Read Online Jack Higgins by Night Judgement at Sinos - Free Book Online Page A

“They’re ruining the business, those butchers. They tear up the sea bed and everything that lives.”
    â€œSoon be impossible to make a living in the islands at all,” I said. “What with those things and synthetics.”
    I rolled a mouthful of arak around my teeth. It always tended to make me feel about eight years old and sucking aniseed balls again.
    â€œI wouldn’t be too sure, Jack,” Ciasim said carefully. “Plenty of ways a good diver can make a living around here.”
    So now we were coming to it. “Such as?”
    â€œWrecks, for instance. Every kind of wreck from ancient times up to ships that were torpedoed in the last war.”
    I shook my head. “If it’s antiques you’re after, you are wasting your time. Most wrecks of that kind aren’t visible. They’re usually under a tumulus of sand and you’ve got to be an expert to recognise them. Even if you do, undersea excavation is one of the most highly technical games there is. You need specialists, lots of money and all the time in the world. On top of that, the Greek or Turkish governments, whichever it happens tobe, will have their say in disposing of anything you bring up.”
    â€œNo, it was something else I had in mind. I found a ship last week, Jack, over towards Sinos in the Middle Passage.”
    â€œSinos?” I was surprised. “I didn’t know they were letting anyone work that area.”
    The island of Sinos was a relic of the war. Only a couple of miles long and half that distance wide, it had enormous strategic importance during the war because of its position at the mouth of the Kasos Strait and the Germans had developed the old Turkish fortifications tremendously. It had recently acquired a rather more sinister reputation as a prison for political offenders from the Greek mainland.
    â€œYou know how it is these days?” Ciasim grinned. “Greece and Turkey are co-operating again, at least as far as things go at the official level, so all of a sudden, everyone is being friendly. A Greek Navy M.T.B. turned up to say we shouldn’t be there, but they were nice and helpful when I explained about the wreck. Said I should apply through police headquarters at Kyros for a permit to work on her.”
    â€œAnd did you?”
    â€œI saw Sergeant Stavrou that same night. He filled in a form for me and sent it off to Athens. He seemed to think I stood a good chance of getting permission.”
    â€œHow much did it cost you?” I commented sourly.
    â€œA drink, Jack, that’s all. At Yanni’s. One of those cold German beers Stavrou likes so much. He was fine.” He shook his head and sighed. “Jack, whatever happened to you? You’ve got to start trusting people again.”
    â€œThat’ll be the day. Tell me some more about this wreck.”
    â€œAn old three-thousand-ton coaster the Germans used to run supplies between the islands. Sunk by bombing in 1945 just before the end of the war. I made a few enquiries around the bars in Kyros and found someone who was in the crew. An old man called Constantinos. Has a farm on the south side of the island. He said they were on their way to the mainland from Sinos just after the Germans had evacuated. They even had the Commander on board. Some S.S. general or other. Think of it, Jack.” He prodded me in the chest with his forefinger gravely as the arak began to take effect. “Think of the loot. You know what the Nazis were like? There could be anything down there.”
    â€œOr nothing. How deep is she?”
    â€œTwenty-six kulacs . I made an accurate recording.”
    A hundred and thirty feet . I shook my head. “You need good equipment for that kind of deal, Ciasim. At least two divers for a start.”
    â€œExactly what I thought.”
    He grinned, dropping into the American English he’d picked up in that prison camp. “You and me, baby, we’ll make a