The Potato Factory

by Bryce Courtenay

  Mary nodded. 'Just you make sure there be a safe in that house, lovey.'

  Ikey was terribly distraught at the news of Hawk's departure to England, for he was convinced he would not live long enough to see Hawk again.

  Hawk was able to comfort him a little by promising to spend his last day helping Ikey at the Saturday races, even though he would rather have climbed the mountain and spent time with Mary. Hawk was by now doing most of the work at the races and he knew Ikey could not manage without him. This would be Ikey's last day as a bookmaker. Poor Ikey had given up his nocturnal wandering, unable to manage the walking. The races were his only remaining pleasure.

  Hawk would take a sad memory away with him of this last day with Ikey. Late in the afternoon, while Hawk's back was turned, a drunken punter accosted Ikey, accusing him of cheating, and knocked him to the ground. Hawk arrived moments later and picked the drunk off Ikey's prostrate and squealing body, giving the man a cuff across the side of the head which sent him spinning to the ground. Hawk picked up the sobbing Ikey. The shoulder of his ancient coat and also the sleeve of his shirt had been torn in the struggle so that his thin white arm hung bare. It was then that Hawk saw the tattoo. It was of two blue doves surrounded by a garland of red roses, and in a ribbon across the top of the circle of roses was the legend, To my one and only blue dove.

  Hawk took scant notice of this at the time, being more concerned for Ikey's welfare. Later, when he thought about it, he simply concluded that their guess had been correct and Ikey wore a tattoo with words from the poem. He told Mary of his findings and they congratulated each other on their perspicacity, but otherwise decided the information was of no additional help.

  With Hawk away, Ikey seemed to fade and in the next year he progressively became an old man much dependent on his daughter Sarah, and on Mary, who was increasingly under pressure as local hops were being denied her and imported stock was not always available.

  Ikey decided to relent, and acknowledged that one-eighth of his fortune was still sufficient to buy a large tract of land and give Mary the financial independence she desperately needed if she were to survive. He felt it was time to settle his moral debts before he died and though he was deeply humiliated that Hannah and David Solomon had finally beaten him, Ikey's love for Mary was such that he was prepared to compromise. But he decided not to tell Mary until he had the one-eighth portion safely deposited in her bank account.

  Ikey proposed that one of Hannah's sons, he preferred it to be Mark, should take a ship to England with her combination to the safe, while he would instruct Hawk by letter of his combination and the whereabouts of the safe.

  Hannah was adamant that David go. It delighted her to think that he was to be pitted against a fifteen-year-old nigger mute, and she felt sure David would not allow Hawk to win even an eighth of the value of the treasure. But she insisted that David leave immediately, that was in two days' time, when the Midas, a convict ship, was leaving Hobart bound for London.

  Hannah's reason for this was so that Ikey's letter to Hawk could not arrive in London before David and thus allow Hawk to get to the safe first and have it removed, or worse, attempt to open it. Ikey argued that the safe could not be opened without the combination, even if it were given over to the Bank of England. Its removal would involve the demolition of a wall of the house and, as the safe was set in concrete, it would require a very large dock crane and a gang of men to lift it out of the ground. Nevertheless, Hannah was resolute that Ikey's letter must go on the same ship as David Solomon so that the two could meet and visit the Whitechapel house on the same day and simultaneously open the safe.

  Ikey smelt a rat and thought David would bribe the captain to give him Ikey's letter, so he did not entrust it to the captain but gave it instead to the ship's chaplain whom he swore to secrecy and added further to the man of God's integrity with a nice little stipend for his ministry.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  On a day of persistent drizzle, with swirling clouds obscuring the top of the great mountain, the Midas sailed from the river port bound for London. On board was Mr David Solomon, who had been carefully drilled in the description of each item in the safe and the value of the gem stones. Though Hannah was not as expert as Ikey in this she had a keen eye for appraisal and knew each precious stone individually. Also in his luggage was a set of scales for weighing gold and a new pistol of American design.

  The voyage home to England was uneventful and the Midas berthed at Gravesend, where David immediately sent a letter by courier to Hawk at the hop farm where he worked asking him to come to London at once to meet him on board the Midas. On the same day Hawk received a message from the ship's chaplain that a letter awaited him from Mr Ikey Solomon which he was instructed to hand over to him personally on board.

  When Hawk opened the letter Ikey was already dead. He had passed away not two weeks previously. His funeral had been a mixed affair, one of the first few to take place in the Hobart synagogue which had been open for five years. One hundred and eighty of the male Jews in Hobart Town attended Ikey's funeral and filled the tiny synagogue to overflowing. As well, standing outside, was a crowd which the polite society of Hobart found most undesirable. Publicans and whores, touts, con men, cock fight proprietors, sly grog merchants and most of the racing fraternity of Hobart Town stood outside the little synagogue.

