The Ghosts of August, page 9
‘I wouldn’t be in any hurry to sign up, if I were you fellas,’ he said, attracting the interest of the crowded bar.
‘That’s fightin’ talk,’ one belligerent young man countered. ‘I’d knock yer block off if you weren’t so old and crippled,’ he added.
‘How do you think I lost my leg?’ Sam asked with a faint smile. ‘I’ll tell you. It was during a battle in some bloody obscure place in Africa called Elands River, and it left me the old and useless cripple you think I am.’
A hush descended in the bar as Sam spoke, and a few of the men shifted their feet in embarrassment. Sam went on, ‘The army gave me the Distinguished Conduct Medal, but it does not replace my leg, and the medal means very little to anyone else. So, be thankful some Pommy will lose his leg or his life while you get the chance to come here every day and have a cold beer, then walk home to your families on two good legs.’
Finished with his speech, Sam turned back to the bar to see a fresh glass of beer in front of him.
‘My shout,’ the publican said, meeting Sam’s gaze. ‘I served with the Queensland mounted infantry in the Transvaal and I know what happened at Elands River.’
The conversation in the bar was far more muted after Sam spoke, and a couple of the patrons came up to Sam to slap him on the shoulder, one paying for another beer for him. Sam made his way back to the schooner as the sun was going down over the distant hills of Townsville, weaving his way unsteadily along the broad streets until he reached the wharf and was helped by the crew to board.
Once aboard, Sam stumbled to his cabin and collapsed into sleep, but it was a sleep disturbed by the nightmarish sounds of exploding artillery shells and the screams of dying and wounded men. It was all happening again to a younger generation.
*
Even as Sam slipped into his nightmares of war, Ben prepared to be taken by Solomon to a safe place. Standing in his room, Ben shouldered his rifle and had the fleeting thought that his uncle’s military-issue .303 might now be used in war against the declared enemies of Australia. It was surreal; that felt like a world away from this paradise of exotic flowers, butterflies and the love of a beautiful woman who had accepted his marriage proposal. Now he knew that he would be hunted until he was captured – or more likely killed – if what Caroline had told him of the young German officer was true. Caroline thought Kurt’s true motivation was to remove the person who stood between him and his former lover, and now he had the perfect excuse to legally do so.
‘Please be careful, my love,’ Caroline said from the doorway. ‘Kurt will not give up until he finds you.’
Ben turned to her and she came to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately on the lips. Ben wanted the kiss to linger but he pulled away gently, gazing into her eyes.
‘It’s all a bloody mess,’ Ben said. ‘But wars cannot go on forever and I promise you that afterwards we will be together for the rest of our lives.’ He placed his hand on her still-flat stomach. ‘Besides, we have a third party to consider.’
Caroline touched his face with her fingers. ‘And hopefully more children in the future. The trader told me that people back in Germany are saying the war will be over by Christmas.’
Ben hoped so, but could not express that his hopes were for a victory by the allied forces of Russia, France and England.
‘We go now.’ Solomon’s voice cut in as he appeared in the doorway. Ben could see the concerned expression on the Tolai man’s dark face. ‘Some in our village are loyal to the Germans in Rabaul and would report you to the police, so we must hurry.’
Ben nodded and hugged Caroline once more before breaking away to scoop up a kitbag containing canned food and ammunition. It was time to go.
*
Oberleutnant zur See Kurt Jäger left the briefing held in a large sandbagged tent set up outside Rabaul in case of a sudden naval bombardment. The briefing had been pessimistic. All naval and army officers knew they had few resources to fend off a determined attack. As far as the Kaiser’s government was concerned, the defence of Germany’s Pacific territories was just a side show to the grand operation to capture Paris and Moscow. There were no cruiser gunboats in the immediate vicinity to oppose a naval assault nor enough German troops. They would have to rely on their trained native auxiliaries, which were considered loyal and competent as they had received thorough German training.
Kurt had been able to mention to the meeting that he was aware of a possible spy for the British currently located in the vicinity of their vital radio station who needed to be detained before he could communicate with the enemy about its current operational state. Kurt knew he would be automatically granted his wish to hunt the man down before he could possibly sabotage the radio station, and he was given the command of thirty armed native police to carry out his mission.
Satisfied, Kurt stood outside the tent headquarters and lit a cigar, blowing smoke into the tranquil tropical night. It was possible that the Countess von Neumann was in league with the man he knew as Benjamin Steele and as such, she would be considered to be committing treachery against the Fatherland – if she was actually aiding and abetting him.
Kurt smiled grimly. Her fate was also in his hands.
He set out the next morning to carry out his search for the Australian lurking somewhere around Bita Paka. How the mighty have fallen, he mused. Caroline had little choice but to acknowledge his important role if she was to remain a free woman and not bring disgrace on her father and family in Germany.
It was only a matter of time.
TEN
Solomon led Ben on foot to the small village deep in the forest where he had taken shelter when Kurt Jäger first came looking for him. Ben had decided to leave his horse because its tracks would be easy for any search party to follow. They arrived as the sun was descending behind the rugged hills, and Solomon told Ben that from here he would be guided deeper into the hills by one of the younger men of the village.
