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SEA OF SHADOWS 83
silence. They were both enlisted men, and—in much the same fashion that
butlers and chauffeurs are paid to ignore the dealings of their employers—
enlisted men were trained to stay out of the private conversations of
commissioned officers.
Lieutenant Bryce sighed, his breath a disembodied sound on the
darkened bridge. “The Germans are many things, but they are not stupid.
They may posture and rattle their sabers, but when it comes down to it,
they aren’t going to challenge the combined might of NATO. They’d have
to be pretty well deranged to pull a fool stunt like that, now wouldn’t they?
Use your head. If the Admiralty really intended for us to blockade the
strait against those German subs, they’d have sent more than two ships.”
His words were punctuated by the sound of him patting something in the
darkness. “This old girl has got more than twenty-five years on her, and
the Chatham’s getting a bit long in the tooth as well. One old destroyer
and one old frigate do not a blockade make.”
Sub Lieutenant Kensington lowered his binoculars. “Then why send us
out here at all?”
“We … are a symbol,” said his unseen superior. “We are a visual
reminder to the Germans, and to the world, that Her Majesty’s government
and her NATO allies are firmly opposed to the illegal sale of arms to Siraj.
The Germans have rattled their sabers, and now it’s time to rattle ours.
Trust me on this, lad; it’s all posturing.”
Kensington shook his head, a pointless gesture in the darkness. “The
captain doesn’t seem to think so. You were at the briefing; he made it
sound as if we’re going to see some action.”
Lieutenant Bryce laughed softly, that condescending chuckle that adults
use when trying to explain difficult concepts to children. “Our fair captain
is a wise man. Far too wise to cast doubt, however slight, upon the stated
policies of his superiors. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that his orders
and opinions are always a close reflection of the current official rhetoric.
He’d have to be a fool to do otherwise, and that man is no fool.”
Kensington said, “You make him sound like a mindless puppet.”
“Not at all. He’s a smart naval officer who knows that his career floats
as much on politics as it does on the ocean.”
“Ah,” Kensington said. “So a smart naval officer keeps his mouth shut
and does his job. How is it, then, that you are able to speak your mind so
freely?”
Lieutenant Bryce laughed. “Someone has got to teach the junior
officers how the world really works.” He laughed again. “We haven’t
fired a shot at one of Jerry’s ships since Churchill was PM. Do you really
think we’re going to start another war over a handful of submarines? This