Campbell. “But I want to cover our butts. I want to get him to Write
a statement that someone on board can witness, someone not directly
involved with him.
One of your old crewmen would do for that, Geordie.
And then I want to put him off somewhere.” “Maroon him?” I asked.
“More pirate tricks?” Geordie said, “I agree with.you, Mr Campbell.
Let’s have a look at the charts.” He found what he was after almost
immediately. Among the northern islands of the Tongan group, and not
at all out of our way, lay the small islet of Mo’unga’one. It had,
according to the Pilot, one village and a beach where landing in good
weather was possible. We tested the idea and could find nothing wrong
with it, and so Geordie set about changing our course slightly while
Campbell went down to talk to Kane. I didn’t want to face him again
that morning.
He came back presently and sat down.
“It’s fixed,” he said. “He’ll write anything we want, he says, but
I’ve told him to stick to the facts as he knows them – or says he
does.
He wants to save his own skin but doesn’t in the least mind
incriminating his great friend Jim Hadley. Lovely man. He’s not
well.
I think a touch of fever from that shot wound, nothing that a few days’
rest-cure on a tropical island won’t fix. The local people will look
after him for a backhander of some kind, till we can pick him up or
send the cops for him. It’s the only way, Mike.” And to be truthful I
would be as glad to see him off the ship as anyone. The knowledge of
him being so close and yet so untouchable was something I found hard to
live with.
We lay off Mo’unga’one for a morning while Geordie and three of the
crew took Kane ashore. He was willing, even eager to go, and didn’t
seem at all concerned as to how long he’d have to stay there.
Geordie came back with news of his stolid acceptance by the local
inhabitants, who were friendly and incurious. They’d seen many western
landing parties in their time apparently. Geordie had asked, with many
gestures and a great deal of linguistic difficulty, if they knew
anything of Falcon Island, and had got on best after flinging his arms
wide and imitating the action of a volcano blowing up. This got grins
and giggles, together with agreement that there was indeed just such a
phenomena somewhere to the northwards, but Geordie was unable to get
any closer details.
So we’d rid the boat of Kane for the second time and again there was a
definite feeling of relief in the air. That man may or may not have
been a murderer, I thought, but he was certainly bad news.
We got under way again and Geordie said at one stage, “We’re almost on
the track between Fonua Fo’ou and Minerva now. All being well, we
should be able to start dredging tomorrow – if you intend to stop for
that.” We’ll make use of every moment Jim Taylor gave us,” said
Campbell. “We might as well start. That’s what we’re here for.
Come and have some coffee, Mike; I want to talk to you As I poured the
coffee he said, “You gave me two shocks in Nuku’alofa that night.
The first, when I found what you were up to, and the second, when you
told me what you’d found.
Do you think Ramirez was planning to jump us – real pirate style?”
“From what you’ve told me about the strikes on your mines I think he’s
capable of direct action when it suits him. Piracy in these waters
wouldn’t be difficult either; it hasn’t died out. It’s supposed to
have happened to the Joyita not long ago, but they never really got to
the bottom of that one.” “Yes, I read about that.” frora “There’s
plenty of piracy going on even yet, not far here – in Indonesian
waters, down in the Bahamas – all over.
I think Ramirez would jump us if it suited him. He’d obviously like us
to lead him to the nodule deposits and then scupper us completely. Who
would ever know?” “I think he’d like to scupper us even if he did know
where it was,”said Campbell.
“Just to get you off his tail? Yes, you could be right. But he has
another problem to solve before he can do it.” “What’s that?”
“Finding us,” I said briefly.”
Campbell gave that some thought. “I can understand that.
As you said that night, the sea is a big place. We should be all right
as long as we stay out at sea. It’s when we. put into any port that
he’ll discover us again.” He drummed his fingers.
“But he might get lucky and find us out here anyway – and that’s what I
want to talk to you about.” I lifted my eyebrows.
“Your crew’s a tough mob, and I know they can fight if they have to but
will they? You say Ramirez has a crew of about thirty!
I said, “It depends on the kind of fighting. We might have cleaned
Ramirez out of weapons, and we might not. If he comes up against us
with any kind of armament we’ve had our chips. If it’s a matter of
hand-to-hand fighting, no matter how dirty, we’ve got a good chance.”
“At two to one odds?” “I’ve seen them in action. Admittedly it was a
surprise attack but it went off with about as much excitement as a tea
party at the vicarage. Our lot are trained fighting men, most of
them.
Ramirez has waterfront scum.” “I hope you’re right. But I’d like to
talk to our boys anyway.
A man should know what he’s fighting for.” “They know what they’re
fighting for,” I said softly. “They saw the hospital at Tanakabu.”
“True. But the Tabourer is worthy of his hire. They don’t know the
extent of what we’re searching for and I’m going to tell them.
There’s no harm in mentioning a fat bonus at the end of all this
whether we dredge lucky or not.” I said,”They’ll all be about when we
put the dredge over the side. You could talk to them then.”
We had the winch made ready for dredging early the next day, and at ten
o’clock Campbell had the whole crew gathered before him on deck. He
stepped up onto the winch and sat easily on the control seat, looking
down on the men.
“You know some of what this is all about,” he said “But not
everything.
So I’m going to tell you offii know we’ve been dredging in a few places
here an I’m going to make it clear what we’re looking for.” He held up
a nodule.
“This is a manganese nodule and the sea bed is covered with them.
This particular nodule is worthless, but the ones we’re.
looking for are worth a hell of a lot of money.” He casually tossed
the nodule over the side.”
“Now, a gendeman called Ramirez is trying to stop us. I suppose you
all know that hence the funny things that have happened in the last few
weeks. Now,. I want you to get this straight.
Ramirez is going after those nodules for the money and so am I, make no
mistake about that. The difference is that I think there’s enough for
all and I’m not greedy. I won’t bother Ramirez if he bothers me none,
but he’s got a big tough crew and he seems to be spoiling for a
fight.
I had my own ideas about that statement. I was quite certain that
Campbell didn’t want Suarez-Navarro to have any part of the find, but
perhaps on moral rather than on’, economic grounds.
“Now, I want you boys to know where -you stand. Before.” you make any
decisions I want you to know that whether we’ strike lucky or not,
there’s going to be a sizeable bonus at the end of this trip – you can
call it danger money. If we do strike it rich, I’ll be organizing a
corporation to exploit the find, and” I’ll put five percent of the
stock aside to be divided among this crew. That may not seem much, but
let me tell you it won’t be peanuts. You may all end up
millionaires.”
There was a babble of talk and a spate of handclapping.
Geordie said, “I think I can speak for all of us, Mr Campbell.” that’s
a generous gesture that wasn’t really necessary. We’re with you all
the way.” There was a chorus of approval and Geordie held up his
hand.
“There’s just one more thing,” he said. “I think Taffy, Morgan there
will give up his bonus if he can go on doublOv rations for the rest of
the voyage.”
A ripple of laughter swept the deck.