to Mark, who was still lying on the deck. But he was conscious and
trying to sit up.
Geordie arrived at a run and a babble of voices told him what had
happened – Taffy said harshly, “My fault, skipper. I let the bastard
out. We heard a man screaming and I thought someone was in pain in the
brig. I went in with Bill but Hadley went through us like an express
train.” Bill said, “No wonder that poor devil was screaming.
Hadley had near taken the arm out of his socket; to get us to open
up!
“He was quite mad,”said Ian soberly.
To dispel the air of gloom Geordie said briskly, “Well, he tried and he
failed. And that’s the last of them. The others won’t make any
trouble. Now, lads, back to work. We’re not home and dry yet.” They
dispersed slowly. Geordie turned to me and said’ softly, “The last of
them – bar Mark. What are you going to do about your brother, Mike?”
I looked at him bleakly.
“I don’t know. First I must see how badly he’s hurt. But I can’t just
hand him over to the police.”
“I don’t think you’ve any choice, laddie.” “I guess not. But it’s a
hell of a thing to have to do.”
Clare, her arm comfortingly firm around my rib cage, waited in silence
for me to come to a decision. I said, “Geordie, I have to talk to him
alone. Take Paula with you, Clare. Look after her. God knows she’s
had enough to cope with. Keep everyone away from us for a while, would
you?” “I’ll do that,” Geordie said.
Clare gave me a smile of compassion and warmth and then walked back to
the deckhouse. Mark was sitting propped up against the railing with
Paula as always by his side. I waited until Clare took her gently by
the arm and the two girls went below to join Campbell. I wanted to
speak to Mark, perhaps for the last time, with no one to act as a
shield between us.
He looked stonily at me as I squatted beside him.
unter were rst at my si e.
“How is it? I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Not good,” he said breathlessly. He was
sheet-white and his eyes were cloudy.
I said, “Mark, thank you for saving Paula.” “Don’t thank me. That was
my business.”He did not want to hear praise from me. “I told you that
man was off his rocker.” “Well, he’s out of it now. Ramirez too.
Which leaves only you, Mark. And puts me in a devil of a fix.” I
expected his usual sneering retort, but instead he surprised me. He
said, “I know that, Mike. I’ve caused you a lot of grief, and I’m
sorry. I’m likely to cause you a lot more as long as I live.” “No,
I-‘ “Which won’t be long. I’m no doctor, but I know that much.”
“Mark, we’ll be back in port pretty soon and you’ll be in medical
hands. We may even be sharing a ward,” I said, trying to speak
lightly. Mark was sombre and less arrogant than I had ever known him,
and I was dismayed.
“Don’t be a fool, Mike,” he said with a touch of his old acerbity.
“You’re going to have a million questch longer.
Mark was still on board and had to be dealt with.
And so was Hadley.
Taffy had started to tell me, just before Falcon blew its top.
Hadley had been one of the two men who had leapt to our deck, and was
being held in the brig with the other men from Sirena. It was
dismaying to know that he was with us, but for me the most serious
problem was Mark.
He and Paula had stayed together in the saloon during the whole of the
encounter with Falcon. Now I had to face him. I pulled myself to my
feet and went wearily below. Paula looked up as I entered and her
face, like everyone else’s, was drawn and shadowed.
“Are we safe yet, Mike,” she asked.
“Pretty well. You should both come up on deck and get some air It’s
remarkably peaceful up there now – Paul you for standing by.” She
smiled a brief acknowledgement and she and b up together. He was very
pale under the heavy bei limped a little, but he seemed fairly
strong.
He I -4 nothing as yet. I led the way on deck and they followed in
silence, numbed by the sight of so much damage. Nobody spoke to Mark,
but more than one of the crew reached to pat Paula’s arm or give her a
quick smile as she went by.
We stopped outside the-deckhouse, a shattered and burntout shell.
They stood together looking astern at the now distant ascending cloud
of smoke.
“I wish I’d seen it,”Mark said. He sounded wistful.
“It was fantastic, but too close for comfort,” I said. “I’m going to
tape my impressions as soon as I can. There’s a lot to be learned from
such close-up observation. Do you know what happened to Sirena?”
“Clare told us,” Paula said, and shuddered. Mark seemed unmoved. He
was not going to be overtaken by conscience as easily as that. I
didn’t mention Hadley or the other prisoners.
“Mark,” I said abruptly, “I have to talk to you.” “I’ll go,” Paula
offered.
Mark took her arm and held it. “Stay with me,” he said. She was the
only one he could be sure was on his side, and he needed a friend at
court. He turned to me and a hint of the old arrogance was back in his
voice. “What’s it going to be? One of your little lectures on
decency?” I felt grim and tired. This wasn’t going to work.
“For God’s sake, Mark, ease off. I’m not going to lecture you it was
always too late to get you to listen to reason. But we have to work
something out before we land, or before someone sights us.” I wanted
above all things to lie down, right there on the deck, and sleep for a
week. I was physically beat up and exhausted, but the onus of Mark was
a heavier burden. I wished I could have had Clare to stand by me, as
he had Paula, but I wasn’t going to bring her into it.
We stared at one another in stalemate.
My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by a bubbling scream. The sound
came from below. Taffy and a couple of the others dived down the
companionway, and Ian came past us at a run. I made a Tove to follow
but then held back, leaving it to the professionals.
I said, “I think it’s one of the Spaniards. He must be hurt, poor
devil.” “What Spaniard?” Mark asked.
For answer there was a crash from below, and Hadley burst into view
through the burnt-out galley and onto the deck where we were
standing.
He had a kitchen knife in his hand. I backed away from his red-rimmed
crazy eyes as he came at me like a bull.
I booted him on the shin but it was like trying to stop a truck.
He leapt on me in a bear hug that jarred excruciatingly on the
knife-graze in my side. His knife hovered near my throat. Desperately
I clawed at his face as we fell. Hadley landed on me with all his
weight but thank God his knife-arm was pinned beneath us. I chopped
viciously at his throat and he choked. His grip loosened. I jerked a
knee up into his crotch and broke free.
But Hadley recovered fast and rolled over onto his feet.
Agile for his bulk he leapt on me as I gasped for air. He pinned my
arms and I felt the breath being squeezed from my lungs and a rib
cracked agonizingly. Blackness surged in front of my eyes.
Suddenly he lost his balance and we both crashed to the deck.
Nick, crawling up from behind, had seized Hadley’s ankle and had yanked
his foot out from under him. I rolled free and Hadley got the full
force of a bullet from Ian’s gun in his belly Astonishingly he regained
his feet and swooped for the knife which lay on the deck. For a
near-fatal instant we all stood paralysed. With an unearthly bubbling
scream of rage and agony he plunged towards Mark and the knife
flashed,” viciously in the sunlight.
Mark flung Paula aside and met the attack full on. The knife sank into
his side and he collapsed without a sound The weapon fell to the
deck.
Hadley took two staggering -M paces backwards, clutching his stomach,
and then in a full back arch he went over the railings into the sea.
Silence hung in the air after his fait.
ribs and breathing in short I stood shakily clutching my painful
gasps.
are an When Campbell went to help Paula, she brushed him aside and ran