red tape.’

Goddard sighed. ‘Captain, every maritime nation on earth has machinery for processing shipwrecked and castaway seamen.’

‘Yes, I know that. But you are not a seaman, legally signed on the articles of a merchant vessel. To the Philippine authorities you will be simply an alien without identification visa or money. This places the company in the position of having to post bond.’

I’ll be a sad sonofabitch, Goddard thought. ‘I am sorry, Captain. I guess it was selfish and inconsiderate of me to swim over here and hail you that way.’

Captain Steen was pained, but forgiving. ‘I think you’ll agree that was uncalled for, Mr. Goddard. We are very happy to have been the instruments of Providence, but the formalities and red tape are something we have to take into account. Now, about your arrangements on here; you can continue in the hospital where you are now and eat with the deck crew’s mess, but you won’t be required to work your passage—’

‘Thank you.’

‘—unless you feel you’d rather, of course. The bos’n can always use an extra hand, and I am sure you wouldn’t want them to carry you for cigarettes and toilet articles you will need.’

‘But I understand you carry passengers.’ Goddard’s voice was still quiet, but there was a hard edge to it. ‘And the cabins are not all sold. I’ll take one, at the full rate from Callao to Manila.’

This earned him a pale but condescending smile. ‘Passage has to be paid in advance. And I’m afraid I have no authority to change the company rule.’

‘Is your wireless operator on duty now?’

‘He is subject to call at any time. Why?’

‘Would you ask him to come up and bring a message blank? I’d like to send a radiogram.’ Goddard slipped off the watch and set it on the desk. He felt like the type of overbearing, exhibitionist jerk he detested above everything, but he was too angry to care. ‘Lock this in your safe as security for the message charges; it’s a Rolex chronometer that sells for around six hundred dollars in this type of case. If you’ll tell me the name of your agents in Los Angeles, my attorneys will deposit with them this afternoon the money to cover my passage and other expenses from here to Manila, the bond you will have to post, and my fare back to the United States if the Philippine authorities hold you responsible for it.’

‘Uh—yes. Of course.’ Steen appeared to hesitate for a moment, and then calmly handed back the watch, immune to insult. ‘I guess it will be all right.’ He stepped out into the wheelhouse and spoke into the telephone, and in a minute the wireless operator appeared, a young Latin with a slender, inscrutable face still bearing traces of some ancient bout with smallpox.

‘Sparks, this is Mr. Goddard. He wants to send a message,’ Steen said.

Goddard stood up and said, ‘How do you do.’ Sparks nodded, neither volunteering his name nor offering to shake hands, and Goddard caught the little flicker of hatred in the jet depths of the eyes before they became impassive again. Yanqui go home. Could be Cuban, Goddard thought, or Panamanian. Or from anywhere south of San Diego, with our record.

‘You can get the States all right?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ Sparks said, but it was Steen who volunteered the information they had shortwave. Sparks handed him the pad of blanks and went out into the wheelhouse to wait. Captain Steen looked in his files for the line’s agents in San Pedro, and said the fare from Callao to Manila was five hundred and thirty dollars.

‘Then two thousand should cover everything,’ Goddard said. ‘Any balance, you can refund in Manila.’ He wrote out the message, addressed to his attorneys in Beverly Hills.

SHOSHONE DOWNWENT STOP PICKED UP BY SS LEANDER BOUND MANILA STOP PLEASE DEPOSIT TODAY WITH LINE’S AGENTS BARWICK AND KLINE SAN PEDRO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS TO COVER PASSAGE, MANILA EXPENSES, AND RETURN FARE TO STATES STOP REQUEST AGENTS VERIFY RECEIPT SOONEST CAPTAIN STEEN LEANDER—

GODDARD

Sparks made the word count and computed the charges. ‘That will be eleven thirteen.’ There was a barely perceptible pause, and he added. ‘In real money.’

‘You don’t have to lean on it,’ Goddard said softly. ‘I heard you the first time.’

Steen told the operator the company guaranteed payment, and the young Latin went out. ‘I’ll notify the steward,’ Steen said to Goddard. ‘He will take care of you.’

‘Aren’t you going to wait for the verification?’ Goddard asked. Steen indicated it wouldn’t be