To Touch the Clouds : The Frontier Series 5 (33 page)

The black fin drew closer and it was followed by many others. Both men clinging to the lifebuoy braced themselves for the inevitable attack.

‘A bloody dolphin!’ Matthew burst into laughter. ‘Wallarie has sent a fish to guard us.’

‘It’s not a fish,’ Alex rebuked. ‘The dolphin is a mammal – and what do you mean about Wallarie sending us a guardian?’

‘You must know the stories about the old Nerambura warrior,’ Matthew said, relieved at the presence of the guardians of stranded sailors now circling them. ‘It was he who warned me of the danger and now he is continuing to protect us.’

Alex shook his head. ‘I find that a bit hard to swallow, old chap,’ he scoffed. ‘I thought that the old bugger was long dead.’

‘I made a visit to him some weeks ago when I was up in Queensland,’ Matthew replied. ‘I was able to visit him at the cave.’

‘You really believe that Wallarie has magical powers?’ Alex quizzed.

‘I know it may sound like lunacy but there are some
strange things in this world that we do not understand,’ Matthew replied. ‘Just say that Wallarie can be both a guardian angel and an avenging demon – depending on the orders he receives from his ancestor spirits.’

Alex did not pursue the subject and the two men watched as the dolphins rolled and turned playfully in the clear tropical waters around them.

They had scanned the surrounding sea for any sign of the rest of the ship’s crew but had been unsuccessful. The heavy seas the night before had swept them apart and they had no way of telling if the crew had been successful in abandoning the sinking ship as the lifeboat had been on the opposite side of the hull to where they had been in the water.

‘Look at that and tell me I am not dreaming,’ Matthew suddenly said. Alex turned his gaze in the direction his cousin had indicated.

‘I see it,’ he said excitedly. ‘It looks like land on the horizon. And the current is taking us in.’

‘Time to start swimming,’ Matthew said, kicking out in the direction of the bobbing strip of green they could see.

Escorted by the pod of dolphins, it took them the better part of the day to reach the beach. Exhausted, dehydrated and burned by the sun they crawled ashore. Grateful to be alive, both men lay on the hot sand, attempting to regain their strength.

Matthew heard the soft clop, clop, of a horse’s hooves on the sandy beach. Someone had found them! Now they would have some desperately needed water. With a great effort, Matthew raised himself onto his knees. Behind the approaching horseman trotted three Melanesian workers carrying machetes. Matthew recognised the horseman immediately as being the foreman from the Schumann plantation and raised his hand to wave. ‘We are truly saved,’
he croaked to Alex who lifted his head to observe the party of men.

The German plantation foreman brought his mount to a halt a few yards away, dismounted and drew a carbine from the scabbard attached to the saddle. Alex and Matthew watched in amazement as he levelled the rifle at them.

‘You are not to attempt to escape,’ he snarled. ‘You treacherous English are my prisoners.’

Alex rose unsteadily to his feet. ‘Could we have some water?’ he asked.

The foreman said something to the man nearest him who fetched a water canteen from the saddle attachments and handed it to Alex who immediately passed it to Matthew. Matthew took a long swig before passing the canteen back to Alex.

‘Our ship has been sunk and I do not understand why we should be considered prisoners,’ Alex said, handing the water bottle back to the plantation worker.

‘Your plot to carry out subversive activities against the Kaiser has been revealed,’ Schmidt replied. ‘Your aeroplane has been destroyed.’

Matthew understood enough to realise that his aircraft had been destroyed and felt a rage building inside him. ‘The bastards,’ he growled in English.

Sensing his cousin’s anger, Alex placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

‘I do not know what you are talking about,’ Alex continued calmly. ‘The aircraft was not intended for anything subversive. We were going to see if we could use it to fly between islands seeking trade.’ He knew his story was flimsy but it was the best he could think of, staring as he was into the barrel of a rifle.

