“I don't know,” Gary explained cautiously. “They use it to go down to boats that are sunk, I guess.”
“It still looks like a gas mask to me.” Harry peered at him, bristling with suspicion and disbelief. “Was you gonna investigate some sunken boats?”
“Of course not. I just brought it along.”
“You're a liar,” Harry repeated.
Gary didn't answer and the man with the gun lapsed into a disgruntled silence, unable to offer anything further. He kept the weapon trained in the general direction of the soldier's stomach and dropped to one knee, to examine the equipment. Harry tapped the glass eye-pieces with a dirty finger and turned the gear over to finger the straps. Finally he picked up the heavy metal box fastened by a hose to the mouthpiece and shook it. It seemed solid.
One of the others crept nearer. “Harry…”
“What?”
“I know, Harry, I know what he was gonna do.”
“Well, what?”
“He was gonna put it on and swim across!”