The Snow Tiger / Night of Error (50 page)

I watched them all for their reactions. Campbell had already put on an avuncular act towards her and looked smug, as if it was his idea. Geordie merely looked resigned – now he had two women on board, and even less space to spare. Clare was the problem, but I saw that while she was being rather formal with Paula she wasn’t showing any overt hostility, and she appeared to take my suggestion calmly enough, even adding a civil rider of her own.

‘Why not? It would be nice for me too, I think.’

Paula looked dumbfounded. Her big dark eyes swept all of us and came back to me, and I could see that she was almost unable to conceive of the notion.

‘Think about it. Have you sailed before?’

‘Yes, a little. Just locally hereabouts. I was on the
Pearl
once, with – with a friend.’

‘You can buy what you need here. It’s not too rough, we eat well and you won’t have to sleep in a hammock,’ I said encouragingly. I also felt that she was probably the only one of us who had faith that Mark wasn’t an utter bastard. It would be good to have someone along who was completely on his side.

‘What do we do about Kane?’ Geordie asked.

‘Keep him on ice – we take him with us, if he asks to go. Which he will. Then after I’ve talked to Schouten we ask him some pointed questions. Until then you just watch him, Geordie.’

‘That’ll be easy,’ Geordie said. ‘It’s not too big a boat, you know.’

We sailed the next day for the Tuamotus, after announcing that we were heading for Indonesia in slow stages. This was not only for the benefit of Kane, who had reacted as predicted by asking to come along on our next leg, but lest MacDonald get wind through the harbour officials that I was going to interview his precious Dr Schouten – he might have objected.

We sailed through the pass in the reef and out into the open sea, continuing west until we were out of sight of land. Then Geordie gave the order to change course northwards. Kane happened to be on the wheel and accepted the order without comment, but a couple of hours later when relieved and with the new helmsman setting a course easterly, he said to me, ‘We’re going the wrong way for New Britain, Mr Trevelyan.’

‘Who said we were going to New Britain?’ He had slipped up; New Britain specifically had never been mentioned in his hearing, but I knew he was probably thinking of Ramirez.

He covered it up well. ‘Oh, I thought you’d drop anchor in Rabaul for refuelling. It’s a prime spot for it,’ he said easily.

‘The boss has some unfinished business here,’ I said briefly, and he left it at that, although I could see he was thinking hard.

I couldn’t help goading him. ‘I thought your pal Hadley was going to be waiting in Papeete.’

‘Yair, he’s a fine cobber now, isn’t he? But he left a message for me – said he couldn’t wait. Anyway, I don’t mind giving you a hand,’ he said with an air of largesse.

Kane certainly had a nerve – now he was helping us!

Geordie was careful in going through the Tuamotus, careful to the point of keeping Kane off the wheel. We still didn’t know what his game was, but we didn’t feel like being run ashore deliberately. Geordie kept a sharp eye on the charts and picked a way through the thousand and one islands in the archipelago, always heading for Tanakabu, away on the further side.

Clare liked the Tuamotus. ‘It’s just like a movie,’ she said happily as she viewed an atoll on the horizon. ‘Couldn’t we go in closer, and have a look?’

I took her elbow. ‘Come here. I’d like to show you something.’ In the chart room I pointed out our position. ‘Here’s that atoll – you see the marks here, extending out about three miles from the island. Do you know what they are?’

‘Oh God, yes of course. Coral reefs round every one,’ she said.

‘Nasty and sharp,’ I agreed. ‘I’m as near to that atoll now as I’d like to be. We only touch on the ones with mapped entrances, otherwise it’s all local knowledge hereabouts.’ And I thought of Hadley, somewhere out there in
Pearl
. Was he following us?

‘I hope we’re not making a mistake,’ Clare said soberly, catching my mood. ‘We must find out something useful. Pop was mad enough over the fiasco at Minerva.’

‘We may not find out anything concerning manganese nodules, but I hope we’ll find out something about Mark. And one thing may lead to another.’ I changed the subject. ‘How are you getting on with Paula?’

Clare was silent for a moment, then said, ‘I thought I wouldn’t like her – you know, two of Mark’s popsies should be wanting to scratch each other’s eyes out.’

‘Don’t throw that in my teeth again.’

‘I find I do like her, though. I’ve discovered that I never was in love with Mark, it was infatuation, and when I found out what a lousy creep he could be it all died. That isn’t love. Paula knew what he was and it made no difference to her – she still loved him in spite of it. That takes real love – I never had it. We’re not rivals any more.’

