Stand by to surface
The crew were dazed automatons: intricate routine checks, reports, flowed in. Peace remained motionless at the periscope stand.
` Ready to surface!'
With infinite caution, Peace blew the remaining tanks. The coral held. We were fast-part of the atoll, safe from underwater detection, safe from eyes afloat. Open the hatch!'
The petty officer spun the locking dogs. Peace, foot on the ladder, did not notice the dollop of water as he threw it open. He went up alone into the darkening night, into the wild plumage of spray blowing in from where the cyclones are born.
1 0 H U N T E R – K I L L E R G R O U P
' Nine days to go'
MKG spoke our thoughts as he and I sat in Peace's cabin, waiting for him to return from his lonely vigil on the bridge. He had been away for nearly an hour. Adele had left us to go to the radio-room where, apparently, she was on the best of terms with Williams the operator. I felt weary, frustrated; every drop of emotion had drained out of me. The strain of the past hours was plain in MKG'S face. We were caught in a trap-and we knew it.
The prospect of my being launched only nine days from now is dim,' MKG went on.
Adele opened the door. She did not seem to share our depression. She was almost gay. Her first glance was for me; she overheard MKG'S remark.
Here itr the islands we say-' the Creole spun softly off her tongue= God will plant new coconuts after the cyclone.' mkg's warm smile for her chased away his abstraction. I'll have no second chance with Little Bear,' he said. Now that the secret is about to come out from Tyler, and Devastation is trapped, it looks as if Little Bear is finished, washed up. Imagine the hoop-dee-dah there'll be!'
Adele said, Tyler hasn't started transmitting yet.' You seem to have become Williams's No. 1,' I commented.
She smiled.
He's
Welsh-emotional.
Celtic temperament. No hard feelings about my hammering him on the head. I'll want that Navy code-book for Willowtrack's messages.'
Better decode anything in here,' replied MKG. Williams can take 'em down and you can do the rest here.' He indicated the desk. All the crew knows we have the Vice-President on board,' she said.
How do they feel about it?' MKG asked..
Williams says they're all on their toes to get you safely away.'
His eyes clouded. Then they also know about Little
Bear?'
No, certainly not,' she replied. They know you're trying to escape from Tyler-a lot of speculation in addition, but no facts. They're on your side-bit of a lark, says Williams, if Devastation can wipe Willowtrack's eye.'
There's very little prospect of that now,' MKG rejoined. 125 p
Peace came in, light shining on the spray on his shoulders and hair.
' Has Tyler sent anything yet?' he asked Adele.
No,' she replied. I've been with Williams. When he's not admiring my radio skill, he's muttering affectionate nothings in Welsh.'
I thought from the look on Peace's face that he was about to say something about discipline aboard his ship, but instead he shrugged and laughed shortly. We owe our getaway to you in the first place-help yourself to the radioroom.'
She nodded at the Navy code-book on the desk.). MKG thinks I'd better decode in here-okay?'
Yes, fine.'
She glanced at her watch. ' The DNI'S reply should be here within an hour.'
Peace looked uneasy, but MKG said, Until I hear from the President that things are fine at home, I can't move.'
And if you get the say-so from him, then you're still prepared to go ahead?' Peace insisted. Sure,' replied MKG. 'But I think the question is only academic at this moment. Commander, you're cornholed here and you know it. You can't get out and you can't get in _ farther.'
Peace shook the spray off like a dog. But I can get acrossl'
What!'
Peace went on quickly, speaking first to Adele. My plans need your help with the islanders. You'll be the kingpin, too, on the radio to keep track of what Tyler is up to. We'll take a portable-there's a powerful all-wave they use in the mess-'
Take?' echoed MKG. ' Take where?'
`This Seahorse Sound of ours is only about seven miles across the reef from Raphael, which has the only permanent population among all the St Brandon islands-'
You can't take a submarine through the worst coral reef in the world,' I objected.
Who said I intended to?' he replied. We'll use one of the sub's rubber dinghies. We four will make our way to Raphael in one. John and I have negotiated this reef before in a pirogue when we scouted the place on our way from
Mauritius to the Seychelles. It can be done. It's mighty tricky, though.'
' You deserve to luck out, Commander,' said MKG slowly.
' At Raphael we can pick up a boat, a cutter, a pirogue anything that will sail,' Peace went on rapidly. Trevor-Davis and Mac in Bellatrix won't be more than a hundred miles tc the north. We know their exact course. Interception is a cinch.'
Bellatrix!' murmured MKG. I'd forgotten about Bellat rix!'
I can't understand Tyler's silence,' I said.
I can,' replied Peace. First, he didn't have time during our breakaway and second he's too wise-' he glanced sideways at MKG to send a signal during a hunt. Now I'll bet he's blowing a gasket, thinking, what the hell! You're assuming that he knows Devastation is inside the reef. How does he? The chart simply shows a barrier-no Seahorse Sound. He's thinking and re-thinking, that's what he's doing. And above all, there's the brutal fact he's lost the Vice-President who I was entrusted to his care. He didn't hear any breaking-up noises over his instruments, as he would have done had we struck the reef. He can't locate us by radar or sonar since Devastation became almost joined to a chunk of coral about the size of the White House itself. I've cancelled all our own radio, radar and sonar transmissions. Tyler's not going to make a first-class ass of himself by signalling before he is sure of something. Into the bargain, the weather's building up. Maybe tomorrow-or the next day-he'll take the risk of trying to probe into Seahorse Sound in Willowtrack. By that time the birds-' he gestured to the four of us-' will have flown.'
' What is Tyler's reaction going to be when he finds
Devastation and discovers that she is indeed a British sub and not one belonging to some hostile power?'
Tyler's got the bit right between his teeth,' replied MKG. He's a tough hombre, that guy, and a nit-picking point like whether or not the sub is British won't stop him until he's got me safely in his hands again. But you've forgotten a big factor, Commander.
What is that?'
Your Exec, Bob Peters. Your crew. Adele tells me that already every mother's son of them is gossiping about having the Vice-President on board.'
I'll order Peters to stay put here in Seahorse Sound,' said Peace. Let Willowtrack waste time trying to find her while we make a high-tailing start.'
It's not good enough,' MKG objected. You're throwing the entire responsibility on to Peters.'
Tell him the whole truth,' I suggested. ' He's one hundred per cent sound, is Bob Peters. Then he'll know how to handle the situation when Tyler locates Devastation.'
The truth-yes,' Peace replied slowly. But truth without times, schedules, the position of the launching-site, or anything about Semittante's course.'
Peace picked up an intercom and asked Peters to join us.
He glanced curiously round the group on arrival. Without preliminary, Peace said, Bob, you must be wondering what in hell is going on?'