To Risks Unknown (32 page)

Crespin watched him steadily. ‘He was not the first lieutenant, sir. He was in acting command. Upon his judgement depended not only the ship's safety, but the lives of everyone there.'

Scarlett banged the desk. ‘Well, he didn't damn well save those marines!'

‘But he tried. He is too good an officer and seaman to leave them without attempting to save them.'

‘So that's your attitude, is it?' Scarlett strode to the wall map and stared at it for several seconds. ‘You think you know better than I do!'

‘I just think you've not been entirely open with me, sir.' Crespin watched Scarlett's shoulders. ‘About the use of the ship in my absence.' He paused. ‘And certain other matters.'

Scarlett swung round, his eyes flashing dangerously. ‘What
other
matters?'

‘Able Seaman Trotter for instance, sir.' Crespin saw a brief shaft of surprise before Scarlett recovered himself again. ‘He was once one of your men, yet you said nothing. I might have been able to help him if …'

Scarlett sat down again. ‘Is
that
all? Really, you amaze me, you really do! Every hour men are being killed, yet you pause to bother about one stupid seaman who lost his will to live! Of course I knew him. But you wanted to run your new command in your own way, and I approve of initiative.'

‘I think he was murdered, sir.'

Scarlett did not even blink. ‘I read the report by the military police. I also spoke to Porteous about it. He did mention something about Trotter's being left-handed, but in God's name that doesn't mean he was murdered!' He tapped his fingertips together and studied Crespin calmly. ‘In any case, you should have spoken out. Your total lack of interest in this affair makes me think you are just using it to cover up the more important issues of your officers; Wemyss in particular!'

‘It was merely my opinion, sir.'

‘Well, I'm too busy to worry about it now. The matter is closed as far as I am concerned. And if you want to avoid a court of inquiry you'd better forget it, too.'

‘I will be ready to face one if required, sir.'

‘Well, I'm not!' Scarlett picked up Crespin's report and weighed it in his hands. ‘There's a lot to do. I'm understaffed, and everyone's screaming to get things done. I cannot do everything myself, nor can I afford the time to listen to your sort of arguments.' He was speaking very rapidly now, as if to avoid interruption. ‘I sent you on this mission, not because you're the most perfect man for the job, but because you were the best
available.
Yet you speak of your ship as if she was something special.' He gave a short laugh. ‘Why do you think she was chosen, or for that matter, her entire company?'

‘I shall be interested to hear, sir.'

‘Will you? I doubt it!' Scarlett looked away from Crespin's cold stare. ‘Just think about it. For the most part they are men who have failed at everything else. They have become a means to a useful end and nothing more.'

Crespin was surprised that he felt so calm. It was as if Scarlett's words had at last removed the deception.

Scarlett added, ‘I mean, they're expendable!' He turned and looked at him. ‘We've got a war to win, as you've said yourself often enough. If these men prefer to believe they are hand-picked then so much the better. Just so long as you stop deceiving yourself as you are doing now!'

Crespin replied quietly, ‘That is how the
enemy
behaves, sir. It is also why he will lose in the end.'

Scarlett laughed. ‘Rubbish! And I thought you were different from the rest, but it seems I was wrong. You've been too long a regular, too long on the little straight rails of tradition and “playing the game”.'

‘Well, I
do
care what happens to my men, sir. Not just to their lives, but to their minds after it's all over and done with.'

‘Very
commendable.'

Crespin stood up slowly. He could feel his career falling in ruins but he could no longer stop himself.

‘You don't give a damn about any of them. It's just a game to you. Just a senseless bloody game. A few men die because some fool has misread the instructions, but what does it matter? There are always more to fill the gaps, and throw away later.' His voice was shaking with anger. ‘It just so happens that some of these
expendable
human beings
do
care. I'll say it now, and if necessary at my court martial, you're no better than the people we're fighting!'

Scarlett stepped back as if he had been struck. ‘How
dare
you speak to me like this? I knew you had been through a bad time before you got this command, but I had no idea that your mind was affected, too!'

