The QE2 Is Missing

“Make sure that the fires are out,” he ordered. “Do not try to leave this room.” He went to the telephone and picked it up off the floor. It had apparently survived the destruction; he quickly dialled a number. “Put the Captain on. Right… yes, I know about the fire. Shut up and listen. Call whoever is responsible for fire or damage control or whatever it is called. Report that everything is under control. Make him believe it. What do you mean you don’t believe me yourself! Your ship is not at risk. Here, I’ll put one of your own men on.”

He waved over the nearest crewman and left him talking to the irate Captain.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“A handful of passengers stood in the open doorway, dressed in robes for the most part, some of them wearing life jackets.

“Bring them in here,” Josep said, wearily. “We’ll have to find a place to put them.”

Everything was coming apart, ravelling at the edges, there were too few of them to take care of everything. Now they would have to make prisoners of all the passengers who were close enough to be aware of what was happening.

“Excuse me, is your name Mr. Joseph?” the sailor said. He held out the telephone. “The Captain. For you. He says that it is very urgent that he talks to you now.”

Josep listened, started to protest, then was silent. In the end all he said was, “I’ll be right there,” then hung up. He looked around and pointed to Diaz.

“You’ll have to handle this,” he said. “I’ll try to send you someone. Get them all into this room and the bedroom, close the door. Tear out the telephones. I’ll be back here as soon as I can. You, come with me,” he said, signalling to Uzi.

“What is it?” Uzi asked, when they were in the corridor.

“Captain says he can’t be responsible if his officers there disobey orders. Something about the safety of the ship. I said we would get up there.”

There was nothing more to be said as they made their way forward. The scene on the bridge was not good. Only the frightened sailor at the ship’s wheel remained in position. The others were huddled at one end with their Tupamaro guard aiming his sub-machine gun at them. The Third Officer called to them as they came through the door.

“Do something. This cretin speaks no English and I can’t explain to him about the danger.”

“What danger? Come forward. Just you alone.”

The ship’s officer hurried to the chart table followed by Joseph and Uzi. He pointed at the Pacific chart in place there, and explained excitedly. As he talked a wide grin began to spread over Uzi’s face until he laughed out loud and interrupted the man.

“That’s fine,” he said, “very good. It will be taken care of, have no fear.” Then he turned to the puzzled Josep and tapped the chart with his forefinger.

“See it?” he said. “See that? It’s the answer to all of our problems! The solution we were looking for. We are going to win this thing yet and come out of it alive!”

26

When the Peruvian Coast Guard vessel had first arrived, the QE2 had been floating alone in an empty ocean. Now, twenty-four hours later, the situation had changed incredibly. The Huascaran was still there, her commander, Captain Borras, had kept his ship on station so there could be no doubt in anyone’s mind as to which man had been first aboard. Not only for the glory but because of maritime law. Since there had been no one on the ship when he arrived it might be called derelict, in which case the first to board her could claim possession. The Captain doubted very much if he would ever be able to lay claim to the giant ship riding close to him, but it was a pleasant thought to have. In any case he was staying on station and he made sure that one of the Huascaran’s sailors was aboard the QE2 at all times.

There were others aboard as well. The United States carrier Kitty Hawk stood by less than a quarter of a mile distant and there was a constant traffic in motor launches and helicopters between the two ships.

And, of course, there were sightseers. A Dutch tanker in ballast lay rocking in the long swells a mile distant, and already two seagoing yachts had arrived to add to the growing crowd of visitors. Other ships, freighters and one cruise liner, had left their normal coastal courses to stop by for a look. In some ways the entire affair had certain aspects of a seagoing carnival. But this was the high seas, far outside any coastal waters, so there was no law to prevent the sightseers from crowding round to gawk.