He kept pushing, stroke after stroke, the paddle biting deeply and cleanly into the water, propelling the lightweight canoe through the water so fast it created a substantial bow wave. Carter felt that he was using up what small amounts of reserve strength he had left, but it was absolutely essential that the commander of the Starfish understand what he was up against before he turned back out to sea to face the Chinese subs.
There was no telling what the on-board surveillance equipment had picked up already, or what Governor Rondine was telling the commander.
The rain lessened momentarily. It was long enough for Carter to see that a lot of people had left the dock, but others had opened umbrellas and remained.
The Starfish was still there. There were crewmen on the deck. Carter could make them out from where he was.
He stopped long enough to raise his paddle and swing it back and forth over his head, but then the rain intensified, and he went back to his paddling.
The rain slowed down again for a time when Carter was still a couple of hundred yards from the dock, and someone aboard the sub spotted him.
Within a minute or so an inflatable was brought up on deck, shoved in the water, and an outboard motor was attached. Four crewmen climbed aboard, and they headed out to him. Carter stopped paddling.
When they were just a few yards away, the crewman operating the motor swore out loud and cut the engine.
"Good morning," Carter said.
"Holy shit," the crewman said again. "Mr. Carter?"
"Right," Carter said. The inflatable had drifted closer. One of the crewmen tossed Carter a line that he made fast at the bow of the canoe.
"They said you may have gone down in the crash of a chopper on one of the other islands, sir," the petty officer said.
"I wasn't aboard," Carter called. "Get me back. I have to talk with your skipper."
"Aye-aye, sir," the crewman said, and he started the inflatable's motor, turned back toward the sub, and headed out, the outrigger pulled along behind.
There were a half-dozen crewmen on the deck of the sub and several officers on the dock with about three or four dozen civilians.
Carter immediately recognized Governor Rondine in the midst of the group, several burly-looking men holding large umbrellas over him.
Gabrielle was nowhere to be seen in the group, but as they came up to the sub, so that Carter was in clear view of everyone on the dock, the governor nodded. One of his people hurried back to the road, where he got in one of the cars and took off. As the car turned the corner toward the square. Carter was certain he caught a glimpse of Gabrielle in the back seat.
Carter scrambled aboard the submarine just as a tall, well-built man in his late forties or early fifties came from the dock and around the sail.
"Mr. Carter?" he asked.
Carter nodded, and they shook hands.
"I'm Captain Don Petti. We were told that you may have crashed aboard a helicopter on the island of Natu Faui."
"The chief of security for the receiver station, Richard Fenster, was killed. I wasn't aboard."
Captain Petti glanced down at the frail outrigger, then back at Carter. "You came across in that? Last night?"
"Right," Carter said. "But there isn't a whole hell of a lot of time left us. I'm going to need your complete cooperation for the next twenty-four hours, Captain."
"You got it, Carter. My orders were to assist you in any way possible. They came from the Joint Chiefs themselves."
"Good," Carter said. "First of all, I want you to invite the island's governor aboard and down to the wardroom."
"Can do."
"I'm going to say some things down there that aren't completely true. I want you to go along with me. Tell your officers the same thing."
"Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" the captain asked, his right eyebrow raising.
"As soon as we get rid of the governor, you'll get a full briefing. And believe me, it's damned important, and time is critical."
"Right," the captain said. He turned to one of his crewmen. "Take Mr. Carter below to the officer's wardroom. Make sure we have coffee. Get him something warm and dry to wear. And have Mr. Patterson and his people assemble on the double."
"Aye-aye, sir," the crewman said, and Carter followed him belowdecks as Captain Petti went back around to the dock to invite Governor Rondine aboard.
Down two levels, the crewman led Carter aft and then into a large, tastefully furnished wardroom. There were a lot of crewmen hurrying back and forth throughout the boat. They would be hurrying even more as soon as their officers were briefed, Carter thought.
"Mr. Patterson, Mr. Patterson, to the wardroom on the double, with section red," the crewman spoke into the ship's intercom.
Section red aboard the sub referred to its intelligence gathering section. Carter figured that Patterson was probably the section chief.
The crewman, whose name tag said MacPherson, poured Carter a cup of coffee. "Be right back, sir, with a change of clothing."
"Just bring me a towel, MacPherson," Carter said. "Stand by on the change of clothes."
"Yes, sir," the man said, and he left the wardroom.
He was back a moment or two later with a large bath towel. "Dungarees okay, sir?"
"That'll be fine as soon as we're done in here."
"Yes, sir," the crewman said and left.
Captain Petti appeared in the doorway, and he motioned for someone else to enter first. Governor Rondine stepped into view, his eyes locking with Carter's, and then he walked inside, his impressive bulk seeming to fill the room.
Captain Petti and a half-dozen other officers all filed in as well, and when they were seated, a steward came in and poured them all coffee.
"We thought you were dead, Mr. Carter," the governor said dryly in English.
"I was lucky," Carter said. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news for you."
The governor waited.
"Your wife came with us to Natu Faui. I lost her in the jungle. She's probably still there."
The governor ponderously shook his head. "Like you she braved the storm aboard one of the native outriggers. She was rescued this morning less than a half hour before this warship showed up." The governor turned to Captain Petti. "And I will restate my demand, Captain, that this vessel be removed immediately from French territorial waters."
Captain Petti smiled graciously. "I am sorry, sir, but that will not be possible for just a few hours. We have orders to come here on an inspection tour of our installation. The treaty between our governments allows for such inspection tours."
"By aircraft."
"The mode of transportation, I believe, has not been specified, sir."
The governor was about to protest further, but Carter interrupted him.
"You don't understand, Governor, but there is serious trouble on Natu Faui."
The governor turned to Carter.
"Our helicopter didn't just crash. It was shot down."
For a moment the governor's expression did not change, but finally he laughed. "By the natives? With bow and arrow? An incredibly lucky shot."
"No, sir, not by the natives. By some kind of a rocket or perhaps a bazooka."
"The natives do not have such weapons, Mr. Carter."
"No, they don't," Carter said. He turned to the captain and the sub's officers, and he quickly explained what had happened with the helicopter, then about the light show, and finally about the antenna. But he did not tell them that he had followed Gabrielle to the sub pen entrance, nor did he tell them that he had swum into the cavern.
"That's incredible," Captain Petti said.
Governor Rondine was eyeing Carter. "What are you saying, Carter? That someone is inciting the natives to riot against your people?"