becoming each minute so much more closely involved in their ideas that
time had no significance.
They spoke about the sea, for they were both creatures of that element
and as they discovered this, so their mutual delight in each other grew.
From below came the faint unmelodious strains of Beauty Baker leading
the ship's officers in a chorus of:
The working class can kiss my arse I've got my. 12'12% at last. And at
another stage in the evening, a very worried Tim Graham appeared on the
bridge and blurted out, Captain, sir, Doctor Silver is missing. She's
not in her cabin and we have searched - He saw her then, sitting in the
Captain's chair and his worry turned to consternation.
Oh, I see. We didn't know - I mean we didn't expect - I'm sorry, sir.
Excuse me, sir. Goodnight, sir! And again he fled the bridge.
Doctor? Nick asked.
I'm afraid so/ she smiled, and then went on to talk about the
university, explaining her research project, and the other work she had
in mind. Nicholas listened silently, for like all highly competitive
and successful men, he respected achievement and ambition.
The chasm that he imagined existed between them shrank rapidly, so that
it was an intrusion when the eight to-twelve watch ended, and the relief
brought other human presence to the bridge, shattering the fragile mood
they had created around themselves, and denying them further excuse for
remaining together.
Goodnight, Captain Berg/ she said.
Goodnight, Doctor Silver/ he answered reluctantly.
Until that night, he had not even known her name, and there was so much
more he wanted to know now, but she was gone from the bridge; as he
entered his own suite, Nick's earlier loneliness returned, but with even
more poignancy.
During the long day of getting Golden Adventurer under tow, the hours of
trim and accommodation to the sea, until she was following meekly
settling down to the long journey ahead, Nick thought of the girl at
unlikely moments; but when he changed his usual routine and dined in the
saloon rather than his own cabin, she was surrounded by a solidly
attentive phalanx of young men, and, with a small shock of self-honesty,
Nick realized that he was actually jealous of them. Twice during the
meal, he had to suppress the sharp jibes that came to his lips, and
would have plunged the unfortunate recipient into uncomprehending
confusion.
Nick ate no desert and took coffee alone in his day cabin.
He might have relished Beauty Baker's company, but the Australian was
aboard Golden Adventurer, working on her main engines. Then, despite the
tensions and endeavours of the day, his bunk had no attractions for him.
He glanced at the clock on the panelled bulkhead above his desk and saw
that it was a few minutes after eight o'clock.
On impulse he went through to the navigation bridge, and Tim Graham
leapt guiltily to his feet. He had been sitting in the Master's chair,
a liberty which deserved at the least a sharp reprimand, but Nick
pretended not to notice and made a slow round of the bridge, checking
