Хэммонд Иннес - Calling the Southern Cross!

Then Judie was coming toward me. “Well, this is good-by, Duncan,” she said, and held out her hand. She even managed a little smile. Her fingers were warm and firm in my hand. “Just two ships—” she said. “Are you going to a hotel?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ll go to the Splendide. Just for a few days I’m going to pretend I’m important.” She nodded and smiled. “Where are you staying?” I asked her.

But she shook her head. “We part here,” she said. “We shall probably go straight on board. Everything is arranged. In an hour’s time we’ll be sailing out of Table Bay.”

I hesitated. I didn’t know quite what to say. But I had to say something. “I hope you... you—” I just couldn’t put it into words.

She smiled. “I know. And thanks.” Then suddenly, on a higher pitch, “If only I knew what had happened. If only Eide or Erik had cabled details. But there’s nothing at the airport... nothing.” Her fingers squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry. You’ve got problems of your own. Good luck. And thank you for being so sweet.” She reached up then and kissed me on the lips. And before I could say anything she turned and went out to the car that was waiting for her. She didn’t look back.

That should have been the end of it. I should have got myself a job and they should have sailed for the Antarctic. But it didn’t work out that way.

I got myself fixed up at the Splendide and then rang Kramer. He was down in the book as a mining consultant. He sounded pleased to hear from me until I mentioned why I was in Cape Town. “You should have written me, old man,” he said. “Then I could have warned you. This isn’t the moment to come out here looking for a job.”

“But you said you could get me a job any time,” I reminded.

“Good heavens!” he said. “That was during the war! Things have changed since then. And you couldn’t have picked a worse moment than this. It’s sticky... very sticky, old man. Right now there’s a scare on and everyone’s got cold feet.”

“What’s the trouble?”

“One of these West Rand outfits — a company known as Words — has turned out a dud. It’s only a small company, but everyone’s panicky — afraid the whole field may turn out the same way. But I’m throwing a little party out at my place tonight. Come along. May he able to fix you up with something.” He gave me the address and rang off.

I put the phone down and sat staring out of the window. The sunshine suddenly seemed a brittle sham. I went and had a hath. And while I was lying there thinking it out the phone hell rang. I flung a towel round me and picked up the receiver.

“Is that Craig?” It was a man’s voice, abrupt and solid.

“Craig speaking,” I said.

“Oh. Bland here,” said the voice, and my spirits sagged again. “My daughter-in-law tells me you commanded a corvette during the war.

“That’s right,” I said.

“Where and for how long?”

I didn’t see what he was driving at, hut I said, “Pretty well everywhere. I took command of her in ’44 and had her for the rest of the war.”

“Good.” There was a slight pause, and then he said, “I’d like to have a word with you. Can you come down to Room Twenty-three?”

“I thought you were sailing right away?”

“I’m staying here the night.” The tone was suddenly abrupt, “When can you come down?”

“I’m just having a bath,” I told him. “But I’ll he down as soon as I’ve dressed.”

“Fine.” And he rang off.

I didn’t hurry over my dressing. I needed time to think it out. I’d got a damn-fool idea in my mind that I couldn’t shake off. It was that question of Bland’s about my being in command of a corvette during the war.

I knocked at the door of No. 23.

Bland answered it himself. “Come in, Craig,” he said. He took me into a big room facing Adderley Street. “What would you like? A whisky?”

“That’ll do fine,” I said.

I watched him as he poured it. His hands shook slightly. His movements were heavy and slow. He gave me a cigar with the drink.

“Sit down,” he said. “Now then, suppose you face facts, young man. You haven’t got a job and you’ve found that the prospects for getting one here aren’t too good.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said defensively. “I haven’t started to look—”

“I said let’s face facts,” he cut in with the imperturbability of a man accustomed to being listened to. “I know a lot of people here. I’ve interests in South Africa too. There’s a gold scare on and things aren’t going to be easy for a newcomer.”

He settled his big bulk carefully into a chair. I waited. He sat for a moment staring at me impersonally. Suddenly he heaved himself farther back into the chair. “I’m prepared to offer you a job with the South Antarctic Whaling Company,” he said.

“What sort of a job?” I asked.

“I want you to take command of Tauer Three — that’s the towing ship that’s waiting to take me out to the Southern Cross. Sudmann, her skipper, and the second mate were involved in a car crash last night. They’re both in a hospital.”

“What about his first mate?” I asked.

“He’s not on board. He was taken ill before Tauer Three left the factory ship. I gather that you know that Nordahl, the manager of the Southern Cross, is dead. It’s essential that I get out there as soon as possible. I’ve spent all day looking for a man to take command of Tauer Three. It was only this evening that my daughter-in-law told me you had commanded a corvette during the war. These towing boats are ex-naval corvettes, converted. I rang you right away.”

“But I haven’t the necessary papers,” I said.

He waved his thick hand. “I’ll fix that. You can leave that to me. I take it there’s no technical problem? You remember how to handle them, eh? You haven’t forgotten your navigation?”

“No. but I’ve never taken a ship into the Antarctic. I don’t know that—”

“That doesn’t matter. Now then, as regards terms. You’ll get the same pay as Sudmann — that’s fifty pounds a month plus bonus. You’ll sign on for the season, with the option of being landed at the Cape or taken back to England. You understand that your command of Tauer Three will be a temporary one covering the trip from here to the factory ship. You’ll hand over to the senior mate in the catcher fleet. I can’t engage you over their heads. But we’ll find you something interesting to do. And you’ll have the same pay as if you were in command of the boat. Now what do you say?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’d like to think it over.”

“There isn’t time.” His voice had sharpened. “I want to know now. I must get out there and find out what’s happened.”

“Have you no further news about how Nordahl met his death?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “A message came through just after lunch. Nordahl disappeared. That’s all. There wasn’t any storm. No reason for it at all. He just vanished. That’s why I want to get out there.”

In the silence that followed I tried to shake my thoughts into some sort of order. I’d be away nearly four months. And then the search for a job would start again. While, who knows, Kramer might have talked to somebody, so that I’d get the offer of a job at this party.

“I’ll need to think this over,” I said. “I’m seeing a friend this evening. I’ll let you know after that.”

His cheeks quivered slightly. “I want your answer now,” he said.

I got to my feet. “I’m sorry, sir. I appreciate your making me this offer. But you must give me a few hours.”

He was about to make some violent retort. But then he thought better of it. “All right,” he said. “Ring me when you’ve made up your mind. I’ll wait up for your call.”