Tyndall took a last look round the convoy, sighed wearily and eased himself down to the duckboards.
What the hell, he thought, let it go.
If it wasted his time sending it, it would also waste old Starr's time reading it. He clumped his way heavily down the bridge ladders, eased his bulk through the door of the Captain's cabin, hard by the F.D.R.
Vallery, partly undressed, was lying in his bunk, between very clean, very white sheets: their knife-edged ironing crease-marks contrasted oddly with the spreading crimson stain.
Vallery himself, gaunt-cheeked and cadaverous beneath dark stubble of beard, red eyes sunk deep in great hollow sockets, looked corpse-like, already dead.
From one corner of his mouth blood trickled down a parchment cheek.
As Tyndall shut the door, Vallery lifted a wasted hand, all ivory knuckles and blue veins, in feeble greeting.
Tyndall closed the door carefully, quietly. He took his time, tune and to spare to allow the shock to drain out of his face.
When he turned round, his face was composed, but he made no attempt to disguise bis concern. "Thank God for old Socrates!" he said feelingly. "Only man in the ship who can make you see even a modicum of sense."
He parked himself on the edge of the bed.
"How do you feel, Dick?"
Vallery grinned crookedly. There was no humour in his smile.
"All depends what you mean, sir.
Physically or mentally?
I feel a bit worn out-not really ill, you know.
Doc says he can fix me up-temporarily anyway.
He's going to give me a plasma transfusion-says I've lost too much blood."
"Plasma?"
"Plasma. Whole blood would be a better coagulant.
But he thinks it may prevent-or minimise-future attacks..."
He paused, wiped some froth off his lips, and smiled again, as mirthlessly as before.
"It's not really a doctor and medicine I need, John-it's a padre-and forgiveness." His voice trailed off into silence.
The cabin was very quiet.
Tyndall shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat noisily. Rarely had he been so conscious that he was, first and last, a man of action.
"Forgiveness?
What on earth do you mean, Dick?"
He hadn't meant to speak so loudly, so harshly.
"You know damn' well what I mean," Vallery said mildly. He was a man who was rarely heard to swear, to use the most innocuous oath. "You were with me on the bridge this morning."
For perhaps two minutes neither man said a word.
Then Vallery broke into a fresh paroxysm of coughing.
The towel in his hand grew dark, sodden, and when he leaned back on his pillow Tyndall felt a quick stab of fear.
He bent quickly over the sick man, sighed in soundless relief as he heard the quick, shallow breathing.
Vallery spoke again, his eyes still closed.
"It's not so much the men who were killed in the Low Power Room." He seemed to be talking to himself, his voice a drifting murmur. "My fault, I suppose-I took the Ulysses too near the Ranger.
Foolish to go near a sinking ship, especially if she's burning...
But just one of these things, just one of the risks... they happen..."
The rest was a blurred, dying whisper. Tyndall couldn't catch it.
He rose abruptly to his feet, pulling his gloves on. "Sorry, Dick," he apologised.
"Shouldn't have come, shouldn't have stayed so long.
Old Socrates will give me hell."
"It's the others, the boys in the water." Vallery might never have heard him. "I hadn't the right, I mean, perhaps some of them would..."
Again his voice was lost for a moment, then he went on strongly:
"Captain Richard Vallery, D.S.O., judge, jury and executioner.
Tell me, John, what am I going to say when my turn comes?"
Tyndall hesitated, heard the authoritative rap on the door and jerked round, his breath escaping in a long, inaudible sigh of thankfulness.
"Come in," he called.
The door opened and Brooks walked in.
He stopped short at the sight of the Admiral, turned to the white-coated assistant behind him, a figure weighed down with stands, bottles, tubing and various paraphernalia.
"Remain outside, Johnson, will you?" he asked. "I'll call you when I want you."
He closed the door, crossed the cabin and pulled a chair up to the Captain's bunk.