The Sea Shall Not Have Them by John Harris

Author:John Harris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 1952-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Four

Across the width of the bridge from where Flight Sergeant Slingsby stood at the wheel, his mind revolving bitterly round Skinner and the engines of H.S.L. 7525, beyond the spot where Tebbitt and Westover huddled and where the mast drummed under the roaring wind, the wireless cabin lay – stuffy, lurching like the rest of the boat, and noisy with the sound of Morse. In there, Leading-aircraftman Knox and Aircraftman Botterill, their headsets over their ears, sat huddled over the receiver, waiting for any instructions that might advance the search. About them were pads of paper and message forms clipped to the side of the cabin in bundles, signal pads and pencils, novelettes and – fastened to the bulkheads with strips of sticking plaster from the first-aid kits – the inevitable nudes.

Knox, with the two-handed split mind of the wireless operator, was twiddling the dial of the receiver with one hand while he thumbed through the pages of a novelette with the other.

“7526 is still around,” he announced. “Howabout getting a spot on him, Botty, with the direction-finder?”

Botterill silently reached up with his right hand to the handle of the direction-finder and began to turn it slowly, his eyes on the calibrated ring, watching the duel between the two boats with the aid of wireless.

“South-east of us now,” he said after a while. “And close. It’s a toss-up which of us finds ’em first.”

“7526 for a bet,” Knox said gloomily. “The only thing 7525 could ever pick up would be a cold in the head – ”

“Hold it!” Botterill suddenly bent over his message pad and his pencil began to move rapidly. “It’s us. Plain language,” he jerked out of the corner of his mouth.

Knox leaned over his shoulder and began to read what he wrote down. “Proceed – immediately – to – assistance – of – damaged – Walrus. Chiefy’s going to be pleased when he sees that,” he said. He watched as Botterill wrote down the bearings and made a wry face. “That’s south of here,” he went on. “Away from the area of search. How sweetly thoughtful of ’em to do that. It leaves everything wide open for 7526 to make the pick-up.” His pursed expression of sarcastic affection changed to gloom again. “Hell, the balloon’s going to go up when Slingo sees that!”

The two of them stared at each other, both busy with the same thoughts on Slingsby’s fury, then Botterill shrugged, his expression martyred.

“Take over. I’ll let the Skipper have it if I can dodge Chiefy,” he said, picking up the message slip and taking off his headphones. “They must be leaving 7526 here or they’d send her on this job. She’s nearer and faster. Poor old 7525 – doing the dirty jobs again. That’s what comes of having a kid for a Skipper and a dud fitter. Loxton wouldn’t have this lark with 7526.” His shoulders humped with melodramatic woe. “This blasted boat’s got a jinx on it.”

He threw down his pencil and stumbled

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