To Touch the Clouds : The Frontier Series 5 (24 page)

‘Do you have anyone in mind?’ Patrick asked warily. ‘Do you consider me a security risk?’

Hughes laughed softly. ‘I would hardly be discussing the matter with you, Patrick, if I suspected you in any way. No, but I am sorry that I have to even bring up the subject with you. However, I must do so as a servant of the Crown. We have known for many years that your Irish side of the family are openly critical of England. You saw that for yourself in your trip to Ireland only a few years ago in your meeting with your Jesuit priest cousin.’

‘That was resolved,’ Patrick reddened. ‘There is no one close to me whom I could think of as harbouring treasonous leanings.’

‘Can you vouch for George?’ Hughes asked, clearing his throat.

‘George?’ Patrick asked, puzzled. ‘Despite his manner my oldest son is more interested in making money than putting himself in harm’s way. No, not George.’

Hughes frowned. Patrick was thinking like a protective father and not a professional soldier. ‘Do you know that George has strong links with German industrialists?’

‘The Macintosh companies are not alone in trading with German interests,’ Patrick retorted. ‘I am sure half of England’s aristocracy has German links in one way or another. After all, King George and Kaiser Wilhelm
are
cousins.’

Hughes raised his hand to placate his friend. ‘I am not accusing you or the Macintosh companies of treachery, but simply asking if you are aware that George has doubled your German trading interests.’

‘You and I both know that Alexander’s trading trip earlier this year to German territory was a ruse for him to establish our current mission.’

‘I am not talking about that,’ Hughes said. ‘Are you aware that George has shifted a substantial amount of money into German chemical investments?’

Patrick did not answer immediately. He had always allowed George a free hand in business dealings as his son had a way of doubling their fortunes. The information about the German chemical investment was news to him. ‘No, I did not,’ Patrick finally replied. ‘But it might be a good thing for a sound return. The German scientists are among the best in the world.’

‘Sadly, I must agree,’ Hughes said. ‘It’s just that in his dealings George may have innocently revealed bits and pieces about the operation we had planned.’

Patrick stood up suddenly. ‘Despite the fact that they do not like each other very much, George would never endanger his brother’s life,’ he said. ‘How is it that you seem to know more than I about the family company dealings?’

‘I am sorry, Patrick, but I have had to initiate inquiries into every avenue close to you for possible answers,’ Hughes replied. ‘It sickened me that I had to have your private business dealings looked into but you must understand my position.’

Despite his anger at his long-time friend, Patrick understood what he was saying in his apology. Would he have approached the problem in any different way? ‘I will speak with George,’ he said quietly. ‘I promise that I will do so as a loyal officer of the Empire and not as a father.’

Hughes rose to his feet. ‘I think that enough has been said,’ he commented, offering his hand. ‘I am sure that you will find that your son has not inadvertently revealed our operation to the Germans he deals with.’

Patrick accepted the gesture and the two men walked towards the library door. When John Hughes had left, Patrick walked back to the liquor cabinet and poured himself another drink. The conversation had almost cost the two men their longstanding friendship, he thought. How could anyone even consider that a person of his blood could betray his country? He would confront George with the absurd accusations and clear his son of any suspicion.

Just the smallest voice nagged at the back of Patrick’s thoughts, however. Had his son been in a position to reveal the operation? The same small voice answered that Patrick had been too trusting. Now his son was in a position to blackmail him over the death of Wilkes. Patrick fully knew that he was not the man to question George. But blood was blood and Colonel Hughes trusted him to do the right thing. Patrick shuddered. What if his son had betrayed them all? It was not something he wanted to think about.

The Macintosh steamer lay at anchor off Ella Beach in the Port Moresby harbour under a hot, tropical sun. Alexander Macintosh returned to his ship by row boat and was helped aboard by Matthew Duffy and Bob Houston.

‘How did it go with the governor’s man?’ Matthew asked.

‘We need to have a conference in my cabin straight away,’ Alex replied, wiping down his cotton slacks and shirt with his sweating hands. ‘Something has cropped up.’

