Let’s not compound whatever mischief you’ve been up to. Hold Geordie,
will you?”Amazingly, as my wrath had risen so his had subsided and he
seemed in complete ,A control of himself.
He walked away to the gangplank and I shouted, “Hold it, Geordie!
There’s a snag – the boss has a visitor.” I followed Campbell.
Ramirez was alone, leaning negligently on a bollard.
Obviously he hadn’t yet been on Sirena – there hadn’t been time for
that, and he was too composed. Campbell looked down at him.
“Well?” he asked coldly.
Ramirez smiled up at him. “I just came to wish you farewell.
I thought you would be leaving about now.” I realized that, Nick Dugan
Or not, he’d seen us at the hotel or he’d seen the Campbells and Paula
leaving.
He walked straight up the gangplank and stepped onto the deck, elegant
in his white tropical suit.
Campbell’s’voice was icy. “You don’t have to come on board to tell us
that.” “Maybe not, but I am here.” To give the devil his due, he had
no nerves at all. After doing what he’d done I wouldn’t have had the
guts to come within a hundred miles of Esmerelda, let alone without an
escort. But he was a subtle and clever man, relying on Campbell’s
known sense of justice, and maybe he knew that our scruples would hold
us back. Still, he had guts.
He said, “I thought I should warn you. I have plans and I do not wish
you to interfere with them. Why don’t you give up and go away?” “I’m
not concerned with your plans,” said Campbell stolidly.
“You know what I mean, Mr Campbell. We met in battle before and you
came off worst. And so you shall again if you do not get out of my
way.” He had the Spanish trick of making gutterals out of his aitches,
but otherwise his English was good. I didn’t think my Spanish would be
as fluent.
My mouth was dry. I said, “Ramirez, you’re a bloody murderer and I’m
going to see you pay for it.” His eyebrows quirked. “Murder?” he
queried mockingly.
“That is a libel, Mr Trevelyan. Whom am I supposed to have
murdered?”
“My brother, for one,” I said hotly.
Ramirez threw back his head and laughed.”My dear sir, I’m willing to go
into any court in the world on a charge like that.” His teeth
flashed.
“You have no proof, have you – no proof at all.”
And he laughed again.
That was only too true. The only man who had seen him at Tanakabu was
Dr Schouten – and he too was dead.
Campbell said, “I fail to see the point of this conversation,
Ramirez.”
Geordie tugged at my sleeve agitatedly. “We’ve got to get away now.
Before that thing goes bang.” “What thing, for God’s sake?” He drew
me aside and said in a low hurried voice,”Jim had a small charge of
plastic explosive – he slapped it against the crank case of their
engine. I wanted to blow a hole in the bottom of their boat but I
wouldn’t let him – I wish I had, now.”
A “When’s it due to go off ?” “That’s it – Jim doesn’t know. He
rigged up a time switch I from an ordinary alarm clock, and you can’t
get those right to within five minutes or so. I thought we’d be away
by now.” “It’ll rouse the whole harbourP “But we’d have been gone
nothing to do with us.” The urgency in his voice was an imperative. I
looked across at Ramirez and said, “I think you ought to have the
privilege of cleaning your own deck.” Geordie caught on and went
immediately up to the gang-_ plank where Campbell and Ramirez were
locked in a lowvoiced, furious argument. I noticed Geordie dab his
hand on the winch drum and then signal surreptitiously to Ian and
Taffy. Of the rest of the crew all were spellbound except Jim, who was
watching anxiously across the water.. ere was no sign of the girls.
Geordie placed himself squarely in front of Ramirez and was blunt in
his speech. “I’m the master of this ship – and the owner – and I’m
particular about filth on my decks. I’d be pleased if you’d leave.”
Ramirez went bleak, looking carefully at his scarred face.
“Ah, the brave and foolish Mr Wilkins,” he said insultingly.