That was a relief. Two women at dagger’s point can cause a hell of a lot of trouble, and especially in a small ship.

As for Paula, she was relaxed and enjoying herself thoroughly. Easily at home among the men and for once away from both danger and professional competition, she had become yet another of
Esmerelda
’s growing assets as far as the crew went. Occasionally she sang for us in the evenings and took pleasure in her small touch of limelight. Campbell seemed to have adopted her as an unusual, but welcome, honorary niece.

When we left the main clutter of islands Geordie was able to set a course for Tanakabu without worrying overmuch about grounding. Kane was aware of this manoeuvre and again spoke to me about it. ‘Where are we heading for, more research grounds?’ he asked me.

I said, ‘Maybe the boss wants another look at Minerva.’

He looked up at the sun. ‘Making a bit too much northing for that, ain’t we?’

‘Or maybe he wants to have a look at Tanakabu?’ I suggested, twisting the knife. It was dangerous but he’d find out soon enough.

Kane’s eyes shifted. ‘Has this anything to do with your brother?’

I raised my eyebrows. ‘Why should it?’

‘Well, old Schouten lives on Tanakabu.’

‘Does he?’

‘Yair, but I suppose the old bloke’s dead by now. He was hitting the bottle pretty hard when I saw him. A proper old rum-dum, he was.’

I said, ‘He’s still alive, as far as I know.’ I was tempted to play him further but fought it down.

Kane didn’t say anything more, but withdrew thoughtfully, and a few minutes later I saw him heading below apparently for some more private cogitation in his cabin, which he shared with two others who were both presently on deck.

We made good time although now we were beating close-hauled against the trade wind and on the evening of the third day we were closing Tanakabu. The sun was dipping into the sea as Geordie scanned the reef with binoculars and then referred to the chart. ‘We’ll go in under power. The pass is a bit too narrow for comfort under sail. Stand by to hand the sails, Ian.’

He was still looking hard at the sea-pounded reef when Shorty Powell, his radio man, came up. ‘I picked up a funny transmission, skipper,’ he said, then glanced at me. Geordie said, ‘It’s okay, carry on. What was funny about it?’

‘It mentioned us.’

I pricked up my ears and Geordie swung round. ‘Mentioned us by name?’

‘The name of the ship,’ said Shorty. ‘
Esmerelda.
’

I said, ‘What did they say about us?’

Shorty grimaced painfully. ‘That’s it, I don’t know. I was spinning the dial and caught it in passing, and by the time I’d got back to where I thought it was the transmission had stopped. I just caught a few words – “ … on board
Esmerelda
. She’s …” I tell you one thing, though. I’d lay ten to one it was an Australian talking.’

Geordie said, ‘I think we’d better get Mr Campbell in on this.’

So we called him up and poor Shorty got the grilling of his life. At last Campbell said, ‘Well, how far away do you think it was?’

Shorty shrugged. ‘You can’t tell that, not unless you’ve got two directional fixes on the station. But when you spend half your life listening out you get a kind of instinct. I’d say it was one of two things – a hell of a high-powered station a long way off – or a low-powered station damn close.’

‘Well, man, which was it?’ demanded Campbell impatiently.

‘I’d say it was a low-power station close by – but don’t ask me to prove it.’

‘All right, thanks, Shorty. Stay around that frequency. Maybe you can pick up something else,’ said Geordie.

As Shorty left and Geordie turned to his navigation again Campbell said to me, ‘What do you make of that?’

‘I don’t make anything of it. There’s not enough to go on – just that some Australian mentioned the
Esmerelda
.’

‘It must have been Hadley,’ said Campbell positively. ‘I’d give my back teeth to know who he was talking to – someone on land there.’

We abandoned speculation as by then we were going in through the pass. It was getting dark and Geordie was on edge. The pass was narrow and there was a dog-leg bend in it and the darkness coupled with the four-knot current made the passage very tricky. But we got through into the lagoon and dropped anchor offshore opposite the lights of a large village. A small fleet of canoes came out to meet us and soon a number of Polynesians were climbing on deck.

I had decided not to wait until morning, but to act right away. It was only early evening, perhaps the best time to see a busy doctor, and there was the fear of being followed to spur me to action. I raised my voice. ‘Where can I find the doctor – Dr Schouten?’ I asked.

There was an increased babble and a stocky thickset man with an engaging grin pushed his way to the front. ‘These boys don’ spik English,’ he said. ‘They spik Française. I spik English. I bin to Hawaii.’

