Chapter 9 Part VII A Woman's Privilege

§A WONAN'S PRIVILEGE§ 50 let go They walked down the King's Row hand in hand and looked like a pair of college students. Stop teasing me, Ruth said: How did the interview go? I thought it couldn't have been better, said George: "They seemed to agree with everything I said about higher education, and I pointed out that they didn't hesitate when I pointed out that degrees should go to women taking the same courses as men. It's time, too, says Ruth: even Oxford has managed to accept the status quo. When several old college professors with surly faces passed by, George said: Maybe there will be another world war before Cambridge will give in.

So you think there's a chance they'll give you that job, don't you?Or are there other candidates for interviews? I don't think so, said George: "In fact, Young convinced me that I was the only one on the shortlist, and the chairman of the interview committee even gave it away when he asked me if I could start next September. That was great, Ruth said: Congratulations, honey. Don't you think it's a nuisance, though, that the whole family has to move to Cambridge? Jesus, no, said Ruth: I can't think of a better place to bring up kids, and you've got lots of friends there.Let's just be grateful they don't need you until next September, which will give me ample time to look for a new house and plan how to move while you're away.

When I'm away?George said with a puzzled look on his face. Yeah, since the job doesn't start until next September, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be climbing your mountain. George stared at her, as if in disbelief at what he had just heard.Finally he said grudgingly: Honey, are you telling me that if I sign up for an expedition back there, you won't object? On the contrary, I'd gladly accept it, said Ruth: the idea of ​​having you loitering around the house like a headache-ridden bear for months is not even worth considering, and if it ends up being Finch standing on top of your mountain, All you can do is send him a congratulatory message, and I definitely don't want to be around you then.Of course, she went on, they might not want you on the mountaineering team.

why not?George asked. Well, honey, you might still look like a college student, and sometimes even act like one, but if they look more closely at your resume, they'll soon see that you're not a young man.So you better let them know that you'll be free soon because this is definitely your last chance. What a bold little girl, said George, "I don't know whether to kiss you or spank you.I think I'll just kiss you. When he finally let her go, all Ruth wanted to say was this: I've told you before, Mr. Mallory, don't kiss me in public.She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so cheerful.

Thank you dear, he said: It's reassuring to know how you really felt about my last attempt at Mount Everest. Ruth was glad George had her in his arms again, because she was afraid he would look into her eyes and find out what she was really feeling. No one was surprised that George was late to his brother's birthday party, though sister Mary did scold him when she found out he had left a present for Traver at Holt Mansion. What did you buy for him?Mary asked: Or do you not even remember that? A watch, said Georges: I bought it when I was last in Switzerland. It's an astonishing choice considering how little interest you've had in the past thirty-seven years.That's when Traver came over to join them, she said.

I can always wait until Christmas, Traver said: Like last year.He continued with a smile and said: But more importantly, I have to settle the argument between Cody and Mum first, they are at odds over the highest point George has climbed on Mount Everest. George looked across the room and saw Curty chatting with a man he didn't know.The two of them hadn't seen each other since they visited the Monet painting exhibition at the Royal Academy one or two years ago; she gave him a familiar smile from a distance, which was the smile they had seen when they climbed the mountain together in her memory, which made her feel happy. He felt even more guilty because he hadn't contacted her since her father went bankrupt.Although he may not be able to provide any financial support, but

Twenty-seven thousand five hundred and fifty feet, said Mary, every school child knows it. So that's higher than any pilot has ever been, Traver said: Otherwise I'd have managed to land on the top of that goddamn mountain. That would save us all a whole lot of trouble, said George, turning around: But until then, someone has to go up the hill the hard way.Traver laughed.how is cotyGeorge asks: Do you still have to work for a living? Yes, Mary replied: but thankfully she no longer had to stand behind the counter in a Woolworth store. Why?Traver asks: Did they promote her to manager?

No, said Mary with a smile: she had just published her first book, and the reviews were very positive. George felt even more guilty.I will definitely have a copy with me on my next trip.He said without thinking. Your next trip?Traver said: I thought you had decided not to go on the next Everest expedition. Can Curdy make a living writing?asked George, not wanting to respond to his brother's query: I only made a wretched thirty-two pounds from my book on Boswell. Curty writes romances, not dull biographies, Mary said: and the publisher has offered her a deal for three books, so someone must have faith in her.