Ben knew the man from his previous visit and cursed himself for shuddering at the thought. The young man was disfigured by the disease of leprosy but was still able to function. The ancient condition still remained throughout the Pacific Islands where leper colonies had been established by missionaries such as Father Damian.
The man known as Abengo gestured to Ben to follow him which Ben did for over an hour, pushing through scrub until they reached a cave just below the ridge of a string of high hills. Abengo carried an animal fur bag which he placed at Ben’s feet when they reached their destination.
Abengo spoke no English, but Ben thanked him before entering the small dark cave, which did not stretch far into the side of the ridge, but at least provided shelter from the elements.
Abengo disappeared, leaving Ben alone with his kitbag, rifle and the animal fur bag, which Ben now opened to find cold cooked pork pieces, porridge-like sago in a small gourd and a form of cooked tuber. For a moment Ben hesitated to eat the food, then decided it would be best warmed over a small fire he was able to light at the entrance of the cave. He felt guilty about his aversion to the man who had helped him, but also hoped that the flames of the fire might burn away any traces of the dreaded disease he knew Abengo had. Even so, his hunger after the long trek forced Ben to put aside his dread of contracting leprosy and eat the food.
As he ate, the clear skies and strange sounds of the jungle around him fell silent as dark, ominous clouds dimmed the starry night sky and rain began to fall as if dropped out of a giant bucket.
Ben was grateful that his new home kept him dry and safe for the moment, but nevertheless he fell asleep with the rifle by his side, hoping that the cave would only be a temporary residence until the situation changed.
*
They came in the early morning.
Caroline was alerted to the presence of the native police by the startled cries of her workers. She rolled onto her side and stared for a moment at the empty space where Ben had laid with her for so long, touching the pillow his head had once rested on. Then Caroline pushed aside the mosquito net and quickly clothed herself in time to hear the banging on her front door.
‘Countess,’ Kurt said, his expression grim when she let him in. Behind him were two native police with rifles in their hands. ‘I am sure that you know why we are here.’
‘Mr Steele has left my plantation and I do not know where he is,’ Caroline answered defiantly.
‘When did he leave?’ Kurt asked belligerently.
‘A day past,’ Caroline replied. ‘He left because we have learned of war between Britain and Germany and we realised that you would consider him an enemy alien. I think that you would do the same if you were in his situation.’
‘He is a spy, and as such I have the authority to execute him but, if he surrenders himself, my superiors will take this as a sign of goodwill and simply detain him,’ Kurt said. ‘I am sure that you have the means of getting that message to him. We are civilised people; we do not shoot fellow Europeans on sight.’
‘I am not in a position to make contact with Mr Steele as I do not know where he has fled,’ Caroline replied. ‘Your guess is as good as mine.’
Caroline could see in Kurt’s expression that he did not believe her. She hoped that Solomon had been successful in finding a safe place for Ben to hide. As if reading her mind, Kurt said, ‘I do not see your head man around the plantation. Where is he?’
The question caught Caroline off guard. It was obvious that Solomon had not returned from taking Ben to sanctuary. ‘Solomon was given the evening off to visit his family in the forest,’ Caroline blurted, and immediately regretted her words.
Kurt turned to the two police standing behind him and issued an order for them to locate the head man. Then he turned back to Caroline. ‘You are ordered to remain in your residence until I allow you to leave, Countess,’ he said. ‘At the moment you are under suspicion for aiding and abetting an enemy alien. I have the authority to forcibly remove you to Rabaul to face a military enquiry as to your relationship with the Australian spy.’
‘Relationship!’ Caroline flared. ‘Mr Steele was managing my plantation, which was perfectly above board until this war began, at which point he left my employ. What you really mean is that you are jealous of my feelings for Mr Steele.’
‘I have no feelings for you, Caroline,’ said Kurt coldly. ‘I am just doing my duty to capture a dangerous spy who we suspect has a mission to gather intelligence on our radio station not far from your plantation. I further suspect that he has used you to do that.’ Kurt sneered at her. ‘You are a foolish woman, but that might go in your favour if I am forced to escort you back to Rabaul.’
Caroline was acutely aware that as Germany was now at war, the military had great powers over the civilian population and Kurt might well carry out his threat. Never before had she felt so vulnerable and confused. She loved her country as a true patriot, but she also loved a declared enemy of her nation. Loyalty to Germany or her love for Ben? The question haunted her.
Caroline glanced over Kurt’s shoulder to the yard below and saw that the two police had Solomon between them as they approached their commander. Caroline could see that one of Solomon’s eyes was swollen and guessed that he had been arrested using physical force.
Kurt turned to his men with a satisfied smile.
‘I am sure that Solomon is a true supporter of our administration and might cooperate with us to help find Mr Steele.’
Caroline felt a chill of fear. It was all too easy to imagine how Kurt would get Solomon to talk as they dragged him away.
*
At least Archibald Stokes had the satisfaction of knowing that he was right all along about the war that had now come. The senior department head who had dismissed his concerns had been duly promoted for his diligence, and despite his annoyance Archibald understood that this was how things worked in the civil service – incompetence was often rewarded, and initiative stifled.
