Хэммонд Иннес - Calling the Southern Cross!

Eide hesitated. “You’ve seen the messages to Colonel Bland, eh?” I nodded. “Well,” he said, “Nordahl wasn’t an easy man to get on with.”

“There must have been more to it than that for Nordahl to send that ultimatum to Colonel Bland.”

There was a short, embarrassed silence, and then Eide said, “If you do not mind, I would prefer not to discuss this matter with you. You understand, there are politics in every company and it is better not to talk about them.”

After that I switched the conversation back to the war. About half an hour later I excused myself and went down to my cabin.

The next morning I was told that Bland wanted to see me in his cabin. I didn’t know it then, but this was the morning of the fatal decision.

Eide and Erik Bland were in the cabin when I entered. Bland himself was seated in a swivel chair, his elbow resting on the desk. The man’s face was pallid. “Craig, I want you to meet my son,” he said. “Erik, this is Commander Craig.”

Erik Bland came over and shook my hand. “Glad to have you with us,” he said. His manner was friendly.” My father thinks you’re a tine sailor.”

“If I am,” I said, “the credit’s due the British Navy.” My antagonism was melting. He might not have the drive and pugnacity of his father, but his manners were better and he had self-confidence.

Bland swung round in his chair so that he faced me. “Sit down, Craig,” he said. “I’ve got a job for you.” He put his glasses on and began fingering the lobe of his ear.” For some reason that I don’t understand, the Tönsberg men have got the idea that Nordahl’s death wasn’t accidental. The man behind the whole thing is Captain Larvik. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m not interested in the logic of their suspicions. I’ve told them that an inquiry will be held. And since they seem to have an idea that in some way I or my son is involved, neither of us will be on the committee of inquiry. The committee will consist of three people. The two members will be Captain Eide here and my daughter-in-law.”

“Good heavens!” I said. “You’re not going to make her go through the agony of examining all the men who had conversation with Nordahl just before he vanished? Surely you must understand her feelings in the—”

“I’m not interested in her feelings,” he growled at me. “My problem is that a lot of damned suspicious nonsense has got into the heads of some of the men. With Judie on the committee, they’ll accept the findings, whatever they are. In fact, Larvik has already agreed. Now then, the reason I’ve asked you up here is this: I want you to act as chairman of this committee. You’re entirely outside any company politics. With you, Eide and Judie on the committee, the men will be satisfied. Well?”

I hesitated. I didn’t want to be drawn into it.

“I said I’d find you an interesting job,” he added. “And this is it.”

The point he was making was obvious. I was being paid by the company and it was up to me to take on anything I was given. Whether it was this that decided me or the fact that Judie was on the committee and I wanted to lessen the pain of it for her, I don’t know. But I heard myself say, “All right.”

“Good!” He shifted more easily in his chair. “Get down to it right away. The sooner the job’s completed the hotter.” There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” he called.

It was Howe. He had a sheaf of papers in his hand. His face was slightly flushed and there was a queer excitement in his eyes.

“Ah, come in, Howe,” Bland said. “What are your conclusions? Where’s the best place to hunt for whales in a season like this?”

“Through the pack.” Howe answered. “Through the pack into the Weddell Sea.” His mouth had a sly twist to it and his watery eyes gleamed. I suddenly had the feeling that the man’s report was based on nothing more substantial than the fact that he wanted Bland to go south.

And the strange thing was that Bland himself seemed to want to go south too. “Good, good!” he said. “Did you know Hanssen was taking the Haakon into the pack?”

“No.”

“Apparently he thinks the same. So do Petersen and Larvik... and after Nordahl they’re the most experienced men we have.” Bland got up and stared out of the porthole. Suddenly he swung around. “Very well. Captain Eide,” he said. His tone was abrupt, decisive. “Recall the catchers. As soon as they have all come in, get the gunners aboard for a conference. My view is that we should go south right away. Have we enough meat to give the refrigerator ship a full cargo?”

“No,” Eide replied, and looked across at Erik Bland, who added, “The South is only one third full.”

“She must come with us then. Now go and recall the catchers.” He dismissed his son with a nod and turned to me. “I want the findings of that inquiry completed while the catchers are assembling... before we start south. Captain Eide has agreed to release the second officer from all duties to assist you.” He nodded to us. “That’s all then, gentlemen. Tomorrow we will enter the pack ice.”

Kyrre had already received instructions and was waiting for me in our cabin. I got from him a brief account of Nordahl’s movements on the night he’d disappeared and drew up a list of men to be interviewed. I found Eide on the bridge and arranged for the inquiry to begin at eleven. Then I went down to Judie’s cabin.

“I’ve fixed the inquiry for eleven.” I said. “That’s in just over half an hour. That all right for you?”

“Yes.” Her tone was almost harsh, as though she were bracing herself for the ordeal.

I turned to go. Then I stopped. “It’s a rotten job for you,” I said.

“I’ll be all right.” She gave me a wan smile.

At eleven o’clock there were five men, besides the ones we’d called, scuffling their feet outside the door of the room set aside for the inquiry. Kyrre was already there. Eide came in as we were seating ourselves.

“Right,” I said. “Let’s have the men we’ve called first, in the order we I agreed, Kyrre.”

It took us two hours to get the story of that night out of them. On the evening of the second of January, Nordahl had joined the other officers for the evening meal as usual. He hadn’t talked much. The secretary, who saw a lot of him, said that he was increasingly concerned about the absence of whales. Nordahl had a very considerable financial interest in the company.

After the meal Nordahl had had a few drinks and then worked for half an hour in the office. A good deal of his time was spent in the office — young Bland wasn’t much help to him here, as he had insufficient knowledge. In fact, Nordahl bore the whole weight of management, both as regards policy and detail.

After leaving the office, Nordahl went up onto the bridge. He stayed there for a short time, talking to the officer of the watch. The half light of the Antarctic summer night had fallen. But shortly after Nordahl left the bridge a bank of fog rolled up.

Leaving the bridge, Nordahl had gone, as far as was known, straight to Eide’s cabin.

Captain Eide, who then gave evidence, said that he had seemed perfectly normal. “But he was tired, you know,” he added. “There had been trouble between him and Erik Bland. I must say it — since it may have a bearing on his state of mind — Bland did not know enough about the job.”

“And Nordahl took most of Bland’s — work on his own shoulders?” I suggested.

“ Ja . That is so.”

“And you think this was too much for him? He was overtired?”

Eide nodded.

After leaving Eide’s cabin, Nordahl had gone to the wireless room. He was there talking to the chief wireless officer till shortly after midnight.