The Eye of the Tiger

by Wilbur Smith

  It was the signal to end it, and as Peter Daly fell to the deck they crowded about him, the clubs rising and falling in a fearsome rhythm and the blows sounding clearly across the lagoon to where we watched in disgust and revulsion.

  One after the other they tired, and stepped back to rest from their grim work and Peter Daly’s crumpled and broken body lay in the centre of the deck.

  “Crude, you will say, Harry - but then you will not deny that it is effective.”

  I was sickened by the barbaric cruelty of it, and Chubby muttered beside me, “He’s a monster - I’ve never heard of nothing like that before!

  “You have until noon tomorrow, Harry, to come to me unarmed and reasonable. We will talk, we will agree on certain matters, we will make an exchange of assets and we will part friends.”

  He stopped speaking to watch while one of his men secured a line to Peter Daly’s ankle, and they hoisted him to the masthead of the crash boat where he dangled grotesquely, like some obscene pennant. Lorna Page was looking up at him, her head thrown back so the blonde hair hung down her back and her lips were slightly parted.

  “If you refuse to be reasonable, Harry, then at noon tomorrow I shall sail around this island with your lady friend hanging like that-” He pointed up to the corpse whose masked head swung slowly back and forth only a few feet above the deck, “—from the mast. Think about it, Harry. Take your time. Think about it well.”

  Suddenly the floodlights were switched off, and Suleiman Dada began his laborious descent to the cabin. Manny Resnick and Lorna Page followed him. Manny was frowning slightly, as though he was pondering a business deal, but I could see that Lorna was enjoying herself.

  “I think I’m going to throw up,“muttered Chubby.

  Get it over then,” I said, “because we have a lot of work to do.”

  I stood up and quietly led the way back into the palm grove. We took it in turns to dig while the other stood guard amongst the trees. I would not use a light for fear of attracting attention from. the crash boat and we were both exaggeratedly careful to maintain silence and not to let the clank of metal sound through the grove.

  We lifted the remaining cases of gelignite and blasting equipment, then we did the same with the rusted pay chest and carried it to a carefully chosen site below the steeply sloping ground of the peak. Fifty yards up the slope was a fold in the ground thickly screened with goose-bush and salt grass.

  We dug another hole for the chest, going deep into the soft soil until we struck water. Then we repacked the pay chest and reburied it. Chubby climbed up to the hidden fold above us and made his arrangements there.

  In the meantime I reloaded the machinegun and wrapped it lightly in one of my old shirts, the five full magazines placed with it, and I buried the lot under an inch of sand, next to the stern of the nearest palm tree where the recent rain waters had cut a shallow dry runnel down the slope.

  The water-torn trench and the tree were forty paces from the spot where the chest was buried, and I hoped it was far enough. The trench was little more than two feet deep and would provide scanty cover.

  The moon came out after midnight and it gave us enough light to check our arrangements. Chubby made sure I was in full view from his hideaway up the slope when I stood beside the shallow runnel. Then I climbed up to him and double-checked him. We lit a cheroot each, sheltering the match and screening the glowing tips with cupped hands, while we went over our planning once again.

  I was particularly anxious that there should be no misunderstanding in our timing and signals, and I made Chubby repeat them twice. He did so with long-suffering and theatrical patience, but at last I was satisfied. We dumped the cheroot butts and scraped sand over them and when we went down the slope we both carried palm-frond brooms to sweep out all signs of activity.

  The first part of my planning was complete, and we returned to where the golden tiger and the rest of the gelignite was cached. We reburied the tiger and then I prepared a full case of gelignite. It was a massive overdose Of explosive, sufficient for a tenfold over-kill - but I have never been a man to stint myself when I have the means to indulge.

  I would not be able to use the electric blaster and insulated wire, and I must rely on one of the time-pencil detonators. I have a strong distaste for these temperamental little gadgets. They operate on the principle of acid eating through a thin wire which holds the hammer on a powder cap. When the acid cuts the wire the cap explodes, and the delay in the detonation is governed by the strength of the acid and the thickness of the wire.