It seems that he is not alone in his confidence.Traver said, looking more closely at the man Cody was talking to. What's the meaning?asked George. Curty was just married, said Mary, a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.you do not know? No, I don't know, George admitted: I wasn't invited to the wedding. Not surprising at all, says Mary: If you've read Peking Picnic, you probably know why. What are you trying to say? The main character of that novel is a young schoolteacher educated at Cambridge who climbs mountains in his spare time. Traver laughed.What?Didn't he mention his dashing brother, the fearless ace pilot who returned home after defeating the Germans and became the youngest flying commander in the Royal Air Force?

Referring to only a short passage, Mary said: She did hint, though, that he was like the more handsome brother, destined for greater achievement. That might depend on which of us gets to 29,000 feet first.Traver made this point. Twenty-nine thousand and two feet.said George. 51 Who will decide the candidate 1924 When General Bruce began his report, other members of the committee were studying the Royal Geographical Society's latest map of the Himalayas. Most of the logistics team should be at 17,000 feet by this time, said the general, pointing to the location with his monocle: their job was to make sure that Mallory and his mountaineering team were within twelve weeks. When we got to base camp, everything was ready.

Well, said George: Now that I've pointed out the route I'm going to take, we'll have more than a month to get our footing and try to get to the summit before the rains come. Sir Francis said: May we assume, Mallory, that we have dealt with most of the doubts you have raised since your last expedition? Sir, you can indeed say that, George replies: But after I've tried it in the United States in a haphazard way, I must ask, where is the money that makes this possible come from? We had an unexpected windfall, Hinks explained: Mallory, while the trip to America might not have been as expected for you, Noel's film Everest Epic was a huge hit here.Knoll has even offered the Society £8,000 for the exclusive rights to the film for the next expedition, which I think the correct term is film rights, with one proviso. What is that proviso?asked Ribbon. Mallory was to be hired as the mountain leader.Hinks said. Now that I've agreed to the matter, Mallory said: "The next thing I have to do is line up the rest of the Mountaineering lineup." Mr. Chairman, frankly, Geoffrey.Yang interjected and said: The lineup has been automatically lined up. George nodded and took a piece of paper from his coat pocket.Sir, may I take this list for the approval of the committee? "Of course, brother," said Sir Francis: "It's your team after all." George read out the names he and Young had agreed upon at the last British Mountaineering Association meeting.Norton, Somerville, Mosshead, Ordell, Finch, Brack, Hingston, Knoll and myself.He looked up, expecting a unanimous agreement from the committee. After a long silence, the chairman responded.Mallory, I'm sorry to have to tell you that I just received a letter this morning from Mr. Finch saying that he feels that in the current situation he must remove his name from consideration as a member of the 1924 Expedition removed from the list. With the current situation?George repeated: What's the situation? Sir Francis nodded to Hinks.Hinks opened a folder in front of him, pulled out a letter and handed it to George. George read it twice before saying: But he didn't give any specific explanation for why he had to quit.He passed the letter to Geoffrey.Yang, then asked: Maybe he is sick? We don't know of such a thing.Sir Francis answered cautiously. And it can't be because of economic factors, Yang said, passing the letter back to Hinks: Because thanks to Noel, we now have more than enough money to pay for anything Finch needs to travel and prepare gear. overhead. Mallory, I'm afraid the truth is that the whole situation is even trickier than that.Hinks said closing the minutes book and screwing the cap back on his fountain pen. Of course, this can't be related to the governor's wife, right?George said. No, I'm afraid it's much worse than that immoral thing.Hinks said, taking off his half-moon glasses and placing them on the table.George waited impatiently for Hinks to continue.Hinks finally said: Without informing the Royal Geographical Society, Finch accepted several lecture invitations around the country.These invitations turned out to net him handsome sums of money, without getting a single penny out of them. Is the academy entitled to that penny?Yang asked. It's a matter of course, Hinks said, because Finch signed a contract, just like you, Mallory, and he should give 100 percent of whatever money he gets for the Everest Expedition. fifty. Yang asked: How much money was involved? We don't know, Hinks admits, because Finch refuses to hand over any accounts, even though we've asked him so many times.In the end, the Society had no choice but to issue him a court order to recover money that was due to us. I've been calling him a scoundrel from the start, Ashcroft said: "This latest incident only proves me right. Do you think this will go to court?Yang asked. I hope not, Hinks said: but if it does come to this point, the case may not be heard until after the expedition is in