Geoffrey Jenkins - The River of Diamonds

It said: 'f.w. caldwell.'

So Shelborne had killed Caldwell at Strandloper's Water and taken his gun! There was no doubt in my mind about what had happened. I looked down at the big gaunt man, — he was only stunned. The skin had not been broken where his head had crashed against the woodwork, but he'd have a lump and a bruise. I slipped out the eight-shot clip and smiled grimly. They were the old low-velocity, special bottle-necked cartridges. If they had been Mausers I would not have been standing there.

From the direction of the desert I heard MacDonald coming back to fetch me. I slipped out the remaining cartridges. There should have been six. There were only five. The spring pushed up two objects under the last shell and they fell out with the bullets into my palm.

They were two small uncut diamonds.

I put the shells into my pocket and the diamonds back into the magazine. I snugged it home and put the fine old weapon next to the unconscious figure. He stirred slightly as he started to come round.

I went out into the dark.

'Mazy Zed?'

Mr Justice de Villiers presented his inquisitorial features to the world. Perhaps he hadn't slept any better than I had; the incident with Shelborne kept chasing through my head. The tall, gaunt prospector was in his place near Mary Caldwell, detached, although he had smiled back at her when he came in. I had told Rhennin only of his refusal, nothing of the fight. I could see no sign of a bruise on his head, which was turned sideways from me. It was our day, the Mazy Zed's day, and Rhennin was in the witness-box, but the Judge had pulled him up before he got into his stride.

'I am head of the Mazy Zed.'

The Judge professed ignorance: 'Mazy Zed?'

'Mazy Zed is a name, my lord.'

'I am well aware of that. I am seeking some meaning behind what you will agree is rather unusual nomenclature.'

'A Mazy Zed is a step in an old-time minuet, my lord.'

'Why not something modern like the Twist?'

A titter ran round the court. 'Perhaps if I explained…'

'That is what I have been trying to elicit from you for some time.'

The ship — or rather barge — which we intend for undersea mining operations is rather an ungainly craft. In fact, I have taken the liberty of bringing a model to the court. There are no engines. The barge will therefore roll and pitch heavily.'

'What has this to do with an old-time minuet?'

'My lord, I thought the bobbing and curtsying movement of the barge had a parallel in the bobbing and curtsying step in the minuet known as the Mazy Zed.'

The Judge snorted. Shardelow took up the running smoothly.

'You are Felix Rhennin?'

'Yes.'

'Occupation?'

'Farmer, promoter of companies.'

'A karakul farmer, I should add, my lord. My client has a large ranch in the southern part of South-west Africa. He was responsible for the introduction of several prize-winning strains of karakul ewes after the war, when he settled here permanently from Germany. Mr Rhennin was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, hence his fluency in what is, in fact, a foreign tongue to him. Age?'

'Forty-eight.'

The slightly world-weary droop of the eyelids belied the dynamic go-getter beneath. He'd make a fortune out of karakul, but his heart was in diamonds. He was Spartan in his tastes, although his bachelor estate near Keetmanshoop was a show-place. We'd first met when I was on the Brukkaros job for the Americans, since Keetmanshoop is_ the jumping-off place for the extinct volcano.

'The object of your project, Mr Rhennin?'

To mine diamonds from the sea off the Sperrgebiet coast.'

'You consider this a feasible proposition?'

'Yes. I am prepared to sink about a million dollars into it.'

'Your own, Mr Rhennin'

'The Mazy Zed is to be financed by floating a company in which I shall be the major shareholder.'

'Which brings me automatically to my next question: this is a big venture?'

'Very big.'

'You would agree with Mr Shelborne that capital — lots of it — as well as pioneering enterprise, are required for a unique undertaking of this nature?'

'Yes. I consider Mr Shelborne's estimate of half a million sterling to be conservative. This is the first time in the history of mining — in South Africa or anywhere else — that diamonds are to be mined from the sea.'

The fudge was carping: 'You say mined, Mr Rhennin. You mean, to be mined or, if we take Mr Stratton literally, not to be mined in the conventional sense at all?'

'That is correct, my lord.'

Shardelow eased the Judge away from his man. 'You are aware that in the past the South African Government, which exercises complete control over the diamond rights along the Sperrgebiet, has set its face against small prospecting enterprises — what one would term, in mining parlance, wildcat ventures?'

'I am.'

'Would you amplify that?'

'I quote a statement from the Minister of Mines, — "In the past few decades the Government, in the face of increasing pressure for diamond prospecting rights to be granted off the coast of South-west Africa, has refused to allow such ventures because it is felt that knowledge, equipment and finance are prerequisites. I should like to explain that, having regard to the marine hazards and to the scale of operations required to make a success of such a huge venture, the Government feels convinced that it would be doing a disservice not only to the country but to the persons concerned if they were thus induced to risk their capital — perhaps with more enthusiasm than understanding of the magnitude of the task involved — in a project of this nature".'

'Do you feel that the Government's stated policy would apply to the previous two applicants, namely, Mr Shelborne and Miss Caldwell?'

'Yes.'

'But not to the Mazy Zed?'

'No.'

These are wide and generalized asseverations, Mr Rhennin,' snapped the Judge. 'You are prepared to go into detailed technicalities?'

Rhennin said dryly, 'I had barely started, my lord. I was clearing the ground…'

'Prospecting the overburden, rather, Mr Rhennin?'

'Your lordship could put it that way. Here at Oranjemund they move twenty tons of sand to win one carat of diamonds, which weighs 1/142nd part of an ounce. The ratio is eighty million parts of sand to one of diamonds. The major part is rubbish.'

'Diamond mining and court proceedings seem to have a lot in common.'

'I bow to your lordship's superior experience.'

The two glared at one another. The girl and Shelborne were amused. They could afford to be. A few more cracks like that and the Mazy Zed project would be as good as in Davy Jones's locker.

Shardelow rushed to the rescue. He whipped an opaque plastic covering from the object which had intrigued everyone but us, a model of the Mazy Zed. It was about four feet long and eighteen inches high. Even as a model it looked more like a block of flats than a ship.

Rhennin stepped down and pointed with a ruler.

'You will notice at first the complete lack of gunnels and the low freeboard, my lord.'

'I had not done so. Why?'

'The Mazy Zed has no engines. She has to be towed and manoeuvred by a tug. Here are her six anchors.'

'Six?'

'Yes. The seas along the Sperrgebiet are persistently heavy. The water will break right across the barge.'

'Will it float, Mr Rhennin? It seems top-heavy.'

It was a question we had asked ourselves.

'We have carried out tank tests under simulated conditions of wind and sea. She floats all right.'

'I'd say she'd roll like — like…'

Shardelow grinned. 'The correct sea term, my lord, in case your lordship does not see fit to use it as coming from the bench, is "she rolls like a bitch".'