  The minyan of ten good men consisted of Hobart's most prominent Jews: Philip Levy, Samuel Moses, Jacob Frankel, Abraham Reuban, Judah Solomon, Isaac Feldman, Edward Magnus, Abraham Wolff, Isaac Marks and Philip Phillips. Ikey was buried in the Jewish cemetery according to the ancient rites and beliefs of his own people and though Mark and Moses attended, as only men are allowed to attend an orthodox funeral, Sarah stood outside the cemetery with Mary and both wept, while Hannah stood apart with Ann, dry-eyed and triumphant.

  What transpired between Hawk and David is best revealed in the account David Solomon gave to his mother on his return to Van Diemen's Land. He told how the dumb nigger nodded in agreement when he asked if Ikey's letter contained his half of the combination to the Whitechapel safe. Then he proposed they both inspect and test the safe to ensure it had not been tampered with, and then remain present to observe while each worked his part of the combination. Finally, that the coin in the form of gold sovereigns be divided with one in eight going to Hawk, while the gold and silver ingots be weighed and that Hawk should receive one-eighth part of the total weight of each. The gem stones would be divided into lots of eight and then they would toss a coin to see who would have the first pick from each lot. To all this the schwarzer had silently agreed.

  David then told of how they had set out in a carriage to the house in Whitechapel in the company of the shipwright from the Midas and his bag of tools. The shipwright had removed the heavy planking from the front door and then left. It was a miserably cold February day when the two men, each carrying a bull's eye lamp, entered the house, which had stood empty for over twenty years.

  They moved along the dusty hallway, brushing aside cobwebs and going straight to the scullery, for both had a location plan, Hawk from Ikey and David from Hannah. David opened the closely fitted scullery door with a key given to him by his mother which had hung about her neck as long as he could remember.

  The room contained no windows and the air within it was most stale, though surprisingly free of dust. While Hawk Solomon held the bull's eye lamp, David read the instructions which triggered the false nails in the floorboards, and carefully lifted each board until the door of the huge safe beneath was clearly exposed. David stooped down and tested the handle of the safe, giving it a firm pull. It was obviously locked. He rose and allowed Hawk to do the same.

  David confessed that at this point his heart was pounding and his face must have shown his excitement, though he couldn't speak for the nigger, 'it being dark an' all'. His hands shook as he tried to hold the torch steady for Hawk as the black boy's numbers were the first part of the combination. Hawk had dialled qu
ickly, his huge hands graceful to the touch and the numbers 690 appeared and then a distinct click sounded. Then Hawk rose and placed his torch on a shelf so that the room was dimly lit and then held David's torch directed at the wheels of the combination lock. David, his hands trembling, dialled 816 whereupon there was another click. For a moment all that could be heard was their rapid breathing, Hawk's steady and David's coming fast as though he were short of breath. Hawk tapped David on the shoulder and indicated that he should be the one to open the safe. David pulled, but nothing happened, the door remained shut.

  'Oh Jesus!' David exclaimed.

  Hawk pushed him aside and handed him back his bull's eye lamp, then he took the handle in both hands and pulled the safe open in a single jerk.

  David would tell Hannah how he was not sure what might meet his eyes, perhaps small boxes and rotting canvas bags spilling over with gold and silver and precious jewels. But what they both witnessed was an empty safe, except for a single envelope sealed with red wax. It was addressed to 'The Solomon Family'.

  Hawk, in his 'telling' of the same story to Mary, told how David was the first to react, dropping the lamp and commencing to hop from one foot to the other, wailing and moaning and tearing at his hair, while Hawk stood silent, his head bent, one hand covering his face though he continued to follow David by looking through his fingers.

  Hawk told how he finally went down on one knee and reached into the empty safe to retrieve the envelope which he handed to David, whose hands were shaking so that he could barely break open the seal. Hawk had noticed a slight bulge in the envelope and now David removed from it a man's gold signet ring heavily crusted with diamonds and rubies. Then he withdrew the note and attempted to open its careful folds, but his fist had tightened around the ring and his remaining hand was shaking too violently to do so.

  David, sobbing, handed the note to Hawk.

  'Read it! Fer Chrissakes, read it!' he screamed at Hawk, forgetting that Hawk was a mute. Hawk slowly opened the note and held it up to David to read, without looking at it. In Ikey's handwriting were the words: Remember, always leave a little salt on the bread.

  'What can it mean?' David sobbed. 'Whatever can it mean?' Then he fell on his knees. 'We are done for! My family is destroyed!' he wailed. 'Ikey Solomon has beaten us all hands up!'

  Later that evening, Hawk wrote a letter to Mary.

  My Ever Dear Mama,

  Today I have met David Solomon, the son of Mistress Hannah Solomon of New Norfolk, whom I know to be Ikey's estranged wife. With him we have visited the premises of Ikey's old residence in Petticoat Lane, Whitechapel, on an errand entrusted to me by Ikey in a letter received this day of which he tells me you are unaware and in which he begs me now to acquaint you of the contents, as he is not sure that he will remain alive in the many months for it to arrive in England. Ikey is ever the pessimist and I expect he is as well as ever. However, I am happy to inform you that the letter instructed me to go with Master David Solomon, recently embarked from the ship, Midas, to the house in Whitechapel where Master Solomon had been acquainted by his mother as to the whereabouts of a certain safe hidden beneath the scullery floor.