Tibet. I'm sure the Sherpas will find this exciting.George said. This is no fun.said Sir Francis gravely. Yang asked: Does anyone in the room believe that this latest petty crime would in any way affect Fincher's ability to climb mountains? Yang, that's not the point, Hinks said: And you know it very well. George said: "When I'm standing at 27,000 feet and I have to decide who to take with me for the final summit, that's going to be the point. You still have a choice between Norton and Somerville.Hinks reminded him. They'll be the first to admit that they're not up to Finch's level. Of course, Mallory, you must admit that the Royal Geographical Society had no choice after this latest incident. Deciding who should or should not be on the mountaineering team is not the RGS's prerogative, said Mallory: "Mr Hinks, I'm just afraid you've forgotten, this is the Everest Committee. I say, Mallory, broke in Ashcroft: I think this conversation has gone a little too far. Then let me ask you, Lieutenant Colonel, George scolded: With your extensive experience at sea level, who do you think can be chosen to replace Finch? I'm glad you brought that up, Mallory, Hinks interrupted: because I believe we've thought of a suitable replacement. Who could it be?asked Mallory. One is called Shandi.Irvine (Sandy Irvine) young man.He was a champion rower at Oxford, and despite the short notice, he agreed to substitute. I don't mean to paddle up to the top of Mount Everest, Mr. Hinks, maybe you can let us know what kind of mountaineering experience Mr. Irwin has, because I never heard of him. Hinks smiled for the first time.Your friend O'Dell seemed to have a good impression of the young man last year when he climbed with him in the Arctic Circle, and Irving was the first person to reach the summit of Spitsbergen's tallest peak.Hinks seemed quite pleased with himself. "Spitzbergen," interposed Young, "that's for up-and-coming novice climbers, Mr. Sinks, and if you don't know, the tallest peak there is about 5,600 feet." George said: Then next time I'm going to have someone to accompany me up the first 5,600 feet, Mr. Hinks, and let me assure you, Irwin's name will be the first thing I think of. I should also point out, Mallory, Hinks said: Irwin was a chemistry major at Oxford, and he was also quite familiar with the oxygen apparatus Finch had been experimenting with on his previous trip.In fact, I have received reliable reports that he regularly approached the manufacturer for possible improvements to the system. Finch was also a hand when it came to using oxygen, and he had a first-class degree to prove it, George reminded him: and in case the committee forgot, he had experimented with using oxygen above twenty-seven thousand feet , at the time you were extremely displeased with this, Mr Hinks.Perhaps more pertinently, Finch is the current holder of the altitude record of 27,850 feet, which I learned at a cost. Gentlemen, gentlemen, said Sir Francis: We must try to resolve our differences in a more polite manner. George said: "Since Mr. Hinks and I will obviously never agree on this particular subject, what are your thoughts, Sir? We should let the majority decide, as we have always done at the RGS.Before George could interject, Sir Francis added: "I'm sure it's the same on the British Mountaineering Association's side. Young made no offer of his advice, and since no one else risked an opinion, Sir Francis went on: May I suggest, though somewhat reluctantly, that it is time for another vote on the matter?He waited for others to raise objections, but the rest of the committee remained silent.Mr. Secretary, could you preside over the vote? Of course, Mr. Chairman, Hinks said: Raise your hand to those in favor of reinstating Mr. Finch as a member of the Mountaineering Team. Mallory, Young, and to everyone's surprise General Bruce all raised their hands.When Sinks recorded the general's vote in the minutes of the meeting, he stared at the opposite general and said: But I thought you hated that man? I did, buddy, said Bruce, but the highest point I managed to get to on my last trip was 17,400 feet, and I can assure you, Hinks, 20,000 feet in Mallory. At 7,000 feet, when it had to be decided who would be with him on the final ascent, I had no intention of signing him up. Hinks reluctantly took the general's vote.What about those who oppose it?When the secretary held up his hand, Ribbon and Ashcroft joined him on his side.I'm afraid it's three to three, Mr. Chairman, so you have another critical vote. Under the circumstances, Sir Francis said without hesitation: I vote against Finch's reinstatement. Hinks immediately wrote the results in the minutes of the meeting, and announced before the ink was dry: The Everest Summit Committee has decided, by four votes to three, that George.Finch shouldn't be reinstated as a member of the mountaineering team.He closed the minutes book. May I ask what caused you to change your mind this time?George asked calmly. To me, his failure to keep his pact with the RGS was the straw that broke the camel's back.Sir Francis glanced at the portrait of the President of the Society as he spoke.However, I also suspect that His Majesty the King would not be pleased to hear that a divorced man became the first person to stand on top of the world. It is a pity that Henry VIII (Note 1) was not your chairman when considering the first attack on Mount