reason. But that was unlikely, the Ulysses had long since ceased to care. Perhaps it was just naval discipline, or loyalty to the captain, or what the psychologists call conditioned reflex, you hear the scream of brakes and you immediately jump for your life. Or perhaps it was something else again.
Whatever it was, the ship, all except the port watch anchor party, was closed up in two minutes. Unanimous in their disbelief that this could be happening to them in Scapa Flow, men went to their stations silently or vociferously, according to their nature. They went reluctantly, sullenly, resentfully, despairingly. But they went.
Rear-Admiral Tyndall went also. He was not one of those who went silently. He climbed blasphemously up to the bridge, pushed his way through the port gate and clambered into his high-legged armchair in the for'ard port corner of the compass platform. He looked at Vallery.
'What's the flap, in heaven's name, Captain?' he demanded testily.
'Everything seems singularly peaceful to me.'
'Don't know yet, sir.' Vallery swept worried eyes over the anchorage.
'Alarm signal from C.-in-C., with orders to get under way immediately.'
'Get under way! But why, man, why?'
Vallery shook his head.
Tyndall groaned. 'It's all a conspiracy, designed to rob old men like myself of their afternoon sleep,' he declared.
'More likely a brainwave of Starr's to shake us up a bit,' Turner grunted.
'No.' Tyndall was decisive. 'He wouldn't try that, wouldn't dare. Besides, by his lights, he's not a vindictive man.'
Silence fell, a silence broken only by the patter of sleet and hail, and the weird haunting pinging of the Asdic. Vallery suddenly lifted his binoculars.
'Good lord, sir, look at that! The Duke's slipped her anchor!'
There was no doubt about it. The shackle-pin had been knocked out and the bows of the great ship were swinging slowly round as it got under way.
'What in the world------?' Tyndall broke off and scanned the sky. 'Not a plane, not a paratrooper in sight, no radar reports, no Asdic contacts, no sign of the German Grand Fleet steaming through the boom------'
'She's signalling us, sir!' It was Bentley speaking, Bentley, the Chief Yeoman of Signals. He paused and went on slowly: 'Proceed to our anchorage at once. Make fast to north buoy.'
'Ask them to confirm,' Vallery snapped. He took the fo'c'sle phone from the communication rating.
'Captain here, Number One. How is she? Up and down? Good.' He turned to the officer of the watch. 'Slow ahead both: Starboard 10.', He looked over at Tyndall's corner, brows wrinkled in question.
'Search me,' Tyndall growled. 'Could be the latest in parlour games, a sort of nautical musical chairs, you know.... Wait a minute, though!
Look! The Cumberland, all her 5.25's are at maximum depression!'
Vallery's eyes met his.
'No, it can't be! Good God, do you think------?'
The blare of the Asdic loudspeaker, from the cabinet immediately abaft of the bridge, gave him his answer. The voice of Leading Asdic Operator Chrysler was clear, unhurried.
'Asdic-bridge. Asdic-bridge. Echo, Red 30. Repeat, Red 30. Strengthening. Closing.'
The captain's incredulity leapt and died in the same second.
'Alert Director Control! Red 30. All A.A. guns maximum depression. Underwater target. Torps ', this to Lieutenant Marshall, the Canadian Torpedo Officer, 'depth charge stations.'
He turned back to Tyndall.
'It can't be, sir, it just can't! A U-boat, I presume it is, in Scapa Flow. Impossible!'
'Prien didn't think so,' Tyndall grunted.
'Prien?'
'Kapitan-Leutnant Prien-gent who scuppered the Royal Oak.'
'It couldn't happen again. The new boom defences------'
'Would keep out any normal submarines,' Tyndall finished. His voice dropped to a murmur. 'Remember what we were told last month about our midget two-man subs, the chariots? The ones to be taken over to Norway by Norwegian fishing-boats operating from the Shetlands. Could be that the Germans have hit on the same idea.'
'Could be,' Vallery agreed. He nodded sardonically. 'Just look at the Cumberland go, straight for the boom.' He paused for a few seconds, his eyes speculative, then looked back at Tyndall. 'How do you like it, sir?'
'Like what, Captain?'
'Playing Aunt Sally at the fair.' Vallery grinned crookedly. 'Can't afford to lose umpteen million pounds worth of capital ship. So the old Duke hares out to sea and safety, while we moor near her anchor berth.
You can bet German Naval Intelligence has the bearing of her anchorage down to a couple of inches. These midget subs carry detachable warheads and if there's going to be any fitted, they're going to be fitted to us.'
Tyndall looked at him. His face was expressionless. Asdic reports were continuous, reporting steady bearing to port and closing distances.
'Of course, of course,' the Admiral murmured. 'We're the whipping boy. Gad, it makes me feel bad!' His mouth twisted and he laughed mirthlessly. 'Me? This is the final straw for the crew. That hellish last trip, the mutiny, the marine boarding party from the Cumberland, action stations in harbour, and now this! Risking our necks for that-that...' He broke off, spluttering, swore in anger, then resumed quietly:
'What are you going to tell the men, Captain? Good God, it's fantastic!
I feel like mutiny myself...' He stopped short, looked inquiringly past Vallery's shoulder.
The Captain turned round.
'Yes, Marshall?'
'Excuse me, sir. This-er-echo.' He jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
'A sub, sir, possibly a pretty small one?' The transatlantic accent was very heavy.
'Likely enough, Marshall. Why?'
'Just how Ralston and I figured it, sir.' He grinned. 'We have an idea for dealing with it.'
Vallery looked out through the driving sleet, gave helm and engine orders, then turned back to the Torpedo Officer. He was coughing heavily, painfully, as he pointed to the glassed, in anchorage chart.
'If you're thinking of depth-charging our stern off in these shallow waters------'
'No, sir. Doubt whether we could get a shallow enough setting anyway. My idea, Ralston's to be correct, is that we take out the motor boat and a few 25-lb. scuttling charges, 18-second fuses and chemical igniters. Not much of a kick from these, I know, but a miniature sub ain't likely to have helluva-er-very thick hulls. And if the crews are sitting on top of the ruddy things instead of inside -- well, it's curtains for sure. It'll kipper 'em.'
Vallery smiled.
'Not bad at all, Marshall. I think you've got the answer there. What do you think, sir?'
'Worth trying, anyway,' Tyndall agreed. 'Better than waiting around like a sitting duck.'
'Go ahead then, Torps.' Vallery looked at him quizzically. 'Who are your explosives experts?'
'I figured on taking Ralston------'
'Just what I thought. You're taking nobody, laddie,' said Vallery firmly. 'Can't afford to lose my torpedo officer.'
Marshall looked pained, then shrugged resignedly.
'The Chief T.G.M. and Ralston, he's the senior L.T.O. Good men both.'
'Right. Bentley, detail a man to accompany them in the boat. We'll signal Asdic bearings from here. Have him take a portable Aldis with him.' He dropped his voice. 'Marshall?'
'Sir?'
'Ralston's young brother died in hospital this afternoon.' He looked across at the Leading Torpedo Operator, a tall, blond, unsmiling figure dressed in faded blue overalls beneath his duffel. 'Does he know yet?'
The Torpedo Officer stared at Vallery, then looked round slowly at the L.T.O. He swore, softly, bitterly, fluently.
'Marshall!' Vallery's voice was sharp, imperative, but Marshall ignored him, his face a mask, oblivious alike
