The existing ships, even including those hastily brought forward for commission, were in danger of being over-manned. Owing to the wholesale scrapping of serviceable warships, there were available roughly three times the number of trained men actually required to put every existing ship into commission.
Amongst the ex-officers regranted a commission was Peter Corbold. Without identifying himself as a relative of the inventor of the mysterious ray, he had made an application through the usual channel for service afloat. Now that the apparatus was tested and adopted by the British Government, he felt that he was no longer bound to remain an assistant experimenter. But he rather dreaded breaking the news to Uncle Brian. Peter had a lurking suspicion that it was hardly fair to his relative.
During a brief spell in the workshops, Peter found an opportunity of broaching the news.
Uncle Brian listened quietly. Hardly a muscle of his face moved during the announcement.
"That's all right, Peter," he said, when his nephew had unburdened himself. "Quite all right, my boy. As a matter of fact, I knew how keen you were to volunteer for sea service, so I approached Sir John Pilrig on the subject. You'll find that you'll be appointed to the Rebound as lieutenant borne for wireless duties."
"Wireless duties!" exclaimed Peter. "Precious little I know about that."
Uncle Brian winked.
"Camouflage," he rejoined. "You're in charge of the anti-aircraft apparatus to be installed on board the flagship. It wouldn't do to let everybody know. In war-time, one must not call a spade a spade. It must be described by some other name and be disguised to resemble something that it is not."
Two days later, Peter Corbold's appointment to H.M.S. Rebound was announced.
The Rebound was a post-war battleship, of 40,000 tons, armed with eight 15-inch guns, and embodying many details of construction that bitter experience at Jutland had taught the naval constructor. At present, she was at Bermuda with the rest of the small, but efficient, squadron that represented the total available force at the Empire's disposal without seriously impairing her naval resources elsewhere.