The
morning was barely started when No.99, dressed in dove grey overalls and
matching cap opened up the maintenance workshop. He went inside and to the
small office where he studied the day’s work sheets.
“Morning 99.”
“Morning 86, put the kettle on might as
well begin the day with a brew.”
“Aren’t 234 and 235 here yet?”
“No they’re late.”
No.86 filled the kettle and plugged it into
the electrical socket, switching it on he sorted out the mugs “What’s on for
today?”
No.99 was studying the day’s work sheet
“The Stone Boat, she’s due for a survey.”
“Looking at the state of her, she’s ready
for the breakers yard!” 86 said adding five teaspoons of tea to the pot.
“Breakers yard or not” 99 said “You and me
will carry out the survey, oh and don’t take any lip from that ex-Admiral chap
should he turn up.”
The kettle boiled, 86 poured hot water into
the aluminium teapot and let it stand a while.
“Why?”
“He’s as daft as a brush, seems to think
he’s sailed that stone boat many a time, told me she’s great in any weather.”
“Here drink your tea” 86 said handing over
a filled mug.”
Just at that moment the two brothers 234
and 235 arrived at the maintenance shed. They were followed by 57 and 134.
“You two are late this morning” No.99 said.
“We beat those two in!”
“Only just!” 57 said.
“We were at the Cat and Mouse till closing
time” 234 said
“I still can’t figure out why that woman
was carrying that big old pot about!” 235 said.
“I think it was an incense burner” 235 told
him and stirred his tea.
“I’m not so sure” 234 said helping himself
to a mug of tea “I think it were dugs!”
“Drugs?”
“Something like marijuana.”
“Why? Whatever should that woman be wafting
marijuana about the Cat and Mouse for?”
“Simple, to make up for the lack of alcohol
in the drinks!”
“Come on you lot, work sheets as normal,
lawn cutting, hedge trimming, Number 57 you can clear the flower border on the
right of the steps to the Piazza, and put the new plants in. Number 86 and me
are going to make a survey of the Stone Boat, we’ll be back in half an hour.”
“It’s a nice day for a walk” 86 said
staring up into the sky.
“Walk, why walk when we can ride, I’ll get
the Moke!”
It was a nice drive from the maintenance
workshop breaking out of the woods, along the winding road, over the bridge
left along the road, through the yellow and white triumphal arch and into the
village. Down the road again, sound the two tone horn to warn cyclists and
pedestrians of the Mini-Moke’s approach, passed the Town Hall and down the hill
towards the old People’s Home. Then round the hair-pin bend, finally at the
slipway where the Mini-Moke came to a halt.
99 turned off the engine “We walk from
here” he said.
No.86 followed 99 along the edge of the
stone swimming pool, three girls in bikini’s were larking about, one in a small
dingy, the others playing with a large beach ball, but neither of them was
actually in the water.
“Not going swimming today girls?”No.86
asked casually.
“Not likely” one of the girls shouted back
“the water’s freezing!”
The two workmen carried on their walk.
“This is the one drawback to this job,
we’ll have to carry all the equipment this way” 99 said.
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“Why not drive the Mini-Moke across the
lawn of the Old People’s Home, then we could park it just along the quay there,
at least it would be nearer.”
“Good idea 86.well there she is, for what
she’s worth at the moment.”
The stone boat had seen better days; she
was quite a novelty being part of the quayside. In better days citizens would
run about her deck and climb the rigging.
“She’s up for survey” they heard a voice
say.
They turned round to see a man dressed
wearing a British Naval cap, except the badge was covered by the village badge
denoting the number 66, he had a plastic battleship under his arm.
“Yes Admiral, that’s why we are here to
carry out that survey” No.99 told him.
“How
long do you think the refit will take?”
“Depends on what the survey finds.”
“That’s the trouble with you shipyard
Johnny’s, no urgency!” the Admiral said.
No.99 shot 86 a knowing glance “Well with
your permission Admiral, the faster we carry out the survey the sooner the
refit will be completed.”
“The bow sprit is rotten” said the Admiral
“The roof to the forecastle needs to be replaced, and some of the rotten side
timbers need cutting out and replacing.”
“Thank you Admiral” 99 said stepping aboard
“The main cabin looks solid enough, mind you the rigging is rotten.”