But he knew he always had an ally in the highly regarded Josiah Steele, who had been able to hand on the intelligence report compiled by his brother, Samuel Steele, on the situation in Rabaul. This meant Archibald could incorporate the latest information into a briefing for the heads of the army and navy, who all agreed that they could strike a blow for the British empire by targeting German territory nearer to the Australian mainland. As many considered that the war would be over by Christmas, this was an opportunity to demonstrate the might of Australian and New Zealand arms to the Mother Country.
The main target selected for Australia was the radio station at Rabaul, while the Kiwis would target a radio post in German-occupied Samoa. By neutralising the radio stations, they would deny any German warships in the region vital intelligence as to their enemy’s positions.
Archibald leaned back in his office chair and stared at the portrait of the King on the wall opposite, satisfied that he had been responsible for the mission to collect intelligence on the vital radio station at Rabaul that had been integrated in the plan to send a fleet there.
*
Ben spent a week in the cave, at which point his supply of rations was exhausted. More disturbing was that Solomon had not visited him to deliver more food as he’d said he would, so Ben knew that something was wrong.
Ben had not been idle, leaving the cave by day to find water and cautiously carry out a reconnaissance of his surroundings. Climbing higher on the ridge he was disappointed to discover that the tall trees and thick foliage concealed any real view of the world below his cave, which made it feel to him that he was the only man left on the planet. Alone in the cave at night, he began to formulate a plan to trek to the coast where he might be able to find a way of escaping the German territory by sea, but Ben knew that this plan was desperate and fraught with danger. But it appeared from the absence of Solomon that the situation at the plantation had dramatically changed, and this worried him more than his plan to escape the island. Had something happened to Caroline?
Before he sought escape, he knew that he must find his way back to the plantation and find the woman he had come to love more than his own life. On the eighth day, Ben hoisted his rifle and kitbag over his shoulder and made his way cautiously down the ridge.
By nightfall, after trekking through the dank and often dark rainforest, he finally found Solomon’s grandfather’s small village, where all appeared normal. But the villagers shrank away from his appearance, and the old grandfather hobbled towards Ben wielding a stick and yelling angry words.
Ben was startled. Obviously something had occurred to upset the old man. Ben thought it prudent to keep his distance, and backed away into the forest before taking a course he hoped would lead him to the plantation. The night was as dark as pitch, so he made a rough camp, dozing with the rifle in his lap and his back against a forest giant. The mosquitoes plagued him with their bites and buzzing, and he had little sleep as the starry sky rotated slowly overhead. In the dim light of dawn Ben drank the last drops of water from his canteen before setting off again, trudging almost like a sleepwalker until just after midday the forest surroundings became more familiar, and he knew he was close to the house and the tall rows of coconut groves. He could even hear the now-familiar voices of the Tolai people who worked there.
Ben gripped his rifle and edged forward until he could see the village adjacent to the plantation. Men, women and children appeared to be going about their lives, but Ben also noted that no one appeared to be harvesting the valuable nut for copra production. He hoped that he would see Solomon, and from his concealed position in the forest he carefully scanned the villagers for the familiar face, but with no success. Ben waited for a couple of hours, fighting off insects, and then muttered to himself, ‘Damn it!’
He rose and walked cautiously towards a group of children playing with sticks. As soon as they saw him, they immediately broke away from their game and ran back to the adults. Ben approached them, holding up his hands in a non-threatening gesture.
Despite knowing who he was, the villagers shrank from him. Ben could see that he was being observed with a mixture of curiosity and fear by the men and women, which confirmed for him that the situation had radically changed.
Ben called in a loud voice, ‘Solomon, Solomon?’
One young man stepped forward. Ben knew him as intelligent and hardworking. He also spoke some English, and had often come to Ben to learn more. Ben remembered that his name was Jacob.
‘Masta, Solomon . . . he sick,’ Jacob said when he approached.
‘Where is he?’ Ben asked, and Jacob gestured to one of the thatch houses. Ben followed Jacob to the hut and stepped inside. At first his vision was impacted from moving from the bright sunlight into the darkness of the windowless hut. When his sight finally adjusted, he saw an old woman crouching by a prone body lying on a woven mat. Ben felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that Solomon’s back was almost raw. It was obvious that he had been severely whipped almost to the point of death.
Ben knelt by the old woman and Solomon turned his head to acknowledge Ben’s presence.
‘God almighty! What have they done to you!’
‘Missus gone,’ Solomon replied in a pain-racked whisper. ‘Police take her to Rabaul. They beat me but I do not tell them where you hide.’
‘I am so sorry that you had to suffer,’ Ben said gently. ‘If I was not here you might still be all right.’
‘Bloody Germans,’ Solomon said hoarsely and with passion. ‘I kill them all. They say you are dangerous man.’
‘If I get the chance, the Germans will find out that I am,’ Ben replied with conviction. Already he knew that he was well and truly at war with the German empire. But he also realised that he was just one man with limited resources to wreak any vengeance on the people who had so cruelly whipped Solomon and left him to die.
