5.11 Bombay in ninety days?
“She would be very persistent, these were her last words last night.” Simon looks into the tense concentrated faces ...
“She would be very persistent, these were her last words last night.” Simon looks into the tense concentrated faces of George Boyt and Edgar Bradshaw who are sitting with him in the captain’s cabin of the “Ocean Dream”.
“Well, if that wasn’t a first class tête-à-tête then I do not know what it was!” the first officer exclaims.
“Mr. Bradshaw, please!” the captain reprimands him. “This is a tricky situation. Who can say with certainty how the matter will develop?”
“Excuse me, Sir, of course.” Bradshaw makes a sheepish face.
Simon sighs. “It would mean a lot to me if we could find a way for me to avoid after all the apparently unavoidable. Somehow I would feel guilty towards Marala. On my search for her I am travelling around the world, worrying that something may have happened to her – then I take my pleasure with another woman?”
“We should approach the situation factually,” the captain suggests and explains further, “On our side, three people now have knowledge of the situation … and there should be no more!” With a penetrating look, George Boyt takes in Simon and the first officer, one after the other. The two nod in agreement. “We will treat the matter with absolute secrecy, because Lieutenant Walsh should not get wind of the situation under any circumstances. He seems to really worship his wife, and if something were to seep through to him, it could be that he would start to doubt the impeccable reputation of his spouse. And then all our endeavours would be in vain, and we would be left in the end standing there without a cargo. Do we understand one another? – Simon, Mr. Bradshaw?”
“Absolutely, nobody will even hear a word of this from me,” promises the first officer. “But can we also assume that the other side will be equally as discreet?”
“Yes, I think so, Mr. Bradshaw,” Simon confirms solemnly. “I am even pretty certain of it. Lady Walsh’s organisational talent and her sophistication seem to be unbeatable. You could even surmise from it that she possesses a measure of cunning.”
“Good, the first point has been clarified,” the captain announces. “Now to the object of the blackmail. The target person is you, Simon. If something goes wrong, however, the whole crew of the ‘Ocean Dream’ will suffer and of course Marala as well. Because in the best case scenario we will only lose a few weeks, but in the worst case, we will lose the complete transport order and thus a lot of time and money. We would possibly need months to win a new order – valuable time for Marala. In the last few days I have constantly gone over in my head how we should deal with this blackmail. But the way the matter looks, you will not get around following Lady Walsh’s instructions, Simon. What do you think, Mr. Bradshaw?”
“Well, we have a valid preliminary contract, don’t we?” the first officer scratches his head contemplatively.
“That we have,” confirms George Boyt.
“Can we not insist that it is fulfilled? Can Lieutenant Walsh refuse to fulfil this contract due to purely personal differences with Mr. Brown – I mean from a legal perspective?”
“From a legal perspective your view is correct, Mr. Bradshaw,” Simon now seems extremely focussed. “But we would have to insist in writing to the East India Company that the contract is fulfilled, and we or Lieutenant Walsh would have to supply reasons against fulfilment of the contract. I fear we would initiate a huge scandal that would damage all the parties involved. Furthermore, it certainly would not recommend us for future transport orders.”
“That is very regrettable. Then you will just have to come to terms with the situation, I fear,” the first officer shrugs his shoulders with regret. “Permit me the question of how should I imagine Lady Walsh to be?”
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Bradshaw,” George Boyt is clearly outraged.
“It is fine, George,” Simon reassures him. “Mr. Bradshaw asked politely. The lady’s mind seems to be sharp as a knife, and her appearance is no secret. To put it briefly: she is a straight-grown extremely pretty person who can seem both coquettish and sweet. Her fine features contrast with her full lips, and dimples form on her cheeks when she smiles. Furthermore, she has an extremely neat appearance. George, you saw her in the lieutenant’s office.”
“Hmm,” growls the captain, “only briefly, and besides I did not pay so much attention to the woman.”
“Ah yes,” Simon adds. “Lady Walsh has excellent taste when it comes to choosing her clothes, I would think.”
“Sounds like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” states the first officer. “On the one hand pretty, on the other cunning.”
“Whatever about being a wolf – Simon you will have to decide before your next meeting.” The captain clasps his forehead with his right hand as if he has to concentrate even harder. “The fact is that Lady Walsh is extremely attractive. In the whole crew of the ‘Ocean Dream’ you will not find three men who would not be delighted to be blackmailed in this way. But you are not one of them. And you are the only person who can make this decision and who must make this decision. I would like to point out that for the most part it is in your power whether we will get to India and how quickly. You do not know if Marala is still alive, and if she is not, then you are not at any fault if you fulfil Lady Walsh’s wishes. If, however, Marala is still alive, which we all hope, then it is of great advantage to get to Bombay as quickly as possible. But for this, it is necessary to comply with the Lady’s wishes.”
“I understand, George.”
“Well, there is nothing you will not find in this world,” the first officer sighs. “But something like this would never have happened long ago.”
Without responding to this comment, George turns to his friend, “When, do you say, you will be meeting her?”
