The Boy and the Battleship

by Christopher Cummings

  Margaret and Kylie both moved back through a doorway into the fuselage of the helicopter and Graham was next to climb in and take a seat. Another youth followed him and the young pilot quickly explained what various controls and gauges were for. Graham nodded politely and then moved back to check out the interior. Then he climbed out a side door and joined the others on the flight deck near the tail of the helicopter.

  For a few minutes Graham just watched what was going on around him, his interest divided between the girls and the naval activity. He surreptitiously observed a lieutenant giving instructions to two Petty Officers. Graham took in all the details: the white, open-necked shirt with the black epaulets and their double gold rings; the white shorts, socks and shoes; the peaked cap with its glossy black brim and gold badge. He tried to imagine himself as such an officer, only to have his day-dream disturbed by chanting and yelling from down on the wharf.

  Graham hurried over to the rail and saw that some of the demonstrators on the wharf were trying to force their way up the gangway. The lieutenant came hurrying past asking people to move back. A group of ratings in grey and black camouflage overalls appeared through a watertight door. Several police came out of a building onto the wharf. There were more shouts from the demonstrators and the chant, “No more war. Make peace. Build schools, not battleships,” could be heard.

  This was orchestrated by a thin man with black hair and a pointed beard. The man stood to one side and shouted into a megaphone; “Make love, not war! Make love, not war! Turn the swords into ploughshares! Turn the battleships into scrap!”

  “This isn’t a battleship,” muttered Graham in annoyance. “It’s only a destroyer. He’s just ignorant.”

  “You are the one who is being ignorant!” cried a girl’s voice beside him. Graham looked and then felt a stab of anxiety. It was Thelma’s friend, Janet. And Thelma was with her. Both girls pushed through on Graham’s left to look over the rail.

  “He should get his facts right before making a fuss,” Graham grumbled, aware that he was scared of antagonizing Thelma.

  Janet snorted. “I’m sure he knows what type of ship this is,” she insisted. “He is speaking metaphorically—warship, battleship—who cares about the difference. They are all designed to kill people!”

  Graham was astonished at Janet’s vehemence and did not know what to say. Luckily for him they were distracted by a scuffle which broke out at the gangway as half a dozen police tried to move the demonstrators back. A girl’s shrill scream cut over the hubbub. There were shouted obscenities and loud yells. The bearded man with the megaphone took up his chant again, “Make love, not war! Make love, not war!”

  “I like that love idea,” Stephen chuckled. He leaned over the rail just beyond Thelma and pointed. “It looks like Mister Rabble-rouser has already been practicing what he preaches if that girl beside him is his girlfriend.”

  Standing beside the bearded man was a tall, blonde girl clad in a sarong and white cotton cheesecloth top. She had very large breasts and obviously wore no bra.

  Janet bristled. “He’s not a rabble-rouser—and don’t be crude around me Stephen Bell!”

  Stephen turned to Graham and smirked, which annoyed Janet even more; and embarrassed Graham.

  Thelma now weighed in: “That’s right! It’s a free country. People can demonstrate if they like!”

  Graham didn’t argue. He was now acutely conscious that Margaret was pressing against his right side, though whether from accident or design he could not tell. I don’t want Thelma to think I have a girlfriend! he thought in near panic, hoping Thelma would not notice. Then he felt guilty and ashamed of such thoughts. Poor little Margaret; she is nice kid, he thought. But she can be a pain! Once again he wished she would go away. Besides, she was not only too young, she was very plain: brown hair and brown eyes, freckles; still in the puppy-fat stage with no figure—no waist and breasts that resembled mosquito bites.

  Not like… well, like Thelma’s, he thought. Hers were quite big and nicely rounded. But not as big as that blonde’s in the cheesecloth top, he noted with fascinated interest. She was jumping up and down so that her large breasts quivered and bounced. Or like the black-haired girl the police are dragging down the gangway. She was also wearing a cheesecloth top, sarong and sandals. From her mouth poured a flood of obscenities and insults directed at the police.

