A Ravel of Waters

'Keep that hidden, for Pete's sake!' I said. 'We've got to find or create the opportunity to use it. It's not only our lives that are at stake. There are all the other consequences. I'm also desperately worried what they'll do to Kay.'

'I don't like the sound of Kyyiv either,' he replied. 'If they got their hands on her at Molot, I fear she's done for.' 'Meaning?'

He side-stepped a direct answer. 'It was better she should know Jetwind’s secret. If the pressure becomes too great, she could always break down and confess. Not knowing and playing the genuine innocent might only lead to something worse.'

I got up and made for the partition like a lion trapped in a cage. Up came the sentry's automatic. 'Peter! Leave it! Here comes the Cape news!' It took a great effort to pull myself away. 'There is concern in Cape Town shipping circles regarding the whereabouts of the missing sailing ship Jetwind, which began an attempt on the Falklands-Cape record some days ago’ said the suave tones of the woman newsreader. 'All attempts to establish communication with the ship have failed. The owner, Mr Axel Thomsen, told our news staff this morning that he is worried about the safety of the ship, which encountered a storm of hurricane proportions shortly after leaving Port Stanley. Weather satellite photographs confirm that a storm of unusual intensity is still raging along the route Captain Rainier decided to take to Gough Island. Captain Rainier had been warned by weather experts not to follow this course…'

'I can't stand this holier-than-thou, I-told-you-so crap!' I exclaimed angrily. 'If they only guessed what was going on!' 'No one could guess, Peter,' replied Tideman. I tried to defuse my frustration. 'This amounts to the fact that Grohman is keeping radio silence, doesn't it?' 'Wouldn't you, in his shoes, with the stakes involved?' The bulletin went on: – 'Mr Thomsen adds that South African Naval Headquarters has informed him that the area where Jetwind was last reported is well outside the range of long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Nevertheless, if nothing is heard today from the missing ship, the South African research vessel Agulhas, which is now on a routine replenishment voyage to our weather station on Gough Island, may be diverted to search for Jetwind. The Agulhas is equipped with two helicopters, which would enable a wide area of ocean to be covered…'

There was an interruption. Grohman had arrived in the outside office. With him was the guard's relief, looking the freshest of the three.

Grohman, carrying his automatic, unlocked the door. He was strained and unshaven. If I was short on sleep, he was shorter. Kay emerged from her cubicle. I said, 'You just missed an interesting news bulletin, Grohman. Everyone is getting pretty worried about Jetwind’ 'The people who matter aren't worried’ he retorted.

I went on, trying to needle him. 'Your radio silence is proving counter-productive. You didn't hear what the radio had to say.'

'Don't play games!' he snarled. 'Landajo tapes all the main news bulletins. I can hear them at my leisure.'

I kept silent. His nerves were too ragged to take it. Finally he snapped. 'Out with it – what did the news say?'

'If nothing is heard today from Jetwind, the Agulhas will divert from Gough and search the Southern Ocean – with helicopters.' 'You lie!' he exploded. 'You are making this up!'

'You can check – it's on tape, you said so yourself.' I pushed home my verbal attack. 'That means that they'll locate Molot, Grohman. What will your bosses in the Soviet Fleet say when they find out you've blown their cover? The eyes of the world are already focused on this section of the Southern Ocean because of Jetwind. You haven't been nearly clever enough!' 'I should shoot you!' he snarled.

'It's too late,' I replied with more bravado than I felt. 'You've started something you can't reverse. Searchers will be here soon like a swarm of bees.'

I felt Grohman was against the ropes, psychologically speaking.

He said defensively, 'If I had sent a Mayday, they would have been here in any event.'

'You should simply have carried on as if nothing had happened,' I persisted. 'Just pretended you were me. I doubt whether if you'd tried it Thomsen would have fallen for a yarn about a second Jetwind skipper having died by accident.'

'Don't mock me, you bastard! There is still time to put the search off the scent.' 'Go ahead,' I said. 'You're the skipper.'

'Rainier,' he said in a way which was more sinister than his histrionics, 'Molot Command has instructed me to deliver you – unharmed. It might be a lot easier for you if I could tell them you had been cooperative. As it is…'He shrugged.