Shaw was taken straight up to the Admiral’s sea-cabin where he remained closeted alone with Carleton for some considerable time during which, after satisfying the Admiral as to his identity, he gave him the whole story as quickly and briefly as he could, right from the start.
Carleton listened intently and in growing astonishment. When Shaw had finished he said, “I can’t believe it. It’s fantastic, Shaw.”
“I know, sir, but — may I ask how much of all this you knew before? Did you know about that tower, for instance?”
“Yes, I did indeed.” Carleton nodded heavily. “I was told by signal not long ago—”
“Well, sir,” Shaw broke in urgently, “may I ask you to take the rest on trust? Carew could confirm it all if he were fit, but he’s in no condition to talk now.”
“Yes, yes, I see.” Carleton got up and took a turn or two up and down the small cabin, two steps one way, two the other, hands clasped tight behind a long back, frowning anxiously so that the blue-chinned, lantern-shaped face hung in heavy, fleshy folds. Then he stopped and looked down at Shaw. “Very well,” he said abruptly. “I’ll take your word for it, Commander. I had a word with your chief before we sailed, so I feel I am safe… yes, yes. Now, I’d better tell you my end of this. It’s very brief. I’ve been ordered home, as you obviously guessed when you saw us start the turn, and meanwhile it’s been decided to send in a force of Vulcans to smash that tower of yours.”
Shaw’s head jerked up. “Has it indeed! Are they in the air yet, sir?”
“No, they’re taking off an hour before dawn. Why?”
“I think they should be negatived, sir. Immediately. Top priority.” Shaw’s voice was sharp with anxiety.
“What the devil d’you mean?”
“Just that, sir. Cancel them.” Shaw sat forward, his fists clenching. “It’s vital. Sending in the Vulcans will only lead to all-out war—”
“I’m only too well aware of that, my dear fellow! It’s a filthy prospect — a filthy prospect — but what else d’you expect Whitehall to do, Shaw? Just sit down and take what’s obviously coming?” He stared frigidly, lips tight, neck stuck out.
Shaw said tautly, “No, sir. Not that at all. I’ve got a better idea — that’s all. And it’s going to work. May I put it to you, sir?”
“Certainly, but let me have it quickly.” Carleton peered at a clock on the bulkhead. “Remember, I’ve got an order I’m supposed to obey. I’m supposed to be steaming for the North Cape and home and I’m going to have the Admiralty on my tail directly, asking why I’ve not reported my new course and speed. So I do hope you’ve something convincing to tell me, Shaw.” He added, “Frankly, I don’t see what else anyone can do, other than try to smash up that tower.”
“Quite, sir. That’s what I’m aiming to do, but in a different way, a safer and in the long run a much more effective way.” He paused. “Now, sir. That tower’s big and wide and deep, it goes way below the sea-bed. Carew tells me that for one reason and another the sealing door down below won’t be shut until almost the last minute. Now — if we can smash that tower and fill it up with sea-water, thousands and millions of tons of it, that’s all we need to do — they’ve had it! Don’t you see, sir? The fissure will flood right up and they’ll never be able to use it again, ever, not if they pump for a thousand years — and even if they do get the door shut, we may still be able to flood the control-room inside the tower itself—”
“Yes, yes — but how do we achieve all this, Shaw? By gunfire? Torpedoes? Bombs from my aircraft? No — just a moment, Shaw, kindly allow me to speak. Surely that’ll have precisely the same warlike look about it as the Vulcans, with only a fraction of the chances of success?”
“No, sir!” Shaw shook his head, sweat beading his forehead now. “I don’t mean gunfire, sir, nothing like that all—”
“Then what—”
“I mean — ram!”
Carleton started. “Ram? Ram the tower?”
“Yes, sir! Split it into fragments and let the weight of water do the rest. Let the Barents Sea itself pour down and finish the whole thing off for good and all!”
Carleton went on staring at him, hands behind his back, eyes narrowed. Shaw went on desperately, “I’d suggest using the Lord Cochrane, sir. She’s obsolete, expendable, and heavy. She’s still got a good turn of speed at full power, and she could smash that tower in seconds once she’s worked up to maximum revolutions — just as effectively as the Vulcans! Well, sir?”
Carleton licked his lips, looked down at his shoes and eased his knees up and down. He said, “Dear me. You’ve put me in a quandary, Shaw. There’s a chance of success, I admit. But the timing… it’ll be such a close thing, won’t it? You say they won’t flash the fissure until we’re alongside in Moltsk, but now Carew’s disappeared they may advance the firing. If we let the Vulcans go ahead, they can smash that tower within minutes of being airborne, long before we’re due to enter—”
“And start a war, sir! Those Vulcans’ll start a war with an apparently unprovoked attack. You can see what effect that’s going to have.”
Carleton rocked angrily on his heels. “But good God, man! War is at this moment the lesser of two alternatives. You can’t offer me any guarantee that we’ll reach the tower before they fire it off, can you?”
“No, sir, I can’t. It’s a risk. But I think it’s worth taking, because Carew told me quite categorically that they wouldn’t go into action before tomorrow afternoon, that they’ll be loading up and wiring-up right throughout the morning and until almost the last minute. It’s a very tight schedule, he said. They’ll know Carew’s missing, I agree, but they won’t know he’s talked, and in fact I think I’ve got an idea as to how we can convince them that he hasn't talked.”
“How?”
“Well, sir… I suggest you make an almost clean breast of things and signal the naval authorities in Moltsk that you’ve picked up a dead man in a drifting boat. Carew’s going to die anyway before morning, so we’ll be covered: The radar tracking-stations along the north Russian coast will have noted Petunia’s altering to pick us up anyway, so no secrecy will be lost in admitting it — in fact, it’d be suspicious perhaps if you didn’t account for it. Tell ’em straight out that the dead man carried papers saying he was Lawrence Carew, and that he was alone. They’ll probably come to the conclusion that Carew had another change of heart, realized at the last moment just what he was going to do to his own country, and then died trying to reach the British fleet. It’ll all be perfectly logical.”
“But surely they’ll have their suspicions?”
“Yes, sir, but they won’t be certain, and the fact that you’ve admitted picking up Carew at all will give it a genuine look.” He added, “Can we leave that side of it for the moment and just go into the physical practicalities of ramming? What’s your opinion as to whether the Lord Cochrane could smash into thick concrete and split it?” Carleton said, “It depends on the actual thickness, naturally, but from what you tell me I believe she could do it all right. Yes, as a physical proposition I believe it stands up, Shaw.” He frowned in thought. “Ten thousand tons at thirty-two knots… if they can raise enough steam on all four engine-rooms in time. Currently she’s got two shut down.” He pursed his lips and went over to a table below one of the ports. He switched on a bright light over a chart that was spread out on the table, the chart for the Kola Peninsula and Moltsk approaches. He said, “Come over here, Shaw.” Shaw got up and looked over the Admiral’s shoulder. Carleton said, “The entry channel runs close in for some way north of Moltsk, certainly. That means we could make a straight approach rather than a sudden tight turn. It’s just there — d’you see?” He traced a line with a pencil. “Where exactly is the tower?”