodation for passengers in the ‘healthy’ grounds. As the last person disappeared through the door, Froggy and Cassie slid behind a tree. No-one followed. No-one seemed to be taking any interest in them at all.

‘Let’s go!’ Froggy hissed, and Cassie followed him as he raced over to Tad.

‘What kept you?’

Froggy ignored him. ‘Quick, before we’re missed! We’ve seen part of a register. I asked about the other records, but the guide told me they won’t show them to the general public.’

Tad’s face fell. ‘Bother!’ he said angrily.

‘But we did see something!’ Froggy caught his arm, reassured by how solid Tad felt under his hand.

‘It was just a photocopy but it was for the time of the smallpox epidemic. Look! I copied down all I could find of the names of people who were sent to the Quarantine Station between June and November 1881: their age and date of arrival. It’s not a complete record, but it’s very interesting.’ He fished the crumpled piece of paper from his pants pocket and held it out to Tad.

Tad scanned the names anxiously. ‘Here we are!’ he said, jabbing a triumphant finger at the list. ‘See? Charles and Mary-Anne Dearborne, Joseph Dearborne and …’ He looked at Froggy blankly. ‘My name’s not there,’ he said.

‘No. Like the newspaper said, you seem to have vanished.’

‘But I was here!’

‘I’ve been thinking,’ Froggy said hesitantly, taking the paper from Tad and pointing to a name. ‘See here? There’s a Thaddeus Fisher listed. Same first name, and he’s also twelve, same as you. But there are no other Fishers – no Mum or Dad or anything. Do you think maybe that’s you?’

‘But why?’ Tad remembered the meeting with his father at school; the quick dash down to Southampton, their hasty boarding just as the ship prepared to set sail.

‘He didn’t want my mother to find me,’ he muttered. ‘I suppose we all used a different name on board, but they must have felt safe once they got to the Quarantine Station. Safe enough to use their own names, anyway. But still not mine.’ And he stared sadly at who he had become.

‘Is there any record of Thaddeus Fisher dying?’

‘I don’t know. We weren’t shown the death register. But look!’ Froggy jabbed excitedly at the paper. ‘Look at the listing after the Dearbornes.’

‘Atkins, Fisher, Davidson, Kelly …’

‘Davidson!’ Froggy said impatiently. ‘Davidson! Don’t you see? That’s my name! Davidson. If these Davidsons … who are they again?’ He squinted at the paper. ‘If this Catherine, aged thirty-three, and George, aged two, are anything to do with my family, it puts my ancestors at the same place as you, and at the same time!’ And he stared at Tad triumphantly.

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