The door opened again and Crespin swung round expecting to see Penny, and suddenly fearful that she would become caught in the bitter crossfire.

But it was a small, balding man in a crumpled lounge suit, his pale eyes already darting across the room as he looked from one to the other. Then with a start Crespin realized it was Rear-Admiral Oldenshaw, and yet it was difficult to understand it was the same person. Without his uniform he seemed to have shrunk to a stooping, wizened old man.

But his voice was as sharp and incisive as ever. ‘Glad to see you arrived back in one piece, Crespin.' He crossed to a deep chair and sank into it. ‘I see from your expression that you did not know I was here?' He sighed. ‘I was in Alexandria when I heard of your return. I flew in a few hours ago.' It seemed to be an effort to turn his head. ‘Is that your report? Good, good.' He nodded vaguely. Then he looked at Scarlett's angry face. ‘I heard a certain amount of disagreement going on. Thought I should put in an appearance. Arguments between brother officers are inevitable, even necessary, if we are to remain sane.' His tone hardened. ‘However, there are limits.'

Scarlett said, ‘Crespin has been complaining about Lieutenant Wemyss, sir.' He glanced at Crespin. ‘Amongst other things.'

‘I see. Quite so.' The admiral watched them bleakly. ‘I, too, have read your account. Interesting. Still, it's nothing that can't be sorted out, is it?'

Crespin said stubbornly, ‘I want to keep him as my first lieutenant, sir. If I had been aboard I would have acted as he did.'

The admiral said dryly, ‘I can imagine. I do not know if that is a defence or an admission.' He hurried on, suddenly impatient, ‘I think that can be arranged.' He glanced at Scarlett. ‘All right with you?'

Scarlett opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he said, ‘If you say so, sir.'

‘Then that's settled.' Oldenshaw crossed his thin legs and peered at Crespin. ‘Now what about your mission?'

Crespin sat down. It was incredible. With a few words the ancient admiral had taken the heat out of the battle, with the merest effort. He said, ‘As I have explained in my report, sir, the partisans on Gradz are ready and eager to fight. But they need a lot of good weapons, and much more beside.'

Scarlett said abruptly, ‘I heard that Colonel Kolak has a much larger force at his disposal. He's a good soldier, and his men are well drilled and disciplined.' He was not speaking to Crespin.

The admiral nodded. ‘My intelligence reports have said something like that.'

Crespin thought of the butchered villagers, the children crying as they were lifted aboard the schooner.

‘He's a Chetnik, sir. He's no longer interested in helping anyone but himself. He was working with the Germans when I was there.'

Scarlett could not hide the sneer in his voice. ‘And what was your precious Soskic doing? They're all bloody Communists, whereas Kolak has already proved his loyalty as a Yugoslav officer.'

The admiral seemed to sense the return of tension between them.

‘Crespin's report does seem to bear out what I have heard from other, wider sources. There is a military mission over there now, and I have no doubt that we will be able to send more help to the mainland in the very near future.'

Scarlett said, ‘If the Communists are allowed to take over from the Germans they'll never let go!'

The admiral smiled gently. ‘Well, they are Yugoslavs, too, Captain Scarlett. They must decide what to do with their own country.' His eyes flashed. ‘But that will be
after
the Germans have been driven out!' He stood up and hobbled to the chart. ‘All over the Adriatic it is the same story. The patriots and partisans are holding down more enemy divisions than all of our troops in Italy at this moment! If we are to be any use we must act right away, before they are crushed or drained of supplies. I have the authority to tell you that as far as our government is concerned we will help those who are actually fighting the Germans. The overwhelming vote seems to come down in favour of the partisans!'

Crespin shot a quick glance towards Scarlett. He expected another protest, some new attack, but his face was quite blank again.

The admiral added slowly, ‘But
our
immediate task is to help clear the offshore islands. To do that the partisans need arms and medical supplies as well as military aid.' He looked steadily at Crespin. ‘In your Taranto despatch you told of this German ship. The
Nashorn?
'

‘Yes, sir. I have made some sketches of her. She mounts two big guns, probably five point nines, and a lot of smaller ones.' He took the drawings from his shirt and handed them to the little admiral. ‘But as you can see, she is not just another armed merchantman.'

