Part 50 (1/2)
”Now,” said the Kaiser, fixing me with an eagle glance, ”be good enough to explain your proceedings.”
I met his look with a steadfast one in return.
”I have carried out your majesty's orders scrupulously. I have taken out the submarine torpedo boat, engaged a crew, proceeded to the Dogger Bank, and drawn the fire of the Baltic Fleet on the fis.h.i.+ng-boats from Hull. I have not seen a newspaper since, but I a.s.sume that the British Navy has already arrested Admiral Rojestvensky and his squadron, and that the two Powers are at war.”
The Kaiser gnawed his moustache.
”Things have not gone quite so well as you pretend, M. Petrovitch.
”The Russian cannonade ceased after a few minutes,” the Emperor resumed. ”You did not remain on the surface after the first shot; you did not launch your torpedo, neither did you permit the other submarine to do so. In fact you sunk her.”
”I had no orders with respect to another submarine, sire. I was ent.i.tled to treat it as an enemy.”
”Nonsense, you know that it had left Kiel before you, on the same errand.”
”On the contrary, sire, I could not possibly know anything of the kind.”
”Why, you saw it had disappeared from the dock. You inquired after it along the Ca.n.a.l. When you got out to the Dogger you were searching for it the whole time.”
”And when I found it, sire, it was leading the Russian squadron, of which it appeared to form part. I had every right to a.s.sume that it was a Russian man-of-war.”
”A German boat!” thundered the Kaiser.
”A boat not flying any flag must be presumed to belong to the country of those who are in control of it. I found this submarine under the control of a Russian subject.”
”The Princess was my agent.”
”Your majesty had not told me so. On the contrary, I understood that you wished my own boat to be considered a Russian vessel, in case of any question. I s.h.i.+pped a Russian crew therefore.”
Wilhelm II. frowned angrily.
”Do not play with me, M. Petrovitch. I know all about your crew.
Explain why you, a Russian subject, should have attacked what you are pleased to pretend was a Russian s.h.i.+p.”
”I regret to have to say that your majesty is laboring under a mistake. I am not a Russian subject.”
This time the Kaiser was fairly taken aback.
”What subject are you?”
”A j.a.panese.”
Wilhelm looked thunderstruck.
”j.a.panese!” was all he could say.
”If your majesty pleases. That being so, as soon as I took possession of the submarine, with your permission, of course it became a j.a.panese s.h.i.+p.”
”What you tell me is monstrous--ridiculous. Your name is Russian, your face is at least European.”