Алистер Маклин - Santorini

The President stared into the middle distance for quite some time, then said in a voice that was almost plaintive: ‘Does anyone else think I’m off my rocker?’

‘Nobody thinks you’re off your rocker, Mr President,’ the General said. ‘Least of all, I would say, Sir John here. He is merely saying what our unfortunately absent Secretary of State would advocate if he were here. Both gentlemen are high on pragmatism and cold logic and low on unconsidered and precipitate action. Maybe I’m not the ideal person to be passing judgement on this issue. I would obviously be delighted if whatever reputation the Pentagon has survives intact, but I do feel most strongly that, before jumping off the top of the Empire State or whatever one should give some thought to the fatal and irrevocable consequences.’

‘I can only nod emphatic agreement,’ John Heiman, the Defense Secretary said. ‘If I may mix up two metaphors – if I am mixing them – we have only two options. We can let sleeping dogs lie or let slip the dogs of war. Sleeping dogs never harmed anyone but the dogs of war are an unpredictable bunch. Instead of biting the enemy they may well turn, in this case almost certainly would turn, and savage us.’

The President looked at Hollison. ‘Richard?’

‘You’re in the card-game of your life, Mr President. You’ve got only one trump and it’s marked “Silence”.’

‘So it’s four to one, is it?’

‘No, Mr President,’ Heiman said, ‘it’s not and you know it. It’s five to zero.’

‘I suppose, I suppose.’ The President ran a weary hand across his face. ‘And how do we propose to mount this massive display of silence, Sir John?’

‘Sorry, Mr President, but not me. If I am asked for my opinions I am not, as you have seen, slow to give them. But I know the rules and one of them is that I cannot be a party to formulating the policy of a sovereign state. Decisions are for you and for what is, in effect, your war cabinet here.’

A messenger entered and handed a slip of paper to the president. ‘Dispatch from the Ariadne, Mr President.’

‘I don’t have to brace myself for this,’ the President said. ‘As far as dispatches from the Ariadne are concerned, I am permanently braced. Some day I’ll get some good news from that ship.’ He read the message. ‘But not, of course, this time. “Atomic mine removed from cargo bay of bomber and safely transferred to sailing vessel Angelina. ” Excellent news as far as it goes, but then: “Unexpected 180 degree change in wind course makes sailing departure impossible. Anticipated delay three to six hours. Hydrogen weapons from plane’s cargo bay being transferred to diving ship Kilcharran. Expect to complete transfer by nightfall.” End of message. Well, where does that leave us?’

Sir John Travers said: ‘It leaves you, Mr President, with a few hours’ breathing space.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Masterly inactivity. Nothing that can be profitably done at the moment. I am merely thinking out loud.’ He looked at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ‘Tell me, General, do those two gentlemen in the Pentagon know they are under suspicion? Correction. Do they know that you have proof of their treason?’

‘No. And I agree with what you are about to say. No point will be served by acquainting them with that fact at the present moment.’

‘None. With the President’s permission, I would like to retire and ponder the problems of state and international diplomacy. With the aid of a pillow.’

The President smiled one of his increasingly rare smiles.

‘What a splendid suggestion. I also shall do exactly that. It’s close on six now, gentlemen. May I suggest that we foregather again at ten-thirty a.m.?’

At 2.30 that afternoon Van Gelder, message sheet in hand, joined Talbot on the bridge of the Ariadne.

‘Radio from Heraklion, sir. Seems that a Phantom of the Greek Air Force located the diving ship Taormina less than ten minutes after taking off from base. It was just east of Avgó Island, which the chart tells me is about forty miles north-east of Heraklion. Very conveniently positioned to break through the Kásos Strait.’

‘What direction was it headed?’

‘No direction. Having no wish to raise any suspicion the Greek pilot didn’t hang around but he reports that the Taormina was stopped in the water.’

‘Lurking. Lurking, one wonders, for what. Speaking of lurking, what’s Jimmy doing at the moment?’

‘Last seen, he was lurking with two young ladies in the wardroom. No dereliction of duty, I assure you. The three A’s have retired, to their cabins, presumably for the afternoon. The girls report a far from subtle change in their behaviour. They have stopped discussing the predicament they find themselves in, in fact they have stopped discussing anything. They appear unusually calm, relaxed and not very concerned about anything, which may mean that they have philosophically resigned themselves to whatever fate may hold in store or they may have made up their minds about some plan of action, although what that could be I couldn’t even begin to imagine.’

‘What would your guess be, Vincent?’

‘A plan of action. I know it’s only the slenderest of clues but it’s just possible that they may be resting up this afternoon because they don’t expect to be doing much resting during the coming night.’

‘I have the oddest feeling that we won’t be doing much resting ourselves tonight.’

‘Aha! The second sight, sir? Your non-existent Scottish blood clamouring for recognition.’

‘When it clamours a bit more, I’ll let you know. I just keep wondering about Jenkins’s disappearance.’ A phone rang and Talbot picked it up. ‘A message for the Admiral from the Pentagon? Bring it here.’ Talbot hung up and gazed out through the for’ard screens of the bridge. The Angelina, to protect it from the buffeting of the four-foot-high waves generated by the now very brisk Euros wind from the south-east, had been moved to a position where it lay snugly in the still waters between the bows of the Ariadne and the stern of the Kilcharran.

‘Speaking of the Pentagon, it’s only an hour since we told them that we expected the unloading of the hydrogen missiles to be completed by nightfall. And what do we have? A Force 6 and the plane’s fuselage streamed out a cable length to the north-west. Lord only knows when the unloading will be finished now. Do you think we should so inform them?’

‘I should think not, sir. The President of the United States is a much older man than we are and the kind of cheery communications he has been receiving from the Ariadne of late can’t be doing his heart any good.’

‘I suppose you’re right. Ah, thank you, Myers.’

‘Bloody funny signal if you ask me, sir. Can’t make head nor tail of it.’

‘These things are sent to try us.’ Talbot waited till Myers had left, then read out the signal.

‘“Identity of cuckoos in the nest established. Irrefutable proof that they are linked to your generous benefactor friend. Sincerest congratulations to Admiral Hawkins and the officers of the Ariadne. ”’

‘Recognition at last,’ Van Gelder said.

‘You are the last to arrive, Sir John,’ the President said. ‘I have to advise you that we have already made up our minds what to do.’

‘A very difficult decision, I assume, Mr President. Probably the most difficult you have ever been called upon to make.’

‘It has been. Now that the decision is made and is irrevocable, you can no longer be accused of meddling with the affairs of a sovereign state. What would you have done, Sir John?’