“Captain Ardow then has his instructions. Having landed Slinger the ship will proceed on a delightful three weeks’ cruise to the Falkland Islands. You will all be landed there with a supply of stores sufficient to keep you from starvation. Turning north again the ship will land my men at a small South American port whence they will travel by various means to rejoin me in New York. Captain Ardow will then dispose of this ship at a secret destination. I have never visited the Falklands and I fear that you will find the small uninhabited island upon which we intend to land you a somewhat inhospitable place, but in due course you will doubtless manage to make your way back to civilisation. By that time however, an ample period will have elapsed for the Duchess’s executors to deal with the instructions in her will and, having suitably rewarded my companions, I shall have had an opportunity of distributing her wealth beyond all trace through various intricate channels. Your adventures will probably make a great story for the newspapers in a year or two’s time and by then, of course, I shall have disappeared for good and all so that even the underworld of New York will not have the faintest idea as to my whereabouts—any complaints, eh?”
The McKay’s face looked grimmer, greyer, and more lined than ever. He knew those barren rock islands that lie to the northward of the Falkland group. It would be no joke to be marooned on one of those with a couple of women. Ships only passed at rare intervals, a year might well elapse before they could attract attention to themselves or build a boat sufficiently seaworthy to carry them across those rough cold seas to one of the larger, inhabited, islands.
Count Axel was seeking for faults in the plan which their round-skulled sprucely dressed captor had outlined but he could find no reason why it should not be carried to completion. The utilisation of the public’s interest in Camilla’s doings to facilitate his coup was a devilishly ingenious piece of business. Countless newspaper readers in both hemispheres had been following the glamorous career of the beautiful millionairess ever since she came of age. They had glowed to the accounts of her romance with Solento-Ragina, devoured the columns of print upon her wedding, almost indecently lapped up the details of her trousseau and her honeymoon, then of her divorce. There had been rumours since of her marrying again, alternating with articles on her choice of underclothes and hats. Now, Oxford Kate had made her front page news again with the story of this expedition and at the same time made the world Atlantis and bathysphere conscious. Her adventurous nature would be stressed and the dangers of the bathysphere diving grossly exaggerated. During the next week, 20,000,000 people would read Slinger’s accounts of their hazardous descents into the deep and then the blow would fall. The news of the accident would be flashed to every city in the world within ten minutes of its first being sent out, and why should it occur to anyone for a second to doubt the truth of it when the ground had been so well prepared. Slinger’s personal testimony when he arrived in New York a few days later would set the final seal upon it. Count Axel took off his mental hat to Mr. Kate while hoping profoundly that he might yet devise a way to outwit him.
Nicky stood up and faced the desk, his Greek god features distorted to a mask of fury:
“Two years you say before we’ll get back to civilisation. To hell with that! I’ve got important contracts I can’t afford to miss—besides what’ll my public do without my pictures? You can’t know who I am.”
“I know quite well who you are,” Kate’s hard passionless stare met the indignant eyes of the crooner, “and if I have any insolence from you young man, I’ll get Captain Ardow to put you on a ten hour job a day shovelling coal in the stokehold.”
Nicky’s mouth twisted venomously but he wilted where he stood and flung himself down on the settee again, as Kate turned to Slinger:
“Have you got that draft letter for the Duchess?”
“Here it is, Chief.”
“Thanks.” He stood up. “Now Duchess, will you please come and sit here.”
Camilla shrunk back against Sally. “No, no,” she muttered, shaking her head. “No.”
“Let me try and persuade you.”
“It’s no use,” she stuttered, “I can’t, I oh—” she broke off suddenly and burst into tears.
“Come. Surely you do not mean to compel me to take extreme measures?” There was a harshness now in Kate’s tone which made them all think again those horrifying thoughts which had come to them when they first believed that he meant to kill her. By giving ample opportunity for that fear to sink well into their consciousness while expatiating upon the ease with which he could do it and get away, he had very skilfully prepared his ground; for now, by comparison the loss, even of her entire fortune, seemed only a minor matter and Sally voiced all their feelings when she patted Camilla’s hands and said:
“Go on, darling. Do as he says. This is an awful business but if you sign the papers at least we’ll all remain alive.”
That’s the ticket, thought the McKay. While there’s life there’s hope.
“Would you—would you really, Sally?” Camilla asked tearfully.
“I would darling—I certainly would if I were you,” and so, owing to Kate’s careful manipulation of the sequence of events Camilla sat down with far less fuss than might have been expected to sign away her fortune.