  There can be a large latitude of error in this timing which on one occasion caused me a nearly fatal embarrassment. However, in this case I had no choice in the matter - and I selected a pencil with a six-hour delay and prepared it for use with the gelignite.

  Amongst the equipment overlooked by the looters was my old oxygen rebreathing underwater set. This diving set is almost as dangerous to use as the time pencils. Unlike the aqualung which uses compressed air, the rebreather employs pure oxygen which is filtered and cleansed of carbon dioxide after each breath and then cycled back to the user.

  Oxygen breathed at pressures in excess of twice atmospheric becomes as poisonous as carbon monoxide. In other words, if you rebreathe pure oxygen below underwater depths of thirty-three feet, it will kill you. You have to have all your wits together to play around with the stuff - but it has one enormous advantage. It does not blow bubbles on the surface to alarm a sentry and give away your position to him.

  Chubby carried the prepared case of gelignite and the rifle when we went back to the beach. It was after three o’clock when I had donned and tested the oxygen set, and then I carried the gelignite down to the water and tested that for buoyancy. It needed a few pounds of lead weights to give it a neutral buoyancy and make it easier to handle in the water.

  We had reached the water from the beach around the horn of the bay from the anchored crash boat. The point of sand and palm trees covererd us as we worked, and at last I was ready.

  It was a long tiring swim. I had to round the point and enter the bay - a distance of almost a mile - and I had to tow the case of explosive with me. It dragged heavily through the water and it took me almost an hour before I could see the lights of the crash boat glimmering above me through the clear water.

  Hugging the bottom I crept forward slowly, terribly aware that the moonlight would silhouette me clearly against the white sand of the lagoon bed, for the water was clear as gin and only twenty-five feet deep.

  It was a relief to move slowly into the dark shadow cast by the crash boat’s hull and to know that I was safe from discovery. I rested for a few minutes, then I unrolled the nylon slings that I had on my belt and secured them to the case of gelignite.

  Now I checked the time on my wristwatch, and the luminous hands showed ten minutes past four o’clock.

  I crushed the glass ampoule of the time pencil, releasing the acid to begin its slow eroding attack on the wire, and I returned it to its prepared slot in the case of explosive. In six hours, more or less, the whole lot would go up with the force of a two hundred pound aerial bomb.

  Now I left the floor of the lagoon and rose slowly to the hull of the crash boat. It was foul with a hanging slimy beard of weed and the hull itself was thick with a rough scale of shellfish and goose-neck mussels.

  I moved slowly along the keel, searching for an anchor point - but there was none and at last I was forced to use the shank of the rudder. I bound the case in position with all the nylon rope I had - and when I was finished I was certain that it would resist even the drag of water when the crash boat was travelling at the top of her speed.

  Satisfied at last, I sank once more to the bed of the lagoon and moved off quietly on my return. I made much better speed through the water now without the burden of the gelignite case and Chubby was waiting for me on the beach.

  “Fixed up?” he asked quietly, as he helped me shed the oxygen set.

  “Just as long as that penci
l does its job.”

  I was so tired now that the walk back through the grove seemed like an eternity and my feet dragged in the loose footing. I had slept little the previous night, and not at all since then.

  This time Chubby watched over me while I slept, and when he shook me gently awake it was after seven o’clock and the daylight was growing swiftly.

  We ate a breakfast cold from the can, and I finished it with a handful of high-energy glucose tablets from the survival kit and washed them down with a mug of chlorinated water.

  I drew the knife from the sheath on my belt and threw it underhand to pin into the trunk of the nearest palm. It stood there shivering with the force of the impact.

  “Show off!” muttered Chubby, and I grinned at him, trying to look relaxed and easy.

  “, just like the man said - no weapons,” and I spread my empty hands.

  “You ready?” he asked, and we both stood up and looked at each other awkwardly. Chubby would never wish me good luck - which was the worst of all possible hex to put on someone.

