The Only Way Is UP

NO LONGER FOR SALE

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Herbert had no idea what might be waiting for them when they reached the surface, so before they began their rendezvous with the mine he ordered his torpedo officers to load their torpedoes, open the outer doors and make ready to fire on his command. The first explosion threw the officers around like the proverbial rag dolls and as the aft end of the submarine completed its upward arc and the submarine began to dive like a spear towards the seabed, the mechaniker in charge of number one bow torpedo was thrown forwards against his control panel and hit the fire button.

‘I can tell you John,’ said Alex as he downed his scotch in one, ‘that the bell-bottoms of those poor men from the Rountree are all now a uniform shade of brown. I know you well enough by now to have no serious doubt that you meant to do whatever it is you just did, but you could have shared your vision with me, damn it. I was re-writing my will out there and was cutting you out.’

The second bush to have spoken then said ‘Imeacht gan teacht ort’ which Alex recognised as another fairly unfriendly greeting. Roughly translated it means “piss off and don’t come back” so he said very slowly and deliberately ‘please, we are armed British sailors but mean our Irish friends no harm whatsoever. It would help however if the German bush can give an indication of what it proposes to do.’

The sailor knew, and he was very certain of this, that there couldn’t possibly be any one behind him unless they were walking on water so at first he ignored the feeling [that he was being watched]. It didn’t however go away and however silly it was he just had to look over his shoulder to check. He turned his head and there in the water just behind him was a long snout with a large mouth, a full set of teeth and some bulging staring eyes.

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