Гарри Гаррисон - The QE2 Is Missing

Hank wiped his lips and settled back and looked at his empty plate with a happy sigh. “Not only important but practically unbelievable.”

“Try me. After the last few days I’ll believe anything.”

Frances was silent as Hank told her what they had overheard, the details of the unholy alliance that was being forged. Her eyes widened as she listened and at one point she gasped aloud at the enormity of what had been revealed. Slowly and carefully he spelled out the details of the conspiracy and what Uzi thought might be the ultimate aim of the Nazis. When he had finished she shook her head as though dazed; these words struck as physically as blows that stunned her mind.

“You’re in no doubt about this?” she asked, finally. Hank shook his head in a reluctant no.

“I wish I were. But we all heard it — and the facts are on tape. This cruise of ours that began as a simple job of tracing some war criminals has escalated into something like major warfare. These people must be stopped, now, before their palms get rolling. If we fail and the munitions get through, we might very well be seeing an atomic war in ten years’ time.”

“It’s not possible.”

“It certainly is. We read about the Nazis in our history books and they seem gone and past, as unimportant to our lives today as Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes. But we’re wrong. My father fought in the war — and so did yours. And it was a close-run thing. If a few decisions and battles had gone differently the Germans might have won. They had the reserves and the forces and the will. We might be sailing now on the Adolph Hitler instead of the QE2.

“Now you’re being foolish!”

“No, believe me, I’m not. Luckily history did not turn out that way. But far too many of the German organizers of their war machine, and the concentration camp commanders, are still alive and still as vicious and ambitious as they ever were. They are not a bunch of silly old men, but are dedicated, perverted evil men. They killed millions with their ambitions. Not only those who died in the war but the millions whom they methodically murdered in the camps. Gassed, tortured, poisoned, drowned. And after these helpless victims, including women and children, were dead, they knocked out their teeth for the gold fillings and sold their hair to fill mattresses. If you don’t believe me ask the man who was there — he’s right aboard this ship. Herr Doktor Joachim Wielgus. He’ll know. He’s the one who arranged the sale of the gold and the hair…. “

Hank stopped suddenly, aware that he had almost gone too far. Frances’s face was white and drawn, her eyes brimming with tears. He took both her hands in his, raised them and kissed them.

“I didn’t mean to make it sound so utterly disgusting. But that’s the way it is. These are the kind of men that we are dealing with.”

“Killing is too good for people like this…. “

“No,” he said grimly. “Killing is good enough. They must be stopped and they must be killed. The world will be well rid of vermin like this. Sorry, I shouldn’t say it that way. I’m beginning to sound like them. Simply — they must be stopped.” He looked at his watch and quickly drained his cup of coffee. “I’ll have to go back now. Things will start moving fast once the diamonds change hands and we have the details about the arms ship. So one more thing. You must promise me now that you won’t go near our room today.”

“Isn’t that asking an awful lot?”

“Not if you think of it as a battleground instead of a cabin. How are you with a pistol? Have you killed many people with one?”

“If you think for an instant that you are being hysterically funny, you are not.” Frances was angry now, trying to pull her hand away from his, but he would not let go.

“I’m not making jokes. I’m deadly serious. If you are there when any trouble starts I’ll be worrying about you instead of the job that has to be done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do. But can’t you get out of there as well?”

“I could — but I don’t want to. There are too many Tupamaros involved, and not enough of us. I’m just afraid if they run things their way, well, the situation might get out of hand. I can take care of myself. Just as long as I know that you are safe. Will you do as I ask?”

Frances smiled. “The lady gives a reluctant yes. I’ll go to the sauna and sweat the dregs of the alcohol out of my system, then have my hair done, see a film this afternoon. There is plenty to do.”

“Good. Look into the Lido Bar once in a while. I’ll either be there or I’ll leave a message with the barman, Sean. Is it a deal?”

“Fine. Good luck, my love.”

She stood up suddenly as he started to leave and embraced him, kissing him soundly and warmly, to the great pleasure of the dining room staff who had had a boring morning so far.

It was still before nine a.m. when Hank returned to his cabin, yet the others were already there. They had ordered coffee — Hank wondered what the room steward, Robert, made of all this — and the air was thick with the smoke of dark Latin tobacco. The same three men were present as the night before; the other Tupamaros were gone.

“We have a first plan of action,” Uzi said. “Some of the Paraguayans and the Tupamaros have been assigned to cover any of the opposition who don’t show up in the suite next door. Including Wielgus, there are six Germans in all. Their cabins are being watched. Stroessner and the Admiral each have two aides with them as bodyguards, but since they are all close by we are organizing our main forces here. The fat man, Chvosta, might be a threat, as well as his female assistant. We think that the diamond expert can be discounted as a threat. So our forces have been deployed accordingly.”

Leandro Diaz chose this moment to interrupt.

“There is one other factor that you should all know. I think it will be a great help in the hours ahead. I waited until now to tell you, since if the knowledge leaks out the man is dead. You know the Sergeant with Stroessner’s party, Sergeant Pradera? Well — he’s our undercover agent.”

“You are sure of this?” Josep asked.

“There is not the slightest doubt. He is the inside man who has supplied us with all the details of the conspiracy. They have no suspicion of him or they would not have assigned him to this mission.”

“This is very good news,” Uzi said.

“Better than good, remarkable.” Josep paced the room, ticking off on his fingers his points as he made them. “Firstly — is he a fighting man?”

“The best in the Army.”

“Good. Then his presence there, on the inside, is worth ten men outside in any attack. Secondly — he must be contacted and instructed when to act.”

“No,” Diaz said firmly. “We cannot risk compromising him. If there is the slightest hint of suspicion he will be killed at once. We will just have to count upon him to act correctly when the time comes. But all of your men must be informed of his identity, that is why I told you about him now. We cannot have him killed by some stupid accident.”

“I don’t like it.” Josep was angry. “There can be no free agents in an operation like this. If he is not contacted my men will treat him like anyone else in the opposition…. “

“That’s enough,” Uzi broke in. “You will tell your people about him, Josep. We each control our own troops in our own way. Is that clearly understood? And, Leandro, does this Sergeant know that we are here?”

“Yes. I made it a point to let him see me when none of the other Paraguayans was present. He nodded, which is enough. If there is any action he will fight on our side, you can be sure of that. But he will not reveal himself until it is absolutely necessary.”