has some very definite views on this ship. In her present design and
construction, she is not safe to carry even regular crude petroleum oil/
Nicholas said.
However, she will be employed in the carriage of crude oil that has been
contaminated by cadmium sulphide in such concentrations as to make it
one of the more toxic substances in nature. Your first statement, Mr.
Berg, does anyone else share your doubts as to the safety of her design?
She does not carry the Al rating by the marine inspectors of Lloyd's of
London/ said Nicholas.
Now can you tell us about the cargo she will carry - the so-called
cad-rich crudes? Nicholas knew he had perhaps fifteen seconds to draw a
verbal picture of the Atlantic Ocean turned into a sterile poisoned
desert; it was too short a time, and twice Duncan Alexander interjected,
skilfully breaking up the logic of Nicholas presentation and before he
had finished, the anchor-man glanced at his watch and cut him short.
Thank you, Mr. Berg. Now Mr. Kemp is a director of the oil company. My
company., Orient Amex, last year allocated the sum of two million U.S.
dollars as grants to assist in the scientific study of world
environmental problems. I can tell you folks, right now, that we at
Orient Amex are very conscious of the problems of modern technology He
was projecting the oil-company image, the benefactors of all humanity.
Your company's profit last year, after taxation, was four hundred and
twenty-five million dollars/ Nicholas cut in clearly. That makes point
four seven percent on environmental research - all of it tax deductible.
Congratulations, Mr. Kemp. The oil man looked pained and went on: Now
we at Orient Amex/ plugging the company n gm e again neatly, are working
towards a better quality of life for all peoples.
But we do realize that it is impossible to put back the clock a hundred
years. We cannot allow ourselves to be blinded by the romantic wishful
thinking of amateur environmentalists, the weekend scientists and the
doom-criers who - Cry Torrey Canyon, Nicholas suggested helpfully, and
the oil man suppressed a shudder and went on quickly. -who would have us
discontinue such research as the revolutionary cadmium cracking process,
which could extend the world's utilization of fossil fuels by a
staggering forty percent and give the world's oil reserves an extended
life of twenty years or more. Again the anchor-man glanced at his
watch, cut the oil off in mid-flow and switched his attention to Duncan
Alexander.
Mr. Alexander, your so-called ultra-tanker will carry the cad-rich
crudes. How would you reply to Mr. Berg? Duncan smiled, a deep secret
smile. When Mr. Berg had my job as head of Christy Marine, the Golden
Dawn was the best idea in the world. Since he was fired, it's suddenly
the worst. They laughed, even one of the cameramen out beyond the
lights guffawed uncontrollably, and Nicholas felt the hot red rush of
his anger.
Is the Golden Dawn rated Al at Lloyd's? asked the anchor-man.
Christy Marine has not applied for a Llpyd's listing we arranged our
insurance in other markets. Even through his anger Nicholas had to
concede how good he was, he had a mind like quicksilver.
How safe is your ship, Mr. Alexander? Now Duncan turned his head and
