The Stowaways

Argo opened the next basket and saw it was filled with women’s clothes.  He looked at Zammie. “You get in this one.”

Zammie jumped inside and Argo covered him with an assortment of pink linens and light blue himations. 

“Are you okay, Kyla?” asked Argo.

“Yes, but I’m scared,” came Kyla’s muffled voice from the basket she was in.

“Don’t worry. Just wait for me to get you out after dark.” Argo opened the next basket and quickly hopped into a pile of leather goods. 

Before long the two sailors were returning to pick up the last of the baskets.  Kyla’s basket was picked up first.  She covered her mouth with her hands as the two men carried her onto the boat.  She could see their sun-beaten faces and smell their sour body odor through the slits in the wicker.  They carried her to the back of the boat and stacked her on top of another basket.  She saw them leave, but there were other sailors on the deck walking around, tying ropes, stacking crates, barking out orders, and preparing to set sail.  How can we possibly escape this boat without being seen? she wondered.

A few moments later the two sailors returned with another basket.  One of the sailor’s winced as they stacked it next to Kyla.

“That one’s heavy,” said the first sailor. “Like we're shippin' rocks.”

Kyla saw the sailor lift the lid on the basket, reach inside for a second, and then put the lid back on.

“You can’t handle a basket of clothes, Demitri? You’re gettin' weak in your old age,” said the second sailor. Both sailors began to walk away again.

“Very funny. I can carry a basket of clothes, but that one just felt heavy, that’s all,” muttered Demitri.

A moment later Kyla heard a voice coming from the basket in front of her.

“Kyla?” It was Zammie.

“Yes,” said Kyla.

“You still okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

A moment later the sailors were returning with another basket and they stacked this one on top of Zammie and walked off again.

          Kyla heard Argo’s voice coming from this new basket. “Try to relax, you two. Once it gets dark I’ll be able to let you out.”

          “Okay,” said Kyla.

          “Okay,” said Zammie.

         

The three children kept silent in their baskets for the next two hours as the ship was finished being loaded and then set sail into the gulf.  The waves were gentle and the breeze was still warm even though the sun had already set.  There was a beehive of activity on the deck with men rowing and calling out commands as they were pulling away from the port. Once they were out to sea things began to quiet down. Some of the men fell asleep.  Some were drinking wine and telling stories. None of them were paying any attention to the extra cargo that had stowed away aboard their ship.

-- from Time Trip #1: The Journey to Ancient Greece

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4

KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1

THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2

A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3

WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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