 Log entry the catch scarlet Queen Philip Connie master Physician three degrees 44 minutes south 158 degrees 13 minutes west Wind fresh sky fair remarks Departed Christmas Island. It's after interruption of holiday plans reason for interruption the 15th llama and the wise guy from the East the name Christmas was given to the island by its Discoverer Captain James Cook who dropped the first civilized anchor off its west shore on Christmas Eve 1777 celebrated the holiday and left on the second day of the new year We raised the outline of its palm groves just two days short of 170 years later And slipped into its sheltered lagoon to see what we could do to set the scene for our own celebration It wasn't much we could arrange for a state-side rotor grove your style Christmas scene But with memories and the ache of homesickness to be fought by activity The crewman worked a change on the deck of the scarlet Queen an awning went up over number two holes Reeds was sliced out of lengths of spare horses The Christmas tree materialized out of the shaft of an ore to which will last branches from pandanus time My son said it was draped with light lines some dipped in red paint summons light We were buried so deeply in the new yuletide atmosphere that it was only by chance that my Chief mate Gallagher lifted his head to see the stranger standing in through the reef paddock Wasn't quite a liner but almost It was a trim luxurious power yacht the luri with a fortune and bright work shining in the setting sun It knows into anchorage a few yards off our starboard beam and a man in a white linen suit stepped to the boat deck rail We'd almost forgotten christmas Until we heard the cry of a baby in one of his cabins And then the hail Mutual continues the voyage of the scarlet queen written by gildowd and bob tollman and starring elliott louis Scarlet queen protest ship to plow the seas bound for uncharted adventure Every week a complete entry in the log and every week a league further In the voyage of the scarlet queen Major gregory us good the mgcb the british usage uh companion of the box. Welcome aboard. Thank you, sir This is my chief officer. Mr. Gallagher glad to know you my honor, sir and you captain carney Well made gentlemen indeed a pleasant surprise to find you and your company here. Thanks come on in the camera I'd like to obvious some hospitality made That hail of yours about the three amissaries from the orient threw us a little out of trap I should be surprised, sir if it had not started you Well, let us see it was a mere phrase gentlemen in the spirit of the season and that was a baby We heard wasn't it? Yes. It so happens that I do have a child aboard So now major red. Oh, oh, yeah, I'll get it. He's a splendid lusty little chap captain Of cat and ease extraction a little more than a month in this world a pathetic case According to the wish of the mother. I am transporting them to the homeland Thank you seasons greeting to your boat and the you know, I do No, uh more pleasant subject gentlemen If I might beg another portion of that, uh, case to spirit sure help yourself A friendly cup gentlemen from time immemorial the cement of comrade ship and the dispeller of loneliness He cemented comrade ship and dispelled loneliness right down to the bottom of the bottle before dark And left after insisting that gallagher and I have dinner with him aboard his yacht We put our dinghy over the side at about 6 30 Stoked it across the few yards of water between the ships and climbed the polished accommodation ladder to the equally polished deck And into the salon. You're a fine voice major. Yeah, we ought to have you for our song, but uh It is a dismal croak gentlemen, but could you hear the feeling behind it? Yeah, this door The first thing I noticed as we went in was the chinese girl standing beside a box like crib She was quite beautiful her coloring delicate her face less moon shapes than the usual Her whole physical attitude the way she held herself Somehow a little non-oriental She looked at us and so waiting half fearfully for us to start something This gentleman is the mother shin yang singy, but the introduction must remain silent since the poor girl speaks no English That don't seem to be stopping the sprout here. He sounds like he's got the makings of a good chief mate Many little chap is he not come come little fellow smile for your new friends Look at that jipper with my finger He thinks it's a hat yet. I tell you he's gotta be a seaman. Oh, no, you don't you aren't taking a bite off of that finger Indeed sir. There's no cause for fear Hey, you know then gentlemen, I've seen two refreshments for with which to wet your appetite Hey, and then we should see what vaguely fair will be set before us by my pet treatment The chinese girl was still standing there as we left. We