Captain Rake looked thinner, and his face was very pale. Tobiasson-Svartman could see that something was troubling him, perhaps he had some crisis in his life.
'I've seen the new chart for the navigable channel at Sandsänkan,' Rake said. 'I hear that we'll be able to start using it soon.'
'It won't save as much time as I'd hoped,' said Tobiasson-Svartman. 'A ship progressing at full speed, let's say twenty knots, will save fifty minutes. I'd hoped for something better than that. But the seabed didn't behave itself as I would have liked.'
'So the seabed is a bit like people.'
"There'll be less of a risk of being hit by torpedoes and mines, of course. And the new channel ought to be able to cope with the considerable increase in draught that we can expect new naval vessels to have.'
Tobiasson-Svartman shook hands and made to continue on his way to Naval Headquarters. But Rake held on to his hand.
'I never cease to be surprised about how my memory works,' Rake said. 'I've seen an endless procession of bosuns and officers passing through my life, but even so, the most graphic memory is that of Bosun Rudin.'
'The man who died while he was being operated on for his appendix?'
'An insignificant spider in the massive web. But for some reason I can't shake him off. I wonder why.'
Rake let go of his hand and saluted.
'I talk too much,' he said. 'But at least I don't ask what you are doing now, because I take it for granted that whatever you're up to, it's secret.'
Tobiasson-Svartman watched Rake walking over the bridge. He was hunched, his long overcoat flapping around his legs.
CHAPTER 145
He was ushered in without delay.
To his surprise there were only two people waiting for him. One was Vice Admiral H:son-Lydenfeldt, the other a civil servant with a pale complexion and big bags under his eyes.
As he sat down in the chair provided for him, he felt a nagging pain in his stomach.
The vice admiral eyed him up and down.
'Are you aware of why you are here, Commander Svartman?'
'No, but I do know that I must ask for an extension of my unpaid leave.'
'Why?'
'I'm not restored to health.'
The vice admiral pointed impatiently at a file in front of him on the desk.
'Restored from what? The only reason you have given is exhaustion. Who the hell isn't exhausted? We're all exhausted. The world is exhausted. Our highly esteemed Naval Minister Boström sometimes nods off during our meetings. Not because he's bored, but because he's exhausted, he claims.'
Tobiasson-Svartman was about to justify his claim to be exhausted but the vice admiral held up his hand.
'You have been summoned here for a different reason. It has been reported that while you have been on leave you have undertaken journeys, and you have been seen in the Östergötland archipelago. We've received reports from people wondering if you are a spy working for Germany or Russia. And there are other relevant circumstances. Not least the fact that you claimed to have found errors in the charts you have produced yourself. It has become clear that you were lying. We haven't been able to throw full light on that one yet, but it is obvious that you have been making strange and clearly unjustified assertions and acting in highly questionable ways. What do you have to say to that?'
Tobiasson-Svartman was struck dumb. He had no idea how to answer. He felt himself blushing. The vice admiral had more to say:
'I don't think you are so damned stupid as to be a spy. But you have betrayed our confidence in you and caused a lot of trouble. You have proved to be unreliable. As nothing harmful has ensued, and as you are basically a competent hydrographic engineer, one of the best we have ever had, all we ask is that you resign your commission. If you refuse, we shall dismiss you and the reasons will be dishonourable. If you resign voluntarily, we shall give you the best possible reference that the circumstances allow. Is that clear?'
The civil servant with the big bags under his eyes leaned over the table. His teeth were yellow, his moustache dirty.
'I represent the minister with responsibility for the navy,' he said in a voice that suggested he enjoyed torturing others. 'The minister is in full agreement with what the vice admiral has just said.'
H:son-Lydenfeldt slammed both hands down on to the desk.
'You have twenty-four hours in which to make up your mind. You might think that this