hour. ”
She hung up the phone gently and gave her husband a worried look.
“ What is it, Mom? ” Peter quizzed her. “ What ’ s going on? ”
Peter ’ s father waved him off. “ Don ’ t be so nosey, now. The phone call wasn ’ t for you. ”
“ That ’ s all right, ” Mrs. Andersen said, pulling her bathrobe more tightly around her waist. “ It concerns them. ” She paused for a moment, looked down at the phone, then back at Peter, Elise, and Mr. Andersen.
“ She ’ s been up all night, upset, ” Mrs. Andersen explained. “ I guess she just had to talk to someone. ”
“ Upset about what? ” Peter asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew. His mother frowned.
“ She ’ s upset at the way Matthias embarrassed her in front of everyone last night by making it sound as if they ’ re getting married. Apparently she ’ s very fond of the man, but it seems he ’ s rushing her into a decision. ”
“ It is a little soon for him to be talking about that sort of thing, ” agreed Mr. Andersen. “ Maybe she thinks this is her only opportunity to get married again. ”
Peter ’ s mother nodded and continued. “ She sounds so confused, but she thinks she may grow to love him. It ’ s hard for a widow.... ”
“ He wants an answer right now? ” asked Elise. Her mother nodded once more.
“ He wants to know right away because he ’ s leaving in his plane this morning to make arrangements for a ship that ’ s heading to Palestine in a few weeks. ”
“ And he wants them to go on the ship? ”
“ Apparently, he ’ s in charge of getting all the passengers on board, so he wants Ruth and Henrik to be on it, which means they would get married before they left. ”
“ Palestine! ” Peter clenched his fists. “ They can ’ t go to Palestine! What about Henrik? ”
“ I don ’ t like the idea any more than you do, son. ” Mr. Andersen put his hand on Peter ’ s shoulder. “ But it ’ s their business. A lot of Jewish people from all over Europe are trying to go to Palestine. They feel it ’ s their country. ”
“ But it ’ s not like going to Sweden, Dad. ”
“ It ’ s dangerous, but people are still going. ”
“ I know that, but, Dad, what if we know something bad about Matthias that no one else knows? ”
“ Such as? ”
“ Such as he ’ s a smuggler, and that he has a gun, and —”
“ Wait a minute, Peter, ” Mr. Andersen interrupted. “ This sounds like another one of your stories. ”
“ I ’ m not making it up, ” Peter insisted. “ It sounded pretty bad last night on this old ship .”
“ Last night on the ship? ” asked Mrs. Andersen. “ What ship are you talking about, and what were you doing on it last night? ”
Peter glanced at Elise, and she nodded. In a few minutes, he had spilled out the entire story about how he and Henrik had followed Matthias to the ship, and what they heard him say to the Greek captain. He even threw in a few details about finding the gun on Matthias ’ s plane.
“ But he never actually saw it, ” Elise added for good measure.
“ That ’ s not the point, ” Mr. Andersen said, crossing his arms.
“ You don ’ t understand, Dad. ” Peter started talking faster and louder, trying to
She hung up the phone gently and gave her husband a worried look.
“ What is it, Mom? ” Peter quizzed her. “ What ’ s going on? ”
Peter ’ s father waved him off. “ Don ’ t be so nosey, now. The phone call wasn ’ t for you. ”
“ That ’ s all right, ” Mrs. Andersen said, pulling her bathrobe more tightly around her waist. “ It concerns them. ” She paused for a moment, looked down at the phone, then back at Peter, Elise, and Mr. Andersen.
“ She ’ s been up all night, upset, ” Mrs. Andersen explained. “ I guess she just had to talk to someone. ”
“ Upset about what? ” Peter asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew. His mother frowned.
“ She ’ s upset at the way Matthias embarrassed her in front of everyone last night by making it sound as if they ’ re getting married. Apparently she ’ s very fond of the man, but it seems he ’ s rushing her into a decision. ”
“ It is a little soon for him to be talking about that sort of thing, ” agreed Mr. Andersen. “ Maybe she thinks this is her only opportunity to get married again. ”
Peter ’ s mother nodded and continued. “ She sounds so confused, but she thinks she may grow to love him. It ’ s hard for a widow.... ”
“ He wants an answer right now? ” asked Elise. Her mother nodded once more.
“ He wants to know right away because he ’ s leaving in his plane this morning to make arrangements for a ship that ’ s heading to Palestine in a few weeks. ”
“ And he wants them to go on the ship? ”
“ Apparently, he ’ s in charge of getting all the passengers on board, so he wants Ruth and Henrik to be on it, which means they would get married before they left. ”
“ Palestine! ” Peter clenched his fists. “ They can ’ t go to Palestine! What about Henrik? ”
“ I don ’ t like the idea any more than you do, son. ” Mr. Andersen put his hand on Peter ’ s shoulder. “ But it ’ s their business. A lot of Jewish people from all over Europe are trying to go to Palestine. They feel it ’ s their country. ”
“ But it ’ s not like going to Sweden, Dad. ”
“ It ’ s dangerous, but people are still going. ”
“ I know that, but, Dad, what if we know something bad about Matthias that no one else knows? ”
“ Such as? ”
“ Such as he ’ s a smuggler, and that he has a gun, and —”
“ Wait a minute, Peter, ” Mr. Andersen interrupted. “ This sounds like another one of your stories. ”
“ I ’ m not making it up, ” Peter insisted. “ It sounded pretty bad last night on this old ship .”
“ Last night on the ship? ” asked Mrs. Andersen. “ What ship are you talking about, and what were you doing on it last night? ”
Peter glanced at Elise, and she nodded. In a few minutes, he had spilled out the entire story about how he and Henrik had followed Matthias to the ship, and what they heard him say to the Greek captain. He even threw in a few details about finding the gun on Matthias ’ s plane.
“ But he never actually saw it, ” Elise added for good measure.
“ That ’ s not the point, ” Mr. Andersen said, crossing his arms.
“ You don ’ t understand, Dad. ” Peter started talking faster and louder, trying to
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