Dennis Wheatley - They Found Atlantis

Ardow shrugged. 'There was no alternative. The ship must be towed to safe anchorage otherwise we perhaps become a wreck. Later the tender can run you in to Horta.'

'How long d'you think she'll take to reach us?'

'It is an unusual call upon the resources of so small a port so it is unlikely that they will be ready to leave before midnight. Then it is from a nine to twelve hour trip.'

'She may be here any time from nine o'clock on then, but that's too late for me to catch the Horta boat. Even if the tender left you to run me in I'd not get there before midday. God! How livid Kate's going to be when he hears about this mess. It means a week's delay and he's depending on my personal testimony to quash any suggestion of contesting that will.'

'When the tender has towed me to a safe anchorage you can return by her to Punta Delgarda,' Ardow suggested. 'There you might catch a cargo boat calling before it proceeds to an American port, and perhaps save yourself a day or two.'

'Yes, that's an idea, but what are you going to do? It's impossible now for you to run these people down to the Falklands as planned.'

'My engineer has not yet reported the full extent of the damage. It may be that we shall have to go into dry dock before we can fit a new shaft. If not so bad and repairs are possible we shall lie up and wait delivery of new pieces from the States, refit ourselves and proceed south.'

Slinger angrily stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. 'We're in a fine mess either way as far as I can see. I think the best thing would be for Kate to charter a new hooker, have it handed over to you and your crew in Horta or Punta Delgarda then you could collect the passengers and guards off this one and abandon it. The cash doesn't matter if only we can carry the big deal through, but Kate must decide himself, of course.'

'Yes. Kate will decide. I have already reported in our code to him and anticipate a wireless at any time. I have said too that the accident makes it impossible for you to catch the Horta boat—so also he will direct if you are to wait or try Punta Delgarda.'

'Nice of you to let him know before I had a chance to think things over,' remarked Slinger sarcastically. 'If you want me I'll be on deck.'

The night was peaceful and starlit. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the water against the vessel's sides. She was rolling slightly having no cruising speed to steady her, but Slinger was used to that from their frequent dead stops in the last week to operate the bathysphere. His nose was still a little sore and uncomfortable from the blow

Nicky had landed on it the day before and as he paced up and down chewing the butt of his cigar he brooded unhappily upon the unpleasant possibilities of Kate's cold hard rage when he heard of the way in which his carefully laid plans had been temporarily but very seriously disorganised.

Slinger was still brooding, an hour later, when Captain Ardow sent to tell him that a message had been received. They decoded it together in the chart-room and it ran:

'Allow no one from tender on board. Keep passengers below. Order tender to tow you to safe anchorage south of Pico and leave you there. Slinger to remain on board. Leaving midnight by amphibian to join you.

k:

Slinger's hand trembled slightly. 'So he's coming to take charge himself, eh? Well, I wish to God I was safely through tomorrow. He'll create merry hell for all of us the moment he sets foot on board the ship.'

'He has pluck,' said Captain Ardow. 'To fly two thousand miles of water from New York to the Azores is a thing for which I would not care.'

'Oh, he's got pluck enough for ten,' Slinger replied abruptly. 'But he retains a first class pilot and that amphibian of his is specially built to cover long distances. Good night, I'm off to bed.'

He was awake and about again early next morning. At seven o'clock he invaded Captain Ardow's cabin and asked anxiously, 'Look here, what are we going to do with the passengers all day? It's vital that they shouldn't get any message to the people on the tender when she turns up.'

The Russian yawned sleepily. 'Kate has said keep them below. Do so then. Let them remain locked in their cabins.'

'That's all right maybe but the trick they played us yesterday has made me nervy. The tender will have to come pretty close alongside, won't it?'

'Yes.'

'How close?'

'So near that they can throw a line by which we shall pull up their hawser.'

'Exactly, Slinger nodded. 'Then what's to prevent Count 174

Axel or one of the others throwing something out to them from a cabin porthole. A promise of a big reward for help or a message to the Punta Delgarda police. They could weight it with coins or any old thing so that it doesn't flutter down to the water.'

'You must prevent them then.'

'But how? We can keep them all together under Bozo's eye in the dining saloon while the tender is alongside, but one of the men might chance a bullet and chuck something out of the port before the guards could stop him. The tender's deck should be just about that level so there will be plenty of temptation if they do think of trying something of that sort.'

Captain Ardow scratched the bristly stubble on his unshaven chin while the two men regarded each other thoughtfully for a moment, then he said slowly, 'Why not send them all down in the bathysphere.'

'Damn it! You took that straight off my tongue,' Slinger exclaimed, 'and it's a great idea. I'll go and have them knocked up now so that they're safe under water before there's any likelihood of the tender putting in an appearance.'

Orders were issued through the stewards and by 8.15 Camilla's party were assembled in a sullen group to learn Slinger's latest decision.

"You don't get me going down in that infernal thing,' the McKay growled angrily. 'I've never been yet and I'm not going now.'

'You are,' said Slinger firmly. 'And if you won't go quietly my men will tie you up and push you inside it head first— so you can take your choice.'

The McKay's weatherbeaten reddish face went a good three shades deeper in colour and his eyes began to pop below the beetling brows. Sally thought he almost looked as if he was about to burst and quickly placed a restraining hand on his arm.

'Please,' she whispered, her grey eyes frightened and pleading, 'please don't make a scene—I implore you not to.'

'All right, m'dear,' he grumbled touched by her concern. 'But I'd love to have a cut at 'em.'

'Perhaps, but you'd only get shot if you did,' Slinger said 175

evenly, 'so you'll be wiser to keep your temper and do as

you're told.'

'I—I don't want to go,' Camilla stammered. 'It may turn rough again.'

'The weather is all set fair. It is unlikely that we shall be caught in so, twice,' Vladimir sought to comfort her.

'And Atlantis is to be seen beneath us,' chipped in the Doctor cheerfully. 'For the ship can have drifted little in this glassy sea.'

That certainly was a thought of sufficient interest to intrigue most members of the party in spite of their first reluctance to go on this enforced descent, so without further protest they followed Slinger aft.

The McKay guessed the reason for Slinger's decision to order them all into the sphere and he was furious at it; for he knew that with the ship in its crippled condition Captain Ardow would have been compelled to wireless for assistance and had counted on being able to get his letter to the tender even if he had to go overboard and swim with it. However, he endeavoured to console himself with the thought that there were many fresh possibilities to talk over since the explosion; in the bathysphere they would at least be clear of their guards and so able to do so freely.

The same thought had occurred to Count Axel, but both were disappointed. Slinger announced that he had no intention of giving them the whole day to plot fresh trouble for him and in consequence Bozo had agreed to go down as a check on any scheming.