didn't see her for the rest of the night The cocktails were refreshing the dinner was not vaguely and the magazines we browsed through afterwards were recent Little after ten red and I shoved off and rode back to the queen Guy was bright with moonlight and star film The phosphorescence swirled off the blade of the oars He's quite a host jipper. Yeah Looks out quite a spread. Yeah What's the matter you sound like you got indigestion from I just thinking it over red I wonder why the hearty major is lying Lying why should he that's what I say? I don't know what makes you think he is Magazine I ran across red On child care in english. Oh, yeah, I guess it's their party. Come on. Let's hit the sack The next day brought more visitors to our lagoon First it was a trim gaff rig schooner that stood in through the passage and dropped anchor just a stern of the luri Few hours later a lugger put her hooked down off our stern I had realized the christmas island was so popular But we had affairs of our own to keep our minds on Just after sunset nielson came into the cabin to bring me the latest developer That's what I have a word with your captain. Yeah, how things going nielson. Yeah, but pretty good We were even getting some presents under their christmas tree and more of them was showing up every few minutes a little earlier I think I thought they decided tomorrow would be the day for the present Well, that's what I come to talk to you about captain with all the work They did getting things rigged up and with those presents burning holes in their seabags They don't want to with no longer they they get carried away and they want to have the party tonight They got carried away nielson. How about you? Oh me? Well Yeah, I think it would be better tonight I think by golly. I put my presents under the tree first You tell them and they can do anything they want though. Yeah, and you and the chief will be there A typhoon couldn't keep us away here nielson keys to the liquor stores and don't be shy Or you'll be spending the night running back after more. Thank you captain. They won't be shy tonight Oh nielson keep the man out of sight for about 15 minutes. Were you? Mr. Gallagher and I got some packages to get out there under that tree. Aye. Aye, sir By golly, this will be a good one We were in the cabin with 10 minutes to go before we met the crew at the tree Changed to fresh jumpers and dungarees Red was humming happily and he was making a stab at shining his seagulls We didn't hear it until red stopped humming Yeah, I hear it Let's quit kidding ourselves red. He's aboard. He's on deck. Come on There was no place else to go It was the chinese girl wet clothes clinging to her her dripping child squirming angrily in her arms Will you please help us? How'd you get here to swim? There was no other way I had to get land away from him Could you find something dry to wrap him? Come on into the cabin Take the kid red me. Yeah. Yeah, take him get that wet stuff off of him wrap a blanket or something around He's only angry and frightened. He'll stop crying when he's dry I'm telling you skipper. This one does it. I'm finding a new girl Here's a towel for you. Thank you Captain I I didn't know where to turn And after seeing the way you acted with my son on major osgood ship I knew he was lying when he told me you were trying to take land away from me Wait a minute. Yeah, that sounds a little funny to me too He told me to pretend that I didn't speak english so that you wouldn't try to talk to me Why shouldn't we talk to you because he didn't want you to know the truth I didn't know the truth until those two ships arrived today Two Tibetan officials came on them and after the major told them about my son I heard them bidding for him And now I know that either one would kill him to keep the other ones from scaring him You need a drink No, I don't You've got to believe me My son was lotus born lotus born. How's that work? He has a small birthmark on his back that he shaped exactly like a lotus blossom with seven petals Grant yeah, it's here. All right skipper right between his shoulder blades Okay, what's the rest of it? It makes of him a very special baby Major osgood told me that lin must go to Tibet to take the place of the 14th suga lama Who died during the same hour in which my son was born If it were ordained I was willing to give up my son But I didn't know that he'd be bargained over as a political pawn by two power crazy officials Where was your son born in san francisco? Major osgood's brother was the doctor who delivered him Then while the major kept us in hiding he sent a man named grind to Tibet It all sounded like the grand dreams that every mother has for her son But now it's nothing Don't kill him. I know they will no, I don't think they will I don't think they'll lay a finger on