Strange Conflict (13 page)

In either case, whether they were communicating by the occult or by radio, it was hardly likely that they would be able to get sight of the secret orders immediately the O.C. convoy opened them. Hours, or even a day and a night, might elapse before they were able to do so. In consequence, to discover the spy would necessitate the captain
of the convoy leader, and his orders, being kept under close observation from the very moment that he received them, possibly for twenty consecutive hours or more, and here arose the snag that there were limits to the length of time that de Richleau could remain asleep.

Normally he rarely went to bed before two and woke about eight o'clock, and although he had to a certain degree mastered the art of prolonging his periods of sleep by will, during the past ten days he had to utilise this power to such an extent that he could see the ‘red light' ahead. Since the beginning of his investigation he had on average been sleeping for three hours longer each night than was his normal custom, so altogether he had put in about thirty hours' extra sleep while at Cardinals Folly, and this was beginning seriously to upset the laws of Nature by which humans are bound, whatever may be the occult powers which they have acquired for use on special occasions.

To be on the safe side he thought that he ought to be aboard the flotilla leader again by two o'clock in the morning, but it was unlikely that the sealed orders would be handed over until hours later; and even then the spy might have no opportunity to get to work until late in the following day.

Consequently the Duke foresaw the danger that if it proved necessary for him to remain asleep for more than twelve hours during the coming night—and that he estimated to be about his limit—he might find himself absolutely compelled to wake up just at the critical moment, or before the Nazi agent started to get busy. It would be at least six hours before he could hope to sleep again even for a short period, and if the job were done during that interval all his previous investigations would be entirely wasted. He decided, therefore, that from this point on he must have help upon the astral.

That evening he consulted with his friends and explained the situation to them. Although only Marie Lou could recall her dreams perfectly, and Simon imperfectly, any of them could relieve de Richleau in his watch on the convoy while in their astrals and report to him when he came on duty again before returning to their bodies, and all four of them immediately volunteered to do so. It then became
a suggestion as to which of them was the most suited to undertake the business.

Simon grinned broadly at the others. ‘My job. None of you can deny that I know more about the occult than the rest of you. Never thought the day might come when I'd have cause to be glad about those months when I studied under that swine Mocata, but I learnt a lot from him before the Duke succeeded in chaining him and sending him down to Hell.'

‘Nothing doing,' said Rex. ‘I figure that the fact that you once darned-nearly became a Black Magician rules you right out of this. I was the first to be roped in as the Duke's helper on that other party so I claim that right again this time.'

Richard tapped the table thoughtfully. ‘I entirely support Rex in his contention that this is no job for Simon.'

‘Good man,' exclaimed Rex.

‘But on the other hand,' Richard continued amiably, ‘I don't think that it is any job for you, because you are the youngest soul amongst the five of us and therefore the least experienced. If we
do
run into the Black that we believe to be operating for the Nazis this may prove a highly dangerous business. It so happens that you're all in my house, and I couldn't think of letting any guest of mine run a risk when I'm in a position to take it myself; so it's quite obvious that I should be the one to go.'

‘Ner,' Simon shook his head. ‘The fact that I once very nearly became a Black was all washed out by the Lord of Light who appeared to us in that old Greek monastery; he gave me a free pardon for my idiocy. But you're right about the possible danger, and it's experience that counts in these things, Richard.'

‘O.K., we'll grant you that,' Rex grinned; ‘but if you're right we'll certainly need you for the big show-down later on, so you'd best let me handle this easy stuff at the beginning of the check-up. After all, it's not yet even certain that the Nazis
are
using the occult for their dirty business.'

‘If you've all quite done,' said Marie Lou sweetly, ‘the three of you can go quietly away into the garden while Grey eyes gives me my instructions.'

She waved away the chorus of protest and went on: ‘My claim is quite incontestable, because except for dear
Greyeyes I am by far the most advanced among you, and although in my present earthly incarnation I may not understand as much of the theory of the occult as Simon does, I'm far more powerful than any of you on the astral; and while Richard's argument about being your host is a perfectly sound it one it applies equally to me since I happen to be your hostess. Am I right, Greyeyes?'

De Richleau nodded. ‘You win, Princess. But I think that, on this first journey at least, it would be wise for you to have a companion, and in my view Simon is the best qualified to go with you.'

Marie Lou hummed a little song of triumph while Simon sat back and grinned at the ceiling. Richard and Rex both put up a show of protest, but it was only a show, as they knew from experience that the Duke once having made a decision could not be turned from it. He was already speaking again.

‘This is what I propose. I shall go to sleep later than usual tonight and join the convoy at about two o'clock. Exactly
when
the documents will be handed over it is impossible to say, but I should think they will almost certainly reach the spot where it's to be done some time before dawn. I don't know yet which is the convoy leader, but it is probably the largest ship. In any case, I shall follow to whichever ship the sealed orders are taken and keep both them and its captain under observation. As I may have to go out again the following night I don't think that I had better strain myself by attempting to sleep for more than eight hours, which will bring us round to ten o'clock tomorrow morning.

‘Marie Lou and Simon will then come out to relieve me and I shall be able to tell them if any treachery has yet occurred. If it has not, it'll be up to them during the daytime to keep watch on the captain commanding the convoy and on the sealed orders, which by then will almost certainly have been opened. It is important that one of them should keep very close to the captain in order that they may know if he reveals to any of his officers or others on the ship, the contents of the orders, because, should he do so, anyone he tells will have to be kept under observation too, as that may be the person who is communicating with the enemy. It's more probable, though, that once the orders
have been opened some member of the crew will endeavour to get a sight of them while the captain is asleep or out of the way and then go off to perform his nefarious task. Should either of you discover that any act of treachery is about to be performed you will instantly call upon me and I shall join you.'

