Desmond Bagley - Night Of Error

Clare said, 'From what I know about him, he would prefer to bring things to a confrontation after a while. Just to see how we might react to his baiting. I don't think he's as subtle as all that.'

'Where were you during the big excitement?'

'Pop was as mad as a bull when we came on board and he found out what was going on. He was sure it would end up in trouble, maybe a riot, so he made us both go below and promise to stay there.' She giggled. 'We saw Ramirez go overboard, though – it was fantastic.'

'You cheated,' I said.

Paula said sedately, 'And we knew that Mr Campbell would give you a bawling out as soon as we left harbour. We didn't think you'd like an audience so we stayed below.'

'I think we've been forgiven,' I said.

'You've got Kane aboard, we know that,' Clare said and became graver. 'It must have been rotten having to interrogate him. Have you learned much?'

'It was rotten, and we've learned practically nothing. He is wholly despicable.'

Clare caught my hand across the table.

'Horrible for you, poor Mike,' she said and I wanted again desperately to be alone with her somewhere. At that moment, as if by pre-arrangement, Campbell appeared and our hands slid apart. Clare got up to prepare his meal.

Over breakfast, joined by Geordie, I filled Campbell in on the events of the night. When we'd finished the narrative he actually chuckled. 'My God, I wish I'd been there.'

'Pop, you know you didn't approve,' said Clare.

He sighed. 'I know, I know. But there comes a time when you have to hit out regardless of consequence. Maybe I'm getting too old and safety conscious.' He turned to Geordie. 'How long do you give Ramirez to repair the damage?'

'A hell of a long time if he has to depend on facilities in Nuku'alofa. That engine should never run again, if Jim placed his charge correctly.'

'He'll pour out money like water,' predicted Campbell. 'He'll have a new engine flown in with a crew to install it -that's what I'd do. I give him three weeks – not more than four – to be at sea again, and on our tail.'

I said, The sea is big. He may never find us.'

'He knows something about Falcon Island, and he can guess we do too. But let's hope you're right,' said Campbell and raised his glass of orange juice. 'Here's to you, Captain Flint. I never thought I'd ship with a pirate crew, and I'm still not sure I approve. But you did a good job.'

He drank, then added, 'I sure hope Ramirez didn't run to the cops.'

'We'll soon find out. I've posted a lookout at the masthead with orders to watch astern,' Geordie said.

Campbell folded his hands on the table. 'Now let's talk about Kane.'

He was unhappy at the thought of keeping the man on board, for a number of sound reasons. He needed constant guarding, would require food, exercise and a check on his apparently wavering health, and was rather like a stone in one's shoe – a continuing nagging irritation that would work on everyone's nerves. 'As long as we have him with us he's a liability,' he said. 'He's told us nothing of value – I don't think he knows anything much – and he's a danger to us all every moment he's on board. So what the hell can we do about it?'

'You don't think he'd be useful as a hostage?' I asked.

They both looked at me sadly. 'Mike, he's even more worthless to Ramirez than he is to us,' Campbell said. 'They'd knock him off like a shot if they had to, without a moment's hesitation. His only value, perhaps, is in being an eventual witness should there be any police proceedings, and that could work both ways.'

Geordie said, 'It looks as though Ramirez did keep mum. A patrol boat would have caught up with us by now.'

'Maybe,' said Campbell. 'But I want to cover our butts. I want to get him to write a statement that someone on board can witness, someone not directly involved with him. One of your old crewmen would do for that, Geordie. And then I want to put him off somewhere.'

'Maroon him?' I asked. 'More pirate tricks?'

Geordie said, 'I agree with you, Mr Campbell. Let's have a look at the charts.'

He found what he was after almost immediately. Among the northern islands of the Tongan group, and not at all out of our way, lay the small islet of Mo'unga 'one. It had, according to the Pilot, one village and a beach where landing in good weather was possible. We tested the idea and could find nothing wrong with it, and so Geordie set about changing our course slightly while Campbell went down to talk to Kane. I didn't want to face him again that morning.

He came back presently and sat down.

'It's fixed,' he said. 'He'll write anything we want, he says, but I've told him to stick to the facts as he knows them – or says he does. He wants to save his own skin but doesn't in the least mind incriminating his great friend Jim Hadley. Lovely man. He's not well. I think a touch of fever from that shot wound, nothing that a few days' rest-cure on a tropical island won't fix. The local people will look after him for a backhander of some kind, till we can pick him up or send the cops for him. It's the only way, Mike.'

And to be truthful I would be as glad to see him off the ship as anyone. The knowledge of him being so close and yet so untouchable was something I found hard to live with.

We lay off Mo'unga 'one for a morning while Geordie and three of the crew took Kane ashore. He was willing, even eager to go, and didn't seem at all concerned as to how long he'd have to stay there. Geordie came back with news of his stolid acceptance by the local inhabitants, who were friendly and incurious. They'd seen many western landing parties in their time apparently. Geordie had asked, with many gestures and a great deal of linguistic difficulty, if they knew anything of Falcon Island, and had got on best after flinging his arms wide and imitating the action of a volcano blowing up. This got grins and giggles, together with agreement that there was indeed just such a phenomena somewhere to the northwards, but Geordie was unable to get any closer details.

So we'd rid the boat of Kane for the second time and again there was a definite feeling of relief in the air. That man may or may not have been a murderer, I thought, but he was certainly bad news.

We got under way again and Geordie said at one stage, 'We're almost on the track between Fonua Fo'ou and Minerva now. All being well, we should be able to start dredging tomorrow – if you intend to stop for that.'

'We'll make use of every moment Jim Taylor gave us,' said Campbell. 'We might as well start. That's what we're here for. Come and have some coffee, Mike; I want to talk to you.'

As I poured the coffee he said, 'You gave me two shocks in Nuku'alofa that night. The first, when I found what you were up to, and the second, when you told me what you'd found. Do you think Ramirez was planning to jump us – real pirate style?'

'From what you've told me about the strikes on your mines I think he's capable of direct action when it suits him. Piracy in these waters wouldn't be difficult either; it hasn't died out. It's supposed to have happened to the Joyita not long ago, but they never really got to the bottom of that one.'

'Yes, I read about that.'

'There's plenty of piracy going on even yet, not far from here – in Indonesian waters, down in the Bahamas – all over. I think Ramirez would jump us if it suited him. He'd obviously like us to lead him to the nodule deposits and then scupper us completely. Who would ever know?'

'I think he'd like to scupper us even if he did know where it was,' said Campbell.

'Just to get you off his tail? Yes, you could be right. But he has another problem to solve before he can do it.'

'What's that?'

'Finding us,' I said briefly.

Campbell gave that some thought. 'I can understand that. As you said that night, the sea is a big place. We should be all right as long as we stay out at sea. It's when we put into any port that he'll discover us again.' He drummed his fingers. 'But he might get lucky and find us out here anyway – and that's what I want to talk to you about.'