your son as long as he's on this ship But they'll be here after him If you knew what it meant to them Either one would have the power to rule the buddhist world if he could take lin with him They'll do anything to get him. Look, there's a cabin right through that passageway small, but it's private I hear some clothes about eight sizes too big for you, but they're dry You'll feel better when you get into them. Now go on. We'll take care of the kids All right captain con How do you like this much great? We can't talk a little charlie here to the wolves, can we? No Not till he gets some hair on his chest anyway, and now look at him The thankless little brat he gets us into this mess and now he goes to sleep red I'll match it to see who goes forward to tell the crew. We'll have to call out No, no, I'm not matching I'll hold it red It'll take him long did it go tell the story to the crew red bring two men back here wearing two Automatic defeat carrying rifles We're coming aboard to get the sleep hide him a little better with that blanket before you go I'll go out and match lives with the major Yeah, good evening captain I uh, I beg forgiveness for this rather breezy boarding of your vessel. I'll put that in my log major. What do you want? At first, uh, I would like to present to you my associate mr. William grind happy to meet you captain Oh, I agree captain events have a mere fraction of an hour ago taken a distressing turn Now what happened my charge is a cum lay Chinese girl and her infant son have disappeared sir lock stock and barrel Why'd you come here? Well, just on a chance first captain, but uh, maybe we were right You got the marks of wet feet on your deck here. I told you have sir leading directly to your cabin Yeah, I just took a dip And have you heard or laid eyes upon this upon my disappearing passengers in the first place I haven't had time to look or listen The second place I don't Well now there's a strangely familiar sound Uh-huh. Yeah, captain I suggest that we retire to your cabin where we may discuss this like gentlemen Well, sir Well, I don't see why not come on But you could forget any ideas you might have about taking the kid off this ship We decided he didn't want to be a llama. You are aware of the styling truth Then sir, surely you just would you intimate that he will be denied the honor glory and homage which are Is just oh, what are you handing me? Well the find of the century, sir It is destiny destiny that is rushing him headlong toward his rightful position as the 15th suga llama Who sir who I ask would dare to stand in the way of destiny. Who sir? I wouldn't take it easy with that desk Yeah, you made a mistake over your sacrilegious statement captain. Uh, mr. Grimes quiet the child away from them Grimes Listen may do your soul does mother this bilge up to a point You've evidently sold your emissaries from the orient on it Maybe you've even sold yourself, but I don't buy so easily and the mother lost interest when your two politicians started fighting over The kid like it was a pork barrel bill being shoved through congress that I must say is an odd reaction Since she herself would be a no bird and held in the reverence. You were clean Not so odd when it looked like the bargaining would end with the kid being knocked off by one of your boys So the other one couldn't have him. Yes, you are the pessimistic one captain I will admit that the emissaries coming from rival prelates did become somewhat feverish in their bargain while we're on the subject of that bargaining Who was the highest bidder going to pay? Who was going to collect? Well It may surprise you to learn that I was oh it doesn't Why else would you bring two men from rival prelates to your little auction the kids staying on this ship and you are leaving Not so fast corny. You are of course assuming that you have the right to interfere in a matter Which is most definitely none of your affair. Yeah, since the boy was born in the states and this is an american ship Is that enough major? Yes, it's enough I ask one small favor captain more in desperation and in the hope of any show of generosity from you It may indeed save my life as well as that mr. Graham I beg of you sir allow me to bring to this cabin my two Clients so that they may at least view the infant if they do not see him, sir Their anger will no doubt reach extremes fatal to me as well as to my associate mr. Graham All right major. I'll give it a try but i'm gonna have some armed crewmen in needless precaution captain I assure you that our arrival will be in the spirit of the evening, sir That's a peace honor and goodwill toward men By the time he got back with them, we had the cabin ready for the audience We had the child bedded down in my bunk with his mother sitting beside him And two crewmen heavy with weapons standing