“This is the letter to your family lawyer whom you call Simon John,” Kate said placing a typed sheet of paper in front of her. “In so many words it says that in view of the fact that you are setting out to-day on this expedition, and intend personally to share with others in your party the risk of making numerous descents in the bathysphere, you feel that it is only right to set your affairs in order just in case any unforeseen misfortune should overtake you. There’s a little joke about that showing that you think it extremely unlikely. Then you go on to say that you are enclosing a new will embodying your final wishes over which you’ve been thinking a lot and that the principal alteration in it is owing to your dissatisfaction with the way in which the Hart Institute funds are administered. You add that as it has been drawn up by Mr. Slinger, who did a certain amount of legal work for you in Paris and who of course they know has been handling your personal affairs for the last few months, you feel sure that they will find it all in order. Then there’s another little joke about the old man’s golf average, and you send your love to that little dog Skip of his you used to be so fond of. It’s a nice chatty letter couched as you would write it in ordinary colloquialisms. Now please copy it out in your own hand on this blank piece of headed paper.”
Camilla dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief, then took the pen he handed her and commenced to write in a round childish scrawl.
Doctor Tisch suddenly stood up. For some moments past he had been torn between fear and indignation. There was to be no bloodshed after all, it seemed, which was a great weight off his conscience, but what about the other part of the bargain which he had made in order to save his expedition? Surely this criminal could not mean to cheat him after he had made this tremendous coup possible by his complaisance.
“I wish to speak with you,” he shot out at Kate.
“All right—go ahead.”
“With you alone.”
“Sorry. I’ve no time to give you,” Kate replied curtly.
“But how, if you send me to the Falkland Isles, can I make my great exploration?”
“You’ll have a week. You must do your best in that.”
“A week—a week! What is a week after so many years of waiting,” cried the Doctor indignantly. “Come please I must speak with you alone.”
“Anything you have to say you can say quite well here, but you will be wasting your breath anyway so if I were you I should say nothing. You might regret it afterwards.”
The little Doctor’s face went a shade deeper purple but after a second he plumped himself down in his chair again. He was caught. He saw that clearly now. They had no intention of carrying out their bargain with him and if he claimed it as a right they would still refuse, while he would have
to suffer the ignominy of exposing himself as having been in league with these crooks to bring Camilla to her present pass which, so far at least, had been spared him.
“There!” cried Camilla throwing down her pen and staring angrily at Kate.
“Thanks,” he picked up the letter and read it through carefully. “That’s all right. Now Slinger, the will.”
Slinger produced a bulky document from an attaché case and handed it across.
“You’re sure it’s all in order?” Kate’s glance fixed him for a second.
“Certain, Chief. I’ve vetted it to the last detail and believe me it’s a gem for plausibility. That was a great idea of yours having that codicil added. Just the sort of thing Camilla would do to her will the day after she’d made it.”
Kate did not reply and they all waited in silence for a good ten minutes while he examined each clause in the lengthy document.
At last he looked up and addressed them again: “As you heard Slinger say this will has been drawn up with very great care and forethought. A young man who is in the office of the Duchess’s lawyer was persuaded to give certain information to an associate of mine. Having been employed clerically on the Duchess’s last will, made after her divorce, the particulars he supplied have enabled us to draft this new will on very similar lines. Miss Hart, as you may know, is her only near relative but all those distant connections who were beneficiaries under the old will retain their interest under this, for similar amounts so far as my informant could remember. Any slight variations are unlikely to cause comment since, the Duchess, not having the original before her when she presumably gave Slinger his instructions, would probably not remember all the amounts previously stated. The same remarks apply with regard to legacies to old family servants and present employees. All these have been allowed to stand and the faithful Slinger’s name added for a substantial but not spectacular honorarium, which however, he will unfortunately be compelled to forfeit through not having been in the Duchess’s service for three years—a nice touch that. In the matter of the various charities we have again adhered as closely as possible to the Duchess’s intentions, the only considerable alteration being that, instead of the residue of her estate, which of course comprises the great bulk of her fortune, going to the Hart Institute, it will pass to the St. Protea Bible and Tract Society. For your information I may add that the Saint Protea Bible and Tract Society has been in existence for some years and its activities are quite beyond reproach. It has been built up at considerable cost and with much care for just such an occasion as this, but it will cease to function a few weeks after this extremely handsome bequest has been paid into its account, because of course, I am the Saint Protea Bible and Tract Society myself.”
“Oh God,” murmured Sally, “you’ve certainly thought of everything.”
He favoured her for a second with the bleak smile which never lit his eyes. “I hope so—now Duchess will you sign here.”
Camilla took up the pen and scrawled her signature.
“Now witnesses,” Kate glanced round. “Will you oblige us, Captain McKay?”
“Not me!” rapped out the McKay. “I’ll see you to blazes first.”
“An unnecessary rudeness, Captain. It seems that vinegar has mingled with the salt which makes the old sea dog so crusty eh? But I have a liking for brave men and you’re a V.C. they tell me so I’ll excuse you. Doctor you will not refuse I know.”
Doctor Tisch rose to his feet without a murmur. He saw no reason why he should suffer the ignominy of having the part he had played exposed now, to no purpose.
When the Doctor had signed his name Kate looked round again and his glance fell on Sally.
“It’s no good asking me,” she said firmly.
