The Man who Missed the War by Dennis Wheatley Read Free Book Online Page A

say definitely. One small point I would suggest is that each of the cargo containers should have a square hole in its middle: a sort of well, you know, about six feet by six. It wouldn’t mean sacrificing very much of your cargo space, and it might prove useful as a refuge for your servicing crew should they be caught in a sudden squall. However, that’s a detail. Anyhow, we’re very grateful indeed to you for bringing us your idea.’
    Philip thought the suggestion of the refuge-well a good one, and said that he would incorporate it in his final plan.
    Three days later, he received a letter bearing the embossed anchor crest of the Admiralty. He tore it open with trembling fingers, only to find that it contained nothing but a formal acknowledgment of his papers.
    The time of waiting that followed seemed interminable. Philipnow felt certain that war was impending as the Air Ministry sent a high official to the works to address the senior staff, draughtsmen and shop stewards. The short talk was mainly about Security and the necessity for concealing, even from their families, details of forthcoming increased Government orders; and, after hinting at the gravity of the European situation, the speaker urged the workers to do all in their power to increase output.
    Captain Vaudell was also now putting in longer hours at his office in Portsmouth and making more frequent trips to the other Naval Dockyards which he visited from time to time. Occasionally he still had one or two of his brother officers to dinner, and from their conversation one evening Philip learnt to his fury that yet more millions of the all too small Naval Estimates were being devoted to the laying-down of two more huge battleships, which Service rumour had it were to be named
Anson
and
Howe
.
    ‘How soon are they likely to be ready, sir?’ he asked one of the guests, a dark hatchet-faced Post Captain.
    ‘They’re scheduled for commissioning in 1943,’ was the prompt reply.
    ‘But surely,’ protested Philip, ‘if there is going to be a war it will break out long before that, and with luck might even be all over by then. Wouldn’t it be sounder to concentrate on smaller stuff for quick delivery which would be of some use to us if we have to fight this year or next?’
    The Captain shrugged. ‘Oh, war or no war, we must keep up our long-term building programme, you know.’
    Quite unreasonably, the episode left a bitter taste in Philip’s mouth. Alone in his bedroom later that night, he raged silently against such stupidity.
    ‘Fools! Blockheads! With their Big Ships which in future could be no more than a target for bombs. When would they learn sense? When they found themselves struggling in the oily sea, going down for the third time, after a direct hit had exploded a magazine, perhaps! But, in the meantime, the old diehards at the Admiralty were squandering Britain’s last chance to prepare for a modern Naval war. Yet there must be some men with brains and vision at the Admiralty—people who realised that within a few months we might be at war and the fate of the whole freeworld depend on our ability to keep Britain open and supplied as a base for operating against the tyranny which was gradually engulfing Europe. One of them would see his plan and the raft convoy would be adopted. It simply must be.’
    The blow was all the heavier when a few days later he received a communication from the Admiralty. The printed slip read: ‘We thank you for giving us the opportunity of examining your … but regret that we cannot at present recommend that an offer should be made with a view to acquiring rights in it.’ The blank had been filled in with the words ‘Raft Convoy’, and below appeared a meaningless scrawl, which was, apparently, the signature of the Secretary of a ‘Committee for the Examination of Devices’, together with a typed postscript to the effect that his plans were being returned under separate cover.
    Philip at once rang up the Canon