CHIEF CAME GRUMBLING out of his bunk like a sick bear out of its cave.
‘God, what a night! I ask you - half an hour’s bloody sleep and now this!’
‘Nonsense, Chief. You’ve had all of four hours, which is a damn sight more than anyone else gets, in a row. Come on - this is urgent.’ MacGregor had brought the cipher book out of the safe himself, and he had them ready on the wardroom table. ‘Ready, Chief?’
The engineer pulled the heavy books towards him across the table. He snapped irritably, ‘All right. I’m ready.’ His tone implied, ‘Let’s get the bloody thing done with!’
MacGregor read the groups out and as the engineer translated them he scrawled the message in blue pencil on a pink signal pad. The first words were Do not repeat NOT attempt carry out previous orders but proceed seawards
