Monster: Tale Loch Ness (26 page)

Farquharson arched his brow, puzzled. "Then what caused the blowout?"

"As I said, the drill pipe was pinched closed by the movement of the riser after drilling had been resumed. The pinching cut off the downward flow of mud, which had kept the gas from flowing to the surface. Then, suddenly, without down pressure, the well flowed."

"Why didn't they close the preventer again once they realized the riser was out of alignment?"

"First of all, everything happened very fast. And secondly, they might well have tried to close the preventer only to discover they were unable to. I told you one of the control hoses had been severed."

"But there was another, a backup."

"Yes. But we never recovered it. Since one hose had been severed, it's highly likely the other had been, too. Therefore, there would have been no way to activate the blowout preventer."

"Then what happened?"

"Based on the evidence, the drill pipe blew out of the well and up through the ship. Gas followed. There was an explosion and fire. Then the aeration."

"How did the gas get into the water beneath the ship?"

"It ate right through the lower riser joints."

"The crew was helpless?"

"Correct."

The Trade representative pointed. "Couldn't the crew have moved the ship away at the first hint of trouble?"

"No. The events happened very quickly, sir. Plus, there were restraints. The ship was held in place by half a dozen anchors. It was attached to the riser. They would have had to close the blowout preventer before moving, which I told you might have been inapossible from the first. And last but not least, there was no tug to pull the ship. The
Columbus
is a ship, but it has no engines. Due to drilling-space demands, engines were omitted in the design stage. When you want to move the
Columbus
, a seagoing tug provides power, and there were no seagoing tugs in position at the time."

Mary MacKenzie spoke. "Mr. Bruce. After the
Columbus
and tug were recovered, there were subsequent dives made to recover additional material. Correct?"

"Yes."

"What were the results?"

"You have our written statement."

"I'd like to hear it from you."

"We were missing four entire guide wires and both blowout preventer control hoses. In addition, the blowout preventer, guide frames, wellhead, and TV monitors were still on the bottom. We recovered most."

"What didn't you recover?"

"The guide wires. One entire control hose. The upper section of the other."

"Why?"

"Most likely they had fallen off the plateau where the wellhead was located and had sunk into the loch's deepest abyss."

She glanced at the exhibit table. "We seem to have everything but the recovered control hose."

"Mr. Whittenfeld will present it."

"You say the control hose was severed?"

"Yes."

"Did you see the control hose upon its recovery?"

"Only from a distance."

"Well, do you think the severance might have been caused by structural failure?"

"I don't know," he said. "I didn't get close enough to examine the hose. Nor did I get a chance to inspect it on shore. As I said, Mr. Whittenfeld took control."

"Has anyone examined the control hose other than Mr. Whittenfeld?"

"You'll have to ask Mr. Whittenfeld."

MacKenzie glanced at Droon, who formulated the next question.

"From your testimony, Mr. Bruce," Droon said, "you suggest the entire matter comes down to the severed control hose, correct?"

"I would say so."

"Asuming your analysis is correct, Mr. Bruce, could anything have been done to save the ship after the hose had been severed?"

"In my opinion, if both hoses were cut? No."

"And prior?"

"That's problematical. We don't know—or at least I don't know—why the hose broke, so I can't begin to even guess at preventive measures. And even if I knew, the real question is whether the crew knew there was trouble."

"Where were you while all this was occurring?"

"In a helicopter racing to the scene."

"What did you see when you arrived?"

"The
Columbus
and the tug going down. The water aerated. Fire. The riser sticking out of the water. The
Columbus
slid down the riser like a fireman on a firehouse pole."

"Did you ever think such a thing could happen?"

"No."

"What were the odds?"

"Gigantically long."

"You would have bet against it?"

"With my life."

"Yet it happened."

"Yes."

"So you are saying it's virtually impossible to ensure complete safety on your rigs."

"Now wait a minute. The
Columbus
was a safe ship. The chance such a sequence of events would ever happen again is remote. Until we know what happened to the hose, Mr. Droon, and why the ship went down, I think we should avoid conclusions."

