by John Wilson
Everyone involved was overwhelmed by our find, regardless of how it happened. The police admitted something strange had happened, but with no leads to follow there was little they could do.
Fitzjames’s journal is in good condition and is being analyzed now. Already the media is clogged with stories from it. Apart from what might have happened to Fitzjames, his three companions and their dog, there is no more Franklin mystery.
My phone beeps that I have an incoming message. “It’s from Enigma Tours,” I say.
Annabel is at my side in an instant, and we read:
Enigma Tours is pleased that you enjoyed your recent cruise with us. We enjoyed having you along. Personally, I am very much enjoying your gift of stories, although it is not quite what I had expected. I sincerely hope that you will consider us for your travel needs in the future.
Sincerely,
Mr. Toby Heatherlup, FD
“Who’s Mr. Toby Heatherlup, and what does FD mean?” I ask.
Annabel almost falls off her chair laughing. “You still can’t do cryptic crosswords,” she says when she calms down. “It’s an anagram. Try rearranging the letters of Mr. Toby Heatherlup, FD.’ ”
“Humphrey Battleford,” I say.
“Yes,” Annabel says, “and he’s still playing games.”
Author’s Note
Sir John Franklin did lead an expedition into the Northwest Passage in 1845, and it did end in tragedy. Of the 129 men who set off, 105 were still alive in 1848. They did leave a brief note, written by the third in command of the expedition, James Fitzjames, in a tin can under a pile of stones at Victory Point on King William Island before marching off into history. The traditional story is that they all died on or near the island in 1848.
There are Inuit tales of starving men dragging sleds, of tents filled with bodies, of cannibalism and of a ship trapped in the ice in Queen Maud Gulf. That ship was the Erebus, and its wreck, remarkably well preserved, was discovered by Parks Canada underwater archaeologists in September 2014. Study of the wreck will yield information for years to come and fill in gaps in what we know of the expedition. Perhaps one day a search party on a nearby island will stumble upon an oilcloth-wrapped journal or package of documents buried for safekeeping before the last survivors set off to meet their inevitable fate in 1849 or 1850. I hope not. Mysteries are sometimes more fun.
Other Franklin Books by John Wilson
Graves of Ice—The story of cabin boy George Chambers’s experiences aboard Erebus. (Reading level: grade 4 to 6)
Across Frozen Seas—A boy living in Saskatchewan begins to have strange dreams about the Arctic. (Reading level: grade 4 to 6)
Discovering the Arctic: The Story of John Rae—An illustrated biography of one of the explorers who searched for Franklin. (Reading level: grade 4 to 6)
North with Franklin: The Lost Journals of James Fitzjames—A novel that recreates James Fitzjames’s journal. (Reading level: grade 9+)
John Franklin: Traveller on Undiscovered Seas—A biography of Sir John Franklin. (Reading level: grade 9+)
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Melanie for helping Sam and Annabel come to life once more and to all the John Franklin fans for the information they share, especially Tom Gross for the use of his photograph on the cover.
A long-standing fascination with the Franklin Expedition and the 2014 discovery of the Erebus gave John Wilson no choice but to write this third mystery featuring Sam and Annabel. John is the author of numerous books for young readers; every one of his books deals with the past. He lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.johnwilsonauthor.com.
orca currents
9781459806986 9.95 PB
9781459807105 16.95 LIB
9781459806993 PDF • 9781459807006 EPUB
Sam and Annabel are visiting Drumheller, Alberta, where they get to hang out on a dinosaur dig. Annabel, an avid learner, wants to spend as much time as she can near the dig, much to Sam’s dismay. But when they learn the dig has uncovered scientifically important bones, even Sam is interested. In fact, the whole town is talking. When Sam and Annabel discover that Humphrey Battleford, a famous collector of stolen goods, is in the area, they are on high alert to keep the ancient bones safe.
orca currents
For more information on all the books in the Orca Currents series, please visit
www.orcabook.com.