Bob and Matthew followed the young army officer to
his cramped cabin and jammed themselves in as best as they could. It was fortunate that Alexander’s cabin had a porthole to allow the tropical breeze to air the stuffy space. The two companions waited in silence.

‘It appears that the Germans know we are coming,’ Alex said quietly. ‘Somehow, the mission has been compromised.’

Matthew knew that his cousin was to meet with the military attaché assigned to decode messages in Port Moresby but thought that this would merely be routine before setting off on the last leg of their operation. ‘So, what do we do?’ he asked.

Alex, sitting on his bunk, frowned. ‘I have the option of choosing whether we call off the mission or proceed with another course of action.’

‘What course of action?’ Bob asked.

‘First, I have to send a cable as to whether we go ahead or turn the
Osprey
around and return to Sydney,’ Alex answered, wiping at the sweat on his face with a small hand towel. ‘If I choose to continue I can only request that you trust me and follow me into what appears to be very hostile waters. It seems things are hotting up over in Europe over the assassination of the Austrian archduke. If we are not careful we might just find ourselves at war with Germany – if they choose to side with the Austrian emperor in any war that has the potential to bring the Russians in on the side of the Serbs.’

‘The Germans would be fools to do that,’ Matthew said quietly. ‘The Austrian empire is already in decline and I doubt that they could muster an effective force to fight even the Serbs.’

‘How do you know that?’ Alex asked, looking with interest at his cousin.

‘Texas Slim and I were visitors to Vienna a couple of years
ago,’ Matthew answered with a grin. ‘Other than dancing the waltz, the Austrians did not impress me with their show of arms. However, I was impressed with the ladies I met.’

Alex shrugged. ‘I am not going to return,’ he said. ‘With or without you both, I will go on with the mission. You have an hour to decide whether you get off at Port Moresby and take another boat home or continue with me to Rabaul.’

‘You had better have a bloody good plan, cousin,’ Matthew said lightly. ‘I have all the intentions of returning home in one piece to take your brother’s lady friend away from him.’

Alex looked at his cousin with gratitude for his unflinching loyalty and held out his hand.

‘You think you Australians could do better with your crazy patriotism than us New Zealanders,’ Bob Houston butted in. ‘I think it is best that I stick with you to show you how New Zealanders really are superior to you Australians. After all, we fought together in the last war.’

His response brought forth light laughter from the two Australians. Matthew punched Bob playfully in the shoulder. ‘I don’t ever remember you New Zealanders being around when things got hot for us from the Boers, but if you stick with us, you just might learn a thing or two about handling dangerous situations.’

Despite their apparent levity each man knew how much the deck was stacked against them. Each was well aware that what had once been a dangerous mission had now become suicidal. But the bravado of young men was something they lived with.

‘Go and find a cold beer,’ Alex said. ‘I am going to need one to think this through. And I don’t have to remind you that the conversation we just had stays in this cabin. Not even the captain of the ship is to know what may lay ahead of us.’

Matthew and Bob nodded their understanding and left Alex alone to agonise over how he would carry out his mission and somehow avoid the waiting German armed forces. At the back of Alex’s mind was just one nagging question: how in hell had they been betrayed?

15

A
n overhead fan in the Rabaul Club stirred the tropical air, pleasantly cooling the spacious room deserted of its patrons in the mid morning except for two. Both men sharing coffee wore civilian clothing although they were relatively senior officers. A Tolai steward hovered in the background prepared to provide more coffee should the pot empty or more late breakfast pastries be required.

Major Kurt von Fellmann sipped from his cup, watching the older and slightly overweight officer facing him. They had exchanged courtesies, and Major Paul Pfieffer, the resident intelligence officer, had politely enquired as to Kurt’s sea voyage back from Sydney and his experiences while in Australia.

‘I chose to cut short my inspection,’ Kurt had replied, ‘considering the news coming out of Berlin concerning the Serbian incident.’

‘During your short stay in Sydney were you able to make contact with our man in the consulate?’ Pfieffer asked.

‘We met,’ Kurt replied. ‘He was very helpful.’

‘So,’ Pfieffer said, reaching for a small, sweet pastry. ‘Do you think that we are moving towards war with the Serbians?’

