18

Barrow did not contact Jane. Obviously, until he felt sure of the story Franklin would tell, he was in no hurry to have him interact with anybody. But such is the nature of teeping that sensational news like the near miraculous return of the sole survivor of a catastrophic mission spread instantaneously. Even in her un-teeping state, Jane soon learned of his return.

It was midday and Jane was in the middle of writing a tricky section and feeling like she had finally made a breakthrough when the reporters descended on her house. She almost didn’t answer the door, but the knock caused her to look up and see a row of people on the walk outside her house. And they didn’t stop knocking on her door.

Jane opened the door apprehensively. The crowd of people on the steps and on the walkway to her house all glared at her. No one spoke.

‘I’m sorry, can I help you?’ said Jane, already beginning to close the door on what looked to her like a very quiet mob.

Her question broke them into confusion and Jane immediately realized that they had all been teeping.

‘I don’t teep,’ she said, her voice breaking a little. ‘You’re going to have to use words if you want to talk to me.’

There was a pause when they all stared at her and it was only disbelief and then pandemonium.

‘Have you seen him?’

‘Did he eat anyone?’

‘Do you know where they are keeping him?’

‘Is he alright?’

‘Have you spoken to him?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ shouted Jane.

‘Your husband is back,’ they said.

Jane shut the door and locked herself in her house. She did not open the door no matter how loudly or long they knocked. And so they had to resign themselves to spreading the shocking news that the wife of John Franklin did not teep.