On The Beach

1. On the retirement of the present Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Forces, at this date you will immediately and henceforth assume the duty of Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Forces, in all areas. You will use your discretion as to the disposition of these forces, and you will terminate or continue their employment under Australian command as you think fit.

2. Guess this makes you an admiral if you want to be one. Good-bye and good luck. Jerry Shaw.

3. Copy to First Naval Member, Royal Australian Navy.

Dwight read this in his cabin with an expressionless face. Then, since a copy had already gone to the Australians, he sent for his liaison officer. When Peter came he handed him the signal without a word.

The lieutenant commander read it. "Congratulations, sir," he said quietly.

"I suppose so…" said the captain. And then he said, "I suppose this means that Brisbane's out now."

Brisbane was two hundred and fifty miles in latitude to the north of their position then. Peter nodded, his mind on the radiation figures. "It was pretty bad still yesterday afternoon."

"I thought he might have left his ship and come down south," the captain said.

"They couldn't move at all?"

"No fuel oil," Dwight said. "They had to stop all services in the ships. The tanks were bone dry."

"I should have thought that he'd have come to Melbourne. After all, the Supreme Commander of the U.S. Navy…"

Dwight smiled, a little wryly. "That doesn't mean a thing, not now. No, the real point is that he was captain of his ship and the ship couldn't move. He wouldn't want to run out on his ship's company."

There was no more to be said, and he dismissed his liaison officer. He drafted a short signal in acknowledgment and gave it to the signals officer for transmission via Melbourne, with a copy for the First Naval Member. Presently the yeoman came to him and laid a on his desk.

Your 12/05663.

Regret no communications are now possible with Brisbane.

The captain nodded. "Okay," he said. "Let it go."

7

Peter Holmes reported to the second Naval Member the day after they returned to Williamstown; The admiral motioned to him to sit down. "I met Commander Towers for a few minutes last night, Lieutenant Commander," he said. "You seem to have got on well with him."

"I'm glad to hear that, sir."

"Yes. Now I suppose you want to know about a continuation of your appointment."

Peter said diffidently, "In a way. I take it that the general situation is the same? I mean, there's only two or three months left to go?"

The admiral nodded. "That seems to be correct. You told me when I saw you last that you would prefer to be on shore in these last months."

"I should." He hesitated. "I've got to think a bit about my wife."

"Of course." He offered the young man a cigarette, and lit one himself. "Scorpion is going into dry dock for hull reconditioning," he said. "I suppose you know that."

"Yes, sir. The captain was anxious to have that done. I saw the Third Naval Member's office about it this morning."

"Normally that might take about three weeks. It may take longer under present conditions. Would you like to stay on with her as liaison officer while that work is going on?" He paused. "Commander Towers has asked for you to continue in the appointment for the time being."

"Could I live at home, down at Falmouth? It takes me about an hour and three quarters to get to the dockyard."

"You'd better take that up with Commander Towers. I don't suppose you'll find that he has any objection. It's not as if the ship was in commission. I understand he's giving leave to most of the ship's company. I don't suppose your duties would be very arduous, but you would be a help to him in dealing with the dockyard."

"I'd like to carry on with him, sir, subject to living at home. But if the ship is programmed for another cruise, I'd like you to replace me. I don't think I could undertake another seagoing appointment." He hesitated. "I don't like saying that."

The admiral smiled. "That's all right, Lieutenant Commander. I'll keep that in mind. Come back and see me if you want to be relieved. " He rose to his feet, terminating the interview. "Everything all right at home?"

"Quite all right. Housekeeping seems to be more difficult than when I went away, and it's all becoming a bit of a battle for my wife, with the baby to look after."

"I know it is. And I'm afraid it's not going to get any easier."

That morning Moira Davidson rang up Dwight Towers in the aircraft carrier at lunch time. "Morning, Dwight," she said. "They tell me that I've got to congratulate you."

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"Mary Holmes."

"You can congratulate me if you like," he said a little heavily. "But I'd just as soon you didn't."

"All right," she said, "I won't. Dwight, how are you? Yourself?"

"I'm okay," he said. "Got a bit of a letdown today, but I'm okay." In fact, everything that he had done since they had come back to the aircraft carrier had been an effort; he had slept badly and was infinitely tired:

"Are you very busy?"