I said, ‘My name is Mike – what’s yours?’

‘I are Piro.’

‘All right, Piro. Where do I find the doctor?’

‘Oh, Schouten?’ Piro waved his hand. ‘He round the other side water. He in –
hôpital
. Y’un’erstan’
hôpital
?’

‘He’s at the hospital, over there?’

‘That right.’

‘How can I get there?’

‘You come wit’ me – I take you in jeep.’

I looked into the darkness. ‘How far is it?’

Piro shrugged. ‘Not far. Twenny minute maybe.’

‘Will you take me now?’

‘Sure. You come now.’ He was suddenly cautious. ‘You pay me?’

‘Yes, I’ll pay you.’ I turned to Campbell among the jostling crowd on deck and said, ‘I may as well see Schouten tonight. Tell Geordie to keep a close eye on Kane – don’t let him get away. He might try.’

He said, ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘No, I think not. But I will take an escort – Jim Taylor, I think.’ I said this because he was the handiest, and grabbing him by an arm I pulled him towards me and briefly told him our errand. He smiled and nodded, and went off to find Geordie and tell him.

Campbell looked closely at me, then gripped my arm. ‘Take it easy, son. Don’t go off at half-cock.’

‘I won’t,’ I promised. ‘But by God I’ll get to the truth.’

We went over the side and dropped into Piro’s canoe, a leaky and unstable craft. Once ashore, Piro introduced us to his proudest possession – his jeep. It was a relic of the wave of war which had washed over the Pacific – and it looked it.
Most of the bodywork was stripped and the engine was naked and unashamed, very like the naked toddlers who squalled and chattered, their eyes big at the sight of the strangers revealed in the flare of torches. We climbed in and I sat on a hard wooden box, innocent of upholstery, as Piro started the engine. It banged and spluttered, but caught, and Piro threw in the gears with a jerk and we were off, bouncing along the beach and swerving round a clump of palms dimly illuminated by the feeble headlight. It was very noisy. The sudden change from being at sea in
Esmerelda
was unnerving.

Piro was very proud of his jeep. ‘Best car on Tanakabu,’ he announced cheerfully as we winced at the racket.

‘Has Dr Schouten got a car?’

‘Ho, no! Doctor got not’ing – jus’ stomick med’cine.’

We drove past the dark bulk of a copra warehouse and then we were on a narrow track through a palm plantation and Piro waved at it. ‘These trees mine. All us got trees.’

‘Has the doctor got trees?’

‘Lil one lot, not’ing much. He too busy wit’ med’cine and knife.’

We swerved inland and I lost sight of the sea, which seemed impossible on such a small island, but I could still hear the unceasing roar of the surf on the beaches, in between the car noises. After a few minutes we came back onto a beach and Piro pointed ahead. ‘There is
hôpital
.’

In the distance was a large cluster of lights – much bigger than the village we had left. I said, ‘That’s a big hospital for a small island, Piro.’

‘Ho, plenny boys come from other islands – ver’ sick. Plenny
wahines
too. Many lepers there, an’ boys wit’ swells.’

A leper colony! I felt a shiver of atavistic horror. I knew intellectually that leprosy isn’t particularly infectious, but of all diseases it is the most abhorred and I didn’t feel like driving into a colony.

Piro didn’t seem worried though, and drove blithely off the beach right into the hospital grounds, pulling up in front of a long low-roofed shack. ‘Schouten is there,’ he said. ‘You wan’ I should wait?’

‘Yes, you can wait,’ I answered. ‘I won’t be long. Jim, don’t come in with me, if you don’t mind – but be ready if I call you.’

‘Sure thing, Mike.’ Jim leaned back and offered Piro a cigarette.

I walked up the two steps on to a long verandah and knocked on the door. A voice said, ‘
Ici! Ici!
’ and I walked along the verandah to a room at the far end. It was an office, the door open, and a big man was seated at a desk, writing by the light of a Coleman lamp. There was a half-empty brandy bottle and a full glass at his elbow.

I said, ‘Dr Schouten?’

He looked up. ‘
Oui
?’

‘I’m sorry. I have very little French. Do you speak English?’

He smiled and it transformed his ravaged face. ‘
Ja
, I speak English,’ he said and stood up. In his prime, he must have tipped the scales at two hundred and twenty pounds of bone and muscle, but now he was flabby and soft and his paunch had taken over. His face was seamed and lined and he had two deep clefts from the nose to the corners of his mouth, forming soft dewlaps which shook on his cheeks.