 Log entry the catch scarlet Queen Philip Carney master position five degrees five minutes south 120 degrees three minutes east wind light sky overcast Remarks cleared port of Macassar, Celebi's Island after troubled voyage up coast reason for trouble Tattooed beaver and baby food for parry parry Overing sky nine days out of Santa can that we swung in toward the mountains that are the backdrop for Macassar our first Port below the equator The scarlet Queen threaded away through the usual clutter of Oriental Harbor traffic Rusted inter-island steamers in from Surabaya Batavia. I'm Boina Papua native craft from Celebi's ports It started to rain when we were halfway across the harbor by the time we'd reached our birth at the Netherlands Asia Company's docks our decks were awash with it and it fell with equatorial consistency for two days Things orders on Macassar had warned that the place was swarming with Constantino men grouping because of our nearness to the prize Kang had charted me to sail after the orders were that unless we were Contacted the first day. We would leave and return every 24 hours The first day passed without contact So on the second my chief mate Gallagher and I nosed into the city looking for a short cargo hall Was something to make a trip out profitable We didn't find it But the third day started out to be better We got a promise of clearing weather when the barometer started to rise and the chance for a money trip when a visitor walked aboard the scarlet Queen I am from Riper master of the local Juliana. I'll welcome aboard captain. I'm Phil Carney. I see you birthed here You are for charter I might be good. I tell you about your passengers. I'm not rigged for passengers. You are good enough There are only two men and a married couple two cabins They bought passage with me to parry parry, but now I don't go I got a better offer a cargo for Java and you already signed for their passage. That is right They are in a hurry to get there one day up one day back. I'll pay you myself 2000 floor. Hmm Well, all right, Vanriper get him aboard. I'll want to leave this afternoon. Yeah, the papers to sign In this envelope 2000 floor. They will be here in two hours. I Signed the papers and watched him waddle off and disappear into the driving rain Gallagher moved his gear into my cabin and we made what preparations we could for the passengers Check the chart for the run up the Celebes coast to parry parry Looked like tricky sailing already, but when I read the barometer the last time before my passengers came aboard I wished I hadn't signed them on The mercury had risen all morning, but now it was falling rapidly that in the lessening rain meant only one thing in these latitudes storm and So mutual continues the voyage of the Scarlet Queen written by Gild out and Bob Talman and starring Elliot Lewis The Scarlet Queen proudest ship to plow the seas bound for uncharted adventure Every week a complete entry in the log and every week a league further into the strange Voyage of the Scarlet Queen By the time the passengers showed up even the harbor water was uneasy stirred by the rolling swells that swept in from Macassus straight They came aboard in the following order first wearing gaiters a high clerical color flat hat and a long ecclesiastical Rain cape a hawk faced man. I Am Reverend beaver captain Harlan beaver May I say that your presence in this port was providential when I think of those poor Gentle savages without a shepherd these many weeks. Yeah, our cabin is the first one to start with Reverend this companion Number two was a sodden shape and case and white linen that was both wet and dirty He carried a small black release. I have been cursed with the name Ambrose Griffithy, sir But you will be relieved to know that there is a qualified physician aboard You bunk with a reverend doctor a reverend you say It'll be a mighty tussle should he grapple with Griffithy's demon first cabin on this side The couple came aboard with the help of three crewmen a man in a wheelchair Bundled in scarves steamer rugs and rubber sheeting until you could hardly tell what he looked like was carried aboard followed by his wife a Pale worried looking little woman at least 15 years younger than her husband But trying her best to disguise the difference in their ages by the lack of makeup and the shapeless clothes she wore Mr.. Mrs. Alfred Kram captain my husband is an invalid as you see there are certain things now about our boxes You mean your baggage no our supplies There are 48 boxes in all and have your men stack them in our cab 48 Look, I'm sorry, Mrs. Kram. I contracted to take four passengers I can't take a cargo unless it goes through official channels if you want to delay your sailing you are of course at liberty to Have the supplies inspected, but I assure you the boxes contain nothing but special foods Strain baby foods which are necessary to my husband's very existence Captain Carney if you only knew how hard it's been to attain even this small supply the delays the red tape in my Poor okay, okay, Mrs. Kram. Gallagher rig the cargo gear and get it aboard 48 crates in the cabin skip Forget what you can in and stole the rest in number one hole. Thank you captain. Yeah, well, there she comes red get it aboard and make it secure 3 p.m. Ship took on heavy roll on entering Macassus Strait seek cresting with heavy cross well Sky lowering with scutting clouds wind moderate southeast gale velocity 30 knots Restricted passengers to quarters double reefed mainsail and mizzen 4 30 p.m. Swell rising sky unchanged wind fresh southeast gale velocity increased to 38 knots Course altered 10 points to south for reasons of security put main backstay carried away mainsail taken in sailing under jib and mizzen 8 p.m. Weather conditions unchanged ordered ship brought to for night and sales taken in keeping bowing to storm with motor Oil lanterns