‘We received orders from Rabaul that your aircraft was
to be destroyed,’ Schmidt said. ‘The orders came from our administration.’

‘I demand that we are taken to Herr Schumann to sort out this misunderstanding,’ Alex said, controlling his anger. ‘You have no right to hold Australian citizens as your prisoners.’

‘Just in case you are not aware,’ Schmidt responded with a crooked smile, ‘you are on German soil and subject to the Kaiser’s law.’

‘I still demand to speak with Herr Schumann,’ Alex continued. ‘I am sure that he would be enraged to hear of your treatment of us.’

‘Herr Schumann sent me when you were spotted by one of our workers attempting to get ashore,’ Schmidt explained. ‘He gave me orders that you were to be apprehended and treated as spies. You will be handed over to our military as soon as they are able to come here and take you off our hands. In the meantime, Herr Schumann has told me that you are to be shot if you should consider any attempt to escape. I hope you understand what I am telling you.’

‘I understand,’ Alex replied. ‘But I would still like to speak with Herr Schumann.’

‘When you are secured I will see if Herr Schumann wishes to speak with you,’ Schmidt replied. ‘Now, you can march up the beach to the plantation.’

Alex and Matthew obeyed. They had little choice, being on German territory and a long way from home. How had it all gone so wrong? Alex asked himself. Worse still, if she was aware that he was a prisoner of her father, what was going through Giselle’s mind?

‘Well, we have some good news,’ John Hughes said, gazing at the large map on his office wall depicting the German territories in the Pacific.

Patrick stood behind him, dressed in his military uniform. He had read the report cabled in code from a northern radio station and received by the British intelligence officer. ‘It makes no mention that my son and Matthew were among the survivors,’ Patrick said. ‘Only that they were last seen in the water.’

‘Your engineer was badly wounded,’ Hughes said. ‘He was a bit vague about everything that occurred after the German mine went off aboard the ship. I know it’s hard, Patrick, but do not give up hope. The ship went down practically off the Schumann plantation and they may have been found by a native outrigger. After all, it was a coastal trader that located the ship’s lifeboat and all the surviving crew members with the exception of the captain, Alex and Matthew. What’s to say that the three are not already found but we have not yet been informed.’

Patrick stared at his friend and then the map on the wall. ‘I pray you are right,’ he said.

John Hughes turned to Patrick and gestured for him to take a chair. ‘We are in a bit of a political pickle,’ he said. ‘We cannot accuse the Germans of sabotaging your ship because we know that they will most probably counter with an accusation of us spying. It is obvious that the leak here, in Sydney, has kept them up to date on our every move. With the way things are going in Europe the subject is very touchy. I am to prepare a report for your Prime Minister and am in a dilemma as to how much I include about the whole operation. You realise that politicians will put their interests before the security of the country if it means votes and leave you and me out to dangle as renegade military men acting without orders.’

Patrick tended to agree with the British officer. ‘What happens now?’ he asked. ‘To all intents and purposes the mission has failed and it may have cost me a son.’

‘I think that we are left only with the choice of trying to find Alex, Matthew and Captain Delamore,’ Hughes replied. ‘As far as I am concerned, the operation is now called off and I will use everything within my power to bring the boys home safely. I promise you that, Patrick.’

Matthew and Alex were immediately secured in a storage room within one of the large sheds at the plantation. They were not mistreated and in the evening a good meal was brought to them by one of the housemaids, but a fierce-looking worker with a rifle had been posted at the entrance to ensure that they did not attempt to escape when the door was opened.

‘I want to see Herr Schumann,’ Alex said to the girl. He figured she was around fifteen years of age but she shook her head, not comprehending English. Alex tried again, this time in German. But he received the same response and the girl left.

‘It’s bloody obvious that your future father-in-law is not very happy with us,’ Matthew said, scooping a spoonful of pork and cabbage from his tin plate. ‘I just wonder what in hell they have specifically planned for us.’

