By the time Metcalfe came back from whatever nefarious enterprise he had been on, we were pretty well finished and ready to leave. I said nothing to Metcalfe about this, feeling that the less he knew, the better.
When Id got Sanford shipshape I went over to Metcalfes Fairmile to pay my promised visit. A fair-haired man who was flushing the decks with a hose said, I guess you must be Halloran. Im Krupke, Metcalfes side-kick.
Is he around?
Krupke shook his head. He went off with that friend of yours Walker. He said I was to show you around if you came aboard.
I said, Youre an American, arent you?
He grinned. Yep, Im from Milwaukee. Didnt fancy going back to the States after the war, so I stayed on here. Hell, I was only a kid then, not moren twenty, so I thought that since Uncle Sam paid my fare out here, I might as well take advantage of it.
I thought he was probably a deserter and couldnt go back to the States, although there might have been an amnesty for deserters. I didnt know how the civil statute limitations worked in military law. I didnt say anything about that, though renegades are touchy and sometimes unaccountably patriotic.
The wheelhouse which Krupke called the deckhouse was well fitted. There were two echo sounders, one with a recording pen. Engine control was directly under the helmsmans hand and the windows in front were fitted with Kent screens for bad weather. There was a big marine radio transceiver and there was radar.
I put my hand on the radar display and said, What range does this have?
Its got several ranges, he said. You pick the one thats best at the time. Ill show you.
He snapped a switch and turned a knob. After a few seconds the screen lit up and I could see a tiny plan of the harbour as the scanner revolved. Even Sanford was visible as one splotch among many.
Thats for close work, said Krupke, and turned a knob with a click. This is maximum range fifteen miles, but you wont see much while were in harbour.
The landward side of the screen was now too cluttered to be of any use, but to seaward, I saw a tiny speck. Whats that?
He looked at his watch. That must be the ferry from Gibraltar. Its ten miles away you can see the mileage marked on the grid.
I said, This gadget must be handy for making a landfall at night.
Sure, he said. All you have to do is to match the screen profile with the chart. Doesnt matter if theres no moon or if theres a fog.
I wished I could have a set like that on Sanford but its difficult installing radar on a sailing vessel there are too many lines to catch in the antenna. Anyway, we wouldnt have the power to run it.
I looked around the wheelhouse. With all this gear you cant need much of a crew, even though she is a biggish boat, I said. What crew do you have?
Me and Metcalfe can run it ourselves, said Krupke. Our trips arent too long. But usually we have another man with us that Moroccan youve got on Sanford.
I stayed aboard the Fairmile for a long time, but Metcalfe and Walker didnt show up, so after a while I went back to Metcalfes flat. Coertze was already there, but there was no sign of the others, so we went to have dinner as a twosome.
Over dinner I said, We ought to be getting away soon. Everything is fixed at this end and wed be wasting time if we stayed any longer.
Ja, Coertze agreed. This isnt a pleasure trip.
We went back to the flat and found it empty, apart from the servants. Coertze went to his room and I read desultorily from a magazine. About ten oclock I heard someone coming in and I looked up.
I was immediately boiling with fury.
Walker was drunk blind, paralytic drunk. He was clutching on to Metcalfe and sagging at the knees, his face slack and his bleared eyes wavering unseeingly about him. Metcalfe was a little under the weather himself, but not too drunk. He gave Walker a hitch to prevent him from falling, and said cheerily, We went to have a night on the town, but friend Walker couldnt take it. Youd better help me dump him on his bed.
I helped Metcalfe support Walker to his room and we laid him on his bed. Coertze, dozing in the other bed, woke up and said, Whats happening?
Metcalfe said, Your pals got no head for liquor. He passed out on me.
Coertze looked at Walker, then at me, his black eyebrows drawing angrily over his eyes. I made a sign for him to keep quiet.
Metcalfe stretched and said, Well, I think Ill turn in myself. He looked at Walker and there was an edge of contempt to his voice. Hell be all right in the morning, barring a hell of a hangover. Ill tell Ismail to make him a prairie oyster for breakfast. He turned to Coertze. What do you call it in Afrikaans?
n Regmaker, Coertze growled.
