A Twist of Sand by Geoffrey Jenkins

Author:Geoffrey Jenkins [Jenkins, Geoffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Thrillers, General, Mystery & Detective, Action & Adventure, Fiction
ISBN: 9781440119965
Publisher: iUniverse Star
Published: 2009-08-25T23:00:00+00:00

T R I A L A T T H E C A P E 131

" You can't?" echoed the prosecutor, glancing at his sheaf of papers.

" No, sir. You see, I was busy on the hydrophones. I couldn't hear what was being said between Lieutenant-Commander Peace and Elton, sir. The earpieces were over my ears. I only saw him against the bulkhead afterwards." Good, loyal Bissett!

The Commander-in-Chief surveyed him with frosty eyes. " Is that all you have to say about it, Bissett?"

" Yes sir."

The admiral knew his ratings well enough to know Bissett was lying like a sick baby. His glance travelled slowly between Bissett, the prosecuting officer and myself. We all knew.

" Very well," he said coldly. Get on with this question of the whale."

The lieutenant refreshed himself from his notes.

" The night before the long stand-to at action stations—

when did you first hear this extraordinary noise on the hydrophones?"

" It must have been about getting dark up above," said Bissett. " I heard noises and so I called the captain." " Why?" Bissett looked puzzled. " Well, sir, any extraordinary noise and I report it at once. That's the way it works in a submarine." His gibe touched the lieutenant.

" What was different about this noise from any other—you could have been mistaken, couldn't you? Might it not have been a confused echo back from the warships—the ones which stopped and gave you mail?"

Bissett smiled, the smile of man who really knew what he was talking about.

" No sir, definitely not; I never heard a noise like that before or since."

" Can you describe it?"

" Yes sir. It was a sort of regular gurgling—a sort of thumping and a gurgle, but quite regular, sir." The judicial captain leaned forward.

" Not once or twice—like ah . . . a whale?" The Wren's pencil trembled slightly.

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A T W I S T O F S A N D

Bissett smiled. " No sir. I listened to it moving left to right, travelling at first maybe at about ten knots. Then it slowed."

" Did Lieutenant-Commander Peace hear it too?"

" Yes sir, he listened at the hydrophones. Then he changed course and we followed it."

" How long?"

" Nearly two hours, sir."

" Now tell the court, when Lieutenant-Commander Peace heard it for the first time, what was his reaction?"

" He seemed interested, but puzzled, like I was, sir."

" Was there anything--er—abnormal about him at that stage?"

Bissett's face grew red.

"There ain't anything wrong with the captain," he broke out. " He's the best bloody skipper I ever sailed with . .."

" Bisset!" growled the gold lace in the middle. Bissett swung and faced him. " It's true, sir. Ask any of the crew. He's on the mat because young Elton here got what he deserved. We still dunno what he was up to, but any of us would go to sea to-morrow with him if you asked us." The judicial captain said ironically : " A very fine spontaneous tribute and I hope it was not too quick for the record.

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