  “See you later,“he said.

  “Okay, Chubby.” I held out my hand. He took it and squeezed it hard, then he turned away, picked up the FN rifle and plodded off through the grove.

  I watched him out of sight, but he never looked back and I turned away myself and walked down unarmed to the beach.

  I walked out from amongst the trees and stood at the water’s edge, staring across the narrow strip of water at the crash boat. The dangling corpse had been removed from the masthead, I saw with relief.

  For many seconds none of the sentries on deck noticed me, so I raised both hands above my head and gave them a loud

  “Halloo’. Instantly there was a boil of activity and clamour of shouted orders on board the crash boat. Manny Resnick and Lorna appeared at the rail and stared across at me, while half a dozen armed seamen dropped into the whaleboat and headed for the beach.

  As the boat touched-they leaped out on to the sand and surrounded me with the muzzles of the AK47’s pressed eagerly into my back and belly. I kept my hands hoisted at half-mast and tried to maintain an expression of disinterest as a petty officer searched me with deliberate thoroughness for any weapon. When he was at last satisfied, he placed his hand between my shoulder-blades and gave me a hearty shove towards the whaleboat. One of the more eager of his men took this as a licence and he tried to rupture my kidneys with the butt of his AK47 - but the blow landed six inches high.

  I made briskly for the whaleboat to forestall any further martial displays and they crowded into the boat around me pressing the muzzles of their fully loaded weapons painfully into various parts of my anatomy.

  Manny Resnick watched me come in over the side of the crash boat.

  “Hallo again, Harry,“he smiled without mirth.

  “The pleasure is all yours, Manny,” I returned the death’s head grin, and another blow caught me between the shoulder-blades and drove me across the deck. I ground my teeth together to control my anger, and I thought about Sherry North. That helped.

  Commander Suleiman Dada was sprawled on a low couch covered with plain canvas cushions. He had removed his uniform jacket and it hung heavy with all the braid and medals from a hook on the bulkhead beside him. He wore only a sweat-soaked and greyish sleeveless vest, and even this early in the morning he held a glass of pale brown liquid in his right hand.

  “Ah, Harry Fletcher - or should it be Harry Bruce?” he grinned at me like an enormous coal-black baby.

  “You take your pick, Suleiman,” I invited him, but I didn’t’feel like playing word games with him now. I had no illusions about how dangerous was the position in which Sherry and I were placed, and my nerves were painfully tight and fear growled like a caged animal in my belly.

  “I have learned so much more about you from my good friends,” he indicated Manny and the blonde Lorna who had followed me into the main cabin. “Fascinating, Harry. I never dreamed you were a man of such vast talent and formidable achievement.”

  “Thanks, Suleiman, you really are a brick, but let’s not get carried away with compliments. We have important business - don’t we, “True, Harry, very true.”

  “You have raised the tiger throne, Harry, we know that,” Manny cut in, but I shook my head.

  “Only part of it. The rest has gone - but we salvaged what there was.”

  “All right, I’ll buy that,” Manny agreed. “Just tell us what there is.”

  “There is the head of the tiger, about three hundred pounds weight in gold-” Suleiman and Manny glanced at each other.

  “Is that all?” Manny asked, and I knew instinctively that Sherry had told them everything she knew during the beating they had given her. I did not hold that against her. I had expected it.

  “There is also the jewel chest. The stones removed from the throne were placed in an iron pay chest.”

  “The diamond - the Great Mogul?“demanded Manny. “We’ve got it,” I said, and they murmured and smiled and nodded at each other. “But I’m the only one who knows where it is—” I added softly, and immediately they were tense and quiet again.

  “This time I’ve got something to trade, Manny. Are you interested?”

  “We are interested, Harry, very interested,” Suleiman Dada spoke for him, and I was aware of the tension growing between my two enemies now that the loot was almost in view.

  “I want Sherry North,” I said.

  “Sherry Northt Manny stared at me for a moment, and then let out a brief cough of amusement. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought you were, Harry.”

