Bear Island by Alistair MacLean Page A

considered opinions. I suggest if more illness occurs we run immediately for Hammerfest, even though we are at the time only one hour distant from Bear Island. I suggest it be recorded that Captain Imrie be protected and absolved from any accusation of hazarding the health of his crew and passengers in light of the medical officer's affidavit-which I will write out and sign-that no such hazard exists: the only charge the captain has to worry about at any time is the physical hazarding of his vessel and that doesn't exist here. Then we will state that the captain is absolved from all blame and responsibility for any consequences arising from our decision: the navigation and handling of the vessel remains, of course, his sole responsibility. Then all five of us sign it. Captain Imrie?”
        “Agreed." There is a time to be prompt and Captain Imrie clearly regarded this as such a time. At best, the proposal was a lame compromise, but one he was glad to accept. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me. I have to be up betimes-4 A.M. to be precise." I wondered when he had last risen at that unearthly hour-not, probably, since his fishing days had ended: but the illness of mate and bosan made for exceptional circumstances. He looked at me. I will have that document at breakfast?”
        “At breakfast. I wonder, Captain, if on your way to bed you could ask Haggerty to come to see me. I'd ask him personally, but he's a bit touchy about civilians like myself.”
        “A lifetime in the Royal Navy is not forgotten overnight. Now?”
        “Say ten minutes? In the galley.”
        “Still pursuing your enquiries, is that it? It's not your fault, Dr. Marlowe."
        If it wasn't my fault, I thought, I wished they'd all stop making me feel it was. Instead I thanked him and said good night and he said good night to us and left accompanied by Smithy and Mr. Stokes. Otto steepled his fingers and regarded me in his best chairman-of-the-board fashion.
        "We owe you our thanks, Dr. Marlowe. That was well done, an excellent face-saving proposal." He smiled. "I am not accustomed to suffering interruption lightly but in this case it was justified."
        If I hadn't interrupted we'd all be on our way to Hammerfest now. You were about to remind him of that part of your contract with him which states that he will obey all your orders other than those that actually endanger the vessel. You were about to point out that as no such physical danger exists, he was technically in breach of contract and so would be legally liable to the forfeiture of the entire contract fee, which would certainly have ruined him. But for a man like that money ranks a long, long way behind pride and Captain Imrie is a very proud man. He'd have told you to go to hell and turned his ship for Hammerfest.”
        “I'd say that our worthy physician's assessment is a hundred percent accurate." The Count had found some brandy and now helped himself freely. "You came close there, Otto, my boy." If the company chairman felt annoyance at being thus familiarly addressed by his cameraman, he showed no evidence of it. He said: "I agree. We are in your debt, Dr. Marlowe.”
        “A free seat at the premiere," I said, "and all debts discharged." I left the board to its deliberations and weaved my unsteady way down to the passenger accommodation. Allen and Mary darling were still in the same place in the lounge, only now she had her head on his shoulder and seemed to be asleep. I gave him a casually acknowledging wave of my hand and he answered in kind: he seemed to be becoming accustomed to my peripatetic presence.
        I entered the Duke's cabin without knocking, lest there was someone there asleep. There was. Eddie, the electrician, was very sound indeed and snoring heavily, the sight of his cabin-mate's close brush with the reaper hadn't unnerved him any that I could see. Cecil Golightly was awake and looking understandably very pale and drawn