"Thank you. It's damn good gin, haven't tasted anything like it in years. I don't suppose you could spare a case or two?" Again Joyce was startled.
"I'm sure the wardroom secretary will be able to arrange something for you."
"Bloody good stuff," said Flynn, and sipped at his recharged glass. Joyce decided on a different approach.
"Major O'Flynn, have you heard of a German warship, a cruiser, named BBlitcher?"
"Have I?" hell!" bellowed Flynn with such vehemence that Joyce was left in no doubt that he had struck another jarring note. "The bastard sank me!" These words conjured up in the eye of Captain Joyce's mind a brief but macabre picture of a Flynn floating on his back, while a battle cruiser fired on him with nine-inch guns.
"Sank you?" asked Joyce.
"Rammed me! There I was sailing along in this dhow peaceful as anything when up she comes and bang, right up the arse."
"I see," murmured Joyce. "Was it intentional?"
"You bloody tooting it was." "Why.
"Well..."started Flynn, and then changed his mind. "It's a long story."
"Where did this happen?"
"About fifty miles off the mouth of the Rufiji river."
liabilities
"The Rufiji?"Joyce leaned forward eagerly. "Do you know it? Do You know the RUfiji delta?"
"Do I know the Rufiji delta?" chucked Flynn. "I know it like you know the way to YOUr own Thunder Box. I used to do a lot of business there before the war."
"Excellent! Wonderful!" Joyce could not restrain himself from pursing his lips and whistling the first two bars of "Tipperary'. From him this was expression of unadulterated joy.
"Yeah? What's so wonderful about that?" Flynn was immediately suspicious.
"Major O'Flynn. On the basis of your report, Naval Intelligence considers it highly probable that the Blucher is anchored somewhere in the Rufiji delta."
"Who are you kidding? The Blitcher was sunk months ago everybody knows that."
"Presumed sunk. She, and the two British warships that pursued her, disappeared off the face of the earth or more correctly the ocean. Certain pieces of floating wreckage were recovered that indicated that a battle had been fought by the three ships. It was thought that all three had gone down." Joyce paused and smoothed the grey wings of hair along his temples. "But now it seems certain that Blucher was badly damaged during the engagement, and that she was holed up in the delta."
"Those wheels! Steel plating for repairs!" "Precisely, Major, precisely. But..." Joyce smiled at Flynn, thanks to you, they did not get the plating through."
"Yes, they did. "Flynn growled a denial.
"They did?" demanded Joyce harshly.
"Yeah. We left them lying in the veld. My spies told me that after we had gone the Germans sent another party of bearers up and took them away."
"Why didn't you prevent it? ""What the hell for? They've got no value," Flynn retorted.
"The enemy's insistence must have demonstrated their value." "Yeah. The enemy were so insistent they sent up a couple of Maxim guns with the second party. In my book the more Maxims there are guarding something, the less value it is."
"Well, why didn't you destroy them while you had the chance?" Listen, friend, how do you reckon to destroy twenty tons of steel? swallow it perhaps?"
"Do you realize just what a threat this ship will be once it is seaworthy?" Joyce hesitated. "I tell you now in strict confidence that there will be an invasion of German East Africa in the very near future. Can you imagine the havoc if Blitcher were to slip out of the Rufiji and get among the troop convoys?"
"Yeah all of us have got troubles."
"Major." The captain's voice was hoarse with the effort of checking his temper. "Major. I want you to do a reconnaissance and locate the Blucher for us." Is that so?" boomed Flynn. "You want me to go galloping round in the delta when there's a Maxim behind every mangrove tree. It might take a year to search that delta, you've got no idea what it's like in there." "That won't be necessary." Joyce swivelled his chair, he nodded at the Portuguese lieutenant. "This officer is an aviator."
"What's that mean?"
"He is a flyer."
"Yeah? Is that so good? I did a bit of sleeping around when I was young still get it up now and then." Joyce coughed.
"He flies an aircraft. A flying-machine."
"Oh!" said Flynn. He was impressed. "Jeer! Is that so?" He looked at the Portuguese lieutenant with respect.
"With the co-operation of the Portuguese army I intend conductin an aerial reconnaissance of the Rufiji delta.
"You mean flying over it in a flying-machine?"
"Precisely." "That's a bloody good idea." Flynn was enthusiastic. "When can you be ready?"
"What for?"
"For the reconnaissance."
"Now just hold on a shake, friend!" Flynn was aghast.
"You not getting me into one of those flying things." Two hours later they were still arguing on the bridge of HMS. Renounce, as Joyce conned her back towards the land to deposit Flynn and the two Portuguese on the beach from which his launch had picked them up that morning.
The British cruiser steamed over a sea that was oil-slick calm and purple blue, and the land lay as a dark irregular line on the horizon.
"It is essential that someone who knows the delta flies with the pilot. He has just arrived from Portugal, besides which he will be fully occupied in piloting the machine. He must have an observer. "Joyce was trying again.
Flynn had lost all interest in the discussion, he was now occupied with weightier matters.
"Captain," he started, and Joyce recognized the new tone of his voice and turned to him hopefully.
"Captain, that other business. What about it?"
"I'm sorry I don't follow you."
"That gin you promised me, what about it?" Captain Arthur Joyce R.N. was a man of gentle. when.
His face was smooth and unlined, his mouth full but grave, his eyes thoughtful, the streaks of silver grey at his temples gave him dignity. There was only one pointer to his true temperament, his eyebrows grew in one solid continuous line across his face; they were as thick and furry across the bridge of his nose as they were above his eyes. Despite his appearance he was a man of dark and violent temper.
Ten years on his own bridge, wielding the limitless power and authority of a Royal Naval Captain had not mellowed him, but had taught him how to use the curb on his temper.
Since early that morning when he had first shaken Flynn O'Flynn's large hairy. paw, Arthur Joyce had been exercising every bit of restraint he possessed now he had exhausted it all.