Talbot looked at Denholm. ‘Just a standard radio, is it?’
‘Not quite.’ Denholm took the radio and examined it briefly. ‘A transceiver, which means it can transmit as well as receive. Hundreds of them around, thousands, most commonly as ship-to-shore radios in private yachts. Also used in geological and seismological work and construction building. Remote control detonation.’ He paused and looked around myopically. ‘I don’t want to sound sinister, but it could equally well be used to trigger off the detonator in an explosive device being carried by an American Air Force bomber.’
There was a brief silence, then Hawkins said: ‘I don’t want to complain, Denholm, but you do rather tend to complicate matters.’
‘I used the word “could”, sir, not “did”. On the whole, given the mysterious and inexplicable circumstances, I rather think I prefer the word “did”. If that is the case it leads, of course, to even more mysteries. How did Andropulos or
whoever know when, and from where, that bomber was leaving? How did he know its cargo? How did he know an explosive device was being smuggled aboard? How did he know the radio wavelength to set it off? And, of course, there’s the why, why, why.’
The silence was considerably longer this time. Finally, Hawkins said: ‘Maybe we’re doing Andropulos an injustice. Maybe Alexander is the mastermind.’
‘Not a chance, sir.’ Van Gelder was definite. ‘Andropulos lied about the spare tank. He has connections with main centres of known gun-running activities. The fact that Alexander, who unquestionably plays the role of assistant villain, had the radio in his cabin is of no significance. I should imagine that Irene Charial might be in the habit of dropping in on her uncle occasionally and he wouldn’t want her saying, “Whatever are you doing with a spare radio in your cabin, Uncle?” I can hardly imagine her dropping in on Alexander at any time, far less occasionally. So, Alexander kept the radio.’
‘You mentioned the possibility of an insider at this Air Force base in America, sir,’ Talbot said. ‘I think we should be thinking in terms of a whole platoon of insiders. You will be composing messages for the Pentagon, Air Force Intelligence and the CIA? Suitably etched in acid. I think by this time they must be dreading the thought of another signal from the Ariadne. I don’t see much point in your going to Washington and entering a popularity stakes contest.’
‘The slings and arrows – well, we’re accustomed to injustices. What do you have in that box?’
‘Petty Officer Grant picked this up in Andropulos’s cabin. Haven’t opened it yet.’ Not without difficulty he undid two spring clips and lifted the lid. ‘Waterproof, by Jove.’ He looked at the contents. ‘Means nothing to me.’
Hawkins took the box from him, lifted out some sheets of paper and a paperback book, examined them briefly and
shook his head. ‘Means nothing to me, either. Denholm?’
Denholm shuffled through the papers. ‘In Greek, naturally. Looks like a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers to me. But I can’t make sense of it.’
‘I thought you understood Greek?’
‘I do. But I don’t understand Grecian code. And this is what it’s written in — a code.’
‘Code! Damn it to hell.’ Hawkins spoke with considerable feeling. ‘This could be urgent. Vital.’
‘It’s more than likely, sir.’ Denholm looked at the paperback. ‘Homer’s Odyssey. I don’t suppose it’s here just by coincidence. If we knew the connection between the poem and what’s written on those sheets, then cracking the code would be child’s play. But we don’t have the key. That’s locked away inside Andropulos’s mind. Anagrams and word puzzles are not in my line of country, sir. I’m no cryptologist.’
Hawkins looked moodily at Talbot. ‘You don’t have a code-cracker among this motley crew you have aboard?’
‘To the best of my knowledge, no. And certainly not a Greek code-cracker. Shouldn’t be too difficult to find one, I should imagine. The Greek Defence Ministry and their Secret Service are bound to have some cryptologists on their staffs. Just a radio call and a half-hour’s flight away, sir.’
Hawkins glanced at his watch. Two a.m. All God-fearing cryptologists are tucked up in their beds by this time.’
‘So are all God-fearing admirals,’ Denholm said. ‘Besides, my friend Wotherspoon didn’t mind being rousted out of bed an hour ago. Positively cheerful about it, in fact.’
Talbot said: ‘Who, may I ask warily, is Wotherspoon?’
