H.M.S. Ulysses Part 44

in the near-darkness, it was impossible to see the bombs going home, but the explosions were unmistakable. And as each plane pa.s.sed over, the decks were raked by savage bursts of machine-gun fire. Every gun position on the freighter was wide open, lacking all but the most elementary frontal protection: the Dems, Naval Ratings on the L.A. guns, Royal Marine Artillerymen on the H.A. weapons, were under no illusions as to their life expectancy when they joined the merchant ships on the Russian run... For such few gunners as survived the bombing, the vicious stuttering of these machine-guns was almost certainly their last sound on earth.

As the bombs plummeted down on the next ship in line, the first freighter was already a broken-backed ma.s.s of licking, twisting flames.

Almost certainly, too, her bottom had been torn out: she had listed heavily, and now slowly and smoothly broke apart just aft of the bridge as if both parts were hinged below the water-line, and was gone before the clamour of the last aero engine had died away in the distance.

Tactical surprise had been complete. One ship gone, a second slewing wildly to an uncontrolled stop, deep in the water by the head, and strangely disquieting and ominous in the entire absence of smoke, flame or any movement at all, a third heavily damaged but still under command. Not one Condor had been lost.

Turner ordered the cease-fire-some of the gunners were still firing blindly into the darkness: trigger-happy, perhaps, or just that the imagination plays weird tricks on woolly minds and sunken blood-red eyes that had known no rest for more hours and days than Turner could remember. And then, as the last Oerlikon fell silent, he heard it again-the drone of the heavy aero engines, the sound welling then ebbing again like breakers on a distant sh.o.r.e, as the wind gusted and died.

There was nothing anyone could do about it. The Focke-Wulf, although lost in the low cloud, was making no attempt to conceal its presence: the ominous drone was never lost for long. Clearly, it was circling almost directly above.

"What do you make of it, sir?" Turner asked.

"I don't know," Vallery said slowly. "I just don't know at all. No more visits from the Condors, I'm sure of that. It's just that little bit too dark-and they know they won't catch us again. Tailing us, like as not."

"Tailing us! It'll be black as tar in half an hour!" Turner disagreed.

"Psychological warfare, if you ask me."

"G.o.d knows," Vallery sighed wearily. "All I know is that I'd give all my chances, here and to come, for a couple of Corsairs, or radar, or fog, or another such night as we had in the Denmark Straits." He laughed shortly, broke down in a fit of coughing. "Did you hear me?" he whispered. "I never thought I'd ask for that again... How long since we left Scapa, Commander?"

Turner thought briefly. "Five-six days, sir."

"Six days!" He shook his head unbelievingly. "Six days. And-and thirteen ships-we have thirteen ships now."

"Twelve," Turner corrected quietly. "Another's almost gone. Seven freighters, the tanker and ourselves. Twelve... I wish they'd have a go at the old Stirling once in a while," he added morosely.

Vallery shivered in a sudden flurry of snow. He bent forward, head bent against the bitter wind and slanting snow, sunk in unmoving thought.

Presently he stirred.

"We will be off the North Cape at dawn," he said absently. "Things may be a little difficult, Commander. They'll throw in everything they've got."

"We've been round there before," Turner conceded.

"Fifty-fifty on our chances." Vallery did not seem to have heard him, seemed to be talking to himself. "Ulysses and the Sirens-' it may be that the gulfs will wash us down.'... I wish you luck, Commander."

Turner stared at him. "What do you mean------?"

"Oh, myself too." Vallery smiled, his head lifting up. "I'll need all the luck, too." His voice was very soft.

Turner did what he had never done before, never dreamed he would do. In the near-darkness he bent over the Captain, pulled his face round gently and searched it with troubled eyes. Vallery made no protest, and after a few seconds Turner straightened up.

"Do me a favour, sir," he said quietly. "Go below. I can take care of things-and Carrington will be up before long. They're gaining control aft."