rigged throughout ship due to flooding of generator and failure of electrical power What's happened to the lights generator's been damaged river and the oil lights are carriers But your orders were to stay in your cabin till the storm passed over. What are you doing here? I have no need for the protection of the cabin captain, but for the sake of my native flock in party party I must demand from you our position and the direction in which we are traveling our position is just off the sperm Monday's And our direction is roughly not by West all fate is in your hands captain so saying I Accused you of the bastest untruth you reverse the direction of the ship and in cowardice you are retreating toward Macassar Reverend beaver if I could put about to Macassar I would but I can't our bowers to the storm and we're losing way before it Captain Carney, I must reach party party. Well, we'll make it when do you expect to resume your call when it's safe to do it I hope that will be soon kept so do I now will you please go back to your cabin reverend I got work to do There's you command As he left his hawk-like face was set at an expression that still could have been fear or anger or both It started for the engine room to see what could be done about the generator But before I got halfway across the cabin I was faced by another example of the dwindling passenger discipline the form of another visitor This one was at least more pleasant and he was still carrying his little black bag I see you've been blessed with a visit from my bunkmate. I in a strange one He is wandering about the ship the way he does what about your grifety. What are you doing out of your cabin? I've come to share with you a startling bit of information. Oh, what is it? Grifety has been about some captain dear But for the life of me never can I remember seeing a hail and hearty man huddled into a wheel chair before tonight What do you mean? Well speaking my rounds among the passengers bringing them what help I could in the way of soothing words and Medicines I quietly opened the door to the cabin of mr. And mrs. Alfred Cram The gentleman was there alone captain busy himself facing the floor for a naft now What do you think of that? Closing the door without giving him a sight of me I left returning after a proper time and using me knuckles on the door Come in he says and there he was in his wheel chair. Is there any help I can give you as I get out Says he nobody prescribed for me But my personal position and where might he be I ask him get out says he's stiffening in anger So I left him and there's a story kept. Yeah, what do you make of it? Nothing dark. It's not in my business I got trouble enough for my own I suppose you're right yet It strikes me as queer the man would waste his time in a wheelchair when he can walk about But you'll have to admit captain dear. It is a strange list of passengers you've got that it is grifety that it is I Didn't know how strange they were until I made my second try for the engine room this time I'd gotten to the cabin door before I was stopped I Made it across the bucking cabin as quickly as I couldn't pull open the door to the companion way In the dim light from the oil lamps I could see two people standing by the cabin shared by Reverend beaver and dr. Griffithy one of them was Vera Cram and the other bear to the waist his upper body covered with intricate tattooing Visible even in the faint light was the Reverend Harlan beaver His right arm was raised before he saw me and his slaps and Vera Cram reeling across the companion way Then he turned and went into his cabin. Oh captain. Thank heaven you've come going on Griffithy materialized out of the gloom some place they both followed me into the cram cabin Both port holes were open and the gale whipping through them had blown out the lamp Started to light it after closing the ports, but Griffithy stopped me We don't need light captain poor ferris dead and perhaps darkness would be more merciful to the poor widow take her out Captain, I'll do all there is to do which is little more than covering the disease from the eyes of the living all right Okay, Mrs. Cram you can come into my camera It wasn't until she'd moved into the light that I noticed that a change had come over her She was no longer without makeup and she no longer dressed in shapeless clothes She'd stopped trying to look 15 years older than she was and she was quite becoming even in widowhood Sit down over here, Mrs. Cram. You won't feel a role so much. Thank you Captain I I feel that I must tell you something. I've got to talk to someone. Oh, what about about my husband? I don't believe he died of natural causes You saw Reverend beaver in the companion way when he slugged you. Yeah Clerical robes and his kindly attitudes are disguised captain. I think he killed my husband Why out of jealousy? Holland beaver and I were quite closely associated a few years ago Intimately you might say But he got into serious trouble with the Dutch officials and he was sent to prison Mm-hmm. I promised to wait for him, but while he was gone I well, I learned to hate him for what he'd done to me. I married Alfred Holland found me and wanted me back. He's written many times to kill Alfred and I'm convinced that he finally did What's the idea that clerical disguise anyway just to cover up his tattoo work? I I'm risking my life and telling you this captain Holland never finished his prison term escaped Captain Carney, could I please stay here under your protection? I'm afraid Well, we'll make you feel any better. Mrs. Cram. Sure. You're welcome to the cabin By the time the overcast morning had arrived the wind had dropped to a fresh gusty breeze We'd repaired the main backstage the Scarlet Queen plunged into the still heavy swells under sail again We'd made a new course to parry parry We were a half hour out and I was just being relieved at