wasn't going to get an easy answer. The knowledge that I had a reliable backstop gave me a warm feeling. I said, 'If I go missing on that bloody bit of rock you'll take no for an answer. You'll swallow what they tell you, then go back and see your brother.' He looked at me curiously. 'Are you expecting to disappear?' 'I wouldn't be surprised.' He wiped the spray from his face. 'I don't ken what this is about, but Archie seems to like you, and that's enough for me. He's a thinker.' It was a long haul across Annat Bay towards the Summer Isles. The waves were short and deep, and the pitching was combined with rolling, giving a corkscrew motion which was nauseating. Robbie looked at me and grinned. 'We'd better talk; it'll take your mind off your belly. Look, there's Camnan Sgeir, with Eilean Dubh beyond. That's Black Island in the English.' 'Where's Cladach Duillich?' 'Away the other side of Eilean Dubh. We've a way to go yet.' 'Why don't they keep a boat there? If I lived on an island it's the first thing I'd think of.' Robbie chuckled. 'You'll see when we get there-but I'll tell you anyway, just for the talking. There's but one place to lan d and a chancy place it is. There's no protection for boat or man. You can't just tie up as you can at Ullapool Pier.
There'd be no boat when you got back if there was anything of a blow.
It would be crushed on the rocks. I won't be waiting there for you, you know.' 'Oh? Where will you be?' 'Lying off somewhere within easy reach. There are more boats wrecked on land than at sea. It's the land that kills boats. I'll be doing a wee bit of fishing.' I looked at the jumbled sea. 'In this!' 'Och, I'm used to it. You give me a time and I'll be there.' 'I'll tell you now. I want exactly two hours ashore.'
'Two hours you'll get,' he said. 'About the boat they haven't got on Cladach Duillich. When those folk first came they had a boat but it got smashed, so they got another and that was smashed. After they lost the third they began to get the idea. Then they thought that if they could take the boat ashore it would be all right, but it's an awful weary job pulling a boat ashore on Cladach Duillich because there's no beach. So they rigged davits just like on a ship and they could take the boat straight up a cliff and out of the water. Then a wave came one night and took the boat and the davits and they were never seen again. After that they gave up.' 'It sounds a grim place.' 'It is-in bad weather. It won't be too bad today.' I looked at the reeling seas and wondered what Robbie called bad weather. He pointed. There it is-Cladach Duillich.' It was just as Archie Ferguson had described it-a wee bit of rock. There were cliffs all around, not high but precipitous, and the sea boiled white underneath them. Off the island was a scattering of rocks like black fangs and I thought the people on Cladach Duillich had been right when they decided this was no place for a boat. As we drew nearer Robbie said, 'See that ravine? The landing place is at the bottom.' There was a narrow crack in the cliff face at the bottom of which the sea seemed to be calmer-relatively speaking. Robbie swung the tiller over sharply to avoid a rock which slid astern three feet off the port quarter, then he swung hard the other way to avoid another. He grinned. 'This is when you hope the engine doesn't pack in. You'd better get right forrard- you'll have to jump for it, and I won't be able to hold her there long.' I scrambled forward and stood right in the bows as he brought the boat in. Now I saw that the crack in the rock was wider than at first glance and there was a concrete platform built at the bottom. The engine note changed as Robbie throttled back for the final approach. It was an amazing feat, but in that swirling sea with its crosscurrents he brought her in so the bow kissed the concrete with a touch as light as a feather. At his shout I jumped and went sprawling as my feet skidded from under me on the weed-covered surface. When I picked myself up the boat was thirty yards off-shore and moving away fast. Robbie waved and I waved back, and then he applied himself to the task of avoiding rocks. I looked at my surroundings. The first thing I saw was the notice board Archie Ferguson had mentioned. It was weather- beaten and the paint was peeling and faded but it was still readable. GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENT Landing is Absolutely Prohibited By Order It did not say who had issued the order. A path led from the concrete platform up the ravine, so I followed it. It climbed steeply and led to a plateau, sparsely grassed, in the centre of which was a group of buildings.
They were low concrete structures which had the appearance of military blockhouses, probably because they were windowless. From what had been said about Cladach Duillich they were the only type of building which could survive there. I had no more time to study the place because a man was approaching at a run. He slowed as he came closer, and said abruptly, 'Can't you read?' 'I can read.' 'Then clear off.' 'The age of miracles is past, friend. Walking on the water has gone out of fashion. The boat's gone.' 'Well, you can't stay here. What do you want?' 'I want to talk to Dr. Carter.' He seemed slightly taken aback, and I studied him as he thought about it. He was big and he had hard eyes and a stubborn jaw. He said, 'What do you want to talk to Dr.