“Late this afternoon, George,” replies Simon with a bad feeling in his stomach. “First I will make my way to Cornhill and see how it looks with this Overland Route.”
...
“Well, if that wasn’t a first class tête-à-tête then I do not know what it was!” the first officer exclaims.
“Mr. Bradshaw, please!” the captain reprimands him. “This is a tricky situation. Who can say with certainty how the matter will develop?”
“Excuse me, Sir, of course.” Bradshaw makes a sheepish face.
Simon sighs. “It would mean a lot to me if we could find a way for me to avoid after all the apparently unavoidable. Somehow I would feel guilty towards Marala. On my search for her I am travelling around the world, worrying that something may have happened to her – then I take my pleasure with another woman?”
“We should approach the situation factually,” the captain suggests and explains further, “On our side, three people now have knowledge of the situation … and there should be no more!” With a penetrating look, George Boyt takes in Simon and the first officer, one after the other. The two nod in agreement. “We will treat the matter with absolute secrecy, because Lieutenant Walsh should not get wind of the situation under any circumstances. He seems to really worship his wife, and if something were to seep through to him, it could be that he would start to doubt the impeccable reputation of his spouse. And then all our endeavours would be in vain, and we would be left in the end standing there without a cargo. Do we understand one another? – Simon, Mr. Bradshaw?”
“Absolutely, nobody will even hear a word of this from me,” promises the first officer. “But can we also assume that the other side will be equally as discreet?”
“Yes, I think so, Mr. Bradshaw,” Simon confirms solemnly. “I am even pretty certain of it. Lady Walsh’s organisational talent and her sophistication seem to be unbeatable. You could even surmise from it that she possesses a measure of cunning.”
“Good, the first point has been clarified,” the captain announces. “Now to the object of the blackmail. The target person is you, Simon. If something goes wrong, however, the whole crew of the ‘Ocean Dream’ will suffer and of course Marala as well. Because in the best case scenario we will only lose a few weeks, but in the worst case, we will lose the complete transport order and thus a lot of time and money. We would possibly need months to win a new order – valuable time for Marala. In the last few days I have constantly gone over in my head how we should deal with this blackmail. But the way the matter looks, you will not get around following Lady Walsh’s instructions, Simon. What do you think, Mr. Bradshaw?”
“Well, we have a valid preliminary contract, don’t we?” the first officer scratches his head contemplatively.
“That we have,” confirms George Boyt.
“Can we not insist that it is fulfilled? Can Lieutenant Walsh refuse to fulfil this contract due to purely personal differences with Mr. Brown – I mean from a legal perspective?”
“From a legal perspective your view is correct, Mr. Bradshaw,” Simon now seems extremely focussed. “But we would have to insist in writing to the East India Company that the contract is fulfilled, and we or Lieutenant Walsh would have to supply reasons against fulfilment of the contract. I fear we would initiate a huge scandal that would damage all the parties involved. Furthermore, it certainly would not recommend us for future transport orders.”
“That is very regrettable. Then you will just have to come to terms with the situation, I fear,” the first officer shrugs his shoulders with regret. “Permit me the question of how should I imagine Lady Walsh to be?”
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Bradshaw,” George Boyt is clearly outraged.
“It is fine, George,” Simon reassures him. “Mr. Bradshaw asked politely. The lady’s mind seems to be sharp as a knife, and her appearance is no secret. To put it briefly: she is a straight-grown extremely pretty person who can seem both coquettish and sweet. Her fine features contrast with her full lips, and dimples form on her cheeks when she smiles. Furthermore, she has an extremely neat appearance. George, you saw her in the lieutenant’s office.”
“Hmm,” growls the captain, “only briefly, and besides I did not pay so much attention to the woman.”
“Ah yes,” Simon adds. “Lady Walsh has excellent taste when it comes to choosing her clothes, I would think.”
“Sounds like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” states the first officer. “On the one hand pretty, on the other cunning.”
“Whatever about being a wolf – Simon you will have to decide before your next meeting.” The captain clasps his forehead with his right hand as if he has to concentrate even harder. “The fact is that Lady Walsh is extremely attractive. In the whole crew of the ‘Ocean Dream’ you will not find three men who would not be delighted to be blackmailed in this way. But you are not one of them. And you are the only person who can make this decision and who must make this decision. I would like to point out that for the most part it is in your power whether we will get to India and how quickly. You do not know if Marala is still alive, and if she is not, then you are not at any fault if you fulfil Lady Walsh’s wishes. If, however, Marala is still alive, which we all hope, then it is of great advantage to get to Bombay as quickly as possible. But for this, it is necessary to comply with the Lady’s wishes.”
“I understand, George.”
“Well, there is nothing you will not find in this world,” the first officer sighs. “But something like this would never have happened long ago.”
Without responding to this comment, George turns to his friend, “When, do you say, you will be meeting her?”
“Late this afternoon, George,” replies Simon with a bad feeling in his stomach. “First I will make my way to Cornhill and see how it looks with this Overland Route.”
...