Hammond Innes - Blue Ice

He cocked his head on one side as he peered into my face. ‘You need not be afraid,’ he said softly. ‘I am finding an ally for you — an ally — for — us — both.’ He switched to Lovaas. ‘Find the man who escapes from your ship this morning, Kaptein Lovaas. That is all you have to do. But you will have to be quick. Jorgensen will not stop at anything once he knows about those metals.’

Lovaas smiled. ‘You do not like direktor Jorgensen, eh, herr Dahler?’

His emphasis on the direktor was like a goad to Dahler. ‘Like him!’ he almost screamed. ‘If I had-’ He stopped abruptly, smiling secretly to himself.

Lovaas laughed. Then he turned quickly to me. ‘Now, Mr Gansert — do we work together, or not? What is your offer?’

‘At the moment, there is no offer, Captain Lovaas,’ I answered. ‘But if you can produce Schreuder — then we might perhaps talk again.’

Lovaas smiled. ‘I understand. That is what you English call C.O.D.’ He rose to his feet, ‘Very well, Mr Gansert. When I have the man, we will talk again.’ He paused in the doorway. ‘Don’t forget the diver, Mr Gansert.’

‘He has gone to Bovaagen,’ I said.

‘Ja, he was in Bovaagen. I had some speak with him.’ He smiled. ‘That was very good Scotch. It has make me warm in here.’ He slapped his huge belly. ‘Warm and friendly, Mr Gansert.’

We watched him go in silence. His heavy footsteps sounded on the deck. He bellowed an order in Norwegian. Then all was quiet. The saloon seemed almost empty without him.

‘Did he really have a talk with Sunde, do you think?’ Dick asked.

I didn’t answer. I was wondering whether I could use Lovaas or not.

Dahler struggled to his feet. ‘I am going on deck,’ he said. ‘I must have some fresh air.’ He pushed passed me. His face was deathly pale. He staggered slightly as he went through the door.

‘Follow him up,’ I said to Curtis. ‘Don’t let him see you. But just make certain he comes to no harm. He’s so full of liquor he’s just as likely to walk into the sea as on to the quay.’

Jill sighed. ‘Poor Mr Dahler,’ she said. ‘Life hasn’t been very kind to him.’

A moment later Curtis was back in the saloon. ‘Dahler all right?’ I asked.

‘Bit unsteady. But sober enough to get on to the quay and go on board Hval Ti.’

‘Hval Ti?’ I cried.

He nodded and picked up his drink. ‘That’s right. He went straight along to see Lovaas. What do you make of that, skipper?’

I sat back trying to think it out. ‘He might have some son of hold on Lovaas,’ Dick suggested. ‘It’s clear Lovaas hasn’t spent all his life catching whales.’

‘Jorgensen is more likely than Dahler to have a hold on him,’ I answered. ‘We’ll have a little chat with our friend when he comes back.’

It was over an hour before Dahler returned. And then we had to put him to bed. He was completely drunk. ‘Aquavit on top of whisky,’ Curtis said smelling his breath. ‘We’ll get nothing out of him for an hour or two.’

Back in the saloon Curtis said, ‘Sunde is the man we want to see.’

I nodded. ‘If anyone knows where Schreuder is, he does.’

‘Would he have told Captain Lovaas, do you think?’ Jill asked.

‘No,’ I replied. ‘I don’t think so.’ I was thinking of the scene at the midday meal with Sunde nervously trying to avoid Lovaas’s questions. ‘And if Lovaas had known then he would have adopted a different attitude when he came on board this evening. Lovaas knows something. But it isn’t the whereabouts of Schreuder.’

Curtis refilled his glass. ‘The way I see it,’ he said, ‘Sunde could be made to talk.’

‘How do you mean?’ I asked.

‘He wouldn’t tell Lovaas anything at Bovaagen. He was safe there in the village. But if he returns here-’ He looked at me significantly and raised his glass. ‘After that little pep talk from Dahler, Lovaas will stop at nothing. He’ll get hold of Sunde and wring the truth out of him somehow.’

I had been thinking the same thing. I suddenly made up my mind. It was a long time since I’d had to do things this way. I helped myself to a cigarette and pushed the tin across to the others. ‘It will be high tide in about an hour,’ I said. ‘That means the current will be slack in the cutting behind the whaling station. We leave our berth here and make a show of putting on sail as though we were off to Fjaerland. Once outside the islands, we double back and drift up the cut behind the factory. We wait for Sunde there.’

Curtis nodded. ‘You’re gambling on Sunde having rowed to Bovaagen.’

Tin certain there should have been two boats in that inlet we saw this afternoon,’ I said. ‘That length of rope trailing in the water-’

‘I quite agree,’ Curtis said. ‘But Lovaas may have the same idea.’

‘Quite possibly.’

He grinned.

‘Right,’ I said. ‘Dick. Will you go and collect Wilson and Carter from Hval To! Shout to them. Tell them we’re sailing. I want Lovaas to know. Get the idea? Then have the engine started. Curtis. You go up to the Kiellands’ place. See the steward or the secretary of the company. Check that there should be two boats in that inlet. Also, make certain that Sunde hasn’t returned,’

As they hurried on to the deck, I turned to Jill. She was sitting with her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her hand. ‘As soon as we’ve got Sunde,’ I said, ‘we’ll make for Fjaerland.’

She looked up at me. ‘I shall be glad when all this is over,’ she said. She looked past me and stared unseeingly at the emergency lamp in its gimbals. I wondered what was in her mind. She sighed and took a sip at her drink. Then quite suddenly she said, ‘It amounts to kidnapping him, doesn’t it?’

‘Sunde?’ I said. ‘Well, yes. Shall we say — protecting him from Lovaas. Don’t let it worry you. I take full responsibility for it.’

‘I wasn’t worried about that,’ she replied quietly. ‘I was just wondering what he would be able to tell us.’

There were shouts from the wharf. I heard Dick’s voice giving orders to the hands. Then footsteps moved on the deck over our heads. A moment later the engine started. I dived up the companionway. The sun had set. In the cold, dead light of approaching darkness the factory buildings loomed very black above the packing sheds. ‘Lovaas heard all right,’ Dick said. ‘He’s up there on the bridge, watching us.’

I looked up at the tall bow of Hval Ti. I could just see the outline of the bridge. Lovaas was standing with legs straddled on the catwalk. Dick tapped my arm. ‘Here’s Curtis,’ he said.

I turned. ‘Well?’ I asked as he came aft to the cockpit.

‘You’re gambling on a pretty safe bet,’ he said. ‘I had a word with an electrician who lives in the steward’s quarters. He says there are normally two boats in that inlet. They belong to the station. This afternoon, just after middag, he saw Sunde rowing one of them down the cut. He hasn’t returned yet.’

‘Is he expected back?’ I asked.

‘Yes. All his things are here. Besides, he’s a stranger in Bovaagen. The electrician johnny says there’d be no reason for him to stay there the night.’

‘Good.’ I turned to Wilson. ‘Let go fore and aft,’ I ordered him. ‘Dick. You and Curtis clear the mains’! cover. Up on peak and throat as soon as you’re ready.’ I picked up the speaking tube. ‘Half ahead,’ I told Carter as the last of the wraps thudded on to the deck.

As we slid past Hval Ti, Lovaas leaned over the rail of the catwalk and hailed me. ‘Where do you go, Mr Gansert?’ he asked.

‘Fjaerland,’ I replied. ‘You’ll find me there if you have anything to tell me.’