Carter about?' 'If Dr. Carter wants you to know he'll tell you,' I said pleasantly. He didn't like that but there wasn't much he could do about it. 'Who are you?' 'Same thing applies. You're out of your depth, friend. Let's go and see Carter.' 'No,' he said curtly. 'You stay here.' I looked at him coldly. 'Not a chance. I'm wet through and I want to dry out.' I nodded to the buildings. 'Those look as bloody inhospitable as you behave, but I'm willing to bet they're warm and dry inside. Take me to Carter.' His problem was that he didn't know me or my authority, but I was behaving as though I had a right to be there and making demands. He did as I thought he would and passed the buck. 'All right, follow me. You see Carter and you go nowhere else.'
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX As we walked towards the buildings I looked around at Cladach Duillich. It was not very big-about a third of a mile long and a quarter-mile across. Life had a poor existence on this rock. What grass had managed to gain a roothold was salt resistant marram, growing in crannies where a poor soil had gathered, and even the dandelions were wizened and sickly growths. The seabirds appeared to like it, though; the rocks were white with their droppings and they wheeled overhead screaming at our movements below. There were three buildings, all identical, and I noted they were connected by enclosed passages. To one side, on a level bit of ground, was a helicopter pad, empty. I was conducted around the corner to one of the buildings and ushered through the doorway, bidden to wait, and then taken through another doorway. I looked back and realized I had gone through an airlock. We turned sharply left and into a room where a man in a white coat was sitting at a desk and writing on a pad. He was slightly bald, had a thin face and wore bifocals. He looked up and frowned as he saw me, then said to my escort, 'What's this, Max?' 'I found him wandering about loose. He says he wants to see you.' Carter's attention switched to me. 'Who are you?' I glanced sideways at Max, and said smoothly, 'Who I am is for your ears only, Dr. Carter.' Carter sniffed. 'More cloak and dagger stuff. All right, Max. I'll take care of this.' Max nodded and left, and I stripped off the anorak. 'I hope you don't mind me getting out of this stuff,' I said, as I began to take off the waterproof trousers. 'Too warm for indoors.' Carter tapped on the desk with his pen. 'All right. Who are you, and what do you want?' I tossed the trousers aside and sat down. 'I'm Malcolm Jaggard. I've come to see Dr. Ashton.' 'Didn't you ring me last night? I told you she wasn't here-she's on the mainland.' 'I know what you told me,' I said evenly.
'You said she'd be back this morning, so I came to see her.' He gestured. 'You've seen the weather. She wouldn't come over in this.'
'Why not? I did.' 'Well, she hasn't. She's still in Ullapool.' I shook my head, 'She's not in Ullapool, and she wasn't there last night, either.' He frowned. 'Look here, when I asked last night you said you were ringing from London.' 'Did I? Must have been force of habit,' I said blandly. 'Does it make a difference where I rang from?' 'Er… no.' Carter straightened and squared his shoulders. 'Now, you're not supposed to be here. This establishment is, shall we say, rather hush-hush. If it became known you were here you could be in trouble.
Come to that, so could I, so I'll have to ask you to leave.' 'Not without seeing Penny Ashton. She's supposed to be here. Now isn't that a funny thing. I'm where I'm supposed not to be, and she's not where she's supposed to be. How do you account for it?' 'I don't have to account for anything to you.' 'You'll have to account for a lot, Dr.
Carter, if Penny Ashton doesn't turn up pretty damn quick. How did she get to Ullapool?' 'By boat, of course.' 'But this establishment doesn't have a boat. All journeys are by helicopter.' He moistened his lips. 'You appear to be taking an unhealthy interest in this place, Mr. Jaggard. I warn you that could be dangerous.' 'Are you threatening me, Dr. Carter?' 'For any purpose prejudicial to the safety of the State, to approach, inspect or enter any prohibited place, or to-'
'Don't quote the Official Secrets Act at me,' I snapped. 'I probably know it better than you do.' 'I could have you arrested,' he said. 'No warrant is needed.' 'For a simple scientist you appear to know the Act very well,' I observed. 'So you'll know that to arrest me automatically brings in the Director of Public Prosecutions.' I leaned back. 'I doubt if your masters would relish that, seeing that Penny Ashton is missing from here. I told you, you'll have to account for a lot, Dr. Carter.' 'But not to you,' he said, and put his hand on the telephone. 'I hope that's to give instructions to have Dr. Ashton brought in here.' A cool and amused voice behind me said, 'But. Dr Carter really can't have her brought in here.' I turned my head and saw Cregar standing at the door with Max. Cregar said, 'Doctor, I'll trouble you for the use of your office for a moment. Max, see to Mr.
Jaggard.' Carter was palpably relieved and scurried out. Max came over to me and searched me with quick,