  Janet gasped and pointed at the black haired girl. “That’s my sister! Hey, let her go you pigs! Let me through!” she screamed. She began pushing through the crowd towards the gangway. Thelma followed. Graham stared open-mouthed. Her sister! No wonder Janet was so touchy about the demonstrators! It made him feel like a real drip.

  “I didn’t know Janet had a sister,” Peter said.

  “Pretty good figure too,” Stephen added.

  Kylie snorted. “Pretty common! Listen to the gutter language!” she snapped.

  “You’d scream too if the cops dragged you off like that,” Stephen replied.

  Peter shook his head. “She should practice what she preaches and protest peacefully,” he commented.

  Their attention was taken up by the protest. The demonstrators began to give the navy sentry at the bottom of the aft gangway a hard time, taunting and pushing at him. He called on a small radio which the demonstrators tried to snatch from his grasp. Then he was jostled, his cap snatched off his head and the information pamphlets he was holding were grabbed and flung into the air. He was abused and called insulting and hurtful names. Seeing that made Graham feel both angry and resentful.

  Four more police, including a senior officer, arrived in two paddy wagons. Arrests began. There was a lot of shouting and running around and a couple of minor scuffles. The TV crew was joined by a second one from a rival network. A crowd gathered at the entrance to the wharf. Then the demonstration just seemed to fizzle. The demonstrators appeared to just disperse, as though on cue.

  It was then that Graham noted the youths at the ensign staff at the stern of the destroyer. For a moment he could not make out what they were doing and then he saw it was Edmonson and the scruffy youth who had been talking to Thelma and Janet. Edmonson was untying the halliards.

  Graham was puzzled and stood back from the rail. What are they up to? he wondered. Even as he thought this Edmonson looked around in such a furtive and guilty way that Graham was sure they were up to mischief. Then he saw the scruffy youth pull the halliards loose and tug at them, obviously trying to work out which was the downhaul.

  “They are trying to pull down the flag,” Graham cried. Even as he said it he knew he was wrong. It was actually the naval white ensign so to him all the more precious.

  They are going to desecrate the flag. I must stop them! he thought.

  Chapter 2

  TROUBLEMAKER

  As he started walking towards the two youths Graham saw that the scruffy looking one was pulling coloured cloth from under his shirt. What on earth is that? Graham wondered. And then he saw what it was as the youth shook the cloth free. It was a peace flag with the peace symbol on a white background and with a rainbow curving across the flag above the black peace symbol. He is going to put up the demonstrator’s flag, Graham thought.

  Seeing Edmonson start pulling down the white ensign caused Graham a spurt of anger and he broke into a run. I must stop him, he thought. Seeing that he would probably be too late to prevent the white ensign being lowered Graham let out a bellow. “Oy! Hey! Stop that! Stop! Help me!” he shouted.

  The yell alerted the two demonstrators and both their heads jerked around to look. Graham shouted again and dashed over to grab the halliards. He was just in time to stop the white ensign touching the deck. “Stop! Stop that!” he shouted. “Don’t you dare desecrate the flag.”

  Graham’s actions had been so fast that the pair were caught by surprise. For a few seconds they stared and made no move. It gave Graham time to get a firm grip on the halliards. He began to try to sort them out to re-hoist the ensign.

  The scruffy
youth reacted first. He lunged at Graham and grabbed his arm and the halliards. “What the bloody hell?” he cried. Then he tried to pull the halliards from Graham’s grasp. “Let go, toad face!” he yelled.

  Edmonson now recovered and also tried to pull the halliards away. Graham clung on grimly, just managing to keep the ensign off the deck. He had the satisfaction of noting that the scruffy youth had let go of the peace flag which now hung down so that it was being tangled around his legs and trampled on. Good! Graham thought.

  The scruffy youth tightened his grip and then began to punch at him. “Let go you little turd! Let go!” he snarled. The punches weren’t well directed but still hurt. They struck Graham on the shoulder and side of his head and he felt sharp stabs of pain and what felt like hammer blows which caused him to partially black out. His response was to hang on even tighter, despite being aware that he was in danger of blacking out.