Kurt shrugged. ‘From the little that I have gleaned from the British newspapers nothing much seems to be happening on either side. I would presume that you know more than I considering your role here.’

The German intelligence officer shook his head. ‘My information equates with your knowledge,’ he said, taking a napkin to brush away the pastry crumbs from his mouth. ‘I suspect that the Austrians will demand that the Serbians turn over the conspirators to maintain what the Orientals call face. The Austrians are looking for any excuse to teach the Serbs a lesson.’

‘And if the Serbians refuse?’ Kurt asked, leaning forward.

‘Then that is another matter,’ Pfieffer answered, placing his napkin on the table beside his coffee. ‘Who knows what will happen after that. However, as you are to return to the Fatherland I am sure you will be in touch with matters further. I believe that you are scheduled to leave us tomorrow morning.’

‘That is correct,’ Kurt answered. ‘I will be submitting my report on the woeful defensive measures in this part of the Kaiser’s empire.’

‘I doubt that they will listen in Berlin,’ Pfieffer said. ‘All attention is on Europe. However, we will soon enough find ourselves embroiled in a confrontation with the English in our little outpost.’

Kurt placed his coffee cup on the wooden table and gazed at the open doorway at the end of the room. Outside,
he could see the soft glare of the tropical sun and the shady, evergreen trees. It was hard to imagine that this little piece of paradise could shortly be one of the first battlegrounds if war broke out between Germany and England. How the world had shrunk, he mused. Was it possible that the events in Europe could impinge on God’s garden in the Pacific? The ominous feeling was not unlike living in the shadow of the volcano behind the German settlement; there was always the chance that it would erupt without warning. ‘You are sure of your intelligence concerning Captain Macintosh and Mr Duffy?’ Kurt asked.

‘I am sure,’ Pfieffer answered. ‘Our source is so close to their planning that we have known every move since the English mission was initiated by Colonel Hughes.’

Kurt thought about the ramifications to his distant Australian relatives’ lives if all that was known by the intelligence service of the Imperial German Navy was correct. As he had met both men and taken an instant liking to them, he wished that the information had proven to be incorrect. He sensed that both men would be killed and that Berlin would use their spying activities to embarrass the English government on the other side of the world. ‘It is a pity,’ he sighed.

‘I know of your relationship to Captain Macintosh,’ Pfieffer said. ‘I regret that we have to deal with this matter but I suspect our adversaries are just as knowledgeable about what the Serbian matter could lead to. In a sense we are already at war.’

Kurt understood the portly intelligence officer’s statement. Despite there being no declaration of such the intelligence community always perceived themselves to be at war. He finished his coffee and excused himself. When Major Kurt von Fellmann stepped into the sunlight he
blinked and gazed around. Life was going on as if tomorrow would be the same. He did not want to think about tomorrow.

There was blood with the pain and Fenella doubled over in her cabin gasping. Although she had never experienced a miscarriage, she instinctively understood what was happening to her body – it was expelling the partially formed baby.

She cried out but in the luxurious cabin she was alone. The ship rolled gently beneath her in the calm waters and she collapsed on the bed, grasping her stomach. ‘Please,’ she gasped. ‘Please, God, help me.’

As if answering her prayer she heard the knock on her cabin door. ‘Miss Owens,’ Sean Duffy called cheerfully from the other side of the doorway. ‘Are you ready for some games of shuttle board?’

Fenella remembered that she had made a date with the young Sydney solicitor and he had turned up punctually to escort her to the games deck. With all the effort she could muster, Fenella forced herself off the bed, and doubled over, made her way to the door to unlock it.

Sean Duffy’s cheerful expression disappeared immediately when he saw the trail of blood and the ashen colour of Fenella’s face. ‘Oh my God!’ he gasped. ‘You need to lie down while I fetch the ship’s doctor.’

He stepped inside and assisted Fenella to her bed where he lay her gently down on her back. ‘I will be straight back,’ he said, taking her hand. ‘Just hold on.’

Fenella nodded weakly as Sean disappeared from the cabin to return within a few minutes with the ship’s doctor, carrying his black bag. Sean hovered in the cabin until the doctor turned to him and with a gesture of his head,
indicated that Sean should leave so that he could attend to his patient.