The Levanter Part 25

I should have worried more about that walkie-talkie, seen the danger it really represented and so been better prepared to counter it.

The trouble was that in my own mind at that moment I was quite certain that I knew what the Israelis were going to do. It wasn't just wishful thinking on my part; I had been using the ship's radio.

As soon as we had left Syrian waters that morning I had begun sending messages to Famagusta, a series of three. They could not be explicit; I had to wrap everything up in commercial jargon; but they made and remade three points.

First: that the information previously furnished had been found to be incomplete and that two ships were now involved in the transaction.

Second: that modifications to the announced routing would have to be made.

Third: that, as a consequence, the steps to be taken already discussed should be taken not later that 21.15 hrs. in order to be effective.

They had been difficult messages to compose and one of them read like gibberish. The ship's radio operator had given me some odd looks. But I didn't care what he thought. From the fact that all three messages had been acknowledged without the bewildered demands for clarification that might have been expected, I concluded, rightly, that they were getting through to Barlev, and that my mad cable from Damascus had had the desired effect of alerting him. The final acknowledgement added what I took to be a personal a.s.surance from him. Famagusta said that they would 'proceed as planned.'

To me that meant that the interception was going to be off Caesarea at 21.15 that evening. I felt that all I had to do now was wait.

Ghaled had kept to his cabin most of the day. The front-fighters preferred the deck - understandably, since the special compartment had no porthole. I stayed in the Captain's quarters aft of the bridge until the late afternoon. This was with Ghaled's approval; I was supposed to be keeping an eye on the ship's progress. But round about five o'clock a message came, brought by Kyprianou the steward, that I was to report to him in his cabin.

With the message Kyprianou brought additional information. 'Mr Ya.s.sin is armed,' he said dramatically.

'Oh.'

'He is wearing his pistol on a belt, sir.'

'I see.'

'Shall I tell him to take it off, sir?'

'No, Kyprianou, it is perfectly all right.'

He seemed disappointed. Touzani, who had been listening, added a further caution.

'You will pretend not to have seen the pistol. Just get on with your work in the ordinary way.' He dismissed the steward. To me he said: 'When you get back, Mr Howell, it may be as well if we have a little talk.'

I nodded and went down to see Ghaled.

He was sitting at the small cabin desk writing, and I stood in the doorway for several seconds before he turned.

'Ah comrade Michael. There was a small task I gave you on the day before we left.'

'Task, comrade Salah?'

'Two bottles of brandy."

'Oh yes. For the celebration. Would you like them now?'

'I would like one. And bring two gla.s.ses with you from the saloon.'

I had to go back up to the Captain's quarters to fetch the bottle. He watched in silence while I got it out of my bag. It was an eloquent silence. I would have preferred some spoken comment.

When I returned to Khaled he had some papers in his hand.

'Sit down, comrade Michael.'

As he had the only chair I sat on the bunk beside the Serin-ette.

'You can open the bottle? Good. Then pour two drinks and let us talk about the future. We arrive in Alexandria tomorrow at what time?'

'Early afternoon I expect, comrade Salah, but with the course changes ahead it is difficult to say exactly.'

'My arrival will be kept secret, of course. It must not be known how I have arrived. The press conference I hold will be in Cairo.'

'Is that already organised?'

'Everything is organised.' He gave me a sheet of paper with mimeographed typing on it. 'That is the preliminary statement in English which will be issued to the international news agencies in Beirut as soon as the first reports of our attack begin coming in.'

The paper was headed Palestinian Action Force Information Service and datelined Beirut July 4. The statement began: At approximately 22.00 hrs. yesterday 3 July, troops of the Palestinian Action Force under the personal command of their leader Salah Ghaled, launched the most devastating attack yet seen on the Zionist pseudo-state of Israel. The target selected was that citadel of Zionist expansionism Tel Aviv. Ma.s.sive bombardments by both land and sea forces of the PAF, though directed primarily at military installations in the area, are believed to have caused some civilian casualties. In a statement following the attack, PAF leader Salah Ghaled said that, while such casualties were regretted, he could not allow the presence of so-called innocent bystanders to influence PAF war policy. 'While we Palestinians must still fight for justice,' he said, 'no bystanders are innocent. In the Palestinian liberation movement there have been too many words and too few deeds. With this offensive the PAF, representing the new militant leadership of all Palestinian forces, begins the march to victory and ultimate justice.'

There was more of the same-Melanie Hammad's work obviously - but I only pretended to read it.

'It is good English, comrade Michael?' he asked anxiously. 'I can read English a little but not very well.'

'Yes, it is in good English.' I knew that there would be one question expected of me and that I had better ask it quickly.

'It says here, comrade Salah, that there will be bombardment from the sea. Can that be correct?'

He smiled contentedly. 'That is a surprise that I have been keeping for you. Fill our gla.s.ses again.'

So then he told me about the Jeble 5 attack.

I made the appropriate sounds of delight and amazement. In a way he had made my task a little easier, because now I did not have to maintain quite so much of a pretence with him. On the other hand, I now had more to conceal from Captain Touzani. Instead of my own surmises and deductions to keep quiet about - and they just could have been mistaken -1 had confirmed information to withhold. I would have to be careful when we had our 'little talk'.

The problem now was to get away from Ghaled. All he wanted to do was talk about Cairo and the reception he expected there. Last time it had been cold. This time it would be very different. He was looking forward to seeing Ya.s.sir Arafat's face as they embraced for the photographers. He had been making notes of some of the questions the reporters would most likely ask him and preparing his replies.

