Shout at the Devil - Smith Wilbur - Страница 81

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"The English captain asks that you recommend me to the Governor for the Star of St. Peter." Flynn translated Captain Joyce's speech to the aide-de-camp. Flynn wanted a medal.

He had been hounding the Governor for one these last six months.

"Will you please tell the English captain that I would be delighted to convey his written citation to the Governor." The aide-de-camp smiled blandly. Through their business association he knew better than to take Flynn's translation literally. Flynn scowled at him, and Joyce sensed the strain in the cabin. He went on quickly.

"I asked you to meet me here to discuss a matter of very great importance." He paused. "Two months ago your scouts attacked a German supply column near the village of Kibiti."

"That's right." Flynn sat up in his chair. "A hell of a fight.

We fought like madmen. Hand-to-hand stuff."

"Quite," Joyce agreed quickly. "Quite so. With this column was a German naval officer..

"didn't do it," interjected Flynn with alarm. "It wasn't me. He was trying to escape. You can't pin -that one on me." Joyce looked startled.

"I beg your pardon."

"He was shot trying to escape and you try and prove different," Flynn challenged him hotly.

"Yes, I know. I have a copy of your report. A pity. A great pity. We would dearly have liked to interrogate the man."

"You calling me a liar?"

"Good Lord, Major O'Flynn. Nothing is further from my mind." Joyce was finding that conversation with Flynn O'Flynn was similar to feeling your way blindfolded through a hawthorn bush. "Your glass is empty, may I offer you a drink?" Flynn's mouth was open to emit further truculent denials, but the offer of hospitality took him unawares and he subsided.

"Thank you. It's damn good gin, haven't tasted anything like it in years. I don't suppose you could spare a case or two?" Again Joyce was startled.

"I'm sure the wardroom secretary will be able to arrange something for you."

"Bloody good stuff," said Flynn, and sipped at his recharged glass. Joyce decided on a different approach.

"Major O'Flynn, have you heard of a German warship, a cruiser, named BBlitcher?"

"Have I?" hell!" bellowed Flynn with such vehemence that Joyce was left in no doubt that he had struck another jarring note. "The bastard sank me!" These words conjured up in the eye of Captain Joyce's mind a brief but macabre picture of a Flynn floating on his back, while a battle cruiser fired on him with nine-inch guns.

"Sank you?" asked Joyce.

"Rammed me! There I was sailing along in this dhow peaceful as anything when up she comes and bang, right up the arse."

"I see," murmured Joyce. "Was it intentional?"

"You bloody tooting it was." "Why.

"Well..."started Flynn, and then changed his mind. "It's a long story."

"Where did this happen?"

"About fifty miles off the mouth of the Rufiji river."

liabilities

"The Rufiji?"Joyce leaned forward eagerly. "Do you know it? Do You know the RUfiji delta?"

"Do I know the Rufiji delta?" chucked Flynn. "I know it like you know the way to YOUr own Thunder Box. I used to do a lot of business there before the war."

"Excellent! Wonderful!" Joyce could not restrain himself from pursing his lips and whistling the first two bars of "Tipperary'. From him this was expression of unadulterated joy.

"Yeah? What's so wonderful about that?" Flynn was immediately suspicious.

"Major O'Flynn. On the basis of your report, Naval Intelligence considers it highly probable that the Blucher is anchored somewhere in the Rufiji delta."

"Who are you kidding? The Blitcher was sunk months ago everybody knows that."

"Presumed sunk. She, and the two British warships that pursued her, disappeared off the face of the earth or more correctly the ocean. Certain pieces of floating wreckage were recovered that indicated that a battle had been fought by the three ships. It was thought that all three had gone down." Joyce paused and smoothed the grey wings of hair along his temples. "But now it seems certain that Blucher was badly damaged during the engagement, and that she was holed up in the delta."

"Those wheels! Steel plating for repairs!" "Precisely, Major, precisely. But..." Joyce smiled at Flynn, thanks to you, they did not get the plating through."

"Yes, they did. "Flynn growled a denial.

"They did?" demanded Joyce harshly.

"Yeah. We left them lying in the veld. My spies told me that after we had gone the Germans sent another party of bearers up and took them away."

"Why didn't you prevent it? ""What the hell for? They've got no value," Flynn retorted.

"The enemy's insistence must have demonstrated their value." "Yeah. The enemy were so insistent they sent up a couple of Maxim guns with the second party. In my book the more Maxims there are guarding something, the less value it is."

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