Luke Corazza stood up, staring at him. Then he stepped forward,
put his arms round Ragazzo and hugged him.
"The Lord be praised, you're
back. We thought you'd gone for ever!"
For a moment they stood locked in
each other's arms. Then Luke pushed Ragazzo away.
"But where have you been
all this time?" "Why at sea on this ice ship - and in Norway. This is the first
time the Caesar's been back to London." Then he went on anxiously, "Luke,
Captain Pettereson has promised he will speak for me ... about the Police - the
theft I mean."
Luke looked at him. "Jesu, that was forgotten years ago. The
Police caught the boys. They admitted they had threatened you. That it was not
your fault."
Ragazzo felt as if a heavy weight had lifted from him. "And
Signor Carlo?" Luke laughed. "Why Signor Carlo, I'm sure he wants to see you.
He has important news."
"Important news. What about?"
Luke shook his
head. "I can't tell you that - only he can." Climbing down on the deck he said,
"You must go straightaway. There'll be ice carts going up to the Strand this
morning. You can get a lift." He laughed again. "My, what a surprise you'll
give them, and what a fine young man you've turned out!"
He patted Ragazzo
on the back. "Go on with you now, you're in for a big celebration."
Ragazzo went to give the Captain the good news and ask for the afternoon off. An hour later, after he had cooked the midday meal, he set off to pick up one of the ice carts delivering ice in the West End. He did not know the carter. He was a new man from Lombardy and it was difficult to understand his dialect, so from the high seat beside him, Ragazzo had time to look around him and recognise many familiar places, as the horses jogged along.
Coming from Norway with its pure clean air, the forests and its
tidy weather boarded houses, the sprawl of London, street after street, the
dirt and the confusion of the traffic almost overwhelmed him. The sound of the
horses\ hooves along the cobbles was deafening. But soon he found he was
enjoying the hustle and bustle. It was familiar and reassuring. Through the
City and into the Strand. He was soon to recognise and notice the changes in
some of the shops and offices. And there were new men on the ice cream pitches.
Past King's College . . . Where he wondered was Tom nowadays? Eagerly he looked
towards Hungerford Market. As they approached, he saw to his horror the
buildings were shattered, the fine facade in ruins. There tens of men breaking
down the walls, removing the rubble. Aghast he turned to the driver.
"What's happened? What's going on?"
The driver remained unimpressed.
"Pulled down for the station . . . railway station."
Then Ragazzo
remembered what Luke had said . . . ask for Gatti's Restaurant. "Gatti's
Restaurant?"
"Over there?" The driver pointed across the Strand.
