Page 63 - Titanic: The Untold Tale of Gay Passengers and Crew

Titanic 49

“Fuck your duty. Save your life.”
“I’m crew,” he said solemnly. “You’re a passenger.”
“Don’t be stupid. ”
He smiled ruefully. “Promise me one thing.” He pulled
me close to him.
“Anything.”
Edward was not to be seen over Brice’s shoulder.
“Live for me.”
“Don’t be British, Brice.”
Disaster was upon us all.
“Live your life!”
Time slowed to a halt. Everything became deliberate,
meaningful, absurd.
Brice smiled and said quite calmly, as if we were standing
in a pub, “In New York. A new Turkish Bath. Run by the
Police and Firemen Benevolent Association.”
“Brice, we’re sinking!”
“Go there!”
“Climb into this boat, and I won’t have to make a dona-
tion in your memory.”
“Rather!” He grinned like a sailor always expecting this
inevitable moment.
“What’s the place called?”
“The Everhard,” he said.
Before I could say, “I must find Edward,” Brice dropped
me five feet over the side into the descending lifeboat. Molly,
tossed over by Officer “Max” Maxwell, landed on top of me,
all but crushing me, save for the drag she’d hauled along for
Edward.
“Just shut up,” she whis pered.
Brice and Max stood together in the melee on the crowded
deck. Over us all, a flare hissed up into the dark night and