Part 23 (1/2)

He was silent again. Then: 'I do not like it.'

'Without the captain's cooperation I can guarantee nothing, comrade Salah. As you say it is my responsibility. All I ask now is full authority to a.s.sume it.'

There was another silence. At last he sighed irritably. 'Why did it have to be this Tunisian?'

After talking so much rubbish and telling so many lies I was exhausted. When I got home I very much wanted to go to bed; but I knew that I wouldn't sleep until I had finished what I had started.

Late that night I drafted two cables.

The first was to Teresa ordering her back to take charge of the office in my absence. She would ignore it, as I had told her; but it was for Colonel s.h.i.+kla's eyes and would cover the oddity of the second cable. This was to our Famagusta office: INSTRUCTED MALANDRA RETURN IMMEDIATELY TAKE CHARGE DURING MY ABSENCE. TAKING Pa.s.sAGE IN AMALIA TO ALEXANDRIA SAILING JULY 2. ADVISE ALEXANDRIA OFFICE. CONFER MALANDRA. ACKNOWLEDGE.

H0WELL.

They would think that I had gone raving mad in Famagusta. That was what I counted on. There was no chance of the news that I was going to travel as a pa.s.senger in the old Amalia being treated as routine. Barlev's informer in the office would be bound to let him know.

And when he did? Well, Barlev had twice suggested to me that I should be in the Amalia in my capacity as owner's representative when she was intercepted, and I had twice refused. For him, my sudden change of mind could only mean that the situation had changed radically in some way and that additional precautions were now necessary.

And, once on the s.h.i.+p clear of Syrian waters, I would have a radio channel at my disposal. True, I would still have to be fairly cryptic; merchant s.h.i.+ps' radio traffic is listened to by many ears; but at least the ears of Colonel s.h.i.+kla would not be among them.

I had done the best I could.

Chapter 7.

MICHAEL HOWELL.

June 30 to July 3 I had spent a long time thinking over what I was going to tell Captain Touzani and had rehea.r.s.ed it carefully. Although I never supposed that he would swallow the story whole - that would have been too much I had hoped that he would find it politic to pretend to do so. So I did my best to make it easy for him.

It was wasted effort.

He is a barrel-shaped man with muscles like a stevedore and a big, bald head. He seems to wear a permanent and somewhat sarcastic little smile; but this is the result of a bullet through the lower jaw and the scar from the wound. When he really smiles the other side of his mouth moves and he shows his dentures.

He really smiled only once when I saw him in his cabin that morning. He had rightly concluded that the trouble his s.h.i.+p had experienced in Tripoli had been contrived, but had not been able to discover who had done the contriving or why. Naturally, the failure rankled. Now, he was looking to me for the answers. Unwisely, I gave him the same ones I had given Mr Mourad.

He shook his head. 'I was there, Mr Howell. I tell you that was a really funny business. n.o.body had his hand out, n.o.body was saying anything, n.o.body knew anything. Then, suddenly, it was over. All a mistake. A mistake? With n.o.body having been paid?'

'Somebody was paid, Captain. You may be a.s.sured of that. There was a new cog in the machinery. It had been overlooked. Once it was greased, all was well. Let us leave it at that. These things happen.'

I should have been less casual, less impatient to get to the matter I wanted to discuss with him. He became stuffy.

'Yes, Mr Howell, these things do happen. But now, it seems, they keep happening to this s.h.i.+p, and that I do not like.'

'Keep happening, Captain?'

'Mr Mourad now informs me that this s.h.i.+p is to carry pa.s.sengers to Alex.'

I had meant to tell Mr Mourad to keep quiet about the pa.s.sengers and leave me to break the news gently; but I had forgotten. There had been too many other things on my mind.

'That is the main reason I am here to see you, Captain. About the pa.s.sengers.'

'I was wondering why I had been honoured, Mr Howell. I had thought that perhaps it was because of Tripoli.'

'Let's forget about Tripoli, Captain. I need your help in a rather delicate matter. It concerns these pa.s.sengers Mr Mourad has mentioned. What he did not tell you, because he doesn't yet know, is that I will be one of them.”

He has small brown eyes. For the next few minutes they never left mine for an instant.

'That is indeed a surprise,' he said coldly; 'although, of course, a very gratifying one. A voyage of inspection I presume.'

I sighed. 'Captain, I don't make voyages of inspection, as you very well know. I said that I needed your help and I meant it.'

'I'm sorry if I offend you, Mr Howell, but after Tripoli....'

'And I asked you to forget about Tripoli. That's over and done with. This has absolutely nothing to do with it.'

His cabin was a hot-box. I mopped my forehead.

'A drink instead of that coffee, Mr Howell. I have some beer on ice.'

'Yes, that's a good idea.'

But he still didn't take his eyes off me, even while he was pouring the beer. I waited until he was back in his chair and then said my piece.

'Even though you don't live in this country, you must be familiar, Captain, with the political situation. In particular you must be aware of the close but covert relations.h.i.+ps which exist between some agencies of the government and the Palestinian liberation factions.'

He nodded.

'Those agencies are powerful and have considerable influence in high places. No ministry, no minister is wholly immune from their pressure. With its considerable involvement in government-backed cooperatives, neither is the Agence Howell immune. You follow me?'

Again he nodded.

'So, when we are asked by a certain agency to carry four pa.s.sengers on a Howell s.h.i.+p bound for Alex, and also to arrange that during the voyage the s.h.i.+p departs slightly from her normal routing, I do not instantly refuse. I think first of the consequences of refusal. I don't have to tell you, Captain, that they would be unpleasant.'

'They dare to threaten you?'

'There is no daring involved, Captain. They can threaten with impunity, and carry out their threats too. I told you. Not even ministers are immune.'

'Dogs.'

'But with sharp teeth. When I raise objections - as, when I tell you what is required, you may do -1 am insulted. When I persist, when I tell them that no captain of mine is going to take their orders, they make a' further demand. So, you have five pa.s.sengers instead of four. I am supposed to give you their orders and see personally that they are carried out.'

He started to speak but I stopped him.

'No, Captain, don't say it. There is no need. The only orders you will ever get from me are those that the representative of a s.h.i.+p's owner is properly ent.i.tled to give. I might make certain requests, but that is all they would be - requests that could be granted or refused at your discretion. That is understood.'

He took a swallow of beer. 'What do they want, Mr Howell?'

I took the chart from my briefcase and spread it before him.