made no sense at all to any of us.
“Then we come to these. The Fair Goddess and The Disappearing Trick, a
woman and an eagle.”
I interrupted her. “They are the two that come immediately before his
high cobalt assay figures. I think they may be crucial.” “Good,” she
said briskly. “Because there are lots more possibilities. I’ve been
thinking about the woman. I think she could be La France – you know,
Uncle Sam for America, John Bull for Britain and this female – Marianne
– for France.
You see her in newspaper cartoons.” Campbell looked at the drawing
intently. “You may have something there. This thing on her head is
the Cap of Liberty, isn’t it? What’s the extent of French territory in
the Pacific?” “French Oceania – about a million square miles of it,
including Tahiti, Bora-Bora, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, the Austral
islands You’d have to get it down much closer than that.” “The
Marianas Islands,” said Geordie and he sounded very glum. “The
Marianas Trench.” Cure looked thrilled. “Where are they?” “A long
way off, too far for comfort. Almost alongside the Philippines,” I
said.
‘it just can’t be there, or else why was Mark so far away from it? I
don’t believe it.” But Geordie had thought of something else.
“Suarez/Navarro’s ship is heading that way.” We looked at one another
in dismay. “Just doesn’t feel right,” I said, only because I didn’t
want it to be. “We want something down this way.” Campbell said,
“What’s this about a goddess? Marianne isn’t one.”
“Let’s go through a list of goddesses,” I suggested. “There’s Venus
for a start. Is there a Venus Island?” Geordie grinned. “I’ve heard
of the Good Ship Venus, but not an island. Wait a minute, though ‘
there’s a Venus Point in Tahiti.”
“That sounds promising,”said Campbell.
“It’s too close ashore – and all round there has been dredged.”
“Not so promising,”said Campbell glumly,”but we’ll keep it in mind.”
“Let’s carry on with the goddess list,” said Clare. “What about
Aphrodite?”
We all thought about that. “Nothing doing,” said Geordie finally.
“It could be a French name,”said Campbell.
I was brutal about it. “Or a Polynesian name. Or a Polynesian
goddess.” “Good grief,” said Campbell, ‘we’re getting nowhere fast.”
We ran through the pantheon and couldn’t even make a start on the
Polynesian tribal deities without a single degree in anthropology
amongst us. We switched our combined brains to the problem of the
eagle, got nowhere, and came back to La France. Clare gazed fiercely
at the drawings. “All right, one last try. Let’s go through it all
once more.” We all groaned.
“Venus.” “Tahiti,” muttered Campbell, whose attention was waning.
“Demeter.” Still nothing doing.
“Athena.” Campbell said, “I think this whole whacky idea is wrong.
Let’s pack it up.” Clare gave a shout of laughter. “I’ve got it she’s
not La France at all, she’s Athena, the goddess of justice. Mark used
“fair” in the sense of “fair play”.” “Not that he knew much about
that,”Geordie said.
“What about the Cap of Liberty?” I asked.
“It’s not – it’s a Roman helmet. She ought to have a spear too.”
“But Athena wasn’t a Roman objected Campbell. “She was a Greek
goddess.” I said, “The, Roman equivalent was Minerva what about that
Geordie thumped the table and burst out laughing. “My God! I think
that’s it – I should have seen it before. Recife de Minerve, of
course!”
Campbell said, “You mean there is such a place?” I was struggling with
a memory. I’d read about the place and there was something very out of
whack about it, but I couldn’t recall what-it was. Geordie couldn’t
stop laughing.
“There’s been a shipwreck on it. Oh, this is too damn funny.
Campbell rubbed his hands, his interest rekindled. “Now we’re getting
somewhere – where is it? Obviously down this way?” “Down south of the
Tuamotus,”said Geordie.
‘is it worth a trip?” Campbell asked me. “You’re the expert here.”