"No, not tonight." Vallery was smiling, but there was a curious finality about the voice. "And it's no good dispatching one of your minions to summon old Socrates to the bridge. Please, Commander. I want to stay here-I want to see things tonight."

"Yes, yes, of course." Suddenly, strangely, Turner no longer wished to argue. He turned away. "Chrysler! I'll give you just ten minutes to have a gallon of boiling coffee in the Captain's shelter... And you're going to go in there for half an hour," he said firmly, turning to Vallery, "and drink the d.a.m.ned stuff, or-or------"

"Delighted!" Vallery murmured. "Laced with your incomparable rum, of course?"

"Of course! Eh-oh, yes, d.a.m.n that Williamson!" Turner growled irritably. He paused, went on slowly: "Shouldn't have said that...

Poor b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, they'll have had it by this time..." He fell silent, then c.o.c.ked his head listening. "I wonder how long old Charlie means to keep stooging around up there," he murmured.

Vallery cleared his throat, coughed, and before he could speak the W.T. broadcaster clicked on.

"W.T.-bridge. W.T.-bridge. Two messages."

"One from the dashing Orr, for a fiver," Turner grunted.

"First from the Sirrus. 'Request permission to go alongside, take off survivors. As well hung for a sheep as a lamb.'"

Vallery stared through the thinly falling snow, through the darkness of the night and over the rolling sea.

"In this sea?" he murmured. "And as near dark as makes no difference. He'll kill himself!"

"That's nothing to what old Starr's going to do to him when he lays hands on him!" Turner said cheerfully.

"He hasn't a chance. I-I could never ask a man to do that. There's no justification for such a risk. Besides, the merchantman's been badly hit. There can't be many left alive aboard."

Turner said nothing.

'"Make a signal," Vallery said clearly. "'Thank you. Permission granted.

Good luck." And tell W.T. to go ahead."

There was a short silence, then the speaker crackled again.

"Second signal from London for Captain. Decoding. Messenger leaving for bridge immediately."

"To Officer Commanding, 14 A.C.S., FR77," the speaker boomed after a few seconds. "' Deeply distressed at news. Imperative maintain 090. Battle squadron steaming SSE. at full speed on interception course. Rendezvous approx. 1400 tomorrow. Their Lordships expressly command best wishes Rear-Admiral, repeat Rear-Admiral Vallery. D.N.O., London.'"

The speaker clicked off and there was only the lost pinging of the Asdic, the throbbing monotony of the prowling Condor's engines, the lingering memory of the gladness in the broadcaster's voice.

"Uncommon civil of their Lordships," murmured the Kapok Kid, rising to the occasion as usual. "Downright decent, one might almost say."

"b.l.o.o.d.y long overdue," Turner growled. "Congratulations, sir," he added warmly. "Signs of grace at last along the banks of the Thames." A murmur of pleasure ran round the bridge: discipline or not, no one made any attempt to hide his satisfaction.

"Thank you, thank you." Vallery was touched, deeply touched. Promise of help at long, long last, a promise which might hold-almost certainly held-for each and every member of his crew the difference between life and death-and they could only think to rejoice in his promotion! Dead men's shoes, he thought, and thought of saying it, but dismissed the idea immediately: a rebuff, a graceless affront to such genuine pleasure.

"Thank you very much," he repeated. "But gentlemen, you appear to have missed the only item of news of any real significance------"

"Oh, no, we haven't," Turner growled. "Battle squadron, ha! Too ------late as usual. Oh, to be sure, they'll be in at the death-or shortly afterwards, anyway. Perhaps in time for a few survivors. I suppose the Ill.u.s.trious and the Furious will be with them?"

"Perhaps. I don't know." Vallery shook his head, smiling. "Despite my recent-ah-elevation, I am not yet in their Lordships' confidence. But there'll be some carriers, and they could fly off a few hours away, give us air cover from dawn."

"Oh, no, they won't," said Turner prophetically. "The weather will break down, make flying off impossible. See if I'm not right."