for them.'
'It could be as you say.'
'I know this coast very well, Captain Weddell, There are some very strange things.'
Strange as hell! Right under his keel was the strangest of all: a lost city. I told myself I mustn't make an overkill of the fishing issue or else he might suspect something. On the other hand I didn't want him hanging around and watching, once Koch arrived. That could be any time. I downed the brandy. 'Thanks for the drink. It's my first day and I'm taking a look-see at my kingdom. I'm on my way for a run ashore.'
'I wouldn't go, Captain Weddell. There's a big blow coming up. You could be trapped.'
We had a gale, yesterday.'
'Come up on deck and
show you what I mean.'
The fog bad lifted and visibility was a couple of miles. On the seaward horizon, however, lay a thick bank of it still. It was unusual because between it and the sky was a clear-cut seam of the horizon.
'That means a buster. It'll be here before you've had your run ashore.'
'I've also sailed this coast. That's simply a hangover from the morning fog. It'll be gone in an hour,'
'It means trouble – here, close inshore. A few miles out it's different, There's one weather on the coast and another at set'
He was too concerned about my welfare and it made me suspicious. I must have shown my scepticism.
'It can be blowing only a moderate breeze out to sea when a full gale tears up the channel. You won't like it if you're caught ashore. There isn't any water. You'll be stuck there until the wind drops. Besides, it's almost a full moon.'
'What's that got to do with it?' 46
'It always blows hardest at Possession at the full and change of the moon'
Ì'm learning.'
'There are always things to learn on the Sperrgebiet, Captain Weddell.'
The odd way he said it clinched my decision to ignore his advice.
'I'll take my chance. Thanks all the same , Breekbout!'
Àye, aye sir?'
`Doodenstadt. Make it snappy!
Kaptein Denny said. 'You can't land on the rocks. The best spot is to the north ... there's a bit of a beach ...'
I decided to ignore that too. Nor did I ask Kaptein Denny how he came to know where the best landing-place was on a shore where landing was prohibited.
Doodenstadt, when I got close enough, hadn't a chance of convincing me it was a lost city. No way. It was little else–outwardly at least–than an outcrop of formidable rocks of unusual shape; the 'streets' a series of gullies possibly resulting from the erosion of a thousand storms. Of course Koch's fresco was away out of sight, but I was thoroughly disenchanted.
'Keep clear!' I snapped at Breekbout. 'Do you want us to finish up alongside that other bloody wreck?'
`Kaptein Denny was right: no landing here,' he mumbled truculently. When I still hesitated about giving in, he added, '
Kaptein Denny always right'
Òkay, blast you. Back to the beach, I want to check the liner.'
Breekbout stayed with the boat at the little beach while I plunged through a tangle of alleys between the sandhills, in the general direction of the City of Baroda. The going opened up farther on when I struck a wide sandy watershed leading towards it. I followed this. It effectively masked my approach to the bow section of the wreck.
Then there were men's voices ahead. There was plenty of cover, and whoever was speaking couldn't see me coming. I crawled forward, making sure my rifle didn't make a giveaway clink. The sound gave me a clear bearing all the time but the nearer I approached the more strident the voices became – distorted, almost mechanical,
They were mechanical!
47
The gully narrowed and kinked and ended against a platform of rock. Sitting on this in the lee of the wreck, her back to me, was a girl. Next to her was a tape-recorder – whence the voices I'd homed in on!
48
C H A P T E R F O U R
She seemed to be having trouble with the machine, which gave out a jumble of Donald Duck noises. Maybe the distortion was caused by the tape snagging in the wind. Whatever the cause, it
'It could be as you say.'
'I know this coast very well, Captain Weddell, There are some very strange things.'
Strange as hell! Right under his keel was the strangest of all: a lost city. I told myself I mustn't make an overkill of the fishing issue or else he might suspect something. On the other hand I didn't want him hanging around and watching, once Koch arrived. That could be any time. I downed the brandy. 'Thanks for the drink. It's my first day and I'm taking a look-see at my kingdom. I'm on my way for a run ashore.'
'I wouldn't go, Captain Weddell. There's a big blow coming up. You could be trapped.'
We had a gale, yesterday.'
'Come up on deck and
show you what I mean.'
The fog bad lifted and visibility was a couple of miles. On the seaward horizon, however, lay a thick bank of it still. It was unusual because between it and the sky was a clear-cut seam of the horizon.
'That means a buster. It'll be here before you've had your run ashore.'
'I've also sailed this coast. That's simply a hangover from the morning fog. It'll be gone in an hour,'
'It means trouble – here, close inshore. A few miles out it's different, There's one weather on the coast and another at set'
He was too concerned about my welfare and it made me suspicious. I must have shown my scepticism.
'It can be blowing only a moderate breeze out to sea when a full gale tears up the channel. You won't like it if you're caught ashore. There isn't any water. You'll be stuck there until the wind drops. Besides, it's almost a full moon.'
'What's that got to do with it?' 46
'It always blows hardest at Possession at the full and change of the moon'
Ì'm learning.'
'There are always things to learn on the Sperrgebiet, Captain Weddell.'
The odd way he said it clinched my decision to ignore his advice.
'I'll take my chance. Thanks all the same , Breekbout!'
Àye, aye sir?'
`Doodenstadt. Make it snappy!
Kaptein Denny said. 'You can't land on the rocks. The best spot is to the north ... there's a bit of a beach ...'
I decided to ignore that too. Nor did I ask Kaptein Denny how he came to know where the best landing-place was on a shore where landing was prohibited.
Doodenstadt, when I got close enough, hadn't a chance of convincing me it was a lost city. No way. It was little else–outwardly at least–than an outcrop of formidable rocks of unusual shape; the 'streets' a series of gullies possibly resulting from the erosion of a thousand storms. Of course Koch's fresco was away out of sight, but I was thoroughly disenchanted.
'Keep clear!' I snapped at Breekbout. 'Do you want us to finish up alongside that other bloody wreck?'
`Kaptein Denny was right: no landing here,' he mumbled truculently. When I still hesitated about giving in, he added, '
Kaptein Denny always right'
Òkay, blast you. Back to the beach, I want to check the liner.'
Breekbout stayed with the boat at the little beach while I plunged through a tangle of alleys between the sandhills, in the general direction of the City of Baroda. The going opened up farther on when I struck a wide sandy watershed leading towards it. I followed this. It effectively masked my approach to the bow section of the wreck.
Then there were men's voices ahead. There was plenty of cover, and whoever was speaking couldn't see me coming. I crawled forward, making sure my rifle didn't make a giveaway clink. The sound gave me a clear bearing all the time but the nearer I approached the more strident the voices became – distorted, almost mechanical,
They were mechanical!
47
The gully narrowed and kinked and ended against a platform of rock. Sitting on this in the lee of the wreck, her back to me, was a girl. Next to her was a tape-recorder – whence the voices I'd homed in on!
48
C H A P T E R F O U R
She seemed to be having trouble with the machine, which gave out a jumble of Donald Duck noises. Maybe the distortion was caused by the tape snagging in the wind. Whatever the cause, it
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