' And the cyclone hasn't hit us yet,' remarked Peace. He glanced at the clock. ' Two hours still before we can really start looking for Semittante:
Two hours-it seemed like two years. Peace, Trevor-Davis and I rigged relieving tackles on the streamlined mast and repaired the radio aerial. The lack of operational messages seemed to create a silence in which all listened for Semittante
– waiting, waiting. The hull seemed to develop a whip-lash tendency as Peace drove the yacht, often bows under with. Andre fighting the wheel, into the increasing sea. He would HK. not slow down. ' Clyde-built,' was all he said. She'll take it-till she dives under.'
The wheelhouse gratings were awash; we hung on to anything we could find. Adele jammed herself on a tiny stool by the diminutive chart-table to operate the radio.
Shortly after 3 o'clock Adele held up her hand and turned up the volume on the merchant shipping band. It was the message which we had dreaded. It said, in plain language:
' This is the commander of the United States Seventh Fleet in the St Brandon area. I am calling the French freighter
Semittanth… Semittanth… Semittanth… report your position immediately please on this wavelength.'
We crowded round the set, gripping one another's shoulders like a Rugby scrum to keep steady in the heavy pitching.
' Any ship or aircraft knowing the whereabouts of the
French freighter Semittante must report immediately.'
We could pass Semittanth at a couple of miles and not see her in this weather,' said Peace, grim-faced. He turned to
Adele. Tell Andre-there's an old ship hereabouts. We must find her-soon.'
She spoke rapidly in Creole and translated his reply. ' She'll be that way…' She pointed to leeward.
I said, I've been making a rough offset allowance, taking wind force and run of the sea into consideration, but my calculations are purely hit and miss.'
Peace switched on the yacht's radar. The cathode screen glowed. He worked slowly round the compass. Nothing.' '
What's the radar's range?' asked MKG.
Ten, maybe twelve. Could be anything in this sea, the way we're lifting.'
The radio blared: Semittante… calling the French freighter Semittante… report your position immediately. The rain drilled against the wheelhouse. Peace said irritably, John, make a sweep round, will you-round and bloody round.'
The green light circled. The screen remained blank. I looked up as the wheelhouse grew momentarily brighter. The rain eased; there was a break in the driving wrack.
Andre called and pointed excitedly. Adele, wide-eyed, crouched at the radio, repeated, ° A ship -a ship!-to port to leeward!'
Peace was at the old fisherman's side in a flash. I fixed the radar on the quadrant he had indicated. It was empty. The greyness stretched away into a gauze-murk horizon of a mile or less.
Andre gestured at the controls. He says you're going too fast-you're passing her,' supplied Adele.
Peace yanked back the engine-room telegraph. MKG'S eyes went from the radar screen to the old fisherman. If I were a horse-player, my money would be on the radar.'
Andre spoke quickly to Adele. There's a ship out there he feels it-he caught a glimpse of her in that clear patch.'
Tell him the radar shows nothing,' said Peace.
She translated and grinned. He says that thing has no soul. Fishermen and ships share the sea between them.. there!'
For a moment something that wasn't the grey heave of the sea showed broad on the beam, a line of deeper grey and breaking water.
By God!' I exclaimed. I saw her!'
Andre gave the helm a spoke or two. Bellatrix high-kicked.
' It was only a whitecap-you can kid yourself so easily,' said Peace. He fiddled with the radar. Wait, though, something here-not at all firm.. Andre and I shouted together. Westwards, in a stray patch of sunlight, was a ship, rolling and pitching in the heavy swell, whiteness under her single screw.
Put that thing off!' I called to Peace. We've got her!
No need to endanger our position.'
Adele's radio said, Semittante… calling French freighter Semittante… report your position on this wavelength.. If she does so now, it's the giveaway for both Semittante and Bellatrix,' commented MKG. One fix and Thornton will dispatch half a dozen subs. Weather doesn't worry them, five hundred feet down.'
No response from her yet?' Peace demanded anxiously of
Adele.
Not yet.'
John!' he said harshly. GO and get me the Remington. Take the. 38 Special for Mac. Find yourself an axe.'. He turned on Trevor-Davis. You conn the yacht-Andres a magnificent helsman but you'll have to say it with signs.'
He quickly outlined the hand-signs which had brought us through the reef. He turned back to me. ' I'll take the bridge, Mac the engine-room. Yours is target No. 1, John smash the radio before she can get off a message.' As he spoke, the colour drained from Adele's face.
John-' she began.
I stopped her. ' It's got to be done.'
Peace said, Boz Blair and his team can-be a big help, if we can get it over to them what this is all about.'
I'll call 'em up on the loud-hailer,' MKG suggested. ' Tell them it's me-there's time before we go aboard.'
Peace stopped him. You're staying right here, MKG.' I' m fit-fitter than any of you,' he protested.
Peace said, It isn't funny, jumping in a sea like this at the end of a rope from one ship to another. We can't afford to let you smash a rib or a leg.'
Trevor-Davis offered, I'll lay alongside in the lee. The going will be easier for you there.'
Peace nodded.
What… what will you do to the crew?' Adele asked in an anguished voice.
Peace laughed. We're not pirates-yet. Odds are that they'll be so surprised they won't offer any resistance. Particularly if we can get word to Boz Blair.'
There's Boz and four others,' MKG reminded us.
Adele said, I'll try and jam anything Semittante tries to send.'
Peace looked at her appreciatively. ' Good girl. If you're as successful as you were with Willowtrack, we should be okay. John, get the guns will you?'
In Peace's cabin I took the sinister Remington from its case. It sat easily on my hand and the big stock, which looked cumbersome, was in fact beautifully balanced. I shoved a box of shells into my pocket and grabbed the Colt I had taken from the unknown intruder.
Mac's engine-room was cleaner even than a nuclear sub's, which itself looks like an operating theatre. The crash of seas seemed louder below.
Mac eyed my pistols. Thinking of murder?'
I explained quickly and a sinister grin spread over Mac's face. He took the Colt and spat into the muzzle.
Aye,' he said. It's like I said when we thought he was lying deid in t'coffin-we'd be a power poorer without our bluidy bastard skipper.'
He grinned again and slipped a monkey-wrench into the back of his overalls. Together we went back to the wheelhouse. We found Peace bending over the compass housing. He had unscrewed the glass with his flick-knife.
What on earth…?'
His face was flushed with excitement at the prospect of • the coming action. Listen-in this weather, we can't very well turn the French crew adrift in their boats unless we really want to murder them. We'll give them Bellatrix.
I couldn't believe my ears. But they'll simply radio
Thornton-shadow us in Semittante!'
Just that,' he grinned. Once we've cleaned up the crew, we'll come back aboard here and smash up Bellatrix's radio, radar and the gyros. We'll have to come back anyway for my diving suit, radio, code-book. The French will have to rely on the magnetic compass-this one. We'll set our course into the heart of the storm. Skipper du Plessis, righteously mad, will follow us-while he can see. As soon as it's dark, he'll shadow our daylight course by compass. What he won't know is that there's a knife-blade in here which will throw him ten degrees out. Sooner or later either Red Force or