on each side of the cabin The two Tibetans were draped in long roads and wore the black skullcaps of their station The first was thin with an angular face and snapping black eyes I would like to present you a fair line doing the emissary from suga captain carney It is with honor that I greet you captain welcome a boy This then is the child the second was older heavier with a set face that looked as though it had forgotten how to smile I would like to present rahima kashkar the emissary from shigati captain carney. I greet you from the heart captain Welcome a boy. I would see the child without further waste of time The two robed figures bent silently over the sleeping boy Moved him with gentle hands lifted the blanket so that they could see the lotus mark on his back They stood still silent for almost a minute Then turned toward me we would be honored to take the child now and make our decision as to which of us he was Wait a minute I thought you knew nobody's taking a child But words are those the boy belongs to us but these men understood. I thought you told them no Tell him god captain. What could I tell them save the two sir stand defiantly before them in the very act of kidnapping the child What were the doubts the major took with his hands our payment We will take the child by force if we move out with us to Tibet We have fulfilled our bargain to you major. I do have fulfilled my obligations I have brought you to the child from now on gentlemen your negotiations are with the captain. There are going to be any negotiations I'm going to see that this kid and his mother get back to san francisco. You will not be successful captain We are well armed. We will not permit you to go until we have the child We got more threats of armed boarding parties from the Tibetans as we helped them over the side I pulled the crew the rest of the way out of their party mood armed them In the faint light of the westing moon we watched the oriental crews join forces on the lugger All in all it was a great christmas eve And the poor little guy who was causing it all slept peacefully through it on my phone Well, what do we do just sit here? We can't sail out. They'll swarm all over as if we start to move What a holiday If we can hold out until the moon drops behind the pond and we get some shadow out here I'm going to try something anyway. There was I think the way to spring this trap is through the major, but I gotta have something to bargain with Red if we can get our heaviest horse around his anchor cable and secure it Is sure I think I'll have it. You think it can be done? Listen, I changed to baby tonight after that anything's a breeze 40 minutes later. It was dark enough for us to go to work With only a few yards between us and the lorry. I was able to make the whole swim underwater But I found something better than the anchor cable to use Groping down the curve of the lorry steel bow for depth my hand hit a metal ring welded to the hull to be used for bracing a dry dock I slipped my line through it Headed back toward the queen 15 minutes later red had the other end of the horse is secured and the lorry was moored neatly to shore I went into the cabin for dry clothes Shot at a radio message down on a blank And rode over to the lorry Grimes met me at the top of the ladder with a tomson sub held ready at his hip and ushered me into the Salon Well, sir a visit that I must confess is quite unexpected the christmas spirit major give and receive I don't follow you sir. You're well. It's simple I have you to thank for being bottled up now. You have me to thank for the same thing With me if the Tibetans with you it's a stout horse from your ship's bottom to a palm tree assure Mr. Grimes, if you please hand me your weapon or it wants to stern and test the captain's integrity Don't take your eyes off them major never fear. I shan't You were an extraordinary fellow captain to go to such length. Oh, here. Here's a radio message I sent earlier tonight for the island officials on fanning a hundred or so miles north You accused me of kidnapping the youngsters. So I've accused you of the same thing Yeah Why actually captain, this is no more than a shield force cap. Am I to take your word that you made this? No, no, you don't have to take my word. Why don't you wait for the patrol boat? It'll be in tomorrow This situation yeah, what do you suggest major? Does it view you the ship's making sternway captain? I know it isn't yes, sir Perhaps you have a suggestion as to how we might extricate ourselves from this deadlock Have you now yeah give and receive You call your Tibetans off the boy in me and I'll call the arresting officers off of you Discaraging thoughts sir since I would be forced to return to them the payment already received you couldn't spend it in prison anyway Now that was unnecessarily