While they were eating, Anderson said to Walmar, “Wal, I’ve been talking with the other skippers. We want you to go out with each of us in turn so that you can have a share of the catch. We’ll do that until you can get another boat. Your share of the co-operative profits will still happen. What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to say. It will reduce your income if you do that,” Walmar replied.
“No different to us having poorer catches, Wal. Besides, with your knowledge of your favourite fishing spots, we might all do better,” said Anderson.
“Then I accept, and I’m very grateful,” Walmar responded.
“Good,” said Anderson, “we don’t want to lose you from the village. You are part of us.” Rice listened with interest. He still had doubts about Walmar’s innocence but, so far, couldn’t prove anything. The offer from the other fishing skippers clearly showed the regard they had for him. It was an important point. Rice decided that he would talk to Hamilton about it when he got back to London. They all ate the fish with relish, tossing the bones over the side of the boat and washing the meal down with the black tea. Rice was really enjoying himself, feeling the movement of the waves under the vessel and getting his sea legs back again. He was getting too old for sea duty but the salt air, the wind-borne spray, the dirty-grey clouds torn by the wind as they were driven across the sky, the squall of rain bearing down upon them and spattering the rolling waves, all brought back feelings and a nostalgia for the sea. Listening to the conversation of these hard-working fishermen gave him a sense of comfort and satisfaction as he leaned against the wall of the fug-laden cabin. It brought back memories of the ward-room and days when life’s problems seemed less complex than those he had these days. He took a cigarette offered to him, a Players Medium, and lit it from the proffered lighted cigarette. Inhaling, Rice looked out at the waves rolling past with the wind whipping spray from the tops of them and he sighed.
Anderson looked at the clock on the binnacle and said, “All right, let’s pull up anchor and head in slowly. It’s time for us to go home.” It was a signal to the other two boats and as Anderson got under way they formed up behind him, their riding lights on.
CHAPTER 14
At the Shaolin Martial Arts Club, Andy met Mr Lee again and was welcomed warmly. He was introduced to other members there. Andy noted that out of the twenty people there, a dozen of them were Chinese and half of the Chinese wore black belts. He noted that there were two men he recognised as being from RAF West Sanby. One wore a black belt and the other a brown. Mr Lee arranged a uniform for Andy and explained that he would have to have a white belt. Andy said that he understood. He noted that Mr Lee was the Sensei, to use the Japanese term. He opened the meeting formally and then led the group in the warm-up exercises. After about fifteen minutes of these, the group broke up into groups of five, each led by a black belt. Andy was put with the novice section so that he could get an understanding of the Shaolin techniques. This section was led by a very serious Chinese man of about Andy’s age. He said that his name was Lin. After thirty minutes, they had a short break and the leader conferred with Mr Lee. The groups re-formed and worked for another twenty minutes on their patterns, working in pairs under the guidance of each trainer.
Mr Lee then called a break and asked the group to gather around the main mat. He then called Andy out and explained to the others Andy’s background in martial arts. He wanted them to see a comparison of another form in action against the Shaolin. Mr Lee called out the Chinese trainer who had led the section Andy was in. The two men bowed to Mr Lee and then to each other. Neither was sure of what to expect and both knew that Andy could not use a number of jiu-jitsu moves to full effect since they could cause serious injury or death. Andy took up a defensive pose and waited for his opponent to make a move. Lin suddenly spun round on the ball of his left foot and lifted his arms up as if to balance. He turned through three hundred and sixty degrees and then, on coming round, shot his right leg out at Andy’s chest. It moved in an arc as it came up and out. Andy turned inside the movement so that it would miss his chest and, with his back now to Lin, grabbed the leg as it completed its reach and pulled hard . Lin was pulled off balance and fell backwards, rolling on his shoulders and flicking his left leg up to strike Andy on his rib cage. Andy let go and spun away. Lin bounced back onto his feet and readied for another attack. The two men sparred like this for another five minutes when Mr Lee called a halt. The two men pulled apart, faced each other and bowed, then turned to Mr Lee and bowed to him. He then invited a discussion from the group about the moves and counter-moves. There was a clear respect between Andy and Lin for each other, despite their different disciplines. They smiled and shook hands at the end of the evening session. Andy felt that he had gained a new friend. Mr Lee invited Andy to attend again and offered to lend him a book on the Shaolin discipline and art. Andy was pleased to accept. “Next time
