Тейлор Андерсон - Crusade

Kaufman’s eyes went wide and, if anything, his twitch became more violent. He began scratching the left side of his face unconsciously. «Well, yes, I am. I mean, I was. You mean you’ve seen it?» Sato nodded and Captain Kaufman closed his eyes and smiled with genuine relief. «My God. So Mallory made it after all!» He stopped and looked at Commander Okada. «We found it on the beach. The plane, that is. It was shot up and half sunk, but Mallory and a couple other fellas got it flying. The Grik nearly got them! Anyway, I sent it on to Ceylon to bring out an escort for Mahan .» He stopped and his face was stricken. «But he couldn’t have gone to Ceylon. could he?»

«Why did you never mention the plane before?»

Kaufman glanced vacantly around. «Nobody asked. I just figured it was lost. The Griks that got after it saw it that day.» He looked imploringly at Sato. «I’m sorry. I would have told you, I swear! I just never thought it was still around!» He sat back down on his bucket and rubbed his twitching face, staring at Sato through his fingers with red-rimmed eyes. «Please,» he whispered. «Don’t beat me anymore.»

Sato stared down at the prisoner, sickened. As much with Kaufman as with himself. «You won’t be beaten,» he said. He glanced back at the hatch to make sure it was still dogged. «This plane,» he said, «has a radio.» It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact. «So too does the American destroyer. If I could arrange it so you had access to a radio yourself, could you contact either of them?»

Kaufman looked down at the floor. «I don’t have a codebook,» he saidon, but ge a radio, you would be able to speak in the clear.»

«What would you want me to say?»

Sato shook his head. «I do not know yet. That would depend on a number of things. What I want to know now is can you do it? Do you think they would listen to you?»

«I doubt Reddy would,» he said grimly, and Okada recognized the name of the destroyer’s commander. «I doubt he trusts me. I know he doesn’t like me. Mallory, though.»

«Mallory is the pilot of the flying-boat?»

«Yes. At least he was. I think I could talk to him. Maybe he’d talk to Reddy.» Kaufman looked up at Sato. «Why?»

«Perhaps no reason. But let us keep this between ourselves.» He waited until he saw Kaufman nod. «In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?»

For a long moment, the aviator didn’t reply. He just stared at Sato with astonished eyes. Finally, he spoke.

«Light. Leave the light on, please.»

Sato nodded. «Anything else?»

Kaufman blinked and looked vaguely around the compartment. «Something to read,» he pleaded. «I don’t care what it is.»

Big Sal left at dawn. Slowly, majestically, the giant wings spread and the sweeps were stowed. Matt watched her go with tired eyes and decidedly mixed emotions. Big Sal or Keje had always been there, somewhere nearby, almost since they came to this world, and he knew he’d miss them and worry about their safety. Aracca Home was being loaded now, and in the distance he saw the first smoke of the fires that would consume B’mbaado City. He realized with regret that he’d never even visited the Orphan Queen’s palace, and now it was being destroyed. At least not all of it would be lost. Several feluccas had been detailed to take away B’mbaado’s greatest treasures. He wished the same could have been done for Aryaal, but Rasik still hoarded them to himself, locked in the royal palace. Matt realized that the vengeance he’d chosen had contributed to that loss, but lives were more important. His conscience wouldn’t suffer much when all was said and done.

His coffee cup was empty and Juan was nowhere in sight. Garrett had the watch and so he decided to try and find some, and maybe grab something to eat. That reminded him he’d been too busy to check on Earl Lanier and he grimaced at the thought. Sandra had told him the cook would be fine. The shaft hadn’t penetrated beyond his impressive layer of fat. But Matt should have checked.

Thinking of injuries. Experimentally, he tensed a muscle in his shoulder to see what he could get away with. To his surprise, it seemed considerably better. Time to pester Sandra again about getting the dressings removed. He was sick of running around trying to do everything with one hand. He knew Sandra was asleep, though. For now, he’d leave her alone.

First get something to eat, and then go aft. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to see for himself how the work on the propeller was shaping up. Progress there had him more worried than he cared to admit. They’d finally been forced to lay off work last night when the flashies tore through a second sail. Spanky himself was in the water and they nearly got him. Hopefully they’d make up for lost time in the light of day. He didn’t like the idea of the world falling on top of them when they had a half-installed screw. With two engines, three boilers, and a full bunker of fuel, he would feel a lot more confident in the face of what was coming.

Walker ’s crew was making preparations for getting under way and, except for the propeller, there were no difficulties in that regard. For the first time in longer than he could remember he faced no pressing decisions that he alone could make. They’d all been made already, and now there was nothing left to do but watch while others carried them out and hope it wasn’t all for nothing. It left him somewhat at a loss. He couldn’t shake the feeling there was something left undone. Pondering his unease, he descended to the wardroom. There he found Courtney Bradford, alone and sleeping in a chair at the table. His head was tilted back and his mouth was open. Loud snores filled the compartment.

There was a coffee cup on the table, but by the smell of the room, coffee hadn’t been in it. Matt sighed and poured some lukewarm coffee for himself from a carafe. Then he opened the portholes on either side of the wardroom to let the warm morning air circulate within. Bradford’s snore caught in his throat and he opened his eyes and blinked. Matt sat across from him and emptied the carafe into the Australian’s cup. Then he gestured at it.

«That’s got to stop, Courtney,» he scolded him gently. «It sets a bad example.»

«’m not in the Navy,» Bradford grumbled. «And even if I was, it would be the Royal Australian Navy, which, I might remind you, certainly does not persecute the occasional tot.»

«Your ‘tots’ are no longer occasional. Alcohol’s not allowed on U.S. Navy ships, but so far I’ve turned a blind eye because of your. unusual status. and because, until lately, you’ve been discreet.» He rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat. «I need you sober, Mr. Bradford. I need you sober and clearheaded all the time. We’re all going to need our wits to survive.» He smiled slightly. «And I’ve come to rely heavily on yours.»

Bradford snorted and sipped from his cup. Grimacing, he set it aside. «I’m not much good to anyone, I’m afraid.» He spoke with a still muzzy voice. «Sometimes I think there is really not much point. No matter what we do, we are continually faced with ever greater obstacles.» He covered his face with his hands. «I grow so weary and. I miss my son quite dreadfully, you know.»

Matt leaned back. Bradford had never spoken of a son. Like most of them, he hadn’t said much at all about what he’d left behind. Bradford shook his head and sat up straighter. «Oh, he’s alive, for all I know. Flying Hurricanes for the RAAF, in England.» He frowned. «For all I know. The trouble is, I don’t know for sure and I never, ever will.» He glared at Matt. «We Australians still have somewhat closer ties to the mother country than you Yanks, and even though we were considerably farther away, the threat posed by Hitler struck a little closer to home. My son volunteered to fight against him almost a year and a half ago.» He glanced down at his cup and took another reluctant sip. «Adar always talks about the ‘greater threat’—we all do, and we’ve certainly been proved right in this instance. But while my son and most of the rest of the world were confronting the Nazis, you Yanks were busy antagonizing the Japs.»