No.86 stepped towards the stern and turned
the ships wheel “this is rotten and needs replacing. But the main mast is
sound, as is the jib.”
“And some of the timbers, and a lick of
paint for the forecastle!” 99 confirmed, and made a note on the clipboard “also
a new sail is called for, black is stipulated.”
“Black?”
“Yes, and she’s to be decked out with
bunting.”
“Not signal flags,
“Bunting.”
“What do you think” asked the Admiral “will
she sail again?”
No.99 winked at 86 “Well Admiral the Navy
yard will have its work cut out, but I think we can save her from the breakers
yard!”
“Carry on then, my Flag Officer and I are
going to restage the battle of
A tall middle aged woman dressed in grey
jersey and light blue slacks came walking along wearing a white Navy cap, she
carried a grey ship under each arm. Then she and the Admiral walked off
together. No.86 was still carrying on with the survey when he noticed it wasn’t
there!
“Where is it?”
“Where’s what?” No.99 asked.
“The davits are empty, there’s no
dingy!”
It was 5 minutes before curfew, No.10 and
No.17 had left the relative comfort of their cottages and slipped out into the
night. They rendezvoused down on the quayside, and stowed away in the main
cabin of the stone boat until well after Moon Set. They placed a haversack
filled with provisions, and a canteen of water into the dingy hanging from the
davits and together lowered it into the water. Then they climbed down the two
ropes, No.10 took the two oars rowing the dingy out into the estuary and away
from the village. The plan was to hug the coast, and if they came to a harbour
then all well and good, if not they would row ashore and move inland on foot,
that was the plan.
In the control room an Observer looked
up from his monitor “Supervisor.”
The bald-headed supervisor turned his
attention to the Observer “Yes what is it?”
“I thought I saw something in the
estuary.”
“What do you think it was?”
“I’m not sure sir.”
“Right lets have the estuary on the
screen, camera nineteen, night vision...scan.”
The surveillance camera scanned the surface
of the water, the green light of night vision showed nothing.
“You’re sure you saw something?”
“No sir, it was just an impression of
movement.”
That was enough for the Supervisor he
picked up the yellow ‘L’ shaped intercom “
The sea was relatively calm; the
dingy was making good headway, as No.10 tired No.17 took over the rowing as
they continued to hug the coast. In this way it alleviated the need for
navigation, although there was no-way they could know where they were rowing to
because they had no idea where they were rowing from!
At the bottom of the sea a segment of the
Guardian was released, its amorphous mass distorted by the pressure in the
water, but lessened as it floated upwards. It burst through the surface sending
a cascade of water into the air and skimmed across the water.
“What’s that sound?” No.10 said.
“A ship’s engines!” 17 said and were
about to shout ahoy when…
“A searchlight, down!”
“They must be searching for us!”
Out of the darkness a searchlight swept
across the surface of the water, as it began to point towards the dingy, 10 and
17 crouched down low hoping in all hope not to be spotted. The light swept
passed them and slowly the motor cruiser carried on its way the searchlight
slowly scanning the way ahead. The two men in the dingy raised themselves up
and No.17 began rowing again. After a few minutes there came something else out
of the darkness, a white sphere, and yet they heard it before they saw it……the
Guardian emitting its blood curdling roar moved at speed towards the dingy.
No.17 in sudden fear panicked, No.10 tried to stop him, but he was too late, 17
was in the water and began to swim away, but he on the wrong side of the dingy
the Guardian was on him in an instant. No.10 watched as his friend struggled in
the water, his arms flaying out, and fingers trying to claw at the membrane in
a vain attempt to claw the membrane from his face as the Guardian forced 17
below the surface. To try and save his friend would be futile, No.10 took up
the oars and rowed for his life. The dingy skimming across the sea with the Guardian
giving chase, but he realized he was safe, safe as long as he remained in the
dingy. The Guardian, where was the Guardian? It was there just beneath the
dingy, suddenly bursting through the surface the white membranic thing
violently slamming into the side of the dingy sending No.10 off balance and
into the water. He was floundering; being unable to swim made him easy prey for
the Guardian.
In the morning the crew of the Motor
Ship Polotska resumed their search, all they found was an abandoned dingy and a
pair of oars floating in the sea.
Be
seeing you
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