On The Beach

Peter said quietly, "Well, after that the war was on between Russia and the Western powers. When did China come in?"

The captain said, "I don't think anybody knows exactly. But I'd say that probably China came in right there with her rockets and her radiological warfare against Russia, taking advantage of the opportunity. Probably they didn't know how ready Russia was with radiological warfare against China." He paused. "But that's all surmise," he said. "Most of the communications went out pretty soon, and what were left didn't have much time to talk to us down here, or to South Africa. All we know is that the command came down to quite junior officers, in most countries."

John Osborne smiled wryly. "Major Chan Sze Lin."

Peter asked, "Who was Chan Sze Lin, anyway?"

The scientist said, "I don't think anybody really knows, except that he was an officer in the Chinese Air Force, and towards the end he seems to have been in command. The Prime Minister was in touch with him, trying to intervene to stop it all. He seems to have had a lot of rockets in various parts of China, and a lot of bombs to drop. His opposite number in Russia may have been someone equally insignificant. But I don't think the Prime Minister ever succeeded in making contact with the Russians. I never heard a name, anyway."

There was a pause. "It must have been a difficult situation," Dwight said at last. "I mean, what could the guy do? He had a war on his hands and plenty of weapons left to fight it with. I'd say it was the same in all the countries, after the statesmen got killed. It makes a war very difficult to stop."

"It certainly made this one. It just didn't stop, till all the bombs were gone and all the aircraft were unservicable. And by that time, of course, they'd gone too far."

"Christ," said the American softly, "I don't know what I'd have done in their shoes. I'm glad I wasn't."

The scientist said, "I should think you'd have tried to negotiate."

"With an enemy knocking hell out of the United States and killing all our people? When I still had weapons in my hands? Just stop fighting and give in? I'd like to think that I was so high-minded but- well, I don't know." He raised his head. "I was never trained for diplomacy," he said. "If that situation had devolved on me, I wouldn't have known how to handle it."

"They didn't, either," said the scientist. He stretched himself, and yawned. "Just too bad. But don't go blaming the Russians. It wasn't the big countries that set off this thing. It was the little ones, the Irresponsibles."

Peter Holmes grinned, and said, "It's a bit hard on all the rest of us."

"You've got six months more," remarked John Os-borne. "Plus or minus something. Be satisfied with that. You've always known that you were going to die sometime. Well, now you know when. That's all." He laughed. "Just make the most of what you've got left."

"I know that," said Peter. "The trouble is I can't think of anything that I want to do more than what I'm doing now."

"Cooped up in bloody Scorpion?"

"Well-yes. It's our job. I really meant, at home."

"No imagination. You want to turn Mohammedan and start a harem."

The submarine commander laughed. "Maybe he's got something there."

The liaison officer shook his head. "It's a nice idea, but it wouldn't be practical. Mary wouldn't like it." He stopped smiling. "The trouble is, I can't really believe it's going to happen. Can you?"

"Not after what you've seen?"

"Peter shook his head. "No. If we'd seen any damage…"

"No imagination whatsoever," remarked the scientist. "It's the same with all you service people. That can't happen to me." He paused. "But it can. And it certainly will."

"I suppose I haven't got any imagination," said Peter thoughtfully. "It's-it's the end of the world. I've never had to imagine anything like that before."

John Osborne laughed. "It's not the end of the world at all," he said. "It's only the end of us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan't be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us."

Dwight Towers raised his head. "I suppose that's right. There didn't seem to be much wrong with Cairns, or Port Moresby either." He paused, thinking of the flowering trees that he had seen on shore through the periscope, cascaras and flame trees, the palms standing in the sunlight. "Maybe we've been too silly to deserve a world like this," he said.

The scientist said, "That's absolutely and precisely right."

There didn't seem to be much more to say upon that subject, so they went up on to the bridge for a smoke, in the sunlight and fresh air.

They passed the Heads at the entrance to Sydney Harbour soon after dawn next day and went on southwards into the Bass Strait. Next morning they were in Port Phillip Bay, and they berthed alongside the aircraft carrier at Williamstown at about noon. The First Naval Member was there to meet them and he was piped aboard Scorpion as soon as the gangway was run out.