Cargo of Coffins by L. Ron Hubbard Read Free Book Online Page B

coming violence of this blow. But now the sea was dead and the air was too thick to breathe.
    He heard footsteps coming up to the bridge, careless, confident steps. He turned and saw Paco rise in sections to the level of the bridge deck.
    Paco was grinning. He had changed subtly. There was less of furtiveness about him, more of command. He was dressed to his part as Prince of Spain. He wore Kenneth’s clothes and looked better in them than Kenneth’s spinelessness ever could. Rakish yachting cap, silk shirt, muffler of silk with small figured anchors of blue in it, correct trousers and spotless shoes. The whiteness of his attire set off the swarthiness of his features.
    Lars stood solidly and watched Paco approach, face impassive but thoughts all focused on Paco’s heart. The blue patch pocket made an excellent target.
    “Well, am I good or am I good?” said Paco. He came to a halt, lit a monogrammed cigarette and flipped the match down into the dead sea. He faced Lars, grin widening. “For two days I’ve raised hell about them opening those letters before they were sure I’d passed to the Great Beyond and now I got them eating out of my hand. Did I tell you I was a genius?”
    Lars looked his contempt.
    “Don’t you believe it even yet?” said Paco in mock surprise. “Why, Lars, that’s ungrateful of you. After all I’ve done! And you know, of course, that I’ll see you get entirely free of French officers. Oh, yes, of course, Lars. And haven’t I built you up to Terry?”
    “It’s Terry now, is it?” said Lars.
    “Sure,” said Paco. “She fell for this prince gag like a ton of bricks. I’m on easy street. As soon as she carries out my orders—”
    “Your orders? Are you ordering this ship now, too?”
    “Certainly I am!”
    “And where are we going?”
    Paco grinned. “You’ll know soon enough. Terry and the rest are ‘thrilled to death’ about it. Quite an adventure for them.”
    “You’ve still got me on the bridge, Paco.”
    “Is that a threat?” smiled Paco. “I think you’ll go along with me—unless you want to land back in the swamps. It’ll be Madame Guillotine next time. And by the way, Lars, it’s not Paco now. After this, address me as ‘Your Highness.’ I think I shall have to require that of you.”
    Lars clenched his fist and Paco saw it without any change of countenance.
    “I wouldn’t,” said Paco.
    “You’re taking this yacht to do your dirty business for you?” said Lars.
    “Of course. I might add, Lars, that you would be wise to follow orders. Everything and everybody is on my side now. Even you!” He laughed amusedly at this and turned and went down the ladder and out of sight.
    Lars looked back at the sea again. The keys to the gun racks were hard and sharp against his thigh. But he knew too well that any move he made would result in his sacrificing his own life.
    He stood there for an hour, though he knew he was off watch and would need a short sleep to take his night trick. And at the end of that hour his reverie was cut short by a white swirl of skirt to his right. He had not heard Terry Norton approach.
    He whirled about, startled for an instant. Then he saluted gravely. And then he saw something in her expression which alarmed him a little. She was very cold and formal—and could that be distrust in her beautiful face?
    “Yes, ma’am?” said Lars.
    “I have orders for you, Captain Lowenskold. Since discovering the real identity of Prince Enríque, we have made a change of plans. As we are a yacht we can enter ports at random.”
    Lars hesitated. He knew this was far from the right time to tell her anything but he thought that if he could give her some slight warning . . .
    “Miss Norton, are you sure about Paco?”
    Her tones were ice. “You mean His Highness?”
    “I mean Paco Corvino. Miss Norton, I’ve got a hunch—”
    “Are you, by any chance, trying to discredit him after seeing those certificates? Really, Captain Lowenskold, His