sir, I can't say definitely it will be over, no.'
'Thank you. So, if it isn't over in four days, when will it be over? You. You're the pessimist. What do you think?'
Once again Jericho was conscious of everyone watching him.
He spoke carefully. Poor Logie was peering inside his tobacco pouch as if he wished he could climb in and never come out 'It's very hard to say. All we have to measure it by is the last blackout.'
'And how long did that go on?'
'Ten months.'
It was as if he had detonated a bomb. Everybody made a noise. The Navy men shouted. The admiral started coughing. Baxter and Atwood said 'No!' simultaneously. Logie groaned. Skynner, shaking his head, said: 'That really is defeatist of you, Tom.' Even Wigram, the fair-headed man, gave a snort and stared at the rafters, smiling at some private joke.
'I'm not saying it will definitely take us ten months,' Jericho resumed when he could make himself heard. 'But that's the measure of what we're up against and I think that four days is unrealistic. I'm sorry. I do.'
There was a pause, and then Wigram said, softly: ' Why, I wonder ..'
'Mr Wigram?'
'Sorry, Leonard.' Wigram bestowed his smile around the table, and Jericho's immediate thought was how expensive he looked—blue suit, silk tie, Jermyn Street shirt, pomaded hair swept back and scented with some masculine cologne—he might have stepped out of the lobby of the Ritz. A lounge lizard, Baxter had called him, which was Bletchley code for spy.
'Sorry,' Wigram said again. 'Thinking aloud. I was just wondering why Donitz should have decided to change this particular bit of code and why he should have chosen to do so now! He stared at Jericho. 'From what you were saying, it sounds as though he couldn't have chosen any one thing more damaging to us.'
Jericho didn't have to reply; Logie did it for him. 'Routine. Almost certainly. They change their code books from time to time. Just our bad luck they did it now.'
'Routine,' repeated Wigram. 'Right.' He smiled once more. 'Tell me, Leonard, how many people know about this weather code and how important it is to us?'
'Really, Douglas,' laughed Skynner, 'whatever are you suggesting?'
'How many?'
'Guy?'
'A dozen, perhaps.'
'Couldn't make me a little list, could you?'
Logie looked to Skynner for approval. 'I, ah, well, I, ah . . .'
'Thanks.'
Wigram resumed his examination of the ceiling.
The silence that followed was broken by a long sigh from the admiral. 'I think I gather the sense of the meeting.' He stubbed out his cigarette and reached down beside his chair for his briefcase. He began stuffing his papers into it and his lieutenants followed suit. 'I can't pretend it's the happiest of messages to take back to the First Sea Lord.'
Hammerbeck said: 'I guess I'd better signal Washington.'
The admiral stood and immediately they all pushed back their chairs and got to their feet.
'Lieutenant Cave will act as Admiralty liaison.' He turned to Cave: 'I'd like a daily report. On second thoughts, perhaps better make that twice a day.'
Yes, sir.
'Lieutenant Kramer: you'll carry on here and keep Commander Hammerbeck informed?'
'I sure will, sir. Yes, sir.'
'So.' He pulled on his gloves. 'I suggest we reconvene this meeting as and when there are developments to report. Which hopefully will be within four days.'
At the door, the old man turned. 'It's not just one million tons of shipping and ten thousand men, you know. It's one million tons of shipping and ten thousand men every two weeks. And it's not just the convoys. It's our obligation to send supplies to Russia. It's our chances of invading Europe and driving the Nazis out. It's everything. It's the whole war.' He gave another of his wheezing laughs. 'Not that I want to put any pressure on you, Leonard.' He nodded. 'Good morning, gentlemen.'
As they mumbled their 'good morning sirs', Jericho heard Wigram say quietly to Skynner: I'll talk to you later, Leonard.'
They listened to the visitors clatter down
'Thank you. So, if it isn't over in four days, when will it be over? You. You're the pessimist. What do you think?'
Once again Jericho was conscious of everyone watching him.
He spoke carefully. Poor Logie was peering inside his tobacco pouch as if he wished he could climb in and never come out 'It's very hard to say. All we have to measure it by is the last blackout.'
'And how long did that go on?'
'Ten months.'
It was as if he had detonated a bomb. Everybody made a noise. The Navy men shouted. The admiral started coughing. Baxter and Atwood said 'No!' simultaneously. Logie groaned. Skynner, shaking his head, said: 'That really is defeatist of you, Tom.' Even Wigram, the fair-headed man, gave a snort and stared at the rafters, smiling at some private joke.
'I'm not saying it will definitely take us ten months,' Jericho resumed when he could make himself heard. 'But that's the measure of what we're up against and I think that four days is unrealistic. I'm sorry. I do.'
There was a pause, and then Wigram said, softly: ' Why, I wonder ..'
'Mr Wigram?'
'Sorry, Leonard.' Wigram bestowed his smile around the table, and Jericho's immediate thought was how expensive he looked—blue suit, silk tie, Jermyn Street shirt, pomaded hair swept back and scented with some masculine cologne—he might have stepped out of the lobby of the Ritz. A lounge lizard, Baxter had called him, which was Bletchley code for spy.
'Sorry,' Wigram said again. 'Thinking aloud. I was just wondering why Donitz should have decided to change this particular bit of code and why he should have chosen to do so now! He stared at Jericho. 'From what you were saying, it sounds as though he couldn't have chosen any one thing more damaging to us.'
Jericho didn't have to reply; Logie did it for him. 'Routine. Almost certainly. They change their code books from time to time. Just our bad luck they did it now.'
'Routine,' repeated Wigram. 'Right.' He smiled once more. 'Tell me, Leonard, how many people know about this weather code and how important it is to us?'
'Really, Douglas,' laughed Skynner, 'whatever are you suggesting?'
'How many?'
'Guy?'
'A dozen, perhaps.'
'Couldn't make me a little list, could you?'
Logie looked to Skynner for approval. 'I, ah, well, I, ah . . .'
'Thanks.'
Wigram resumed his examination of the ceiling.
The silence that followed was broken by a long sigh from the admiral. 'I think I gather the sense of the meeting.' He stubbed out his cigarette and reached down beside his chair for his briefcase. He began stuffing his papers into it and his lieutenants followed suit. 'I can't pretend it's the happiest of messages to take back to the First Sea Lord.'
Hammerbeck said: 'I guess I'd better signal Washington.'
The admiral stood and immediately they all pushed back their chairs and got to their feet.
'Lieutenant Cave will act as Admiralty liaison.' He turned to Cave: 'I'd like a daily report. On second thoughts, perhaps better make that twice a day.'
Yes, sir.
'Lieutenant Kramer: you'll carry on here and keep Commander Hammerbeck informed?'
'I sure will, sir. Yes, sir.'
'So.' He pulled on his gloves. 'I suggest we reconvene this meeting as and when there are developments to report. Which hopefully will be within four days.'
At the door, the old man turned. 'It's not just one million tons of shipping and ten thousand men, you know. It's one million tons of shipping and ten thousand men every two weeks. And it's not just the convoys. It's our obligation to send supplies to Russia. It's our chances of invading Europe and driving the Nazis out. It's everything. It's the whole war.' He gave another of his wheezing laughs. 'Not that I want to put any pressure on you, Leonard.' He nodded. 'Good morning, gentlemen.'
As they mumbled their 'good morning sirs', Jericho heard Wigram say quietly to Skynner: I'll talk to you later, Leonard.'
They listened to the visitors clatter down
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