I thought that it was only a remote possibility that we’d hit on the
right spot on our very first guess, and that there’d probably be a lot
of false alarms on the way, unless some much more concrete evidence
came up; but on the other hand I didn’t want the expedition to founder
through lack of either activity or enthusiasm – and we had to start
somewhere. “It could have possibilities,” I said, voicing a little of
my reservation. “It partly depends on where it is, which is what
Geordie Is going to tell us.” “Are you kidding?” said Geordie, still
spluttering over his private joke. “Nobody – not even the Royal Navy
knows where Minerva is.” There was a dead silence. Campbell broke
it.
“What the hell do you mean by that “I mean this,” said Geordie,
suddenly sober. “The Navy looked for it but couldn’t find it. I
suppose it’s all in the Pacific Islands Pilot – I’d have to look – but
there “IS an account of it in a book I’ve got on board.
” “But what is it? Clare asked.
“Just what it says. R&life de Minerve. Minerva Reef. It’s a hidden
shoal.” Geordie left us to go’ down to Esmerelda. Apart from fetching
the book he was anxious to know if all was well, and to supervise the
beginning of the restocking for sea. He also had to arrange for a
cabin for Clare, which I knew would mean a little crowding up for
someone else. We agreed that we might as well get on with things, and
that all being well we should be able to sail within a day or so;
impatience was in the air. I decided to try and have another word with
Paula, who had left a note for me, containing her address. I had
another idea that I wanted to try out on her.
I used the phone in the foyer and got her at once. “Paula, it’s
Mike.
I’d like to talk to you again.” “Sure,” she said sleepily, and I
guessed that late nights singing meant late mornings lying in. “When
now?” “If I can.” “Okay. I’ll see you in that little bar up the
street.” She was waiting for me, sitting at the same – table. “Hi,”
she said. “What’s on your mind?” I ordered coffee for both of us.
She looked fresh and decidedly less tense this morning, and had
obviously decided that I was an ally – as I had concluded about her.
“Hadley and people like him are on my mind. You’re sure you don’t
remember a man called Kane?” She shook her head firmly.
“Or Ramirez – ever hear of him?” That drew a blank too. I said,
“Look, how well do you know Tahiti – especially Papeete?” “Pretty
well.
I was there a long time, Mike.” I rubbed my chin. “I don’t know it
well at all. And I certainly don’t know Hadley. I could pass him on
the street without a second glance. What I need is a pair of eyes.”
She said in a small voice, “You want me to go back to Papeete?” I
nodded.
“But not without an escort or a backup. Scared of Hadley?” “I’ll say
I am. I don’t mind admitting it.” I said, “Paula, I’m here on a small
ship crewed by the toughest mob outside of the Mafia – but straight.
Most of them are ex-Commandoes and anyone of them could take Hadley
with one arm tied behind his back. We’re leaving tomorrow, most
likely, to sail to Tahiti. If you come with us I’ll assign two of them
as your permanent bodyguard when we get there. If Hadley tried
anything he’ll learn something he never knew about dirty fighting, and
probably end up with a broken back, or in gaol.” I thought that having
her on board would be tricky with Kane around, but she said they had
never met and it was worth the risk. If I left her behind I might
never have another chance to use her.
“You’ll have company, by the way – female company, if you’re thinking
about that. The girl we were with last night she’s coming too.” She
bit her lip. “Oh Mike, I’d be scared. Besides, I’m on contract here,
though it’s up in a couple of weeks. I don’t want to run out on a
contract. Things like that get about in my business.” I said, “If
it’s money you’re worried about, we’ll pay all your expenses and you’ll
get a bonus too. Hell, we can buy out your contract.” “I’m not
thinking of money. You’re really going to find out what happened to
Mark, aren’t you?” “I am,”I said definitely.
She, thought for a moment, then sat back and looked determined.
“Then I’ll come. Mark was the only man I’ve ever loved and I think he
loved me, a little. If he was killed I’d like to see his killer
caught.” “Good girl! Look, why not come over on a cruise ship do they