‘Professor Wotherspoon. My friend with the Aegean lugger. You asked me to contact him, remember? Lives in Naxos, seven or eight hours’ sail from here. He’s on his way with the Angelina.’
‘Very civil of him, I must say. Angelina? Odd name.’
‘Better not let him hear you say that, sir. Name of his
lugger. Ancient and honoured Grecian name, some sort of classical goddess, I believe. Also the name of his wife. Charming lady.’
‘Is he – what shall we say? – slightly eccentric?’
‘All depends upon what you mean by eccentric. He regards the rest of the world as being slightly eccentric.’
‘A professor? What does he profess?’
‘Archaeology. Used to. He’s retired now.’
‘Retired? Oh dear. I mean, have we any right to bring an elderly archaeologist into this?’
‘Don’t let him hear you say that either, sir. He’s not elderly. Old man left him a fortune.’
‘You warned him of the perils, of course?’
‘As directly as I could. Seemed amused. Said his ancestors fought at Agincourt and Crecy. Something to that effect.’
‘What’s good enough for a retired archaeologist should be good enough for a Greek cryptologist,’ Hawkins said. ‘Not that I follow the logic of that. If you would be so good, Commander.’
‘We’ll radio Athens right away. Two things, sir. I suggest we release Andropulos and his friends for breakfast and leave them free. Sure, we’ve got plenty on them, but as yet no conclusive proof and the three A’s – Andropulos, Aristotle and Alexander — are a close-mouthed and secretive lot and we can be certain they won’t talk to us or give anything away. But they might, just might, talk among themselves. Lieutenant Denholm will lurk unobtrusively. They don’t, and won’t, know that he talks Greek as well as they do. Number One, would you tell McKenzie to warn the four seamen who were with us tonight that they are on no account to mention the fact that we were on the Delos. Keel-hauling, walking the plank, that sort of thing. One other thing. The presence of the cryptographer, when he arrives, will not go unnoticed.’
‘He’s not a cryptographer,’ Van Gelder said. ‘Peace be to Lieutenant Denholm but he’s a civilian electronics specialist
who’s come out to fix some abstruse electronic fault that only he can fix. Also gives a splendid reason for him to use Denholm’s cabin while he gets on with his decoding.’
‘Well, thank you very much.’ Denholm smiled and turned to Talbot. ‘With the Captain’s permission, I’d like to retire there right now and get some sleep before this impostor arrives.’
‘An excellent idea. Vice-Admiral Hawkins, Professor Benson, Dr Wickram, I suggest you follow his example. I promise you we’ll give you a shake if anything untoward occurs.’
‘Another excellent idea,’ Hawkins said. ‘After our nightcap. And after you’ve sent your signal to Athens and I’ve composed a suitably stirring message to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington.’
‘Stirring?’
‘Certainly. Why should I be the only one suffering from insomnia? I shall tell him that we have every reason to believe that the bomber was carrying a smuggled explosive device aboard, that its detonation was triggered by a radio wave and that we have the miscreant responsible in our hands. Reason to believe, not proof. I shall name Andropulos. I shall want to know how he knew when and from where that bomber was taking off. How did he know what it was carrying? How could this explosive device possibly have been smuggled aboard? How did he know the radio wavelength to set it off? I shall suggest that our concern should be made immediately known to the White House, Air Force Intelligence, the CIA and the FBI. I will suggest that Andropulos has been provided with top-level, ultra-secret information from a very senior official. I will suggest that this should considerably narrow their field of search. I will further suggest that it seems very likely that the traitor is in his own fiefdom, the Pentagon.’
‘Stirring indeed. Laying it on the line as you might say.’ Talbot paused. ‘It has occurred to you, Admiral Hawkins,
that you might also be laying your own career on the line?’
‘Only if I’m wrong.’
‘Only if we’re wrong.’
‘In the circumstances, a bagatelle. You would do exactly the same thing.’
‘Five o’clock, sir.’ Talbot woke in his sea-cabin abaft the bridge to find Van Gelder bending over him. ‘The Kilcharran is three miles out.’
‘What’s the latest word from sonar?’