I also thought of my last meeting with the Spook. I was now off to a strange land to face great dangers.
I might never see him again. I wished I could have said goodbye to him properly to thank him for all his advice and training.
The journey passed without incident and we arrived at Sunderland Point to find it teeming with activity.
The depth of the channel didn't permit large vessels to approach the shore, but out in the river estuary a large three-masted ship lay at anchor. It was the Celeste, which had been chartered to carry us across the seas to Greece. It was supposed to be fast too – one of the speediest merchant ships operating from County ports.
'Now do you see why I needed the money?' Mam said. 'Chartering such vessels doesn't come cheaply. Nor does finding a crew willing to take witches as passengers.'
Between the shore and the ship, smaller craft were sailing back and forth with supplies. The evening sun was shining but there was a strong breeze and I looked nervously at the choppy water.
I heard a welcoming bark and Claw bounded towards me with her two pups. Bill Arkwright walked close behind them.
'Ready for the voyage, Master Ward? Not a bad day for it,' he remarked. 'But there's a bit of a swell and it'll be a lot worse further out. Be all right once you get your sea-legs though.'
I said nothing and glanced across at Alice, who was standing near the group of witches. She was clearly as nervous as I was, but she caught my eye and gave me a little wave. I waved back and looked at the witches, who were all staring down at the turbulent water.
The sea wasn't the same barrier to a witch as running water like a river, but the salt was still a serious threat. Immersed in the sea, they would die. Even the spray was toxic to them, so they had put on gloves and leggings, and the normally barefoot Mouldheels were clad in woollen socks. They also wore leather hoods; these were close-fitting and had small holes for eyes, nose and mouth. Yet in spite of these additional garments, I felt sure that the witches would still spend the journey cowering in the Celeste's hold. Mam told me that the crew had been warned about their passengers, but on the shore the witches were attracting a few wary glances and most people kept their distance.
Two large rowing boats were used to ferry us out in groups of six or so. Mam went first, escorted by the captain of the Celeste. Next the witches were rowed across, their shrieks and howls at the salt spray slowly fading into the distance. But Alice didn't go with them. She came to stand beside me.
'Mind if I do the crossing with you, Tom?' she asked almost shyly.
'Of course not,' I replied.
So we shared the last boat with Arkwright and the three dogs. The animals were excited and difficult to calm, and it took a few stern words from her master to persuade Claw to lie still. The rowing boat pitched and rolled alarmingly, but luckily the crossing didn't take long. Climbing the rope ladder up to the deck proved easy enough and a basket was lowered for the dogs.
Mam and the captain – a big red-faced man with prominent side-whiskers – were standing by the mainmast: she beckoned me across.
'This is Captain Baines,' she said with a smile, 'the best seafarer the County has.'
'Well, I was certainly born and bred in the County and I got my sea-legs when I was younger than you, boy,' he replied, 'but as for being the best, no doubt some would dispute that. Our part of the world has more than its fair share of good sailors!'
'You're just being modest,' Mam said. 'And it's not polite to contradict a lady!'
'Then I owe you an apology,' said the captain with a bow. 'Indeed, I owe your mother a lot,' he said, turning towards me. 'I have twin boys – just turned five years of age last week. They'd be dead now but for your mother. Maybe my wife too. She's the best midwife in the County.'
It was true. Before she'd returned to Greece Mam had helped lots of County women with difficult births and saved many a life.
'Well, I certainly would be lacking in courtesy if I didn't show you both around my ship,' he went on. 'It'll be your home for the next few weeks so you might as well find out what you've let yourselves in for!'
He showed us the different sections of the hold, including the galley and the quartermaster's stores, and I soon knew exactly what the captain meant. Although the Celeste had looked big from the shore it was actually very small for such a large number of passengers. The crew's quarters, towards the front of the ship, seemed tiny, but the captain pointed out that not all of them would be sleeping at the same time: there were three watches, so at any one time a third of the crew would be on duty. The witches were to be located aft, to the rear of the Celeste, and there were a separate quarters that I would share with Bill Arkwright. Additionally there were two cabins: the first belonged to the captain; the second had been reserved for Mam.
Her cabin was small but very well appointed. In addition to the bed there was an armchair and a table with two straight-backed wooden chairs. All the furniture was bolted to the floor to prevent it from sliding about during storms. The porthole didn't admit much light so the captain lit a lantern.
'I hope you'll be comfortable here, Mrs Ward,' he said. 'And now I must get back to my duties. We'll be sailing within the hour.'
'I'm sure I'll be more than comfortable, Captain,' Mam said, thanking him with a smile.
I followed Captain Baines back up onto the deck and saw that the tide was rising fast, the wind freshening and the air redolent of salt and tar. Soon the large sails were unfurled, the anchor raised, and with a groan, a shudder and a flap of canvas, the Celeste began to move away from Sunderland Point. At first she didn't roll too much. It was a clear evening and the sun was still just above the horizon, so there was lots to see. To the north, Arkwright pointed out Cartmel and the Old Man of Coniston, the mountain we'd visited the previous year.
'Had some scary times there!' Alice exclaimed.
We both nodded. Arkwright had almost lost his life and Claw's mate, Tooth, had been slain by the water witch, Morwena.
Sailing wasn't as bad as I'd expected, but we were still only crossing Morecambe Bay, which was sheltered from the worst of the wind. The open sea lay ahead, and as we passed the estuary of the river Wyre, I could see a line of choppy white water ahead. The moment we reached it, the ship began to pitch and roll alarmingly. Soon my stomach began to heave, and within ten minutes I'd emptied its contents over the side.