  Included in Ikey's letter was the combination number which I was to use upon the safe. Whereupon Master David, also bearing a number given to him by Mistress Solomon, would add his to make the complete combination, the two numbers to effect the opening of the safe.

  Ikey's letter further instructed me to take a one-eighth share of the contents of the safe and then to return to Van Diemen's Land where I was to bring this portion to you. Though none of this is to be known by you. Alas, I cannot conceal it from you and I have not given Ikey my word that I would not tell you first in a letter, as he wishes me simply to arrive home as a surprise.

  Ikey's letter also included the deeds of the house and instructed that I should sell the property and also return the money to you keeping a ten percentum for myself for expenses while I remain in England. A most generous offer which I shall accept with gratitude.

  Alas, I regret to inform you that the safe when opened was empty, that is, save for a sealed envelope. When opened it contained an envelope addressed in printed writing to The Solomon Family, the note within contained only these words in Ikey's handwriting: 'Always remember to leave a little salt on the bread.'

  You will recall it is a saying much favoured by Ikey.

  And now to business which I trust will always remain only between you and I, dear Mama.

  You will remember the two lines in the riddle poem: 'To this cipher be one more to fit then add roses ringed to love'

  By much speculation it came to me some months ago that 'To this cipher' meant not Hannah's part of the combination but only one number, and not three. The lowest number when the number 276 is finally reduced is 2 + 7 + 6 = 15 and 1+5 = 6. I took the number for the line 'To my one and only blue dove' to be six.

  Then again, by working some weeks in my spare time on the conundrum I came one evening to the notion that the ring of roses seen surrounding Ikey's tattoo was in the shape of a zero, the cipher '0'. I now had two numbers, six and zero. But it was the final one which took me near to despair, until some weeks ago I chanced to read the final line in a different manner, 'then add roses ringed… to love'. The third number was, I concluded, contained in the reduction to a single number of the sum of the numbers made of the word, love!

  These I soon worked out, which you will see from using the alphabet code are: 12 + 15 + 22 + 5 = 54. When reduced to the lowest possible number, that is 4 + 5 = 9. The third number was nine.

  I now had three numbers, 6, 0, 9, and the final line tells me clearly that the ring of roses (the '0') is added to the word 'love' so the zero, I surmised, must come after the number nine.

  I am pleased to inform you that I concluded the number must be 690. Using the numbers you had given me as being the combination held by Mistress Hannah, I had a sequence complete of 690816. This proved sufficient to open the safe some four weeks before I received Ikey's letter of instruction when David Solomon and I met on board.

  I must inform you that Mr David Solomon has taken ship to return home with the sad news of the missing contents to the safe. This letter will be despatched in the care of the captain of the same vessel, the Mermaid, bound for Hobart. You should expect great unexplained lamentation from Ikey and even perchance some effect to his heart, so you must tell him immediately! You should also anticipate considerable wrath should you meet up with Mistress Hannah, or she come upon Ikey. For with him Master David carries the note from Ikey and a magnificent gold signet ring encrusted with diamonds and rubies, so that Ikey could be true to the message written on the note. I feel sure Ikey will be most pleased at the notion.

  I am therefore delighted, my dear Mama, to acquaint you with the news that you are now a woman of most considerable means. The value of the gold and silver in sovereigns and in the form of ingots, and there be a great many precious stones besides, is in the region of one hundred thousand pounds. If you wish you shall have the land in the entire Huon Valley for the cultivation of hops.

  I am now exceedingly happy to inform you that I have learned all we will need to know on the tilling, sowing, netting and havesting of hops and have, with my own hands, worked every part of the growing and harvesting process. I have also acquired fifty bags of the finest quality seed.

  I now most eagerly and impatiently await your instructions to come home as I must set out upon my search for my brother Tommo.

  I remain, your humble, loving and obedient son,

  Hawk X Solomon.

  P.S. I caution you to burn this letter at the conclusion of your having read it. I will include a bank draft for the value of Ikey's house made out in your name, to the Bank of Van Diemen's Land, though I shall find the ten percentum commission most useful. I shall bring you a new Sunday bonnet, some bright ribbon, which I do not suppose you will affect, a winter coat, two of the splendid crinoline gowns so popular with our young Queen Victoria a
nd several pairs of good stout, English boots. H. X. S.

  Hawk's letter crossed with one from Mary.

  My darling Hawk,

  I thank God every day that he has given you to me. Though I confess I also thank the great mountain as often. My news is both wonderful and sad; Ikey has passed away, though peacefully in his sleep. I wish you to come home at once. This letter is extremely short for there is a ship which leaves for England within the hour.

  And now! Our Tommo is back!

  This morning at eight of the clock there was a knock at the door and a boy in rags who looked not much more than eleven years old, skinny and of a dirty appearance stood as I opened it. His hair was fair and his eyes a most beautiful blue.

  'Mama, I am home, will you take me back?' he asked.

  I love you, Hawk Solomon, and we are all together again, Mary, Tommo and Hawk!

  Your loving mother,

  Mary Abacus.

  ***

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