the world to inform the family.” That was a good
conversation-stopper.
We were quiet for some time, then I said tentatively, “If only we could
get hold of.
Schouten.” “He’s on the other side of the world.” I said softly, “I
think Mark came across a hell of a big deposit of high-cobalt
nodules.
He wasn’t a bad scientist but, being Mark, he was probably more
interested in the worth of his discovery – to himself. his theories
were a bit startling though, and they intrigue me.” “So?” “So I’d
like to do something about it.” “You mean – organize an expedition?”
“That’s right.” Saying it aloud began to jell all the ideas that had
been bubbling up in me since the assay.
Geordie knocked the dottle out of his pipe. “Tell me, Mike, what’s
your interest in this – scientific or personal? You weren’t
particularly friendly towards Mark. Is it that you feel that
Trevelyans should be free to go about their business without being
murdered, Or is it something else?” “It’s that and a lot more. For
one thing, someone is pushing me around and I don’t like it. I don’t
like having my home burgled, being knifed, or having my friends shot
at.
And I don’t appreciate having my brother murdered, if that’s really
what happened, no matter what I thought of him as a person.
Then, of course, there’s the scientific interest – I’m fascinated.
A find like this would hit oceanography like evolution hit biology.
And then there’s the money.” “Yes,”said Geordie. “I suppose there
would be money in it.” “You suppose damn right. And if you’re
thinking in mdlions, stop it, because you’re thinking small – it could
be billions.” He wasn’t ready to be enthusiastic. “So you think it’s
as good as that?” “As good as that,” I said firmly. “There’s enough
at stake for quite a few murders.”
“How much would such an expedition cost?” I had already been thinking
about that. “A ship – plus about fifty thousand for special equipment
– plus stores and running expenses.” “Running expenses for how
long?”
I smiled wryly. “That’s one of the jokers – who knows in a thing like
this?” “It’s a lot of money. And there’s over sixty million square
miles of Pacific, you said.” “I know my job,” I said.
“I wouldn’t be going entirely blindfold. I know a hell of a lot of
places where there aren’t any high-cobalt nodules. And there’s what I
can recall of Mark’s theories perhaps they’re not so fantastic after
all.
Plus there’s this – I’m sure we can make something of it.” I held up
Mark’s little diary, which I was keeping on my person.
Geordie slapped his hands together suddenly. “All right, boy. If you
can find the capital and the running expenses – and God knows where
you’ll find money like that – I can provide the ship. Would old
Esmerelda do?” “My God, she’d be perfect for running on a small
budget.”
I looked at him closely, trying not to show my excitement too much.
“But why should you come into this? It’s a chancy business, you
know.”
He laughed. “Well, you did mention a few billions of money. Besides,
some little bastard shot off the top of my little finger. I’m not
particularly interested in him, but I would like to get my hands round
the neck of the man who paid him.
And chartering tourists isn’t very much fun after a bit. I suppose you
have some ideas about finance? I mean, without a tame banker it’s a
non-starter.” I had been thinking about it, for the last hour or two
in between Our bouts of conversation. The pieces seemed to be dropping
into place nicely, so far.
I said musingly, “I saw Clare Campbell the other day – she’s in town
with her father, attending some conference or other.
He’s my goal.” “Who is Campbell?”
“Jonathan Campbell – never known as J.C. A Scottish E Canadian mining
man. Mark worked for him for a while after the I.G.Y – something to do
with a mining venture in South America. . ..” I trailed off and
Geordie cocked his head enquiringly. Something about that statement
teased at me but I couldn’t identify it and let it go with a shake of
my head.
“So he’s got money.” “He’s loaded with it,”I said, back on the
track.”He’s got the reputation of being a bit of a plunger, and this
thing might appeal to him. He lost a packet in the South American
business not long ago – something to do with mines being nationalized
but I think he’s got enough left to take a gamble on something new.”
.
“How do you know all this about Campbell, Mike? I didn’t know you
studied the financial pages.” “I was thinking of getting out of pure
research after the I.G.Y. The pay’s small compared with industry, so I
thought I’d look about for a job compatible with my expensive tastes.
I waved a hand around my modest flat. “Lots of other chaps did it Mark
was one – so I did a bit of investigating and Campbell cropped up.”
“But you didn’t take the job.” I shook my head. “He’d already signed
Mark on, you see, and I didn’t fancy having Mark as a colleague.
Anyway, I was asked to go to the Institute about that time – less pay,
but a more interesting job. Mark left the I.G.Y programme early and
got out of pure research. I never actually met Campbell but I did once
meet his daughter – in Vancouver. Mark had her in tow. They seemed to
be pretty close – they would, she being the boss’s daughter.”
Geordie’s voice had become as cold as mine. “Poor stupid cow.” I
thought that she didn’t look like his description at all, and wondered
how long it had taken for her to read Mark’s character. She hadn’t
struck me then as the sort of girl to be.
taken in for long. But I hoped that nothing much had happened between
them, lest it colour Campbell’s attitude towards me when I came to
approach him.
“How long did Mark work for Campbell?”
“Not very long – about a year and a half. Then he pushed off into the
South Pacific and teamed up with Norgaard, last I heard of it. I don’t
know exactly what they were doing – they had neither a decent boat nor
the right equipment for proper research, as far as I could tell.” “But
if Campbell’s a mining man, what makes you think he’ll finance a deep
sea adventure?” “I think he might,” I said. “Metals are his
business.
Never gold or silver, nor the other end of the scale, the base
metals.
He’s dabbled in tin and copper and had a go at platinum once.
Now it seems he’s concentrating on alloy metals – titanium, cobalt,
vanadium and stuff like that. Now that rocketry is big business
there’s a boom in these metals.” Geordie asked curiously, “How does he
go about it – his investing, I mean?” “He takes advantage of us
scientific types.
He employs a few good men – people like Mark, for instance – and the
number varies from time to time. Most of them are geologists, of
course. He organizes field expeditions into remote parts, spots a body
of ore, puts a million or so into proving and development, then pulls
out and sells to the real big boys at a profit.
I heard that in one of his recent ventures he put in two million
dollars and a year of his time, then sold out at a net profit of a
million and a quarter. Not bad for a year’s work, eh, Geordie?” “Not
bad at all. But I’d say it needs experience and a hell of a lot of
cold nerve.” “Oh, he’s a canny Scot, all right. I hope he’s still in
town I’ll find out tomorrow.”
“What about Kane – why not put the coppers on to him?” I shook my head
vigorously. “Not now. All they’d do would be to pass on a query to
Tahiti and I’ve no positive faith in the activities of the French
Colonial Police, especially when there’s a convenient legal death
certificate handy. The delays would be awful, for one thing. No, I’ll
see for myself – if I can get Campbell interested. I would dearly like
to talk to Dr Schouten.” Geordie rubbed his chin meditatively. “I’m
thinking of making one or two changes in the crew if we go on this
caper.
I’d like a couple of blokes I know from the old days. I wonder what
Ian Lewis is doing now? When I met him a few months ago he said he
found life a little tedious.” I vaguely remembered a tall, gangling
Highlander. “What was he doing?” “Oh, he had a place in the Scottish
wilderness that he said he’d be glad to leave. You know, I reckon I