Chapter 26: Mrs Quonsett Enjoys Herself

Chapter 26: Mrs Quonsett Enjoys Herself

Trans America Flight Two was twenty minutes out of Lincoln International, and on course for Rome. It was flying above the storm, in a clear sky.

Inside the plane, a radio message was being received. Anson Harris, Cy Jordan and Vernon all laughed as they listened to the description of Mrs Ada Quonsett, the stowaway.

‘I don’t believe it!’ Jordan said.

‘I do!’ Vernon laughed. ‘It’s so easy to get past those fools on the ground. Even an old grandmother is too clever for them!’

He asked Gwen to go and look for the old lady. When she came back she was laughing, too. ‘She’s all in black, and about eighty years old. A real threat to public safety! Shall I ask her to show me her ticket?’

‘No,’ Vernon said, ‘don’t do that.’

The others looked at him in surprise.

‘Let her enjoy the flight. Give her a nice dinner and let her see the film. You can tell her that we know who she is just before we get to Rome.’

‘Well, Vernon, you can be quite likeable sometimes!’ Gwen said.

‘I didn’t know you liked old ladies, Vernon,’ Harris said, when Gwen had gone.

Vernon laughed. ‘I prefer young ones. I’m not like you, Anson!’

Everyone knew that Harris had never cheated on his wife. When he was away from home on flights, Vernon had seen him reading books or going to a film - alone.

‘How many children have you got?’ he asked.

‘Seven. Four we intended to have, and three we didn’t. But we’re glad to have them all.’

‘The ones you didn’t intend to have. Did you ever consider doing anything about them? Before they were born?’

‘Do you mean abortion?’ Harris asked sharply.

‘Yes.’

‘Never. It’s something I have very strong views about.’

‘Because of your religion?’

‘No. I’m not a very religious man.’

‘Why then?’

‘Do you really want to hear all about it?’

‘Why not? We have all night.’

They would be able to hear any radio calls that might come in, and they were free to talk.

Harris told Vernon what he believed. He said that society had progressed by caring about people and by respecting their rights. Abortion refused a child the right to life, and to him this was as bad as murder.

This was not at all what Vernon wanted to hear.

‘You should have been a lawyer, not a pilot,’ he told Harris.

‘I told you that I had strong feelings about this. You don’t need to be religious to respect human life.’

‘Or to have a lot of stupid ideas! Anyway, abortion is becoming easier all the time. Not many people agree with you.’

‘Then our society is taking a step backwards.’ Harris replied firmly.

‘So you think it’s right for unwanted children to grow up without any of the advantages of normal family life, do you?’

‘No, of course not. We should help them by trying to improve our society, not by killing them.’

Vernon was beginning to wish that he had never started this conversation.

‘Let’s get some food before the passengers eat it all,’ he said. He didn’t want to listen to any more of Harris and his old woman’s arguments. Of course it would be right for Gwen to have an abortion - as soon as possible!

Mrs Quonsett was enjoying a pleasant conversation with one of her neighbours, who was a musician.

‘How wonderful,’ she said. ‘My husband loved good music. He played a little himself, but not professionally, of course. What a pity he can’t be here to talk to you!’

Her new friend had already bought her one drink, and now he asked her if she would like another.

‘How kind of you,’ she said. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t say yes, but I really think I will.’

Her other neighbour was rather a disappointment. She had tried to talk to him, but he had said almost nothing. He just sat there with his case on his knees.

‘Poor man,’ she said to herself. ‘Perhaps he has problems.’

She enjoyed her second drink even more than the first one. Soon she would be having dinner, and then there would be a film. She had never felt happier in her life.

Guerrero calculated that they were flying over the Detroit area. He was correct. There had been several useful announcements about the position and speed of the plane and, like every other passenger, he had a flight map. In about two and a half hours they would be flying over the coast of Newfoundland, and an hour after that would be the best time to pull the string and blow them all up.

Now that the time was near, he wanted it to come quickly. He did not want to talk to anybody, especially not to that annoying old woman in the next seat. He just wanted to close his eyes and dream about all the money that would be coming to Inez and the children.

He wondered if they would ever guess what he had done for them, and thank him for it. But there was one strange thing - he couldn’t remember their faces any more. It was easier for him to imagine the money.

Then he must have fallen asleep. When he woke up, a voice was saying: ‘Are you ready for your dinner, sir? May I take your case?’