"Mr. Bruce is right," Farquharson said, waving Droon to silence. "Does anyone have additional questions?"

Several committee members posed more questions, but they were inconsequential. When Scotty's testimony ended, Farquharson announced they would call the final witness, William Whittenfeld, after recess.

Scotty stood alone in the hall, staring through the windows. He'd wanted to say more. Based on Furst's assessment, he suspected the control hose hadn't broken by itself, nor had it been cut. But Whittenfeld atone had examined the material and had the results in hand, and as Whittenfeld had so clearly implied, there was to be no discussion about the blowout preventer control hose until Whittenfeld himself faced the tribunal.

Returning to the hearing room, Scotty took a front seat near the exhibit tables. Whittenfeld walked immediately to the witness stand. Prior to the first question, an exhibit was wheeled into the room: the recovered portion of the blowout control hose.

Looking extremely nervous once more, haggard, too, Whittenfeld fielded a barrage of preliminary questions, then moved to the exhibit. Describing how the exhibit had been analyzed, he then dropped the bombshell.

"I submit that the control hose was severed," he screamed, near frenzy. "And I submit the severance was caused by an oxy-arc torch, a work of sabotage. Yes! The sonar tug was steaming toward the
Columbus
to warn her. The tug had picked up the trace of a submersible in the loch, a submersible which cut the control hose and presumably the other hose and guide lines and pushed the riser, bending the drillpipe, setting off the sequence of events leading to the destruction of the drill ship!"

Shocked, the committee attempted to clarify the specifies. Whittenfeld was ready. He let the committee examine the hose and then read a report written by a prominent structural engineering firm based in London. According to the report, the inference of sabotage was overwhelming.

"This is a grave accusation," Farquharson said, returning to his seat. "A ship has gone down. Men have died. Because of sabotage? May God help us!"

"Who could have done this?" the trade rep questioned.

"I don't know," Whittenfeld replied. The gallery commotion grew.

"Can we run our own analyses?" the Home Office rep asked.

"Of course," Whittenfeld declared. "You can subject the material to any test you want. But I assure you, the results will be the same, and the decision of this committee will become patently obvious. It will allow Geminii to bring in a new drill ship and resume operations. It will allow us to institute the strictest security measures." He raised his voice, almost to a fury. "And it will recommend the Crown undertake a thorough investigation aimed at routing out the savages who killed so many good men!"

Droon suddenly leaned forward. "After the hose was recovered," he asked suspiciously, "what was done with it?"

"It was placed under lock and key in Aberdeen."

"Who examined it prior to the arrival of the structural team?"

"I did."

"Did anyone else get a close look at the exhibit other than you prior to the appearance of this structural team?"

"My aides—Pierre Lefebre and Brian Girard." He paused, swallowing heavily. "And the diver who recovered the hose from the loch floor."

Droon turned to Farquharson. "I would like the diver to testify."

"Who was the diver?" Farquharson asked.

Again, Whittenfeld swallowed heavily. "Messr. Furst," he replied.

Farquharson pointed to the committee's counsel. "Would you please subpoena the diver?"

"That will be impossible," Whittenfeld suddenly said.

"Why's that?"

"Furst and his diving mate Blasingame died two days ago during a compressed air dive in the Moray Firth."

Stunned again, the committee adjourned. The gallery left the hearing room. However, Scotty remained behind, seated in the first row of the gallery, trembling, trying desperately to contain the fury that was racing through his body. He hadn't really seen the control hose specimen after it had been brought to the surface. But he had heard Furst's appraisal several times. Christ, Furst was a pro. He wasn't prone to exaggeration or whimsy. The hose lying on the exhibit table could not have been the hose Furst had recovered. The hose on the table had clearly been oxy-arced and indented with tool-face imprints. Furst surely knew the difference.

Could a phony exhibit have been substituted for the real Specimen? Could Furst have been murdered?

He didn't know, and he had no proof. He could only suspect. Suspect that something alive, powerful, and vindictive had chewed the hose, leading to the destruction of the
Columbus
. Suspect that someone, notably William Whittenfeld, had conspired to hide the truth.