cruel rejoinness, sir Assuming that my actions were as per your suggestion. How then would you proceed? Oh, it's simple radio them that the first message was based upon for the information tell them to ignore it What would your story be? I presume that I would be forced to tell the truth That actually the boys by no means metaphysically fitted to become the sugai lama. I figured it much Yeah, he was born at least four days before the lama's death someone tampered with his birth records Well, sir. Oh mr. Graham. Oh, we're caught fast. All right major Now I must be fast nor a dry dark hook. It's too deep to reach You've seen only one small portion of our dilemma mr. Graham Go fetch the chess we so recently received from the emissaries for our very freedom We are forced to return them what you're going to give them back Yes, an ancient spirit of christmas to give is to receive if you please mr. Graham It would be wise of you never to forget that He stopped at the queen on his way back from his visit with the Tibetans a sadly deflated major His clothes torn his face bruised his hands raised specifically We told him we'd cast off the hawzer and that the lorry was free to sneak away in the darkness He climbed back to his small boat. Goodbye gentlemen and sad paradox I feel driven to wish a merry christmas to y'all Thank you, my dear. Many of them Captain could I have a word? Yeah, sure nielson. What is it? Well captain? It's 2 a.m. But but the men have been waiting and they wondered if it would be all right You really want to have that party now nielson? That's right captain. They there was awful disappoint Turn them loose nielson. We missed christmas evil. We got 22 hours of christmas day ahead of us Yes, it is nothing like an early start. Well, we got that no mistake. Let's see. We can make of it. Hey It's a deck of every last minute And come out sing them a carol What had proved I guess was that time is relative and that christmas is christmas even on christmas island The lorry and the other ships moved out And the men were like kids again packages were ripped open gifts compared The cook spread slightly stale from the long wait was wolfed down the bottles moved The lagoon began to echo to the same carols the saint march choir was singing Ours weren't good But they were loud Brightly shone the moon that night so the cross was crowed Burned a fair man came inside All that one of our number enjoyed them and he was a loud minority I wonder if he'd ever realize what this particular christmas meant to him But when I looked at his mother cradling him in her arms, I knew he would The joy that shone from her face was different from ours I Couldn't help but think That her feelings must have burned pretty much like those of the other mother The way she held her tiny son and looked not at us Not at our jewelry christmas tree not at the island of the sky But beyond Into a clear but unknown future Looking at her I felt for just a moment But I really understood the holiday we were celebrating The rest is for 24 hours after the party During which a cutter arrived from Fanning Island to pick up Sheen Yang's sing and her son and get them headed back toward the state By three that afternoon we nosed out through the reef and into the southeast trade The men moved to their station slowly Looking out over the stern at the island And remembering a laugh for a song and the meaning of good comradeship The block snapped taut the reeds groaned under the hatties The big mainsail felled out in the breeze the jib shut up The mizzen twang into work And the scarlet queen seemed to shake herself a little Before she got balanced between wind and water dropped her port rail and settled down into her car Then her rigging sang and her deck started to glisten with the spray She kicked into the wind that swept across her. That's a nice little breeze. Gipper, are we getting all of it? Yeah, I don't think we're missing a whiff. You know, I've been feeling kind of ashamed, Gipper. About what, Rad? About that Christmas party. Always great, and we all knocked ourselves out and got a lot of presents, but We didn't do one thing for our queen here. All right. No, no, not even a new penance. Not one piece of new line. Oh, no. No, well, I'll bet you didn't even give her a thought. The blazes, I didn't. That's why I don't feel guilty like you do. I don't know. Well, think it over. All the things that happened aboard her. She was Christmas. Her whole works. Are you going to top that? Would a wasp do? Right, a Christmas toast. Here, Gipper. To the queen of the Scarlet Queen. After you, mate. After you. Log entry. The catch, Scarlet Queen. 5.30 p.m. Wind fresh. Sky fair. Sea calm with long crosswell. Carrying full sail. Ship secure for night. Signed Phillip 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.