Everest.George said quietly.He slowly gathered his papers, then got up from his seat.Sir, I must apologize, but you have left me with no choice but to resign from this committee and remove myself from the mountain leader position.Of course I wish my successor all the best of luck.Gentlemen, have a nice day. Note 1: Henry VIII was the first king of the Tudor dynasty in England. He succeeded to the throne in 1509. During his reign, he carried out religious reforms and introduced Protestantism to England.He had been married six times, which is why the author here will let Mallory mention Henry VIII. Mr Mallory, Hinks said before George walked to the door: "I hope your decision will not prevent you from giving your commemorative lecture at the Royal Geographical Society tonight.Tickets for this talk have been sold out for weeks and seriously Of course I will keep my word, Mallory said: "But if anyone asks me why I am resigning from this committee and why I am not leading the next Everest expedition, I will not hesitate." Tell them my decision was overruled when it came time to choose the members of the climbing team. so be it.Hinks said.Mallory left the room, closing the door behind him quietly. Noll's £8,000 was gone, and Ribbon extinguished his cigar and said: "That leaves us with no choice but to cancel the whole bloody gala." Not necessarily, Hinks said quietly: Gentlemen, you will notice that I did not enter Mallory's resignation in the minutes.I still have a few cards in hand, which I intend to play before the evening is over. George quickly walked out of the hall and down the corridor to the speakers' lounge.He didn't stop to chat with anyone along the way, lest they might ask him a question he didn't want to answer until the talk was over.He also had to use those forty minutes to organize his thoughts, because he knew he was about to give the most important speech of his life. When he entered the speakers' lounge, he was surprised to find Ruth waiting for him. What's wrong?she asked after seeing the angry look on his face. George paced up and down the room, explaining to Ruth everything that had happened at the committee meeting.He finally stopped in front of her.I did the right thing, didn't I, honey? Ruth had expected this question, and she knew all she had to say was: Yes, of course, you were right to resign, dear, Hinks' behavior was disgraceful, and unless Finch was reinstated , otherwise the risk you take is simply too great.And we must not forget that it is your life that is at stake, not his. George stood there, waiting for her answer. Let's hope you don't regret your decision for the rest of your life.That's all she said.Before George could press her further, she jumped out of her chair.Honey, I'm leaving now.I just came over to wish you luck.I know that on such an important occasion, you will need these last few minutes to get yourself ready.She kissed him tenderly on the cheek and left without another word. George sat at his small desk trying to review his notes, but his mind kept coming back to the committee meeting and Ruth's vague answer to his question. Someone tapped on the door.George wondered who it might be.One of the golden rules of the Institute is that the speaker must not be interrupted while he is making final preparations.He could have happily punched the damn man on the nose when he saw Hinks strutting through the door, but jumped up and bowed when he noticed who was following Hinks in . Your Royal Highness, Hinks said: May I have the honor to introduce you to George?Mr. Mallory, Your Highness, as you know, he will be the speaker tonight. Yes, indeed, said the Prince of Wales: I am sorry to trouble you like this, Mallory, but I have a message from His Majesty the King, which I have been entrusted to deliver to you myself. It is very kind of you to take such pains, my lord. You're welcome, man.His Majesty the King wants you to know how pleased he is that you have agreed to lead the next Everest expedition, and that he looks forward to receiving you upon your return.Hinks gave a small smile.And let me say, Mallory, I feel the same way, and I will say again, how much I look forward to your speech. Thank you, Your Highness.said George. Now we had better leave you alone, said the prince, or the speech will never begin. George bowed again as the Prince of Wales and Hinks left the room. You bastard, Hinks, he muttered under his breath as the door closed behind them: But don't think for a moment that I'm going to change my mind because of your trick. 52 Scheming His Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, as Chairman of the Royal Geographical Society and Everest Committee, I have the honor to introduce to you tonight's guest speaker George.Mr Mallory.Francis.Sir Young Husband so declared.Mr. Mallory was the leader of the last expedition, when he reached an altitude of 27,550 feet and was only 1,452 feet from the summit.Tonight, Mr. Mallory will tell us about his experience during that historic adventure in a talk titled Off the Map.Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to George.Mr Mallory. George was unable to speak for several minutes as the audience stood and applauded, until he finally had to wave them to stop.He looked down the front row, smiling at the man who would have given the memorial speech that night if he hadn't been wounded in battle.Young returned his smile, clearly proud that his protégé represented him.Norton, Somerville and Ordell sat beside him. George waited until the audience was seated before speaking.When I was in New York a while ago, he said: They introduced me as the man who conquered Mount Everest with one hand.He waited for the laughter to die down before continuing: it was wrong on both counts.A man may end up standing alone on the top of that mountain, but he cannot expect to accomplish such feats without the backing of a first-class team.What I mean by that is that even if you just want to get to base camp, you better have everything including seventy Indian mules and General Bruce.The signal made the lights go out, and the first slide appeared on the screen behind him. Forty minutes later, George returned to base camp, and again received wild applause.He thought the speech went well, but he still had to answer questions and worried that a wrong response would take him back to base camp. When he asked questions, he was surprised Hinks didn't get up; traditionally, the secretary of the Royal Geographical Society was allowed to ask the first question, but he remained resolutely in the front seat, arms folded.George picked out an older gentleman sitting in the second row. Sir, when you were stuck at 27,550 feet and you saw Finch leave you and move on, did you wish you had taken two bottles of oxygen with you? I didn't think so when we first set out, Mallory replied: "But later, when I stopped every few feet to rest, I came to the conclusion that it was almost impossible to get to the top all by myself. impossible. He points to the other hand. But don't you think using oxygen is cheating, sir? I used to think so, says George, but then a teammate with whom I shared a tent at 27,000 feet pointed out, then you might as well argue that wearing leather hiking boots or wool mittens is cheating, or even A lump of sugar in your lukewarm tea counts too, because it all undoubtedly gives you a better chance of success.And let's be honest, why travel five thousand miles if there's no hope of making the last thousand feet? He tapped the other raised hand. Do you think you might have climbed to the top if you hadn't stopped to help Mr. Ordell? I can indeed see the apex, George replied, because Mr. Finch was three hundred feet ahead of me.This brought a burst of friendly laughter.I admit that the peak seemed so close at the time that it was overwhelming, but even that feeling can be deceiving.Never forget that in the mountains, five hundred feet is not just multiples of one hundred yards, and the difference may be more like more than a mile.However, that experience convinced me that, given enough time and the right conditions, reaching the top is possible. For the next twenty minutes, George answered a few more questions without revealing any hint that he had just resigned as the mountain leader. last question.He finally said that, with a relieved smile on his face.He pointed to a young boy near the center of the hall, who stood up and waved, hoping to be noticed.Without changing his voice, the boy asked: Sir, when you have conquered Mount Everest, what is left for a man like me to conquer? The entire audience burst into laughter, and Mallory recalled how nervous he had been when he asked Captain Scott almost the same question.He looked up at the box and was pleased to see Scott's widow sitting in her usual front seat.Thank God, the decision he made before the speech meant that Ruth no longer had to worry about suffering the same fate.Mallory looked back at the young man, and smiled.Son, you should read H. G．Wells, he believes that in time, humans will be able to circle the earth in forty minutes like Parker the Elf, that someday someone will surpass the sound barrier, with consequences we don't understand, and that within your lifetime, someone will Walk on the moon, though I may not see it.George smiled at the young man.Perhaps, you will be the first Briton to be launched into space. The audience roared with laughter and clapped again as George took his final bow.He felt confident that he had escaped and that no one doubted what had happened in the committee earlier that night.He smiled down at Ruth, who sat in the front row, flanked by his sisters Ivy and Mary; another small victory. When George looked up, he saw his oldest friend standing there applauding wildly.Moments later, the rest of the audience joined Guy.Brack, no matter how many times he gestured to them that they should sit down, they didn't seem willing to go back to their seats. He was about to leave the stage, but when he turned, he saw Hinks walking up the steps toward him, a file folder in his hand.He gave Mallory a warm smile, then approached the microphone, pulled it down a few inches, and waited until the applause had subsided and everyone returned to their seats before he spoke. Your Royal Highness, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, hello.Those of you who are acquainted with what tradition there is in this ancient society will know that on these occasions it is the privilege of the secretary of the society to ask the speaker the first question; Just because of my chairman, Francis.Sir Young Husband do me the greater honor of presenting to our guest speaker and dear friend, GeorgeMallory, our unanimous thanks. George had never heard Hinks call his Christian name before. But first let me tell you that we passed a