The committee reassembled for public inquiry the next morning at ten. The entire staff of Geminii was present. After the committee interviewed Lefebre and Girard, who verified the authenticity of the hose specimen, they began to review relevant testimony. They were stopped by an unexpected development.

Receiving a note from counsel, Farquharson stood. "We seem to have a witness," he said, "who claims he personally helped destroy the
Columbus
." He looked to the rear of the room. "Would the clerk please usher Father James MacPherson into the room?"

The clerk opened the rear door. Father MacPherson moved to the witness docket. Scotty, who had spent the night lying in bed unable to sleep, going over the revelations and their implications, stared, dumbfounded. So did Mary MacKenzie and most of the other committee members and spectators.

"What is this about, father?" Farquharson asked, perplexed.

MacPherson raised hits hands. "The manifestation of the false prophet has been destroyed," he cried. "Sent down to hell from whence it came."

"What do you mean?" Droon asked.

"Mean?" the priest screamed, his mane flowing. "What do you think I mean? The drill ship was a manifestation of the son of Satan. And I, a soldier in God's army, did battle to destroy it!"

There was laughter. Confusion. Whispering.

"Could you be more specific?" Farquharson asked, caught up in the levity.

"Heathens!" MacPherson cried. "You all shall incur the wrath of the Lord."

"How did you destroy the ship?" Droon asked.

"By invoking the power of the Almighty!" MacPherson replied. "The Word of God came to me, entering my heart and mind. It said the vessel must be destroyed, for it carries the seed of Satan. And you are to lead the flock, my son. You are to gather the flock and pray for the ship's destruction. And I, the Lord, shall infuse thy prayer with my power, and thy prayer shall smite the wicked."

"Were you near the loch, father?" Mary MacKenzie asked, distraught.

"No," MacPherson replied, standing straight, eyes blazing. "But the Word of the Almighty empowered my prayers. It was His will that sent the ship to the bottom. Thank the Lord for it. The world will be the better. Now only the beast itself need next be destroyed."

Droon was furious. "Father. With all due respect to your position and the power of the Almighty. The sinking of the
Columbus
was a worldly disaster, either an accident or the intentional work of man. You cannot seriously claim your prayers destroyed it. Such declarations are appropriate for a Sunday school session, not a governmental inquiry."

Blood red, MacPherson stood on the chair, pointing at the panel. "You are the followers of the beast and the false prophet. You are the legion of the damned. You shall be destroyed, as was the drill ship, cast down into eternal hell to burn in sulfurous fires. How dare you deny the power of the Almighty. How dare you question His ascendancy." He contorted his face. "You have chosen to follow the devil, and you shall suffer the consequences. I destroyed the ship by invoking the Word of God. I shall destroy any other ship brought into the loch, any other manifestations of the false prophet. I shall destroy the beast's followers who work for Geminii. And I shall destroy you. I carry the sword, the power of the Lord, and I ride behind the Rider, Faithful and True."

MacPherson's parishioners began to bang their chairs, screaming. MacPherson cried his defiance. Farquharson rapped his gavel, asking the orderlies to remove the priest from the room. MacPherson resisted.

"How dare you defy the Word of the Lord!" MacPherson bellowed, racing up and down the aisles, arms raised, eyes flared. "How dare you defile the truth! God Almighty has sent me here to lead you to salvation. Follow me. Forsake Satan. Applaud the destruction of the drill ship. Stand with me. Stand with Christ."

"Remove him, please," Farquharson ordered.

The orderlies grabbed the priest. The priest's followers attacked, crying the name of the Lord. The hearing room was reduced to chaos. Chairs were overturned; observers were pummeled to the floor; exhibits were damaged. And MacPherson stood amid it all, screaming defiance, invoking God's power.

Scotty watched in disbelief as MacPherson and his followers were finally subdued by MacGregor, MacKintosh, and several court officers.

"My God," Farquharson said after order had been restored. "Father. You cannot tell me the Lord would condone this behavior."