The Passenger Read Free Page B

to life. ‘Men,’ Lorenz continued, ‘we have been ordered to return to base. That is all.’ The crew were shocked into silence. Then, gradually, expressions changed and before long every one of them was grinning inanely. Excitement and relief had turned U-330 into a ship of fools.

    L ORENZ WAS SITTING IN THE officers’ mess with Juhl, Falk, and Graf—the Chief Engineer. They were all hunched over the rectangular table top, conspiratorially close, their heads bowed beneath a shaded lamp. The steward was serving them coffee.
    â€˜We’ve all heard talk of death rays and the bomb,’ said Falk. ‘You know, the big one, the one that can destroy whole cities.’
    â€˜The old boy’s a scientist. Obviously,’ said Graf. The chief engineer was dressed casually—a chequered shirt, a sleeveless pullover, and a loosely knotted scarf. On his head he wore a blue peaked cap.
    â€˜It seems inconceivable,’ said Juhl, ‘that a single explosion could cause so much destruction.’
    â€˜How does it work?’ asked Falk. ‘This bomb?’
    â€˜Why don’t you go and ask the old boy?’ Graf suggested.
    â€˜He’s not very talkative,’ said Lorenz.
    â€˜Nor is the Tommy,’ Juhl observed.
    â€˜They don’t like us,’ Lorenz replied. ‘It’s inexplicable.’
    â€˜Look, I understand why we’re not supposed to ask them any questions,’ Falk persisted. ‘But what I can’t understand is why they’re being quite so reticent. They haven’t said a word. They haven’t even asked for a glass of water.’
    â€˜I wonder if they were captured separately or together?’ Graf mused.
    â€˜They might not know each other at all,’ Juhl speculated. ‘What if they’re strangers, thrown together by chance?’
    â€˜Oh, I’m not sure about that,’ said Falk. ‘I think I can sense . . .’ The sentence trailed off and he rippled his fingers next to his ear.
    â€˜What?’ A note of mistrust sounded in Juhl’s voice.
    â€˜Something,’ Falk continued, ‘You know . . . something between them, an affinity.’
    Juhl pursed his lips and replied. ‘I haven’t sensed anything.’
    â€˜Perhaps the Norwegian resistance helped the scientist escape and sailed him out to a British submarine.’ Falk’s bright blue eyes were like discs of glazed china. ‘Perhaps a technical fault prevented the submarine from diving, and it was discovered by one of our destroyers. The British surrendered, and the two most important prisoners—the officer and the scientist—were whisked away in that rusty merchantman.’
    â€˜Yes, but why put them in a cargo ship?’ Juhl challenged.
    â€˜Safety?’ Falk ventured. ‘A hulk like that isn’t an obvious military target.’
    â€˜We haven’t received any news of a British submarine being sunk or captured,’ said Lorenz, ‘not recently and certainly not in these waters.’
    â€˜Special operations,’ Graf grumbled. ‘Who knows what’s going on? We’re wasting our time thinking about it.’
    â€˜Iceland,’ said Lorenz. Before he could elaborate, Kruger appeared. Lorenz acknowledged his arrival and added, ‘Aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on our guests?’
    â€˜Dressel’s taken my place, sir,’ said Kruger.
    â€˜Is there a problem?’
    â€˜The old boy—something’s wrong with him. His eyelids started fluttering, and now he’s talking to himself. It’s like he’s in a trance or having some kind of fit.’
    Lorenz’s companions stood to let him squeeze out from behind the table, and he followed Kruger between the bunks to the torpedo room. Sutherland was leaning against the torpedo tube doors but Grimstad was seated on the linoleum with his legs stretched out in front of him; between his