“I had no intention of doing so,” he replied tartly. “You cannot witness this will because you are a beneficiary under it. Which brings me to a further point that I must mention. The Duchess’ fortune is so very large that I felt I could afford to be generous. Despite my remarks a little time ago it was not my intention to leave her entirely penniless and, as she could hardly inherit a sum under her own will, it occurred to me that if I increased the amount of fifty thousand, which you were down for, to one hundred thousand dollars, it would enable you to make some provision for her when you return from your official ‘travels’. They may be a little long I fear as you are accompanying the others to the Falklands but it was for that reason your name alone of the party is not to appear among those of the dead. Captain Ardow will you sign as the second witness please.”
As Captain Ardow took the pen Camilla looked at the man who was robbing her of her fortune in such a calm businesslike manner, with new interest.
“Well, I must say that was decent of you,” she exclaimed in some surprise.
“No. That one of you at least should officially escape the ‘accident’ gives additional plausibility to the whole scheme. However, I am happy to be able to arrange it in this way from an inherent dislike for seeing a woman of my own class on her uppers—engendered by this rag, I suppose.” Once more he fingered the “old school tie”, then picked up the will and gave a final look round him.
“Slinger, Captain Ardow, men, you will come on deck with me to receive your final instructions. Ladies and gentlemen, all things considered you have given me very little trouble—far less than I anticipated—I am grateful to you. Goodnight!”
As his compact broad shouldered figure was hidden from view by the little crowd of his associates who hurried from the lounge after him Sally suddenly sat back and gave way to shrieks of hysterical laughter.
“I see nothing to laugh at,” said the McKay grimly.
“Don’t you—oh don’t you?” Sally rocked helplessly from side to side. “Wouldn’t you laugh if you’d just been left a hundred thousand dollars?”
CHAPTER IX
CAPTIVES IN CONFERENCE
It was a silent and gloomy party which met some hours later for luncheon. Camilla and her friends had all been roused from their sleep at a little after three that morning; sustained nearly two hours of tense emotion in which fear, anger, and distress had been uppermost, while Oxford Kate unfolded his intentions to them; then crept miserably back to their beds round about five. They had slept late therefore, with the exception of the McKay who had freshened himself up by ten minutes noisy splashing in the swimming pool and lain for an hour baking what he was pleased to term “the imperial carcass” a shade more golden brown.
While the stewards were present there was a natural disinclination to discuss the situation, so conversation became strained to such an absurdly forced degree that after a few fatuous remarks about the excellence of the weather all further attempts were abandoned and Camilla told the steward to switch on the radio.
Slinger’s chair remained empty, so it looked as if their principal gaoler did not intend to inflict his presence on them, but meant to take his meals in future with his confederate, the bleak-faced taciturn Captain Ardow. That at least was a relief, particularly to Count Axel and the McKay to both of whom it had occurred that if he put in an appearance they would have their work cut out in preventing Prince Vladimir from murdering him. Moreover, his absence enabled them to break into a free discussion of their plight immediately coffee had been served and the two stewards left the dining room.
“Well,” said Camilla acidly, “how do all my champions feel this morning?”
“I am ashamed quite,” declared Vladimir sadly. “One fellow I broke only with the smashing fist. Then I was sprung upon too much.”
“Not you, my dear,” Camilla laid her hand gently upon his. “I was enquiring after all these other heroes. A pretty picture they made last night”
“Yes, yes,” Vladimir nodded quickly. “We are five men. If all of us had broken one of these bandits where would they be now perhaps. After, we would have together minced up the other three—for they are eight only.”
“My dear Prince, you seem to have forgotten Oxford Kate himself—and Sl
inger—and Captain Ardow—and his crew,” the McKay protested sarcastically. “Personally I consider you were thunderin’ lucky not to get a bullet in you when you started in on those toughs.”
“You’ve said it,” agreed Nicky with unusual cordiality.
“Still, I think Camilla’s right. The five of you together might have put up some sort of show,” remarked Sally coldly.
“M’dear, we weren’t together,” the McKay muttered irritably. “Each of us was woken and fetched from our cabins by a couple of gunmen. If we had all cut up rough as the Prince did—separately—it’s pretty certain that the five of us wouldn’t be sitting here now.”
Count Axel nodded. “That is so. We had no chance then, or later, and, however unpleasant the situation is in which we find ourselves, we must at least give it to this man Kate that the whole coup was admirably organised.”
“If you are throwing bouquets you might as well hand one to Slinger,” the McKay remarked.
“That rat!” exclaimed Sally angrily.
“Yes. He must have arranged this little picnic by cable before we started out from Madeira.”
“Before that,” declared Axel. “As you have remarked yourself, Captain Ardow and his crew are also in this thing. Slinger may be a very clever person but it is hardly likely that he could have bribed them all during our brief voyage. Moreover sea Captains are usually honourable men. The presence of this taciturn Russian, who turns out to be a willing accomplice of these crooks as well as commander of this ship, can hardly be chance alone.”
They Found Atlantis Page 11