the steward called out as Gavin went through the dining room, veering toward the stairs. Gavin didn’t bother to answer him. At the top, Gavin darted out onto C-deck. The doors to the second-class library had been opened wide. There were people standing inside it, their backs to Gavin. One man was talking in a low voice, and the others were leaning close to listen. Without slowing, Gavin rounded the corner and dashed out onto the third-class promenade. The shock of the cold night air made him catch his breath. His feet and legs tingled with cold, and he realized for the first time how wet his shoes and trousers had gotten. Shoving his way into the doors at the top of the third-class entrance, Gavin nearly ran into a bearded man who walked with his arm around a weeping girl. Just behind them, a middle-aged woman with a shrill voice shook her finger at Gavin, speaking in a language he couldn’t understand. At the bottom of the stairs, Gavin looked at the cabin numbers, glancing first to his right.