  Half stunned Graham fell to his knees, landing painfully on the steel deck. More punches hit him and he felt Edmonson clawing at his fingers, trying to prise them loose from the ropes. Hang on! he told himself.

  Suddenly Graham’s head was whacked against a steel projection. Bollard or fairlead, his reeling mind told him, even as he saw stars and slid in and out of consciousness. His fingers weakened but then he stubbornly tightened his grip. Hands grabbed him and he felt himself being dragged.

  “Toss the little mongrel over the side,” snarled a voice.

  That did get Graham struggling. He had no desire to end up in the water. He had often seen very large fish there and had heard numerous stories about sharks or crocodiles lurking in the murky water of the Cairns Inlet. In his semi-conscious state he was aware that hands were pushing and dragging at him and that he could feel the bottom wire of the guardrail.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw water. My head is over the edge! he thought. And the water looked a long way down, at the bottom of a grey steel cliff, deep and dark green. Fear galvanized him into a bout of furious struggling while he grimly maintained his grip on the halliards. Fingers tried to break his grip and there punches and kicks.

  But there were other voices too, shouts and yells to stop. Boots pounded on the steel deck and Graham heard Margaret screaming. “Let him go! Let him go!”

  He opened an eye and saw her then. She was pummelling the back of the scruffy youth. He angrily tried to fend her off while still hitting at Graham’s hands and wrists. Then Peter and Kylie arrived and grabbed at the youth and Edmondson. More angry shouts and loud cries sounded and more people appeared. Graham saw Cindy and Stephen and then navy uniforms.

  Strong hands held him. The youth was hauled away and stood up, held by Peter and a sailor. Then more navy people arrived and Edmondson and Margaret were separated and held firmly. Another sailor knelt and took hold of the halliards. “Let go!” the sailor snapped.

  Graham noted leading seaman badges as he obeyed. To his satisfaction the leading seaman quickly re-hoisted the ensign and belayed it, then stepped back and saluted.

  Good! Graham thought. I saved the flag.

  The officer in whites appeared. “What the devil is going on here?” he demanded to know.

  Graham found he was unable to speak. He was so upset and numb that all he could do was sigh and lie back. Then more strong hands seized him and he was hauled to his feet. It was just as well they were strong as his muscles felt very weak and his knees buckled.

  A sun-browned, middle-aged face swam into Graham’s focus. “Are you all right boy?” it asked.

  A Chief Petty Officer, Graham thought as his eyes focused on the man’s rank slides. He managed a nod but still felt too dizzy to stand unaided. Another sailor grabbed his other arm.

  More people arrived. A crowd began to form and the officer ordered some of the sailors to hold them back. Then he turned to the group again. “So, what is going on?” he snapped.

  The scruffy youth answered first. “This kid started pulling down the flag so we tried to stop him,” he said.

  Graham was stunned. For a moment he was speechless. Then indignation flared and he cried, “I did not! They were pulling down the ensign and were going to put up that peace flag. I tried to stop them,” he said.

  “Liar!” Edmonson shouted.

  The lieutenant gestured and Edmonson was held back by two sailors. “That will do! What peace flag?” he asked.

  Graham steadied himself and looked down. There was no sign of the flag. He shook his head and looked around. “There was one. They must have hidden it,” he said.

  The scruffy youth glared at him. “There never was one!” he snapped.

  Margaret spoke next. “Oh you liar! There was! I saw it. You pushed it over the side when we arrived,” she cried.

  The scruffy youth gave her a hateful glare and denied this. The lieutenant was joined by a lieutenant commander in work camouflage. The lieutenant commander finished speaking into a mobile phone and then pointed forward. “We will sort this out without any more name-calling thank you. Please move with these men. Buffer, take them to the hangar and separate them,” he instructed.

  “Aye, aye sir,” replied a burly Warrant Officer. He gestured to his men to move their prisoners.