‘I suspect that Schumann has notified their government in Neu Pommern that he has us in custody,’ Alex replied, wiping the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his shirt. ‘No doubt they will send someone to take us back to Rabaul and who knows what will happen after that.’

‘Maybe a quick trial followed by a slow drum roll and a firing squad,’ Matthew said with a wry grin. ‘But be assured
that you will probably get full military honours because you are a commissioned officer.’

‘I doubt that the Germans would try us as spies,’ Alex said, but without much conviction. ‘It would cause too much of a political rift between Australia and Germany. Maybe they’ll just ship us home with orders never to return to German territory.’

‘If they were prepared to blow us up at sea I don’t think that they really want us around to talk,’ Matthew countered. ‘Think about it.’

Alex settled himself against a pile of hessian bags. ‘I just don’t understand why Giselle has not at least come to see me,’ he sighed. ‘She must have heard that we are here.’

Matthew did not comment. He had already considered that the love of Alex’s life would now see Alex in a different light. He had not informed her of the contents of the crates when they were brought ashore to be stored and no doubt she felt betrayed by the fact – not as a German citizen but as a woman who expected to be told everything. Alex did not know as much about the complex thought processes of women as he might think, Matthew mused, relishing the pork in its rich stew. He smiled, catching Alex’s attention.

‘What’s funny?’ Alex asked.

‘Nothing much,’ Matthew replied, putting his plate aside. ‘I was just thinking of a Yank story about an Indian princess called Pocahontas, and how she saved Captain Smith from the wrath of her father.’

Alex shook his head. ‘What’s that got to do with our current situation?’

‘Nothing, I suppose,’ Matthew shrugged. ‘I think that we should get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow. It’s been a long and eventful day.’

Alex watched as Matthew made a crude bed out of
hessian bags, curled up and dropped into a peaceful sleep. Alex was not afraid of what they might have to deal with when the sun rose but he was in emotional agony because Giselle had made no attempt to contact him. His despair was more painful than even the thought of being executed. It was a terrible feeling that kept him awake until sheer exhaustion caused him to slip into a troubled sleep.

Before sunrise, the door clattered open, waking both men.

‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ Schumann greeted in a less than friendly tone. Beside him stood his foreman with his carbine.

Both men rose into a sitting position, blinking away the night’s sleep from their eyes.

‘I have had breakfast prepared for you and it will be delivered very soon,’ Schumann continued. ‘I must say how very disappointed I am with you, Captain Macintosh. You have betrayed my trust and used my family to carry out a blatant act of war against the Fatherland. However, that matter will be dealt with by our government when they come to escort you back to Rabaul. In the meantime, despite your act of treachery, you will be dealt with courteously and not harmed. I expect you, Mr Macintosh, to give me your word that you will not attempt to escape and if you do so I will allow you out of your current prison. You will be able to roam the plantation under the guard of my people. Do I have your word?’

Alex glanced at Matthew, who had attempted to follow the conversation spoken in German.

‘I gather that Herr Schumann is asking for your parole,’ Matthew said.

‘That is correct,’ Schumann said in English.

‘I can’t see what is wrong with that,’ Matthew replied,
smiling at the German planter. ‘After all, where can we go?’ Alex stood and held out his hand to Schumann. ‘You have my word as an officer and gentleman that I will not attempt to escape,’ he said.

‘And you, Mr Duffy?’ Schumann asked.

‘The same,’ Matthew shrugged, but did not extend his hand.

‘Good,’ Schumann responded. ‘You are now free to take advantage of your limited freedom,’ he said in English. ‘You will remain within the borders of the plantation. Herr Schmidt will show you where they are. At night, you will be confined to this place and you will not, under any circumstances, attempt to speak with any of my family or workers. Do you understand what I am saying?’

‘We do,’ Alex answered. ‘I will respect your wishes and add that I am truly sorry if we have caused you or your family any embarrassment for what you perceive as an act of betrayal. That is the last thing I would want to happen between us.’