the wheel when Gryffindy walked after meet me Could I have a private word with you captain sure Gryffindy? How private Mrs. Cram's in my cabin Well in the one recently vacated by her husband. Okay, come on It's about cram being killed instead of dying. I already heard it. Did you know and from whom may I ask his wife? Oh, how about it? It's the truth captain. He was poisoned Did she confess no she accused beaver the reverend now And what might have been known at him to drive him to such lengths the fact that he's not a reverend He's an escaped convict and jealousy over the woman from past friendship I know splendid all the elements of drama captain gear. Yeah, well, you can have it Gryffindy Sounds a little messy to me You don't approve of these people captain not especially None of them turn out to be what they looked like in the first place the invalid isn't an invalid He doesn't dies killed the mousy woman turns into a sweater girl. The reverend is an escaped convict It's a pretty good average Everybody but Gryffindy he came aboard a villain and by the saints of villain he'll remain But to the gist hmm feeling a pang of hunger just before cram departed and having a weakness for Strained baby food myself. I went into the hole to get me a can You've got guts Gryffindy nosing around my ship. Hey, but I'm willing to pay for the liberty. I took Did you know captain dear that you have a fortune on your ship or did I find it out? What are you talking about? look here baby food The can he held out to me had been opened the label called its strained vegetables But the can was filled with salt-like white crystals Wasn't hard to figure what it was or why cram had been putting on the invalid act Narcotics captain a ton of the stuff I should say now listen captain dear You've been I for profit or you wouldn't be sailing these waters carrying passengers and the like The two of us have a fortune stacked up about us here in the cabin and more in the hold It's ours for the taking Yeah thousands of Florence dollars if you like do you have the heart for it? Well, that depends on our chances Gryffindy who's to say no They're a cram yeah, she'll not say a word not with the specter of murder hanging over her own head She'd have a time convincing anybody. She didn't poison them for a full share of their supplies Do you think she did no Because I did But nobody'll prove it captain dear even if they try which I doubt You did a few drapes of poison in the oil of the lamp captain after cutting the wires of the generator So we'd have the lamps death by absorption of the stuff a trick developed by the Borges god Love them who used the wick of the candle for the same purpose Handy thing to know perfect conditions small cabin No ventilation with the ports closed against the storm and captain dear No evidence the lantern and I chucked over the side What do you think is that? That's very neat Gryffindy I liked you better before I heard it, but it's very neat. You will join me in the venture What's the deal? They simply face her with the truth Offer her a choice between being turned over for smuggling and murder And freedom as an honest woman recently widowed due to natural causes Carrying in her hand a death certificate signed by me and witnessed by you And dabbing at her eyes from grief brought on by sienna for husband buried at sea What do you think that? I'll think it over the thinking's done. What do you mean man? Well, we've only seen one can of the baby food griffidy You stay here and check some of these i'm going into the hold and look at some of the ones down there Okay, well you gave me a start man. I thought you'd lost your heart Not me griffidy after I locked his door. I did the same with those leading to the other principles There was anything I didn't want to get mixed up with it was the netherlands indies customs They're tough at best and even tougher on non-nationals I was going to turn over the whole shipload to the first official who'd take them But I should have thrown them overboard and saved myself the trouble Our hook hadn't been on the bottom of shallow anchorage of parry parry five minutes before the pudgy little local region had climbed out of his dinghy and stomped into the cabin The arrival didn't surprise me, but what he had to say did Captain carney I have the pleasure to report that you ought to be detained for the arrival of customs officers from the cassa Oh, I thought I'd give you the news region. I got them all locked up for you and the contraband is just as it came aboard You will receive no leniency for your late show cooperation leniency Why should I need leniency? Yeah, you ask me that captain. Yeah, I asked you that I didn't know when I had a board until a little over an hour ago You waste your time that true story came from my castle last night What true story that you loaded the cargo captain wasn't cargo and I didn't know what it was The passengers were transferred from another ship papers baggage supplies and all yeah, you tell me that But I tell you captain van riper. I went to the customs captain van riper. Yeah What does he know about it? He says the cargo was not on his ship that he saw you and the cram woman talking and that you took money from her Huh, well, then it's a frame Of what? I don't know what you call it out here. It means van ripers lying. Why should he lie to get me into trouble with customs? Hey What company does he sail under do you know? It says on the message It is here. Um, do you read that? I don't have to Constantino, isn't it? That is the name. Yeah, I thought so Gallagher Never mind coming down up anchor with sailing out of here great Get moving red get us out of here What's the step? Yeah, I know fatty. You're a big man around here, but I can't stand still for this one Now do you want a pleasant trip? What do I have to brain you and don't think I'm not mad enough to do it Don't try