I had to listen to them. He went on and on. After the third brandy I said that I must go and make arrangements for that evening.

'What arrangements?'

'The first course change will be made at eight o'clock. When I am sure that all is well I think that we should have our meal, comrade Salah, so that we are all ready for the next change at nine fifteen off Caesarea. I imagine the Jeble 5 will be joining us soon after.'

'Yes, you have work to do. Very well, go.'

When I left he was pouring his fourth brandy.

Captain Touzani was drinking beer and not looking as though he was enjoying it.

'So,' he said, 'our armed pa.s.senger is now busy getting drunk, Mr Howell. As Captain of this ship you cannot expect me to be pleased.'

'He doesn't get very drunk. He gets nastier, but not drunk, I don't expect you to be pleased.'

'But you have no change of plan to propose.'

'None that we haven't already discussed.'

'I take it then that you want me to issue arms to the watch officers.'

'Yes. And when Ya.s.sin and the rest of the pa.s.sengers go to the saloon to eat I would like the special compartment door locked. There's nothing we can do about Ya.s.sin's automatic, but we don't want the others armed as well.'

'They may be already armed.'

'No, I checked. They're on deck forrard, smoking.'

'When they find the door locked they won't like it.'

'Maybe they won't find out.' I was still banking on the Caesarea interception.

'You mean they won't be going to sleep tonight?' The brown eyes were watching me intently.

'I mean that I expect the situation to change in our favour, Captain.'

There was a long silence before he said: 'I do hope you know what you're doing, Mr Howell.'

'I think I do, Captain.'

When we made the first course change the sun was low in the sky. As soon as we were on the new heading I went down to the saloon and reported the fact to Ghaled. He didn't seem very interested. He must have gone on drinking steadily after I had left him. I sat down next to Aziz and forced myself to eat. Kyprianou gave me disapproving looks; I was not conducting myself as an owner should. As soon as I reasonably could I left the saloon and went back to the bridge again.

Touzani had posted an extra man at the top of the companion way. Patsalides was on watch. They both had large revolvers stuck in their belts and were obviously self-conscious about them. They pretended not to see me.

Touzani was in his office. He carried his revolver in his right hand trouser pocket. He had been staring out of the porthole when I came in, but now he turned.

He motioned towards the darkness with his hand. 'There's another ship out there,' he said. 'She crossed astern of us a while back. Had the sunset behind her. A Syrian schooner motoring on her engine.'

I sat down but said nothing.

'She wouldn't be the ship we're going to rendezvous with would she?'

'Why do you ask?'

'When we change next time we'll be on convergent courses. I ask because she's running without lights.'

'She can see our lights. I think you'll find she'll stay clear.'

'No rendezvous?'

'Not with her.'

'Your orders are still the same, Mr Howell?'

'My requests are, yes. Slow to six knots but stay ten miles offsh.o.r.e.'

'Very well.'

He left me and went to the wheelhouse. He was displeased with me and I didn't blame him. I was displeased with myself. He was trusting me and I should have confided in him. But it was too late now. I had begun to watch the clock.

Nine o'clock came and went. Then it was nine fifteen. From the bridge I could hear the change being made. Patsalides rang down to the engine room for half ahead and then revolutions for six knots. The course change called for by Hadaya had been eleven degrees to starboard. Touzani ordered a change of fifteen. From that point on until he corrected again we would be moving away from the coast. After he had corrected we would be nowhere near territorial waters.

I had no idea what form a patrol boat interception would take. I presumed some form of flashing light signal-'What ship is that?'-followed by an order to heave to. I didn't know. I didn't care. I just stood by the porthole with my eyes glued to the darkness outside waiting for something to happen. I waited and waited.

I was still waiting when Captain Touzani returned to the cabin. He had a radio message form in his hand and he was clearly furious.

'Mr Howell, a radio has just been received. It is in English and for you.' He thrust it under my nose.

It was addressed: M. V. AMALIA HOWELL FOR M. HOWELL. It read: EMERGENCY PROCEDURE. STEER 170 DEGREES. REPEAT 170. YOU ARE CLEARED FOR ASHDOD.

It was signed: COASTGUARD HADERA.

At least they hadn't forgotten me. I looked up into the angry brown eyes of Captain Touzani.

'It may be addressed to you, Mr Howell,' he said deliberately, 'but I want to know what it means. I demand an explanation.'

What it meant was that the radio warnings that I had sent earlier had not been fully understood; but I could scarcely tell him that.

'May we look at the chart, Captain?'

'All right. But I still want an explanation. I still want to know why, in my ship, you are getting navigational instructions from an Israeli coastguard station, and why we are cleared for an Israeli port for which we are not bound.'

'Show me this course on the chart, please.'

We went through to the wheelhouse and he laid a ruler across the chart to show me.

'There's one-seven-oh.'

'On that course what would be our distance from Tel Aviv when we pa.s.sed it?'

'Six miles about.'

'What is our present course?"

'One-nine-two.'

'Will you please radio to Hadera? Say please, in my name, that we are not, repeat not, able to carry out this emergency procedure, and that we are compelled, use that word, to maintain course one-nine-two.'

'First, I want that explanation.'

'We are trying to keep out of trouble, and keep a lot of other people out of trouble as well. That's all the explaining I can do now, Captain. Kindly send the message and mark it Urgent For Action.'

He started to argue but I cut him short.

'This is an order, Captain Touzani, and I can a.s.sure you that it is a proper order from an owner to a Captain.'