Page 73 of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt

‘Do you really believe that he would put his own ego before your personal safety?’ Elle asked.

‘I do not want to. He insists that Norway is safe because she remained neutral in the Great War. But we know these people, Elle. They will never stop. I am convinced that they will arrive on these shores. And when they do, we must be ready.’

We were. On the night the Nazis came, Elle and I tookrefuge high up in the hills of Froskehuset alongside the entire Halvorsen clan. As part of my preparations for this very moment, I had engaged the services of a local fisherman, Karl Olsen, who worked out of Bergen Harbour. Karl had agreed to take us to the safety of Great Britain. He was a good man – friendly and reliable – and I talked with him each day as I entered Scholz and Scholz. However, I should state that Karl was not acting out of pure altruism – I had been supplying him with free charts for eighteen months.

On the first morning of the occupation, I rose early and met Karl in the harbour as he began his day. He swore that in twenty-four hours, he would be ready and waiting to ferry us to Scotland.

I reported back to Elle. ‘We have to tell Pip and Karine,’ she pleaded.

I hesitated. ‘Karine, yes. But Pip, and his parents... the more people that know of our plan, the more likely it is we will be discovered.’

She held her ground. ‘Bo, wemustoffer them the chance to accompany us.’

‘Absolutely we must. But you know how stubborn Pip is. The last thing we want to do is create a scene. Promise me you’ll speak to Karine and gauge her reaction first?’

That evening, our last in Norway, we met with the Halvorsens. I made conversation with Astrid and Horst whilst Elle talked to Karine. I studied their faces as Elle imparted the news of our imminent departure. It broke my heart to watch two best friends saying their heart-wrenching farewells.

‘What did Karine say?’ I asked, as we walked out of the front door towards the tiny hunting cabin we were temporarily occupying.

‘She told me that she would always be waiting here for me, and that I must write to her when we reach Scotland.’

‘She didn’t even contemplate coming with us?’

Elle shook her head. ‘She said that Pip would not consider it, and she would rather die than leave his side.’ I took Elle’s hand, as we both silently contemplated the fate that Pip was condemning her to.

The next morning, at five a.m. sharp, Elle and I met Karl in the harbour. We climbed aboard his trawler, and endured a choppy but uneventful crossing to Inverness, Scotland. It took the best part of the day, during which time I prayed that we would not encounter any military vessels. However, the Pleiades smiled upon us, and our passage to Britain was mercifully clear. I held Elle tight against me as we both mentally bade farewell to our former life. It was something that we were tragically accustomed to, but it didn’t get any easier. I knew in particular how heavy Elle’s heart was. Karine meant so much to her, and there was no doubt that we were leaving our friend in danger. But, aside from physically kidnapping her and little Felix, there was very little we could do.

‘Remember, Karl, you need to drop us somewhere secluded. We don’t have any paperwork.’

He waved my concern away. ‘No problem, Bo. We’ll find an empty beach. From memory, there’s no shortage of those here. You’ll have to walk ashore, mind.’ Elle and I looked at one another and raised our eyebrows.

After some scouting, Karl found somewhere suitable, and took the trawler as close to the shore as he dared.

‘That’s as good as I can manage.’ He shrugged. ‘You’ll have to go in.’ I nodded, then reluctantly hopped over the side of the boat into the freezing water, which came up to my thighs.

‘Goodness,’ I said, exasperated. ‘It’s best that I carry you, Elle. Grab our bag.’ She took a hold of the single leather satchel that contained the belongings we’d managed to grab, and Karl helped to lower her into my arms.

‘If you have a chance, please tell Karine that we made it safely!’ Elle called up to him. ‘I’ll write to her!’

Karl gave a thumbs up. ‘Good luck, you two. I appreciate the charts, Bo.’

‘Thank you for everything, Karl. Are you sure you’re not getting off, too?’

He laughed. ‘Bergen is my home. I want to return and help rid it of its unwelcome visitors. I assure you, the Norwegian people will succeed.’ With that, he revved the engine, and began his return journey.

I slowly trudged out of the ocean and onto the beach of pure white sand, where I gently put Elle back on her feet.

‘Thank you, my love,’ she said gratefully.

The day was grey and windy, which suited this rugged coastline. I took in our surroundings. If Norway had been picturesque and serene, my first impression of Scotland was that it was jagged and raw, but both were equally beautiful. Rocky outcrops, grassy knolls and the ominous sky above us made for quite the first impression. We made our way up a dune, and onto a deserted road.

‘I don’t think it will take us too long to walk to Inverness,’ I wagered. ‘From what I could see from the ocean, it’s a couple of miles from here at most.’

In under an hour, we’d reached the large coastal town, which described itself as ‘the centre of the Highlands’. I don’t know what I expected from such a place, but it felt practically deserted. Part of me suspected it was due to British military conscription, which had come into force on the day Neville Chamberlain had declared war on Germany. I shuddered to think of the families in small towns such as this who had been devastated by that decision. Populations must have practically halved.

As we approached the town centre, we came across thered sandstone castle, which cut an imposing outline on the banks of the River Ness. I recalled it was where Macbeth had murdered King Duncan in Shakespeare’s play, and I couldn’t fend off the shiver which travelled down my spine.

Thankfully, by the time we’d arrived on the cobbled high street, my trousers had dried off, although I couldn’t quite say the same for my shoes. My feet were positively frozen, and I was desperate to get inside as quickly as possible. Thankfully, it wasn’t long until we spotted a battered old sign that swung above us in the strong breeze. It read: