Unsinkable Read Online Free
Author: Gordon Korman
designed an unsinkable ship.
Daniel reached for a fresh pencil, accidentally scraping his arm against a patch of splintered wood on the old table.
“Ow!”
He examined the damage. An angry red scratch stretched from his wrist to his elbow.
Suddenly, the answer was right in front of him.
He was assuming it would take a spectacular crash to sink a mighty ship like the Titanic. But maybe he was approaching the whole problem the wrong way. His skin had barely touched that splintered wood, and yet it had left a wound along the entire length of his forearm. Could the same thing happen to an ocean liner? Not a devastating collision, but a sideswipe that opened a long breach extending through several of her watertight compartments. She could float with damage to four. But what if it was five? Or ten? Or all sixteen?
She would sink, that’s what!
He began to sketch with a new energy and excitement.
When he was finished with his diagram, he wrote his name and the date across the top. He couldn’t wait to explain his theory to Paddy. Yet the urge to show it to the designer of the Titanic himself was almost a physical pain.
He had to get this drawing in front of Thomas Andrews before the shipbuilder’s magnificent creation bore him halfway around the world.
CHAPTER FIVE
BELFAST
T UESDAY, A PRIL 2, 1912, 4:15 P.M.
The stationer regarded Paddy with suspicion at first, but the freshly printed one-pound note was as good as a letter of introduction from King George himself.
At last, the man said, “I’ll be needing to send my boy to the bank with this note, to make sure it’s authentic.”
Paddy nodded, uncertain whether or not he should be offended. He’d never tried to spend paper money before. Perhaps this was standard practice. He sat awkwardly on a small wooden stool while the stationer wrapped his purchase in butcher paper.
“It won’t take long, lad. The bank is just around the corner.”
The man was right. It didn’t take long. The boy was back within five minutes. Directly behind him was an all-too-familiar man wrapped in a houndstooth cloak.
Paddy’s heart turned over. He was caught. Caught! And all because of his own stupidity! Daniel had warned him not to spend those notes!
The stationer addressed the newcomer. “As soon as I saw that quid, I thought this was sure to be one of the little scoundrels you’ve been looking for.”
“It is, indeed,” the man confirmed in a gruff voice. “Your help is appreciated, Finn.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gilhooley.”
Paddy’s jaw dropped. “Gilhooley?” Everyone recognized that name. James Gilhooley was the gangster who ran the waterfront district and half of Belfast beyond that.
“I see you’ve heard of my brother,” the newcomer growled. “And now you’ve met me. The name’s Kevin Gilhooley, and you’ll not be wanting to forget it.”
Paddy could not believe how quickly their good fortune had turned to dust. Just a few days earlier, they had landed a king’s ransom, and had been treated as equals by Thomas Andrews himself. Well, when something seemed too good to be true, it usually was. They had stolen from the notorious Gilhooleys. And everyone knew the Gilhooleys never forgave anything. If you sinned against them, you were paid out many times over without exception.
Paddy decided there was no point in trying to lie.“If we’d known it was you, we never would have done it, Mr. Gilhooley. We’ll return your money, every farthing, and you’ll not have trouble with us in the future.”
“Now, that warms my heart,” Kevin Gilhooley replied. “When I look at a thieving little wharf rat like you, I’m reminded of myself as a lad. But you stole from the Gilhooleys, boy, and we can’t allow word to get around saying that’s an acceptable state of affairs. We have to make an example of you — you and your partner. Now, where would we be finding him?”
Paddy decided, right then and there, that he might have to take his lumps over this, but he would not set these
Daniel reached for a fresh pencil, accidentally scraping his arm against a patch of splintered wood on the old table.
“Ow!”
He examined the damage. An angry red scratch stretched from his wrist to his elbow.
Suddenly, the answer was right in front of him.
He was assuming it would take a spectacular crash to sink a mighty ship like the Titanic. But maybe he was approaching the whole problem the wrong way. His skin had barely touched that splintered wood, and yet it had left a wound along the entire length of his forearm. Could the same thing happen to an ocean liner? Not a devastating collision, but a sideswipe that opened a long breach extending through several of her watertight compartments. She could float with damage to four. But what if it was five? Or ten? Or all sixteen?
She would sink, that’s what!
He began to sketch with a new energy and excitement.
When he was finished with his diagram, he wrote his name and the date across the top. He couldn’t wait to explain his theory to Paddy. Yet the urge to show it to the designer of the Titanic himself was almost a physical pain.
He had to get this drawing in front of Thomas Andrews before the shipbuilder’s magnificent creation bore him halfway around the world.
CHAPTER FIVE
BELFAST
T UESDAY, A PRIL 2, 1912, 4:15 P.M.
The stationer regarded Paddy with suspicion at first, but the freshly printed one-pound note was as good as a letter of introduction from King George himself.
At last, the man said, “I’ll be needing to send my boy to the bank with this note, to make sure it’s authentic.”
Paddy nodded, uncertain whether or not he should be offended. He’d never tried to spend paper money before. Perhaps this was standard practice. He sat awkwardly on a small wooden stool while the stationer wrapped his purchase in butcher paper.
“It won’t take long, lad. The bank is just around the corner.”
The man was right. It didn’t take long. The boy was back within five minutes. Directly behind him was an all-too-familiar man wrapped in a houndstooth cloak.
Paddy’s heart turned over. He was caught. Caught! And all because of his own stupidity! Daniel had warned him not to spend those notes!
The stationer addressed the newcomer. “As soon as I saw that quid, I thought this was sure to be one of the little scoundrels you’ve been looking for.”
“It is, indeed,” the man confirmed in a gruff voice. “Your help is appreciated, Finn.”
“Thank you, Mr. Gilhooley.”
Paddy’s jaw dropped. “Gilhooley?” Everyone recognized that name. James Gilhooley was the gangster who ran the waterfront district and half of Belfast beyond that.
“I see you’ve heard of my brother,” the newcomer growled. “And now you’ve met me. The name’s Kevin Gilhooley, and you’ll not be wanting to forget it.”
Paddy could not believe how quickly their good fortune had turned to dust. Just a few days earlier, they had landed a king’s ransom, and had been treated as equals by Thomas Andrews himself. Well, when something seemed too good to be true, it usually was. They had stolen from the notorious Gilhooleys. And everyone knew the Gilhooleys never forgave anything. If you sinned against them, you were paid out many times over without exception.
Paddy decided there was no point in trying to lie.“If we’d known it was you, we never would have done it, Mr. Gilhooley. We’ll return your money, every farthing, and you’ll not have trouble with us in the future.”
“Now, that warms my heart,” Kevin Gilhooley replied. “When I look at a thieving little wharf rat like you, I’m reminded of myself as a lad. But you stole from the Gilhooleys, boy, and we can’t allow word to get around saying that’s an acceptable state of affairs. We have to make an example of you — you and your partner. Now, where would we be finding him?”
Paddy decided, right then and there, that he might have to take his lumps over this, but he would not set these
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