Ahead of us lay the wide sweep of the Sognefjord. And fine on our port bow the grey shadow of a whale catcher showed, against the darker background of the mountains. It was tearing up the fjord at full speed like a corvette, a high bow wave showing white against its grey paint.
I dived for the chartroom and got the glasses. The twin lenses brought the catcher close and on the side of the bridge I was able to pick out the name Hval 10. I put the glasses down and looked at Dahler. He was watching me. 'So that's who you telephoned,' I said.
He turned his head and stared down the fjord towards the catcher. I took a step towards him and then stopped. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to get hold of his scrawny little neck and shake him until he was senseless. But it wouldn't do any good. 'Dick,' I said. 'Take Dahler below and have him fix some breakfast. Send Sunde up to me.' I went aft then and relieved Wilson at the wheel.
When Sunde came up, I pointed to the catcher. 'That's your friend Dahler's doing.' I said.
'No friend of mine,' he answered.
'He telephoned Lovaas — yesterday, from the hotel.' I seized his shoulder and swung him round. 'Listen!' I said. 'We've got to get to Farnell before Lovaas does. Do you understand?'
He nodded.
'We'll pick your partner up either on the way or at Aurland. If we don't will you guide me to Farnell?'
'Yes,' he said. Then he looked at the slim lines of the catcher ploughing up the water as it raced down the fjord. 'Lovaas is a proper bastard.' He turned to me again. 'Mr Gansert,' he said, 'I'll do anyfink you say, 'cos Oi reckon you're the only bloke wot can get Bernt Olsen safe a't o' Norway. Pity we didn't know you was a friend o' his. We could 'ave smuggled 'im aboard your boat instead of runnin'
'im up inter the mountings.' He struck his fist violently against the chartroom roof. 'Ter fink o' Bernt Olsen on the run again. As if 'e 'adn't 'ad enough of it during the bleedin' war. Peer and Oi worked wiv 'im up 'er in the mountings. We was busy derailing trains on the Bergen-Oslo line at one time. Olsen was a brave man. The Jerries caught 'im, but they couldn't make 'im talk. Me an' me partner owe our lives to him. An' a'terwards, 'e still went on working wiv us, till we was sent down to Bergen to sabotage shipping.' He seized my arm. 'Oi don't care wevver 'e did kill Schreuder. It was no more than wot the little swine deserved. Schreuder was up at Finse working for the Jerries. Oi don't care wot Olsen done. If Oi can 'elp 'im ter escape, Oi will.'
The violence in his voice surprised me. 'Why did you tell Dahler where Farnell had been taken?' I asked.
'Cos 'e threatened me,' he answered. Then he looked at me quickly. 'Oi wouldn't 'ave told 'im then only I knew wot Olsen done fer 'im up at Finse an' Oi thought he were a't to 'elp 'im, Mr Gansert,' he added, 'I reck'n Dahler must be mad.'
'Why?' I asked.
'I dunno. 'E says 'e wants ter get ter Olsen sos 'e can disprove the charges wot've bin made against 'im. But Olsen can't disprove them charges. They're true.'
'But I thought Olsen got him and five others away in aero engine cases.'
'That's roight. So 'e did. But 'ow did Dahler fix fer the guard to be relaxed? Oi dunno. But it looks sort 'o fishy ter me.' His gaze wandered again to the catcher, now disappearing round the headland which I was cutting fine. 'As fer Lovaas,' he murmured. 'If the war were still on an' Oi 'ad a tommy-gun-' He made a motion of mowing an enemy down.
'Did Lovaas work for the Germans?' I asked.
'Course 'e did,' he replied. 'Lovaas goes where the money is. Why d'yer s'pose 'e's a'ter Olsen now?'
The catcher had disappeared. 'I suppose he is bound for Aurland,' I said.
'Why else would 'e be racin' up the Sognefjord?' Sunde answered. 'Ain't no whales in the Sogne. An' every minutes 'e's away from the whaling' gra'nds, is money lost. That means there's bigger money up 'ere — an' from wot Oi've gathered, that means 'e's a'ter Bernt Olsen. 'Course 'e's makin' fer Aurland.'
As we rounded the headland, the catcher came in sight again.
But she was stem on and fast disappearing into a light haze. The best Diviner could do was eight knots. Hval 10 was doing a good twelve.
