Go In and Sink! Read Free

for you, if you’ll take it. I’d not be so blunt about it if there was more time. But there isn’t. It could be dangerous, but you’re no stranger to that idea. It might even be a complete waste of effort. But the appointment demands every ounce of experience and skill.’ He paused. ‘It needs the best man available and I think it could be you.’
    Marshall watched him gravely. ‘You’d want me to decide right away?’
    The captain did not answer directly. ‘Ever heard of Captain Giles Browning?
Buster
Browning they called him in the last war. Got the Victoria Cross among other things for taking his submarine into the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli fiasco. A real ball of fire to all accounts.’
    Marshall nodded. ‘I read about him somewhere.’ It was not making any sense. ‘Is he involved?’
    ‘He was out of the Service soon after the war. Axed, like your own father. He came back to do various jobs, training depots and so forth, but now he’s been landed with some special appointment in Combined Ops.’ He smiled. ‘It’s all very vague, but it has to be.’
    Outside the thick walls a tug hooted mournfully, and Marshall pictured
Tristram
resting at her moorings. Soon she would be empty, with only a few damp and tattered pin-ups, the pencilled doodlings around the chart table where the navigator had controlled his nerves during each attack to mark their passing.
    Why not? There was no point in spending a whole leave going from one hotel to another, visiting friends, or.…
    He said suddenly, ‘But I’m not to be told what it is, sir?’
    ‘It’s a new command.’ The captain was studying him intently. Searching for something on Marshall’s impassive features. ‘If you accept, I’ll have you whistled up to Scotland tomorrow morning where you’ll meet Captain Browning.’ He grinned. ‘
Buster
.’
    Marshall stood up. His limbs felt strangely light.
    ‘I’ll have a go, sir.’ He nodded. ‘I can but try.’
    ‘Thank you. I know what you’ve been through, so do all those concerned. But you, or someone like you, are what we need.’ He shrugged. ‘If things change, you’ll take your leave, and there’ll still be a command waiting for you. You might even get
Tristram
again if the refit works out all right.’
    The staff officer peered round the door. ‘Sir?’
    ‘Lieutenant Commander Marshall has agreed.’ The captain added softly, ‘You’d better send for Lieutenant Gerrard and brief him.’
    The door closed again.
    Marshall turned sharply. ‘What has my first lieutenant got to do with this?’
    The captain eyed him calmly. ‘He will be
asked
to volunteer to go with you.’ He held up one hand. ‘Your company will be mixed. Some new, some old hands. But we
must
have a perfect team at the top.’
    Marshall looked away. ‘But he’s married, sir. And he’s due for a commanding officer’s course at the end of his leave. Because of me he’ll be pitchforked straight into another boat after fourteen months in the Med.’
    ‘I know. Which is why I did not tell you about him first.’ He smiled sadly. ‘But I’ll let him have a couple of days at home before he follows you up north.’ The smile faded. ‘Can’t be helped. This is important.’
    ‘I see.’
    Marshall thought of Gerrard’s face as the early daylight had found them in the Solent that morning. Like a child seeing a Christmas tree for the first time. It had been an intrusion just to watch him.
    But as the captain had said, nothing could be done now. It had probably been decided days, even weeks ago that this was going to happen. A new command of some urgency. Maybe an experimental boat full of untried equipment which might shorten the war, or blow up the lot of them.
    He picked up his cap.
    ‘I’d like to go and see my people over the side, sir.’ He faltered. ‘They’ve been a good crowd. The best.’
    ‘Certainly.’ The captain frowned as a telephone started to ring. ‘There’s a new class of sub-lieutenants