“That’s the Cabinet Office interpretation, certainly. Sir Richard was all set to send them a blistering reply to the effect that they should contact London, but he was reminded that doing so would be a Foreign Department matter and that a response should be approved either by the head of the Foreign Department or by Cabinet. He did not take that well. There is something else as well that may relate to this.”
Sir Eric hesitated. “You know the routing of submarine cable communications in this part of the world? The main line comes from the Middle East and comes ashore at Bombay. From there, the main trunk route runs to Singapore and then splits, one part going south to Australia and the other heading east to Manila, Hong Kong and Japan. Of those three, the main lines are to Hong Kong of course. The line to Manila then goes across the Pacific to the west coast of the United States.”
Sir Martyn nodded. “And?”
“Our contacts within American Telephone & Telegraph Company say that the Thai Government has approached them for a quotation on expanding the capacity of their telegraph link to that system. At the moment, it’s barely adequate for local traffic only. The expansion requested would make their link equivalent in capacity to the main trunk cable. When they were told of the cost of that operation and the time schedule, their response was that the cable was needed urgently and they would pay a substantial premium if the work was started immediately. They would pay an even larger premium if the work was completed within a year. That’s a deal AT&T can hardly refuse, and it will give the Thais as good communications with Australia and ourselves as any in the world.”
“What the devil are they playing at? That’s a huge investment for a country of their financial standing. How are they paying?”
“Our sources say, they offer payment in gold.” Sir Eric spoke that softly. “Apparently, the management of American Telephone & Telegraph Company have gold fever and see bars of gold bullion decorating the accounts at the next stockholder’s meeting. They’re searching for a cable-laying ship while we speak. That doesn’t answer why, of course.”
Sir Martyn thought the whole matter over. “It could be that they see the Armistice as being the fuse that sets this whole region ablaze. They could be right there, you know. The Dutch East Indies are restive; with the Netherlands occupied, authority there is unclear. The French will not last much longer. With Britain out, they’ll fold in a day or two at most. That means IndoChina is also on its own resources. Then we have our own problems here and there’s the Japanese in China. This whole area could come apart at the seams and they may well want to be in a position to know what is going on. Good, secure communications would be worth their weight in gold. And that is just what they are paying.”
Sir Martyn was interrupted by his intercom bleeping. “There’s a diplomatic messenger for Sir Eric waiting. He says its very urgent.”
“Send him in.” The two men exchanged ‘uh-oh’ glances.
Sri Eric signed for the package and opened it. Then he went white with shock. “Martyn, we have just received our word from London. It states that we are to comply with the terms of the Armistice without question and that the terms of the agreement as negotiated in London are binding upon us. We are reminded that the system of Imperial Preference upon which our economy depends is contingent upon us maintaining the agreements signed by the British Government on our behalf. Martyn, this is as close to an ‘or else’ ultimatum as I have ever seen from London.”
“Do as you are told like good little boys or mummy will spank.” Sir Martyn spoke bitterly. “Who do they think we are?”
Chapter Three
ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
“This will not do; this will not do at all.” Churchill chomped down on his cigar and stared ferociously at his whisky-soda as he stomped backwards and forwards. “These are times when we, as a nation, must rise to meet the challenge and end the threat of dark tyranny that hangs over us all. We must stand up and fight this abomination that has taken place. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘this was their finest hour.’”
The Duke of St. Albans applauded the bravado with a strong dose of irony at its incongruousness. “Well done, Winston. That would have made a great speech in Parliament.”
“It would have been one. I had it all written, but That Man forestalled me. He has silenced me, and when the time comes, I will silence him. There will be no last speech from the scaffold for him. He will lose his head in silence.”
“Speaking of losing heads, Winston, we cannot afford you losing yours. And you will if you appear now. You said it yourself the first night you appeared here. Protective custody one day, found dead in your cell the next. The Commonwealth is looking for leadership and you, you alone, can provide it. We have to get you to Canada. If we do not, the Commonwealth will not last one year, let alone one thousand.”
“That may be easier said than done.“ Churchill was thoughtful. The dreadful depression that had blanketed him earlier was lifting at last; his mind was already beginning to range through the possibilities. “You are right, of course. There is nothing to be done here. It would be better if That Man had actually broken the law anywhere but damn him, everything he did was legal. He brings shame upon the whole concept of the rule of law.”
The Duke mentally raised his eyebrows. Every time the subject of Halifax came up, Churchill went off into these diatribes. He was obsessed with revenge and it seemed he could think of nothing else. The problem was, there was so much else to think about. “Winston, it’s not just a matter of getting you out. That will be difficult enough. We have to deny the Germans as much of our technical and operational expertise as well. I’ve spoken, discretely of course, with Sir Henry Tizard about this and he’s putting together a group of his people from the Aeronautical Research Committee. They directed the development of radar, so I am told. The object is to get to the United States as soon as possible to brief them on a number of technical innovations. This has been planned for some time, so I understand, with the original aim of securing assistance in maintaining the war effort. In view of the way circumstances have changed, I believe that it will be necessary simply to give the Americans every piece of information we can.”
“A last bequest from a dying man to his children.” Churchill’s depression was reasserting itself. He scowled at the room in general and drained his glass. Quietly, the Duke feared for the future of his whisky supply if this visit continued much longer. “Is that what we have come to?”
“Needs must when the devil drives, Winston. That Man has taken us out of the war; now we must hand the torch on to others. This is the reality we must face. The information we will be giving up will have immense value after the war, of that I have no doubt. Yet it is a sacrifice we must make if we are to emerge victorious. We will be a poorer and much-diminished state post-war, Winston, but it is either that or existing only as a subdivision of a Nazi empire.” The Duke suddenly exploded in anger, his pent-up frustrations bursting out through the reserve his rank and position demanded. “Damn Halifax! Damn him to hell! He’s destroyed us and he doesn’t even realize what he has done. You called the Commonwealth and America our children, Winston. Well, I hope they have learned from the sins of their father, that’s all I can say. I pray that our children will strike back with all the rage and power that we should have had but have become too enfeebled to muster.”