it. You resist the Netherlands indies government reaches for a gunner because we'll have to I warned you fatty. I'll warn you again. You'll be a good boy or I'll lash you to a mast You hear from I've heard enough already Now come on get up on your feet and follow me around. Don't talk just listen You know if you behave you'll make yourself a name on this island Come on I got good news for you grippity Yeah, I got a Dutch official who wants to come in with us protection You don't say no I what a fortune will do to the official mine. Here he is. Yeah. Yeah He's worried about one thing. He thinks too many people know this stuff's aboard He doesn't quite believe that you and the woman and I are the only ones and that even I didn't know until an hour or so ago No, that's right. There's not a thing to fear man. Dear. It was a good scheme from the beginning and proven No, yeah, since you killed cram Well, uh, that is a subject without appeal when I'm faced with the uniform Thanks, grippity. We'll get together later and map our course After locking grippity and his cabin again, I left the regent and gallagher's hands and called on Vera cram All I had was passion and greed to work with but sometimes when they're stirred together they're strong medicine To her I told the whole story up to but not including the meeting with dutch law or its presence aboard Then I went to the reverend harlan beaver and told him the same using only the truth except in regard to one point Because when I left him he believed that Vera was not only denying him a share of the fortune in drugs as well as herself But that she decided to share them both with grippity I led the regent into my cabin, tucked him in a corner out of sight but within hearing Returned his gun to him I stationed red outside the passageway in case I needed him And then I gathered the passengers What is the meaning of this meeting captain? I contracted for passage to my mission in darling You can drop the act and take off the high collar beaver. We all know who you are Vera I had to tell him holland darling. I thought he'd help us help us what? Spend the fortune from your narcotics captain. I don't shut up gravity. I thought he'd help us with your escape holland So that we could start our life together again holland captain. Why has the situation quiet gravity? Please holland Well now who might you be to be quiet in me? Vera I've taken alias from you The months in prison. I did for you Escape I did for you the hiding in disguise. I did for you Even your marriage didn't stop me But this has what holland I don't understand don't lie to me I'd only felt this way before How easy it would have been but I don't understand if the cram is dead And you decide to share what you are and what you have with gravity You don't understand that anything I felt for you must turn to hate What have you been saying drifty? I haven't been sharing anything. No, of course you haven't. Why should you? Because I don't talk unless I think beaver which is more than I can say for the two of you But now I have thought and I know why the captain has brought us here Don't try the gun grifety. It is the captain who thinks he will gain, but he won't The medicine almost backfired grifety pulled a revolver out of his pocket pushing his chair back as he stood He swung toward me, but beavers hate and jealousy were faster His gun spoke before he realized that grifety was drawing on me He watched grifety's body slump to the floor and while he did the truth came to him. He looked up at me Started to raise his gun again. Then my dutch ally in the corner opened up Beaver's right shoulder jerked twice under the shocks. He spun slowly around And collapsed loosely under the deck He's not dead, no No, I don't think so, but thanks anyway. Hey skipper it work all right? Yeah. Yeah, right You know, I think I set a record of some kind I've been saved twice in as many minutes once by an escaped convict and once by the law Not bad skipper. Not bad. Yeah, they will read about me in the newspapers in mcassar better than that fatty You're gonna make a personal appearance because that's where we're going now By nine the following morning we'd made the return trip to mcassar left our cargo including passengers dead and alive and the fat hands of the Regent Received our sailing orders and headed out once more into a brightening sky over the strait We left the harbor under power But when we threaded through the traffic and found deep clear water, we settled back on the wind The water was brushed into whitecaps by the playful gusts that were all that remained of the storm So drew up to its height The boom swung heavenly out The deck beneath me shuddered a little under the first rush of sail power Chips went up and tightened Then the mizzen When the scarlet queen dug in And the spray at her bow turned creamy with a speed Lifted into the air Blew to starboard like spin drift a better departure than the last one skipper Somewhat mate and we ought to set up a rule no more passengers. They just mess up the ship Oh, they aren't all bad red. Oh, I don't know some of my best friends have been passengers. Well, how about smugglers? Well, all right, I'll go along with you there. We accept no more smugglers. Well, it's a relief to hear that I know I'll sleep easier. You sound like you don't believe me red Sure, I believe you but I just don't trust smugglers. That's a good honest american remark red I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you to drink skipper. Yeah, if you're sure it isn't contraband After you mate after you log entry the catch scarlet queen 5 30 p.m miles traveled from san francisco 16821 sky overcast wind light carrying full sail ship secure for night Signed philip carney master The voyage of the scarlet queen has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the united states armed forces radio and television service