Metcalfe laughed. Thats right. A Regmaker. That was the first word I ever learned in Afrikaans. He went to the door. See you in the morning, he said, and was gone.
I closed the door. The damn fool, I said feelingly.
Coertze got out of bed and grabbed hold of Walker, shaking him. Walker, he shouted. Did you tell him anything?
Walkers head flapped sideways and he began to snore. I took Coertzes shoulder. Be quiet; youll tell the whole household, I said. Its no use, anyway; you wont get any sense out of him tonight hes unconscious. Leave it till morning.
Coertze shook off my hand and turned. He had a black anger in him. I told you, he said in a suppressed voice. I told you he was no good. Who knows what the dronkie said?
I took off Walkers shoes and covered him with a blanket. Well find out tomorrow, I said. And I mean we. Dont you go off pop at him, youll scare the liver out of him and hell close up tight.
Ill donner him up, said Coertze grimly. Thats Gods truth.
Youll leave him alone, I said sharply. We may be in enough trouble without fighting among ourselves. We need Walker.
Coertze snorted.
I said, Walker has done a job here that neither of us could have done. He has a talent for acting the damn fool in a believable manner. I looked down at him, then said bitterly, Its a pity he can be a damn fool without the acting. Anyway, we may need him again, so you leave him alone. Well both talk to him tomorrow, together.
Coertze grudgingly gave his assent and I went to my room.
VI
I was up early next morning, but not as early as Metcalfe, who had already gone out. I went in to see Walker and found that Coertze was up and half dressed. Walker lay on his bed, snoring. I took a glass of water and poured it over his head. I was in no mood to consider Walkers feelings.
He stirred and moaned and opened his eyes just as Coertze seized the carafe and emptied it over him. He sat up spluttering, then sagged back. My head, he said, and put his hands to his temples.
Coertze seized him by the front of the shirt. Jou gogga-mannetjie, what did you say to Metcalfe? He shook Walker violently. What did you tell him?
He stirred and moaned and opened his eyes just as Coertze seized the carafe and emptied it over him. He sat up spluttering, then sagged back. My head, he said, and put his hands to his temples.
Coertze seized him by the front of the shirt. Jou gogga-mannetjie, what did you say to Metcalfe? He shook Walker violently. What did you tell him?
This treatment was doing Walkers aching head no good, so I said, Take it easy; Ill talk to him.
Coertze let go and I stood over Walker, waiting until he had recovered his wits. Then I said, You got drunk last night, you stupid fool, and of all people to get drunk with you had to pick Metcalfe.
Walker looked up, the pain of his monumental hangover filming his eyes. I sat on the bed. Now, did you tell him anything about the gold?
No, cried Walker. No, I didnt.
I said evenly, Dont tell us any lies, because if we catch you out in a lie you know what well do to you.
He shot a frightened glance at Coertze who was glowering in the background and closed his eyes. I cant remember, he said. Its blank; I cant remember.
That was better; he was probably telling the truth now. The total blackout is a symptom of alcoholism. I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that even if Walker hadnt told Metcalfe about the gold he had probably blown his cover sky high. Under the influence, the character he had built up would have been irrevocably smashed and he would have reverted to his alcoholic and unpleasant self.
Metcalfe was sharp he wouldnt have survived in his nefarious career otherwise. The change in character of Walker would be the tip-off that there was something odd about old pal Halloran and his crew. That would be enough for Metcalfe to check further. We would have to work on the assumption that Metcalfe would consider us worthy of further study.
I said, Whats done is done, and looked at Walker. His eyes were downcast and his fingers were nervously scrabbling at the edge of the blanket.
Look at me, I said, and his eyes rose slowly to meet mine. I think youre telling the truth, I said coldly. But if I catch you in a lie it will be the worse for you. And if you take another drink on this trip Ill break your back. You think youre scared of Coertze here; but youll have more reason to be scared of me if you take just one more drink. Understand?