  As the seamen tried to move the scruffy youth he began to resist. “Let me go! You have no right to touch me! Let me go or I will take you to court for assault,” he shouted.

  The lieutenant commander just shook his head. “Move them Buffer,” he commanded.

  Once again the scruffy youth yelled loudly. “This is illegal! You have no right to arrest me! Let me go, I know my rights. This is Queensland, not some police state. I will have the police onto you.”

  The lieutenant commander faced him. “It isn’t Queensland. You are on a vessel of the Royal Australian Navy so Commonwealth law prevails. Now, go quietly so we can sort this out or I will have you arrested and charged under the Anti-terrorist legislation.”

  Graham saw a look of shock cross the scruffy youth’s face and he went pale. “I’m not a terrorist! I was only demonstrating,” he muttered.

  Edmonson looked scared and blurted out, “We were only trying to make a point. We just wanted to put up our peace flag to show that we don’t approve of war or warships.”

  The lieutenant commander nodded. “Good. We will just get some facts and then you can go. Ah! Here are the people we wanted. You wanted the police young man? Well, here they are, Federal Police.”

  Graham looked around and saw two uniformed Federal Police walking quickly towards them. Under the urging of the senior policemen he and the others were led forward past the helicopter and into the hanger. Here they were separated and seated, each one guarded by a sailor. By then Graham was feeling very anxious. Are we in trouble? he worried.

  But he was pleased to see that Margaret, Kylie and Peter were with him. There was no sign of Stephen or Thelma or Janet. Nor were Max and Cindy present. The fact that some of his friends had apparently chosen to slip away upset Graham a bit as he was concerned that he might need them as witnesses. I can always tell the police to ask them if I have to, he thought.

  Once they were all seated under guard and their names and addresses written down the senior Federal Police officer asked their ages. As all but the scruffy youth were under eighteen, he said, “Because you are minors you are entitled to have a parent or other responsible adult present when we question you. Who would like that?”

  Parents! Graham thought with a gulp of anxiety. He did not want that. I’ve been in enough trouble at school and at home recently, he thought. When asked he vigorously shook his head and then fixed Kylie with an intense stare. She met his eye and gave a wry smile. “We had better have our mum here,” she replied.

  “Kylie!” Graham cried. “I don’t want mum and dad to know I’ve been in trouble.”

  Kylie shook her head. “We’ll have to,” she replied.

  “Why?”

  “Because mum has a right to know; and it will slip out anyway. Alex will hear about it. Then
mum will feel hurt that we have kept it from her. Besides, she will be able to tell,” Kylie replied.

  “How?” Graham asked, even though he had a pretty good idea.

  Kylie confirmed this. “Because you are developing a beaut black eye and there are a couple of bruises on your face,” she said.

  Drat! Graham thought. He shrugged. “OK, I suppose you are right.” So both he and Kylie asked for their mother to be phoned.

  Both Margaret and Peter declined. A solid, middle-aged civilian in a grey suit was shown in by a rating. The man nodded to the senior police officer and showed an ID card to the naval officer. From the officer’s reaction and deferential respect he was shown Graham made the assumption that the man was important. I’ll bet he is a secret service agent, ASIO or something, he thought. That thought got him even more anxious and he felt his stomach turn over. The man was taken forward through a door.

  Then questioning began. For the next hour Graham sat in the hangar, anxiously preparing to be questioned. The scruffy youth was taken away first, leaving a worried looking Edmonson who kept darting Graham resentful glances. To Graham’s surprise the scruffy youth did not return and nor did Edmonson after he was taken away.

  Why are they taking so long? Why don’t they ask me first? he wondered as Peter was led out through a door at the forward end of the hanger. Margaret and Kylie both gave sympathetic smiles before a guard shook his head and said, “No communication.”

  Kylie huffed. “We were only smiling,” she said. “Not communicating.”

  The rating gave a shake of the head. “I don’t care whether it is smoke signals, flashing lights, waving flags or Morse Code. No communicating.”