Dust On the Sea by Douglas Reeman Page B

island.
    â€˜No, sir. Because I
am
accustomed to the realities of war, and I see no point in inhumanity, for inhumanity’s sake alone.’
    Naismith had thin, ginger eyebrows. They rose sharply as he said, ‘But you are of a famous family, I believe? Your father was not unknown, even in the army. What would he say, I wonder? Gallipoli, and Flanders – no place for the soft-hearted, I’d have thought.’
    Gaillard cleared his throat and said sharply, ‘The Royal Marines were at Gallipoli, and at the Somme, sir. I’m not much of a historian, but I seem to recall that it was because the army had made a hash of it!’
    Surprisingly, the interruption seemed to please the brigadier. He smiled and nodded. ‘Well spoken, Major Gaillard! A man of action. What I need. What we all need in the coming months!’ Then he said abruptly, ‘I think that will be all.’ And to St John, ‘No need for junior officers at this time, eh?’
    Blackwood turned. There had been a movement behind him, and it was Despard, as he had known it would be. Big, straight-backed, expressionless.
    He said, ‘I was there, sir. Had Captain Blackwood fallen, I would have been in command.’
    The brigadier pressed his fingertips together. ‘Continue. I am interested in that. What might you have done?’
    Despard looked at some point above Naismith’s left shoulder. ‘I am a Channel Islander, sir. I’ve been in the Corps since I was a boy – Stonehouse Barracks was more of a home to me than Jersey.’
    Naismith said, ‘I’m afraid I don’t see the point of this. Perhaps we might adjourn, Commander St John?’
    Despard continued in the same unemotional tone, as if Naismith had said nothing; as if he was talking to someone else entirely.
    â€˜My mother and sister did not leave before the Germans invaded. Maybe they never intended to. It was their home, you see. One day, some German made a play for my sister. She laughed at him. Made him look a fool in front of his mates, I expect. She was a fine girl. Very pretty, too.’ Then he looked directly into Naismith’s eyes. ‘For that, they arrested her. Later she was taken to mainland France. I heard she died in a concentration camp. An’ for what?’ He seemed to restrain some impulse to step forward. ‘Yes, I’d probably have shot all of them dead that day, even if there had been no secret equipment, no nothing!’ He lifted his arm and pointed to Blackwood, although he did not take his eyes from Naismith’s. ‘But for Captain Blackwood, I would probably have done all that, an’ more.’ His arm fell to his side.‘But then, I’d have been just like those bastards. I’ll never forget what he did for me on that bloody island!’
    St John rose to his feet. ‘I think that says rather a lot, sir.’
    The man who intended to be the youngest general since Wolfe picked up his cap and swagger stick and smiled. ‘Time for a cool drink, I think.’ A door was dragged open and, with St John beside him, he left the room.
    Gaillard snorted. ‘I can see we’re all going to get along splendidly!’
    Blackwood glanced at the intelligence officer, and did not understand the wink.
    Gaillard said sharply, ‘Something big is coming up. Brigadier Naismith will be in overall charge. Until our special company reaches here, we don’t have the numbers for any operation of size.’ He slapped his leg angrily. ‘Of all the infernal luck!’
    Blackwood looked back at Despard. There was no sign now of the intensity and the pain which had made him speak openly of something which must be a lingering nightmare.
    â€˜Coming for a drink?’
    Despard shook his head. ‘They’ve invited me to have a jar or two in the sergeants’ mess. I sometimes think I never should have left it!’
    Gaillard watched him go, and remarked,