He nodded.
I dont care how much you drink once this thing is finished. Youll probably drink yourself to death in six months, but thats got nothing to do with me. But just one more drink on this trip and youre a dead man.
He flinched and I turned to Coertze. Now, leave him alone; hell behave.
Coertze said, Just let me get at him. Just once, he pleaded.
Its finished, I said impatiently. We have to decide what to do next. Get your things packed were moving out.
What about Metcalfe?
Ill tell him we want to see some festival in Spain.
What festival?
How do I know which festival? Theres always some goddam festival going on in Spain; Ill pick the most convenient. We sail this afternoon as soon as I can get harbour clearance.
I still think I could do something about Metcalfe, said Coertze meditatively.
Leave Metcalfe alone, I said. He may not suspect anything at all, but if you try to beat him up then hell know theres something fishy. We dont want to tangle with Metcalfe if we can avoid it. Hes bigger than we are.
We packed our bags and went to the boat, Walker very quiet and trailing in the rear. Moulay Idriss was squatting on the foredeck smoking a kif cigarette. We went below and started to stow our gear.
I had just pulled out the chart which covered the Straits of Gibraltar in preparation for planning our course when Coertze came aft and said in a low voice, I think someones been searching the boat.
What the hell! I said. Metcalfe had left very early that morning he would have had plenty of time to give Sanford a good going over. The furnaces? I said.
We had disguised the three furnaces as well as we could. The carbon clamps had been taken off and scattered in tool boxes in the forecastle where they would look just like any other junk that accumulates over a period. The main boxes with the heavy transformers were distributed about Sanford, one cemented under the cabin sole, another disguised as a receiving set complete with the appropriate knobs and dials, and the third built into a marine battery in the engine space.
It is doubtful if Metcalfe would know what they were if he saw them, but the fact that they were masquerading in innocence would make him wonder a lot. It would be a certain clue that we were up to no good.
A check over the boat showed that everything was in order. Apart from the furnaces, and the spare graphite mats which lined the interior of the double coach roof, there was nothing on board to distinguish us from any other cruising yacht in these waters.
I said, Perhaps the Moroccan has been doing some exploring on his own account.
Coertze swore. If hes been poking his nose in where it isnt wanted Ill throw him overboard.
I went on deck. The Moroccan was still squatting on the foredeck. I said interrogatively, Mr Metcalfe?
He stretched an arm and pointed across the harbour to the Fairmile. I put the dinghy over the side and rowed across. Metcalfe hailed me as I got close. Hows Walker?
Feeling sorry for himself, I said, as Metcalfe took the painter. A pity it happened; hell probably be as sick as a dog when we get under way.
You leaving? said Metcalfe in surprise.
I said, I didnt get the chance to tell you last night. Were heading for Spain. I gave him my prepared story, then said, I dont know if well be coming back this way. Walker will, of course, but Coertze and I might go back to South Africa by way of the east coast. I thought that there was nothing like confusing the issue.
Im sorry about that, said Metcalfe. I was going to ask you to design a dinghy for me while you were here.
Tell you what, I said. Ill write to Cape Town and get the yard to send you a Falcon kit. Its on me; all youve got to do is pay for the shipping.
Well, thanks, said Metcalfe. Thats decent of you. He seemed pleased.
Its as much as I can do after all the hospitality weve had here, I said.
He stuck out his hand and I took it. Best of luck, Hal, in all your travels. I hope your project is successful.
I was incautious. What project? I asked sharply.
Why, the boatyard youre planning. You dont have anything else in mind, do you?
I cursed myself and smiled weakly. No, of course not. I turned to get into the dinghy, and Metcalfe said quietly, Youre not cut out for my kind of life, Hal. Dont try it if youre thinking of it. Its tough and theres too much competition.
As I rowed back to Sanford I wondered if that was a veiled warning that he was on to our scheme. Metcalfe was an honest man by his rather dim lights and wouldnt willingly cut down a friend. But he would if the friend didnt get out of his way.