The admiral placed a pair of steel-rimmed glasses on his nose and peered at the papers.

‘Hmm, quite impressive, I must say.' His eyes gleamed above the frames. ‘You did not waste your time on Gradz, it seems.' He added to Scarlett, ‘You were wise to choose Crespin for the task. Very wise indeed.'

Scarlett's eyes were like stones. ‘Thank you, sir.'

The admiral folded the drawings and placed them on Crespin's report.

‘Would you be so good as to take these and have some copies made. I will study them on my way back to the U.K.' He watched as Scarlett gathered up the papers and added, ‘I'll leave you to fill in the details, but this time I want an all out effort.'

‘I shall need extra facilities, sir.' Scarlett stood looking down at the admiral's shoulder. ‘I intend to move my headquarters up the east coast to Brindisi, and I must have some more vessels and equipment.'

The admiral smiled calmly, ‘One thing at a time. Results first. Then we shall see what we can do.'

He spoke very gently, yet Crespin could sense the strain between him and Scarlett, and guessed that Oldenshaw had come to Malta for reasons other than to welcome his return from Gradz.

The door closed and the admiral said, ‘I'll not detain you much longer. You will have a lot to attend to, I expect.' He seemed to come to a decision. ‘Don't like it when my people start getting at odds with each other.' He smiled crookedly. ‘I heard most of what you two were saying, and I can guess the rest.' He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. ‘Captain Scarlett has been doing this sort of work for a long time. He's pushed hard, and spared nobody, least of all himself. But'—he lingered over the word—‘there comes a time when we all need a change, if only to obtain a different viewpoint.' His eyes opened and fixed steadily on Crespin. ‘I may be taking him away from this theatre of operations. At home, his experience could be invaluable, whereas if he goes on pushing himself to or beyond the limit out here,' he shrugged, ‘he might be doing less than his best, and that would be a pity.'

Crespin asked, ‘May I ask why you are telling me this, sir?'

The admiral's answer was indirect. ‘I listened to you talking about your work on Gradz. Also I have had other information from different sources, about things you did
not
recount. You did well. You could easily have ended up dead. It is quite obvious to me that you believe in these people and what they are trying to do. To have a cause is one thing. To believe in it, another entirely.' He frowned. ‘I'm wandering again! What I was going to say was, would you be prepared to take over this sector of operations if need be?'

Crespin nodded slowly, ‘If you think so, sir.'

The admiral looked at the overhead fan. ‘Everyone says that. But I have to
know.
Do you think you can help these people?'

He nodded. ‘I do.'

‘That's settled then.' The admiral lurched to his feet. ‘Getting too old for this sort of thing. Like trying to lap Brooklands in an Austin Seven!'

Crespin smiled, feeling a sudden warmth for this strange, wizened man. ‘They are noted for a good performance, sir!'

The admiral was already on his way to the door. Then he stopped and looked back at him. ‘This war may last a long while yet. It has already gone on so long that some people tend to forget its purpose. It will be effort wasted if we end with the same bloodied hands as the enemy.'

Crespin stood looking at the closed doors for several minutes, the admiral's last words hanging in his mind like an epitaph.

Oldenshaw seemed to know everything. Perhaps that was his real strength. Old he might be, difficult he certainly was, but he knew the power and the weakness of his own people like the steel of a well-tried blade.

Crespin took out the gold watch and looked at it. He wondered how his visit would have ended if Oldenshaw had not been there, listening and testing in his own inimitable style.

Then he closed the watch with a snap. When he thought of Scarlett's eyes he did not have to search far for an answer.

A heavily shaded lamp enclosed the bed in a small circle of warm yellow light, leaving the rest of the room in darkness and distorted shadow. Crespin lay on his back, the crumpled sheet pulled down to his waist, while his mind floated between drowsiness and the fierce recollections of the last hour. Or was it longer?