On The Beach

"Why, sure," he said. "I'd like to do that. Maybe we could go sailing again someplace, or else do this again."

She said, "That'd be fun. I'll have to go now, or I'll miss this train. Good night again, and thanks for everything."

"It's been a lot of fun," he said. "Good night." He stood and watched her go till she was lost in the crowd. From the back view, in that light summer dress, she was not unlike Sharon-or could it be that he was forgetting, muddling them up? No, she really was a bit like Sharon in the way she walked. Not in any other way. Perhaps that was why he liked her, that she was just a little like his wife.

He turned away, and went to catch his train to Williamstown.

He went to church next morning in Williamstown, as Was his habit on a Sunday when circumstances made it possible. At ten o'clock on Monday morning he was with Peter Holmes in the Navy Department, waiting in the outer office to see the First Naval Member, Sir David Hartman. The secretary said, "He won't be a minute, sir. I understand he's taking you both over to the Commonwealth Government Offices."

"He is?"

The lieutenant nodded. "He ordered a car." A buzzer sounded and the young man went into the inner office. He reappeared in a moment. "Will you both go in now."

They went into the inner office. The vice admiral got up to meet them. "Morning, Commander Towers. Morning, Holmes. The Prime Minister wants to have a word with you before you go, so we'll go over to his office in a minute. Before we do that, I want to give you this." He turned, and lifted a fairly bulky typescript from his desk. "This is the report of the commanding officer of U.S.S. Swordfish on his cruise from Rio de Janeiro up into the North Atlantic." He handed it to Dwight. "I'm sorry that it's been so long in coming, but the pressure on the radio to South America is very great, and there's a good deal of it. You can take it with you and look it over at your leisure."

The American took it, and turned it over with interest. "It's going to be very valuable to us, sir. Is there anything in it to affect this operation?"

"I don't think there is. He found a high level of radioactivity-atmospheric radioactivity-over the whole area, greater in the north than in the south, as you'd expect. He submerged-let's see-" he took the typescript back and turned the pages quickly "-submerged in latitude two south, off Parnaíba, and stayed submerged for the whole cruise, surfacing again in latitude five south off Cape São Roque."

"How long was he submerged, sir?"

"Thirty-two days."

"That might be a record."

The admiral nodded. "I think it is. I think he says so, somewhere." He handed back the typescript. "Well, take it with you and study it. It gives an indication of conditions in the north. By the way, if you should want to get in touch with him, he's moved his ship down into Uruguay. He's at Montevideo now."

Peter asked, "Are things getting hot in Rio, sir?"

"It's getting a bit close."

They left the office in the Navy Department, went down into the yard, and got into an electric truck. It took them silently through the empty streets of the city, up tree-lined Collins Street to the Commonwealth Offices. In a few minutes they found themselves seated with Mr. Donald Ritchie, the Prime Minister, around a table.

He said, "I wanted to see you before you sailed, Captain, to tell you a little bit about the purpose of this cruise, and to wish you luck. I've read your operation order, and I have very little to add to that. You are to proceed to Cairns, to Port Moresby, and to Darwin for the purpose of reporting on conditions in these places. Any signs of life would be particularly interesting, of course, whether human or animal. Vegetation, too. And sea birds, if you can gather any information about those."

"I think that's going to be difficult, sir," Dwight said.

"Yes, I suppose so. Anyway, I understand you're taking a member of the C.S.I.R.O. with you."

"Yes, sir. Mr. Osborne."

The Prime Minister passed his hand across his face, an habitual gesture. "Well. I don't expect you to take risks. In fact, I forbid it. We want you back here with your ship intact and your crew in good health. You will use your own discretion whether you expose yourself on deck, whether you expose your ship upon the surface, guided by your scientific officer. Within the limits of that instruction, we want all the information we can get. If the radiation level makes it possible, you should land and inspect the towns. But I don't think it will."

The First Naval Member shook his head. "I very much doubt it. I think you may find it necessary to submerge by the time you get to twenty-two south."

The American thought rapidly. "That's south of Townsville."