Part 10 (1/2)

I ignored the alcoholic din from below, and I watched thethat the seamanshi+p of the crash boat's crew and commander was a faithful indication of their marksmanshi+p

Suddenly Peter Daly flew up the ladder to confront er and his moustache tried to bristle its silky hairs His ave them the liquor, Fletcher Oh, you crafty bastard” ”Me?” I asked indigriantly ”I wouldn't do a thing like that”

”They're drunk as pigs - all of them,” he shouted, then he turned and looked over the stern The crash boat was a

”You are up to soroped in the side pocket of his silk jacket At that moment we came level with the entrance to the channel

I hit both throttles wide open, and Dancer bellowed and hurled herself forward

Still groping in his pocket, Daly was thrown off balance He staggered backwards, still shouting

I spun the wheel to full right lock, and Dancer whirled like a ballet dancer Daly changed the direction of his stagger, throildly across the deck he caainst the side rail as Dancer leaned over steeply in her turn At that ed a small nickelled-silver automatic from his side pocket It looked like a 25, the type ladies carry in their handbags

I left Dancer's wheel for an instant Stooping, I got my hand on Daly's ankles and lifted sharply ”Leave us now, co twelve feet, striking the lower deck rail a glancing blow and then splashi+ng untidily into the water alongside

I darted back to the wheel, catching Dancer's head before she could pay off, and at the sa three times on the deck

As I lined Dancer up for the entrance I heard the shouts of conflict in the saloon below, and winced as acloth - Barrapp - and bullets exploded out through the deck behind ed hite splinters At least they were fired at the roof, and were unlikely to have hit either Angelo or Chubby

Just before I entered the coral portals, I glanced back onceawhite wake I wondered if they would reach him before the sharks did

Then there was nointo the channel I was appalled by the task I had set her

I could have leant over and touched coral outcrops on each hand, and I could see the sinister shape ofbelow the shallow turbulent waters ahead The waters had expended h the channel, but the farther in ent the wilder they would beco Dancer's response to the helm just that much more unpredictable

The first bend in the channel showed ahead, and I put Dancer to it She ca her botto yaw that pushed her outwards towards the htened her into the next stretch, Chubby caely Only two things put hiood punch up He had skinned his right knuckle

”All quiet below, Harry Angelo's looking after thelanced around ”Where's the policeman?”

”He went for a swim” I did not take my attention fro?”

Chubby peered across at her ”No change It doesn't seeed, yes, there they go They are un We drove on swiftly down the channel, and I risked a quick glance backwards At that instant I saw the long streak of white cordite smoke blow like a feather from the three-pounder, and an instant later there was the sharp crack of shot passing high overhead, followed immediately by the flat report of the shot

”Ready for it now, Harry Left-hander co up”

We swept into the next turn, and the next round fell short, bursting in a shower of fragment and blue smoke on one of the coral heads fifty yards off our beam

I coaxed Dancer smoothly into the turn, and as ent into A another shell fell in our wake, lifting a tall and graceful colu wind blew the spray over us

We were halfway through now, and the waves that rushed to ry with the restraint enforced upon theuncrew of the crash boat were ly erratic practice A round burst five hundred yards astern, then the next went between Chubby andin the backwash of disrupted air

”Here's the neck now,” Chubby called anxiously and my spirit quailed as I sa the channel narrowed and how bridge-high buttresses of coral guarded it

It seeh so narrow an opening

”Here we go, Chubby, cross your fingers,” and, still under full throttle, I put Dancer at the neck I could see hi the rail with both hands, and I expected the stainless steel to bend with the strength of his grip

We were halfway through e hit, with a jarring rending crash

Dancer lurched and hesitated

At the saside It showered the bridge with coral chips and huments, but I hardly noticed it as I tried to ease Dancer through the gap

I sheered off the wall, and the tearing scraping sound ran along our starboard side For a reen wave raced down on us, lifting us free of the coral teeth and ere through the neck Dancer lunged ahead

”Go below, Chubby,” I shouted ”Check if we holed the hull”

Blood was dripping froment scratch on his chin, but he dived down the ladder

With another stretch of open water ahead, I could glance back at the crash boat She was al block of coral, but she was still firing rapidly and wildly She seemed to have heaved to at the entrance to the channel, probably to pick up Daly - but I knew she would not attempt to follow us now It would take her four hours to work her way round to the main channel beyond the Old Men

The last turn in the channel caain Dancer's hull touched coral; the sound of it seemed to tear into my own soul Then at last we burst out into the deep pool in the back of the main reef, a circular arena of deep water three hundred yards across, fenced in by coral walls and open only through the Gunfire Break to the wild surf of the Indian Ocean

Chubby appeared at ht as aon a drop” Silently I applauded

Now for the first tiun crew half a mile away across the reef, and my turn into the pool presented Dancer to theh they sensed that this was their last chance they poured shot after shot at us

It fell about us in great leaping spouts, too close to allow ain, aiap in Gunfire Reef

I committed her and e had passed the point of no return, I felt ap to the open sea It seeathering itself to hurl down upon the frail little vessel like so monster

”Chubby,” I called hollowly ”Will you look at that”

”Harry,”he whispered, ”this is a good time to pray”

And Dancer ran out bravely toher still it rose, a green wall and I could hear it rustling - like wildfire in dry grass

Another shot passed close overhead but I hardly noticed it, as Dancer -threw up her head and began to clireen along the crest high above, beginning to curl, and Dancer went up as though she were on an elevator

The deck canted steeply, and we clung helplessly to the rail

”She's going over backwards,” Chubby shouted, as she began to stand on her tail ”She's turtling, h the green!”