“That’s me,”said Geordie. He put out his hand and snk, it down the
front of Ramirez’s gleaming white jacket, leave, a dirty trail of black
oil. “You’re dirty, Mr Ramirez.” Ramirez was so shocked at the action
and at the contempt which lay behind it that he just stood there,
making no move but the fury grew in his eyes.
Geordie said again, “You’re filthily dirty, Mr Ramirez. I think you
need a wash – don’t you, lads?” They got the idea fast – faster than
Ramirez. With a growl they were on to him, four of them. I saw
Ramirez’s hand go to his pocket as quick as lightning, but Danny was
faster and his hand came down in a mighty chop. A pistol clattered on
deck.
Then Ramirez was lifted helplessly off his feet and carried to the
side. They swung him twice and then over he went, making a great
splash. Geordie wasted no time in useless triumph. He turned, picked
up Ramirez’s pistol and began chopping out orders again. “Gangplank
in. Don’t stand there gawking! Ian, get the wheel, and don’t run him
down. Cast off forrard. Engine slow ahead.” Esmerelda got under way
even while Campbell was still staring over the side. “Well, I’m
damned,”he said to no one in particular while staring at Geordie.
Geordie was oblivious, watching carefully out into the darkness and
giving orders in a low, carrying voice. He conned us out past the
sleeping vessels and the marker buoys and Ramirez’s splashing progress
fell astern.
As we drew level with Sirena, anchored in the harbour, there was a dull
thump, not very loud, which carried over the water. At the same time
there was a flicker of lights from a dinghy arriving alongside.
The crew returning no doubt, to find a shambles. That would do her
engine a bit of no good.
Silence held us until we were well past all the shipping and abreast of
one of the openings in the fringing reef, an then a babble of noise got
up as everyone’s tongue was loosened. Ian had to shout to make himself
heard, giving orders to get some sail on her. The excitement on board
was electric.
Geordie turned and grinned, his battered face alight with triumph.
Raucously he began to sing at the top of his voice.
“Oh, we’re off to see the Ozzard – the wonderful Ozzard Whiz!” He
looked very piratical because of the captured pis dangling negligently
in his hand.
Chapter Seven
“You pack of damned fools,” said Campbell. “Whatever possessed you to
do a crazy thing like that Ian shuffled his feet, Geordie was clearly
unrepentant and I suspected we were in for a tongue-lashing, and didn’t
relish the thought. The lights of Nuku’alofa were falling astern as
Esmerelda ran at full speed. Danny Williams was at the wheel and
Campbell had gathered the three of us together to take us to task.
“Well,”Geordie began.”We thought it would be a good idea to go and get
hold of either Kane or Hadley and–2
“Kane! Hadley! You won’t find them with Ramirez.
Ramirez may be a son of a bitch but he has brains – he won’t chance
himself being linked with those two, not now he won’t.” I grinned at
Geordie. “Where did you put Kane, by the way?” I asked casually.
“We haven’t a brig on the ship, but we’re making one now.
In the meantime he’s under guard in my cabin.” Campbell’s jaw
dropped.
“You mean you’ve got Kane?” “Of course,” I said. I didn’t say that it
had been a near thing, or how close we came to not achieving our
objective. “We thought we’d hand him over to the Tongan police but
circumstances – A – preceded that.” “What circumstances?” “Ramirez’s
ship got a bit bent,”I said. “I couldn’t control the lads.” I gave
Geordie a sly look – I was taking his argument and using it against
Campbell.
“How bent?” “One of us had an accident with some explosive,” I said.
AL “That thump we heard? As we left harbour? You blew up their
ship?”
He was incredulous.
“Oh no, nothing like that,” said Geordie placatingly.
“There’s a bit of a hole in their engine crankcase, that’s all.
They won’t be following us in a hurry.” “They won’t have to,”said
Campbell. “What do you suppose Ramirez is doing now? He’ll have got
back to his ship seething mad thanks to you fools – found it wrecked,
and by now he’ll be presenting himself at the nearest police station
still in his wet clothes, claiming assault and piracy. I should say