'No,' he said. He swallowed awkwardly and sat down again. He was suddenly a tired and rather pathetic old man. He passed his hand wearily over his face. 'I have drunk too much,' he whispered. Then, with sudden renewal of his violence, 'But I will not sit here doing nothing while Knut Jorgensen fills my place. I enlarged it. At his death we had five ships, that was all. When the Germans invaded Norway, I had a fleet of fourteen coasters and four tankers. Twenty-three thousand tons.' He seized the tumbler and drank, spilling the whisky down his chin. 'All gone,' he murmured. 'Nothing left. Nothing left, damn them — do you hear? God!' He buried his head in his hands. He was crying openly.
'Go up and get some more glasses, Dick,' I said. 'There are several lying about in the chartroom.'
As he slid open the door, we could hear orders being shouted in Norwegian and the sound of the catcher's engines going astern. Jill looked across at me. 'What are you going to do?' she asked. 'Are you going to Bovaagen?'
I hesitated. Dahler lifted his tear-stained face. His eyes were wild and bloodshot. 'Have a drink,' he said, seizing the bottle and pushing it across the table towards me. He rose unsteadily to his feet. 'I want you all to have a drink with me,' he said, raising his glass. 'I want you to drink with me to the — to the damnation of Jorgensen.' He drained his glass and sat down.
He looked dazed.
«I Dick came tumbling down the gangway. 'Bill,' he called. 'Lovaas is coming on board.'
'On board Diviner?'
'Yes.'
I turned to Jill. 'Get Dahler into his cabin. Curtis, shut him in. He mustn't meet Lovaas.'
Heavy footsteps sounded on the deck over our heads. 'Mr Gansert!' It was Lovaas's deep voice. 'Mr Gansert! Anyone below?'