The Blue Ice

Jill went forward and took his hand. 'Yes, we understand, Mr Dahler,' she said. Her voice was quiet and soothing. 'Sit down now. We're all going to have a drink with you.' She picked up the bottle and smiled at him. 'You haven't left us very much, Mr Dahler.'

'No,' he said. He swallowed awkwardly and sat down again. He was suddenly a tired and rather pathetic old man. He passed his hand wearily over his face. 'I have drunk too much,' he whispered. Then, with sudden renewal of his violence, 'But I will not sit here doing nothing while Knut Jorgensen fills my place. I enlarged it. At his death we had five ships, that was all. When the Germans invaded Norway, I had a fleet of fourteen coasters and four tankers. Twenty-three thousand tons.' He seized the tumbler and drank, spilling the whisky down his chin. 'All gone,' he murmured. 'Nothing left. Nothing left, damn them — do you hear? God!' He buried his head in his hands. He was crying openly.

'Go up and get some more glasses, Dick,' I said. 'There are several lying about in the chartroom.'

As he slid open the door, we could hear orders being shouted in Norwegian and the sound of the catcher's engines going astern. Jill looked across at me. 'What are you going to do?' she asked. 'Are you going to Bovaagen?'

I hesitated. Dahler lifted his tear-stained face. His eyes were wild and bloodshot. 'Have a drink,' he said, seizing the bottle and pushing it across the table towards me. He rose unsteadily to his feet. 'I want you all to have a drink with me,' he said, raising his glass. 'I want you to drink with me to the — to the damnation of Jorgensen.' He drained his glass and sat down.

He looked dazed.

«I Dick came tumbling down the gangway. 'Bill,' he called. 'Lovaas is coming on board.'

'On board Diviner?'

'Yes.'

I turned to Jill. 'Get Dahler into his cabin. Curtis, shut him in. He mustn't meet Lovaas.'

Heavy footsteps sounded on the deck over our heads. 'Mr Gansert!' It was Lovaas's deep voice. 'Mr Gansert! Anyone below?'

Jill and Curtis between them had got Dahler out from behind the table. 'Yes?' I called. 'Who wants me?'

'Kaptein Lovaas,' came the reply. 'May I come down please?'

I went to the companionway. 'What do you want, Captain Lovaas?' I asked.

'I wish to speak with you,' was the reply.

I glanced back into the saloon. Curtis was just shutting the door of Dahler's cabin. 'Very well,' I said. 'Come on down.'

A moment later Lovaas's squat bulk filled the companionway. 'It is a party, eh?' he said, smiling as he saw the glasses on the table. 'That is god. I will never refuse a little drink.' His face beamed. He was positively genial.

'Whisky?' I asked, picking up the bottle and one of the glasses.

'Whisky. Yes, that will do very well.' His thick, powerful fingers engulfed the glass I handed him. He waited till all our glasses were filled. Then he said, 'Skaal!'

'Skaal!' I replied.

He drained his glass at one gulp and breathed with satisfaction. 'That is good whisky, Mr Gansert.'

I refilled his glass. 'And why have you come to see me?' I asked. My tone was not particularly welcoming.

He laughed. 'You think I should be angry, eh? I have a quick temper, Mr Gansert. It comes easily. It goes easily. I do not think about what happens at middag. There are more important things.' He glanced at the others. 'Shall we speak alone, Mr Gansert?' he asked.

'It's not necessary,' I replied sharply.

He shrugged his shoulders. 'As you wish.' He pulled up a chair and sat himself down. His heavy body in its bottle green jacket seemed to engulf the chair. 'I have been to Bovaagen. From there I took a drosje to Nordhanger.' He pulled a short cigar from his pocket and lit it. 'Einar Sandven was not at Nordhanger. Nor was he at Bovaagen. Peer Storjohann was also not at Bovaagen. Both of them have not been to Bovaagen today. Mr Sunde is a liar.' He smiled. It was a fat, roguish smile. But his» blue eyes were narrowed and watchful. 'But I think you knew that, Mr Gansert, eh?'

'Well?' I said.

He looked around the silent room. 'You and your friends are all interested in this man — Schreuder? You think, as I think, that he is rescued by the divers. He is still alive. In that case he can be traced.' He paused and drew on his cigar. 'Mr Gansert — you are here for a big English metals company. You do not come all this way just to find out about the death of a man who is not even employed by your company. This man, Farnell; he was an expert on metals. Perhaps Schreuder kill him.' He smiled as though at some secret joke. 'Perhaps he kill himself. But the man who escape from my boat, he leaves me with those little grey pieces of rock I mention. When I show them to herr direktor Jorgensen, he seize them and is away to Bergen at once. Now I am not a stupid man. I know when a thing is important. When I give them to herr Jorgensen, his eyes light up like my searchlight. Like my searchlight. He is excited, you understand. So I know that this is the clue.' He leaned quickly forward, stabbing his cigar at me. 'These pieces of rock — they are samples of metal, I think. Is that not so?'

I said, 'You've a right to your own conclusions, Captain Lovaas.'

'My own conclusions!' He laughed and slapped his knee. 'That is god. Very careful. Most diplomatic.' Then his voice suddenly hardened. 'Please, I do not like long words. Am I right or wrong?'

< 'You can think what you like,' I answered.

'So.' He smiled. 'I understand. Now, Mr Gansert. The position is this. You know what this metal is. Herr Jorgensen does not — not yet. By tomorrow he know. But now — at this moment — he does not. You have the advantage of one day. I have thought of this very carefully. This is what I have thought. You know what the metal is. But you do not know where it is. That is why you are here. Now I know something that you do not know.'

'What is that?' I asked.

He laughed. That I keep a secret. Just as you keep secret the metal. But now, perhaps, we talk about business, eh? We can help each other. You are a smart man. Jorgensen is a fool. He take my pieces of metal. But he does not pay me. He only threatens. I could have help him. But no! He is the great herr direktor. And I am just the best skytter in Norway. Now, you are clever. We can work together and when we find this man-'

'How will you find him?' I asked.

'Oh, I have ways of doing things. I will find him all right. Now, what do you say?'

I hesitated. The man was no fool. But what was it he knew that I didn't? And as I hesitated I heard the door of Dahler's cabin open behind me.

'So you will double-cross your master?' Dahler's voice was no longer slurred. It purred.

Lovaas jumped to his feet. 'Herr Dahler?' His voice was startled. Then angrily: 'Why are you here? What is the little game, eh?'

'You are surprised to see me?' Dahler gripped the table for support. 'Why are you so surprised? Am I not permitted to visit my own country?' His voice was suddenly violent. 'Who are you to decide whether I shall come here to Bovaagen Hval or not? Answer me! What did you do in the war, eh? I will tell you. You were a collaborator. You went where there was money. You worked for the Germans. You captained one of their-'

'This is enough, herr Dahler,' Lovaas roared. 'Everyone in Norway knows how you sell the secret of the new marine engine — how you arrange the guard up at Finse. Whilst you flee to England, I was working for my country — underground.' Lovaas suddenly sat down. He was breathing heavily. 'But I did not come here to throw words at you, herr Dahler. I come here to talk to Mr Gansert.'