switched halfway across the world.
Warlock's still in Maurit'us! his voice snapped like a whip.
I had to fly out a new armature for the main generator.
It was just bad luck that she broke down in that God-forsaken part of
the world. When will she be ready for sea? Allen promises noon
tomorrow. Do you want to telex him for an update on that? Later.
Nicholas wet the tip of a cheroot carefully, without taking his eyes off
the plot, calculating distances and currents and speeds.
Golden Dawn? he asked, and lit the cheroot while he listened to
Bernard's reply.
Her pod tanks arrived under tow at the new Orient Amex depot on El
Barras three weeks ago. Bernie picked Up the pointer and touched the
upper bight of the deep Persian Gulf . They took on their full cargoes
of crude and lay inshore to await Golden Dawn's arrival. For a moment,
Nicholas contemplated the task of towing those four gigantic pod tanks
from Japan to the Gulf, and then he discarded the thought and listened
to Bernard.
Golden Dawn arrived last Thursday and, according to my agent at El
Barras, she coupled up with her pod tanks and made her turn around
within three hours. Bernard slid the tip of the pointer southwards down
the eastern coast of the African continent. I have had no report of her
since then, but if she makes good her twenty-two knots, then she'll be
somewhere off the coast of Mozambique, or Maputo as they call it now,
and she should double the Cape within the next few days. I will have a
report on her then, she'll be taking on mail as she passes Cape Town.
And passengers/ said Nicholas grimly; he knew that Peter and Chantelle
were in Cape Town already. He had telephoned the boy the night before
and Peter had been wildly elated at the prospect of the voyage on the
ultratanker.
It's going to be tremendous fun, Dad/his voice cracking with the onset
of both excitement and puberty. We'll be flying out to the ship in a
helicopter. Bernard Wackie changed the subject, now picking up a sheaf
of telex flimsies and thumbing swiftly through them.
I've confirmed the standby contract for Sea Witch.
Nicholas nodded, the contract was for Jules Levoisin and the new tug to
stand by three offshore working rigs, standard exploration rigs, that
were drilling in the Florida Bay, that elbow of shallow water formed by
the sweep of the Florida Keys and the low swampy morass of the
Everglades, It's ridiculous to use a twenty-two-thousand-horsepower
ocean-going tug as an oil rig standby/ Bernard lowered the file, and
could no longer contain his irritation, Jules is going to go bananas
sitting around playing nursemaid. You are going to have a mutiny on
your hands - and you'll be losing money. The daily hire won't cover
your direct costs. She will be sitting exactly where I want her, said
Nicholas, and switched his attention back to the tiny dot of an island
in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Now Warlock.
Right. Warlock. Bernie picked up another file. I have tendered for a
deep-sea tow. Cancel it/ said Nicholas. Just as soon as Allen has
repaired his generator, I want him running top of the green for Cape
Town. For Cape Town - top of the green? Bernard stared at him. Christ,
