“Even if we got it away from here I don’t know where we’d put it. If we had it on board, I could manage. But the Astarte will be watched every minute she’s in harbour. They searched us for Jakoub, sir, and for this little lot. Your friend will have heard of it by now.”
Captain Welfare smiled, a regrettably unrepentant smile. But many a man who has changed sides has a temporary hankering for the old colours.
“You say you could manage if you had it on the Astarte?” Edmund asked suddenly.
“Yes, if she were clear of the harbour.”
“Well, I see how it can be done.”
We both waited for his plan. He turned and came back to the table.
“This street is perfectly quiet from three o’clock in the morning until after sunrise. If there are any police about, a little backshish will keep them away. There’s deep water right up to the sea-wall. I’ve often seen feluccas tie up there. All we’ve to do is to bring up a big fishing felucca, lower the beastly stuff out of this window, load the felucca and send her out of the way till the Astarte picks her up at sea.”
It was a daring scheme, and its risks were abominable.
Captain Welfare pointed them out.
“You’ve got to take the risks because there’s no other way,” Edmund said. “I’ve been thinking while you’ve been talking. When you mentioned the Astarte, I saw the whole thing in a flash. We cheat Van Ermengen & Co. instead of buying them off, we hoodwink the police and get away, and we can sink the stuff in as many fathoms as we like.”