Part 22 (2/2)
”That un port or under the waist,” Chubby growled
”I had a good look,” I told him, ”but I couldn't find a point at which we could penetrate the hull Even the gunports are solid with growth”
Chubby shook his head mournfully ”Man, looks like this place is badly hexed,” and iainst it
Angelo told hi up a storain, and his face collapsed into pessimistic folds
I slapped him on his back and asked him, ”Is it true that you pass iced water - even in hot weather? and my attempt at humour made him look as cheerfal as an unemployed undertaker
leave Chubby alone,” Sherry caain and try and find a break in the hull” ”We'll take half an hour's rest,” I said, ”a so take another look”
We stayed down so long on the second dive that Chubby had to sound the triple recall signal - and e surfaced the pool was boiling The cyclone had left a legacy of high surf, and on the rising tide it was coap, higher in the channel than we had ever known it
We clung to the thwarts in silence as Chubby took us home on a wild ride, and it was only e entered the quieter waters of the lagoon that we could continue the discussion
”She's as tight as the Chatwood lock on the national safe deposit,” I told theot into the other about four feet before I ran into part of the bulkhead whichold Moray eel that looks like a python - he's got teeth on hi and he and I aren't friends”
”What about the waist?” Chubby demanded
”No,” I said, ”she's settled down heavily, and the coral has closed her up”
Chubby put on an expression which meant that he had told us so I could have beaten hinored him and showed them the piece of ork that I had prised off the hull with a crowbar
”The coral has closed everything up solid It's like those old forests that have been petrified into stone The Dawn light is a shi+p of stone, aret into her and that is to pop her open
Chubby nodded, ”That's the way to do it,” and Sherry wanted to know: ”But if you use explosive, won't it just blow everything to bits?”
”We won't use an atomic bomb,” I told her We'll start with half a stick in the forward gunport just enough to kick out a chunk of that coral plating,” and I turned back to Chubby ”We need that gelignite right away, every hour is precious now, Chubby We've got a good ht?” and Chubby did not bother to answer such a superfluous question It was an indirect slur on his seamanshi+p
There was a homed moon, with a pale halo around it The at winds The stars also were reat masses of oceanic plankton into the channel so that the sea was a glowing phosphorescent reen and long, spread behind us like a peacock's tail, and the movement of fish beneath the surface shone like ht it out burning with a weird and liquid flame, and she cooed onder
Later when she was sleepy she lay against my chest under the tarpaulin I had spread to keep off the daiant h and fell to smack the surface of the sea with their flat bellies and tons of dead weight
It was long after hts of St -Mary's like a diamond necklace around the throat of the island
The streets were utterly deserted as we left the whaleboat at her s and walked up to Chubby's house Missus Chubby opened to us in a dressing-gown that made Chubby's pyjae pink plastic curlers I had never seen her without a hat before and I was surprised that she was not as bald as her spouse They looked so alike in every other way
She gave us coffee before Sherry and I climbed into the pick-up and drove to Turtle Bay The bedclothes were da but neither of us complained
I stopped at the Post Office in the earlyequipues and junkfor charter - that gave- and one of the buff cable envelopes which I opened last Cables have always borne bad news forout of thelike a long-ter in e read: ”MANDRAKE SAILED CAPETOWN OUTWARD BOUND ZANZIBAR 1200 HOURS FRIDAY 16TH STEVE”
My premonitions of evil were confiro She had e than I would have believed possible I felt like rushi+ng to the top of Coolie Peak to search the horizon Instead I passed the cable to Sherry and drove down to Frobisher Street
Fred coker was just opening the street door of his travel agency as I parked outside Missus Eddy's store and sent Sherry in with a shopping list while I walked on down the street to the Agency
Fred coker had not seenon the floor of his ownat his desk in a white shark-skin suit and wearing a necktie which depicted a Hula girl on a palend ”Welcome to St Mary's! Pearl of the Indian Ocean”
He looked up with a snized ed to utter dismay He let out a bleat like an orphan la for the back room
I blocked his escape and he backed away beforelike the sheen of nervous sweat that covered his face until the chair caught him in the back of his knees and he collapsed into it Only then did I give hiht he would faint with relief
”How are you, Mister coker?” He tried to answer but his voice failed him Instead he nodded his head so rapidly that I understood he was very well
”I want you to do abbled, suddenly recovering the power of speech
”Anything, Mister Harry, you have only to ask” Despite his protestations it took hie and wits He listened to h explosive, and went into a pantomime to impress me with the utter impossibility of compliance, He rolled his eyes, sucked in his cheeks and ue
”I want it by noon toony
”And if it's not here by twelve o'clock precisely, you and I will continue our discussion on the insurance preht, his expression once ent
”That's not necessary, Mister Harry I can get what you ask - but it will cost a great deal of money Three hundred dollars a case” ”Put it on the slate,” I told him
”Mister Harry!” he cried, ”you know I cannot extend credit”
I was silent, but I slitted an to breathe deeply
”Very well,” he said hurriedly ”Until the end of the month, then”
”That's very decent of you, Mister coker”
”It's a pleasure, Mister Harry,” he assured reat pleasure”
”There is just one other thing, Mr coker,” and I could see him mentally quail at my next request, but he braced himself like a hero
”In the near future I expect to be exporting a snment to Zdrich in Switzerland” He sat a little forward in his seat ”I do not wish to be bothered with customs formalities - you understand?”
”I understand, Mister Harry”
”Do you ever have requests to send the body of one of your customers back to the near and dear?”