‘If that happened only an hour or so after you'd got back you would hardly be able to go to sleep again so quickly,' remarked Richard.

‘No,' agreed the Duke; ‘but I could put myself into a self-induced trance. I don't wish to do that if I can avoid it, as it would prove an additional strain, but it's essential that I should be there if anything is going on, so I may have to.' He glanced at Marie Lou. ‘How many hours' sleep do you think you could manage?'

‘It all depends upon how tired we are when we go to bed,' said Marie Lou sensibly.

Simon nodded. ‘I shall stay up all night.'

‘That's the idea,' she agreed, ‘and if we don't sleep until ten o'clock tomorrow morning we shall have been awake for twenty-six hours before we start off, so we ought easily to be able to manage ten hours.'

‘In that case, if nothing has happened, I will relieve you again at seven o'clock in the evening,' said the Duke. ‘That is only nine hours, but we mustn't risk any hiatus between spells. Now, about watchers. Simon and Marie Lou had better sit up with me all night, then they can keep each other awake. Richard and Rex will go to bed as usual and get a full night's sleep, and at nine they had better come downstairs and bed down the others beside me in the pentacle so that they drop off to sleep well before ten o'clock— but, naturally, I shall remain on duty until they turn up. Is that all quite clear?'

His question was answered by a chorus of agreement and Marie Lou left them to get out clean linen to make up beds for herself and Simon beside the Duke's in the pentacle.

After dinner that night they enjoyed a mild game of
Vingt-et-Un.
At one o'clock Richard and Rex went up to bed while the other three began their preparations in the library. Marie Lou had produced some new packs of cards so that she and Simon could play bezique and double
patience as a variation to quiet conversation during their long vigil. By a quarter to two the Duke had settled down and by two o'clock he was asleep.

As he sped out over the cold, night-darkened waters of the North Atlantic he thought once again of the giant task with which the British Navy is faced in time of war. On any map the patches of blue look so relatively small that one gets the idea that a warship dotted here and there is ample to keep a great area under observation, but when actually at sea one realised the immensities of the oceans and the very considerable spaces of even what are termed ‘the narrow waters'.

Below him lay a vast, desolate waste of gently-heaving, greenish sea, stretching unbroken from Northern Ireland to Iceland, and while passing over it he saw only two little dark shapes of patrolling naval vessels before he caught up with the convoy. It was still heading on the same course. Descending to it, he entered the bridge cabin of the flotilla leader and, hovering there without any sense of tiredness, patiently awaited events.

At four o'clock the Captain went out on to the bridge and, through his conversation with the officer on watch, the Duke learnt that the convoy had made good going and would reach the point where the escort should turn for home in about half an hour, but that the Captain had no intention of leaving his charge until daylight as he would then have the opportunity of making quite certain that the convoy had a clear horizon ahead.

Dawn came, grey, faint, uncertain, a little after seven, but it was not until eight o'clock that the officers on the flotilla-leader's bridge showed any unusual activity. An order was then given, a flag signal run up and the destroyer brought down to half speed.

As de Richleau watched he saw that the largest ship in the convoy—a liner of some 12,000 tons with six-inch guns mounted fore and aft—was about to lower a boat. It seemed a tricky proposition as a fierce sea was running, but evidently the seamen knew their business, for soon afterwards the boat cast off and headed for the flotilla leader. At periods it entirely disappeared in the trough of the waves but it was a broad-beamed motor-lifeboat and it made steady progress. The destroyer, meanwhile, further
decreased her speed and manœuvred skilfully to enable it to come alongside. Lines were cast out, a safety-belt was buckled on to an oilskinned figure in the stern of the boat and a rope-ladder was lowered by which he came aboard.

Owing to the oilskins he wore the Duke could not ascertain his rank but he heard him addressed as Carruthers by the Captain of the escort, who at once led him up to his cabin, where they had a whisky-and-soda together while the safe was unlocked and the despatch-box handed over. They then shook hands, wished each other the best of luck and the man in the oilskins returned to his boat to be carried back to his own ship. De Richleau, silent and unseen, accompanied him to the liner, which they reached a quarter of an hour later. The destroyer flew another signal, all the ships in the convoy sounded their sirens by way of farewell and the warships, making a great circle, turned south-east by east, increased their speed until great sheets of spray were flying from their bows, and headed back towards England.

The Duke had followed Carruthers up the ladder to his own bridge cabin, where he removed his oilskins and revealed himself to be a naval officer of captain's rank. Taking a key from his pocket, he opened the despatch-box and the envelope it contained, ran his eyes swiftly over the secret instructions, replaced them in the box, locked it and then locked the box up in his safe; after which he went out on to the bridge and gave orders for a new course to be set.

The half-flotilla of destroyers had disappeared over the horizon and as a signal fluttered out from the halliards of the liner the whole convoy wheeled round. De Richleau saw that it had now turned west by south. This manœuvre was, he guessed, evidently a deliberate policy on the part of the Admiralty to ensure that no one who had been in the escort ship should be able to give away the direction in which the convoy was moving after they had left it.

The Duke kept Captain Carruthers constantly in view as he knew that the critical point of his investigation must now be approaching. He had established, beyond any question of doubt, that the leakage did not take place in London or while the sealed orders were in the care of the captain commanding the escort, but now that they had
been opened there was an immediate possibility that Carruthers might mention their contents to one of his officers and that he, in turn, might spread through the ship particulars of the route which they had been ordered to take. If that occurred, the silent, invisible watcher knew that he would need all the vigilance he could command, as he might have to keep his eye upon a number of people at the same time; but he felt reasonably confident that he would be able to do so, even if they were dispersed in different parts of the ship, owing to his power of rapid movement from one place to another.