  “The girl is of no further interest to us.” Suleiman took a swallow from his glass, and I could smell his sweat in the rising warmth of the cabin. “You can have her.”

  “I want my boat, fuel and water to get me off the island “Reasonable, Harry, very reasonable,” Manny smiled again as if at a secret joke.

  “And I want the tiger’s head,” and both Manny and Suleiman laughed out loud.

  “Harry! Harry!” Suleiman chided me, still laughing. “Greedy Harry,” Manny stopped laughing.

  “You can have the diamond and about fifty Pounds weight of other gem stones, - I tried to sell the idea with all the persuasion I could muster. It was the understandable thing to do for a man in my position,” - in comparison the head is nothing. The diamond is worth a million - the head would just cover my expenses.”

  “You are a hard man, Harry,” Suleiman chuckled. “Too hard.” “What will I get out of it, then?” I demanded.

  “Your life, and be grateful for it,” Manny said softly, and I stared at him. I saw the coldness in his eyes, like those of a reptile and I knew beyond all doubt what his intentions were for me, once I had led them to the treasure.

  “How can I trust you?” I went through the motions however, and Manny shrugged indifferently.

  “Harry, how can you not trust us?” Suleiman intervened. “What could we possibly gain by killing you and your young lady? “And what could you possibly lose,” I thought, but I nodded and said, “Okay. I don’t have much choice.”

  They relaxed again, smiling at each other and Suleiman lifted his glass in a silent salute.

  “Drink, Harry? he asked.

  “It’s a little early for me, Suleiman,” I declined, “but I would like to have the girl with me now.”

  Suleiman motioned one of his men to fetch her.

  “I want the whaleboat loaded with fuel and water and left on the beach,” I went on doggedly, and Suleiman gave the orders.

  “The girl goes with me when we go ashore and after I have shown you the chest and the head, you’ll take it and go.” I stared from one to the other. “You’ll leave us on the island unharmed, do we agree?”

  “Of course, Harry.” Suleiman spread his hands disarmingly. “We are all agreed.” I was afraid that they would see the disbelief in my expression - so I turned with relief to Sherry as she was led into the cabin.

  My relief faded swiftly as I star
ed at her.

  “Harry,” she whispered through her swollen purple lips. “You came - oh God, you came.” She took a faltering step towards me.

  Her cheek was bruised and swollen horribly, and from the extent of the oedema I thought perhaps the bone was cracked. The bruising under her eyes made her look sick and consumptive, and blood had dried in a black crust on the rims of her nostrils. I didn’t want to look at her injuries, so I took her in my arms and held her to my chest.

  They were watching the pair of us with amusement and interest, I felt their eyes upon us, but I did not want to face them and let them see the murderous hatred that must show in my eyes.

  “All right,” I said, “let’s get it over with.” When at last I turned to face them, I hoped that my expression was under control.

  “Unfortunately, I shall not be going with you,” Suleiman made no effort to rise from the couch. “Climbing in and out of small boats, walking great distances in the sun and through the sand are not my particular pleasures. I shall say farewell to you here, Harry, and my friends-again he indicated Manny and Lorna, -will go with you as my representatives. Of course, you will also be accompanied by a dozen of my men - all of them armed and operating under my instructions.” I thought that this warning was not entirely for my benefit alone.

  “Goodbye, Suleiman. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

  “I doubt it, Harry,” he chuckled. “But God speed and my blessings go with you.” He dismissed me with one great pink-palmed paw and with the other he raised his glass and drained the last half-inch of liquor.

  Sherry sat close beside me in the motorboat. She leaned against me, and her body seemed to have shrivelled with the pain of her ordeal. I put my arm about her shoulders, and she whispered wearily, “They are going to kill us, Harry, you know that, don’t you?”

  I ignored the question and asked softly, “Your hand,” it was still wrapped in the rough bandage, “what happened?” Sherry looked up at the blonde girl beside Manny Resnick, and I felt her shiver briefly against me.