Dust on the Sea Read Online Free PDF Page A

spoke at the same instant. “I’m ready to relieve you,” he said to Keith.
    As the traditional ritual of turning over the duties of Officer of the Deck took place—truncated in this instance because of the short time Keith had held the conn—Richardson raised his binoculars and surveyed the channel. So far as he could see, Eel was the only ship in it. The entrance buoys were now astern. Ahead two more red and black buoys were in sight, similar to but smaller than the first pair. The visibility held a hint of haze, and he could barely make out the third pair. Eel was still proceeding through open water, but ahead the shoreline closed in except for a patch of water in the middle toward which she was steering. Unseen in the distance and the haze, the otherwise straight channel made a couple of small bends between banks of hibiscus-laden shore, and to starboard around one of them would be Hospital Point, with usually some convalescing patients and a few nurses watching the ships pass in and out. No doubt there would be a crowd of people today, curious to see what the Kona weather might do to the outlying reaches of the channel and to any ships caught in it. They would have noticed the absence of the usual sweepers and patrol craft, the lack of other ships going in or out (Keith had commented on this after things had returned to normal). From her appearance they would know Eel was returning from patrol, and they would guess the significance of the display of Japanese flags flying from the radar mast. They would probably wave a greeting as the ship rounded thepoint. Perhaps, with their own injuries, with Arizona ’s flag still raised every morning over the 1100 men still aboard the silent, shattered hulk, they would be pleased if they could know that this particular submarine had deliberately run down three lifeboats filled with enemy sailors.
    Almost, for a blessed instant, there had again been a feeling of peace and normality, an ordinary gladness at the return from patrol at once safe and successful, relief from the latest emergency passed, anticipation of the good times in store for the next two weeks or so until the demands of getting ready for another patrol would take up all their time and energy. But, as usual, the mood could not last. Richardson would not go to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. He could not join his officers and crew there. He would remain aboard during the refit, perhaps ask for a room in the submarine base BOQ if things became too impossible on board. His lips unconsciously compressed into the hard line which had recently become so often his expression. He released the binoculars, allowing them to drop with unaccustomed disdain on their leather thong and strike his chest. Keith was beside him.
    â€œI’ve been relieved of the conn, sir. Buck has it again.” Then, in a less officious tone, looking squarely at him, Keith added “We hope you’ll be able to join us at the Royal tonight, Skipper. ComSubPac and Captain Blunt will probably want you for dinner, but will you promise to come on out after?”
    Instead of the petulant negative he intended to utter, Richardson found himself answering, “Well, there’ll be a lot to do here, but maybe . . .”
    Keith didn’t let him finish, maintained a note of heartiness which instantly betrayed itself as a substitute for anxiety. “Come on, Boss, you can’t let us down. Al Dugan and Buck and I have planned a big party to celebrate the boat’s first run. If you expect me to let anyone put any paperwork in front of you today, you’re crazy!”
    Probably the party had been less than a minute in the planning stage. It was even possible that Keith and some of the others had set up some sort of cabal to keep him from brooding over the lifeboats, to see to it that there was always one of them with him. Perhaps that was why Buck had refused to go below. Clever of them! Well, he would not be taken