resolution this evening in Mr. Mallory's absence that we feel should be shared with every member of the Society.Hinks opened the folder, pulled out a sheet of paper, adjusted his glasses, and began to read: We unanimously agree that we should invite George.plum.Mr. Mallory became the leader of the Everest Expedition in 1924.The audience burst into applause, but Hinks raised a hand to silence them, since he clearly had more to say. George stood a step behind him, furious. Yet the Committee is well aware that there may be some reasons why Mr. Mallory does not feel able to shoulder this heavy responsibility a second time. No!The shout made Sinks raise a hand again.You may not know these reasons, but when I tell you the reasons, you will understand his embarrassment.Mr Mallory has a wife and three young children and he probably doesn't want to leave them behind for another six months.Not only that, but I learned today that he is about to be assigned to a prominent position in the Labor Education Society, a job that will allow him to practice beliefs that he has ardently supported for many years. And if that wasn't enough, Hinks continued: There's a third reason.I have to be very careful with my words because I know all too well that there are several gentlemen from the media between us tonight.Your society learned today that Mr. Finch, Mr. Mallory's teammate on the last Everest expedition, had to withdraw from the mountaineering team for personal reasons. I'm afraid the papers will report this in more detail tomorrow. matter.Now the room is quiet.With this in mind, the Committee serving you has decided that if Mr. Mallory finds it quite understandable that he cannot accept the leadership of the 1924 Expedition, we have no choice but to postpone the The last expedition was not cancelled, but postponed until we could find a suitable replacement for the mountaineering leader. George suddenly understood that the King and the Prince of Wales were just an opening act.Hinks was about to deliver the decisive blow. Let me conclude with these words, said Hinks, turning to George: Whatever conclusion you come to, sir, the Society will forever be grateful for your devotion to their cause, and more importantly, Thank you for your service to this country.We naturally hope that you will accept the position of mountaineering leader we offer, and hope that this time you will lead your team to greater glory.Ladies and gentlemen, I ask all of you to join me in thanking our guest speaker tonight, Mallory of Everest. The audience stood up in unison.The men who usually give guest speakers a respectful applause jumped from their seats, some cheering, others pleading, all hoping Mallory would accept the challenge.George looked down at Ruth, who stood up too and clapped along.As Hinks stepped back to join him, George said for the second time of the night: You bastard. Most likely I am, Hinks replied: However, later tonight I will update the record in the minutes book, I guess I can record your acceptance of the mountain leader position by then. Mallory of Everest!Mallory of Everest!The audience shouted in unison. You bastard.George repeated it again. 53 Pier farewell George leaned against the railing of the California steamer, looking for his wife.He smiled when he saw her among the cheering crowd.She started waving at the moment he found her, and she just felt lucky in her heart that he couldn't see the tears streaming down her face. By the time the crew raised the gangway, the cables were untied, and the boat began to move away from the dock, he was already missing her.Why does he always have to be away from home to realize how much he loves her?For the next six months, he could only recall her beauty in a frayed sepia photo taken during the first week of the honeymoon.If she had not insisted that he should go, he would have remained at home, content to follow the expedition's progress in The Times.He knew that Hinks had no intention of delaying the expedition, but since the next morning's Times carried every word of his speech, he also knew that Hinks' bluff had worked.As it turned out, Hinks was a far superior poker player. So now he's on his way back to India, but there's no Finch to challenge him every step of the way; and when he steps off the boat on the other side of the world, the Sherpa Nima won't stand at the pier waiting to greet him. Then George saw him standing at the back of the crowd, slightly sideways, a true loner.He didn't recognize it at first, until the man lifted his hat, revealing the thick, wavy blond hair that so many women fell in love with.George returned the salute, surprised that Finch didn't think of a way to smuggle himself onto the ship.But Hinks has made sure he can't make public appearances, let alone solo from the highest point on Earth, until the scandal subsides. George looked for Ruth again, and when he found her, he wouldn't let her out of his sight until she was no longer to be seen among the throng of waving well-wishers by the pier. At last all that was visible on the horizon was the black column of smoke from the ship, and Ruth reluctantly walked slowly back to the car.She left the pier and started the long journey back to Holt's mansion.這一次，沒有充滿崇拜之情的群眾阻止她逃離現場。露斯從來不想要有崇拜的群眾。她只希望丈夫能活著回家。不過她在這場遊戲裡表現得太好，以至於每個人都相信，她希望喬治得到最後一次圓夢的機會。事實上，只要今天變成一場褪色回憶，他們能一起變老，她才不在乎他成功還是失敗。 喬治再也看不到家鄉後，回到他小小的艙房裡。他坐在舷窗下面的書桌前，開始寫信給他唯一愛過的女人。 □□□ 我最親愛的露斯