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given instant； the security and hope of a man's life could fall away like rotten flooring。
〃You okay？〃 Kip asked； gently touching Moore's arm。 〃You just passed my office。 Slow down。〃
Moore shook himself from the memories。 〃Sure。 Guess I wasn't thinking。〃
He turned the pickup around and parked in front of Kip's office。
〃You had your breakfast？〃 Kip asked。
〃Not yet。〃
〃e on in and I'll throw something on the griddle。〃 He opened the door and Moore followed him inside。 Kip's office was piled high with varied and assorted things…there was scarcely room to turn around。 There was a desk and a reading lamp； a few chairs； a bookshelf with legal volumes； behind the desk a locked gun cabinet； faced with glass； holding two rifles。 On a wall hung framed certificates of merit from Kingston； and there was also a crayon drawing of a scene in Coquina harbor…the trading vessels with masts like telephone poles and all of them colored a different hue…done by Kip's five…year…old daughter； Mindy。 Gunmetal…gray filing cabinets stood against the opposite wall next to a storage closet； another door with an inset of glass at eye…level led back to two cells。
Kip drew open the blinds； sunlight flooded in。 He slid a couple of the windows open so the sea…breezes could enter； and then he went to the far side of the room。 There was a small sink with a shelf above it holding a few plates and cups as well as a hot plate； which Kip plugged into a wall socket； and a portable icebox。 He rummaged in the icebox； found a couple of eggs； and knifed strips from a slab of bacon。
Moore settled himself into a chair before the constable's desk and ran a hand across his face。 He sighed wearily。
〃What's wrong with you？〃 Kip asked him。 〃You not getting enough sleep？〃 He threw the bacon into a skillet he had placed on the hot plate。 He smiled。 〃I understand your problem； my friend。 You had too much pany last night。〃
〃How'd you hear about that？〃
〃I'm supposed to know everything that goes on around here。〃 Kip picked up two of the cups； saw that they were clean but rinsed them anyway。 He filled a teakettle and waited for the bacon to crisp。 〃You ought to stop living out of damned cans like you do； David。 It's no trouble for Myra to set an extra place。〃
〃She'd strangle you if she heard you say that。〃
〃Possibly。〃 The bacon was curling； the scent of it wafted about the office。 One of Kip's duties as constable was to keep whatever prisoners he had confined in good health； which meant feeding them three times a day； and on his budget he couldn't afford to send out for food。 〃I made a call to my cousin Cyril in Kingston yesterday evening；〃 he said after a pause。
〃And。。。？〃
〃He couldn't offer any suggestions； he thought I was joking at first； and I had a bad time convincing him。 In any event； Cyril's promised to pass the information along to the Daily Gleaner。〃 Kip forked the bacon out of the skillet and onto the plates； he cracked the eggs and let them fry。
〃It bothers me。〃 Moore said quietly。
〃What does？〃
〃The submarine。 What made it go down？ And what about the crew？〃
Kip looked over his shoulder as he lifted out the fried eggs。 〃What about the crew？〃
〃I wonder。。。 what kind of men they were； and how did they e to be so far away from home。。。〃
〃Well； there were a lot of U…boats patroling the Caribbean in the early part of the war；〃 Kip reminded him。 〃You needn't be concerned about the crew。 Most likely they're old men relaxing in slippers by their hearths； puffing their pipes； sipping their steins of beer； and swapping war stories。 Here。 Take this while I do the tea。〃
Moore took the plate。 〃But the hatches are sealed。 How could they have gotten out？〃
Kip shrugged。 〃All those old crates had to have an emergency hatch of some kind。 I don't know； I'm certainly not an expert。 Are you going to stare at that egg or eat it？〃
Moore probed it with his fork。 〃I'm not sure； I think I might be safer just staring。〃
The kettle whistled。 Kip poured water over a teabag in each cup and offered one to Moore； then he sat down behind his desk and began to eat。 〃I'm more concerned with the present；〃 he said； in a graver tone。 〃I'll be going by to see the Kephas woman； and I'm not quite sure what to say to her。 Damn it！ The chances of an accident like that happening to her husband are one in a million。〃 His jaw clenched。 〃Boniface worries me。 Oh； he's pretty much harmless； but a lot of people on Coquina pay him heed。 I don't want him stirring up trouble over the submarine。 You've heard those drums going out in the jungle as many times as I have； God only knows what he's up to during those ceremonies。 And of course there's no legal action I could take； if I wanted to…which I don't。 I don't care what gods the islanders pray to； I just don't want undue and irrational fears taking over。〃 He picked at his egg and then shoved his plate away。 〃I wish to God Boniface had stayed in Haiti where he belonged。〃
〃Why didn't he？〃
Kip drank down the rest of his tea。 〃Local trouble。〃 He began to roll a cigarette for himself； using an island…grown tobacco。 〃A feud between him and another voodoo priest…a houngan…over territorial rights； I suppose。 From what I gather there was a lot of bad stuff going on； Boniface's home was burned down and his family chased off into the jungle。 Not long after that the other houngan was found in the Port…au…Prince bay； weighted down by a gutfull of nails。 The police got on the track but nothing was ever proven； you know how those things go。 But this houngan was supposed to have had some powerful friends； and they went hunting Boniface's head。 One way or another he got out of Haiti and wandered around the Caribbean for a while。 He settled here just before the war。 Some day I'd like to find out just how many skeletons I can pull from his closet。 Which brings us to that damned hulk。 I'd love to donate it to Langstree to be hammered into scrap； but some museum curator would probably slit my throat。 Now； with the thing in my harbor。。。 something's got to be done。〃 He lit the cigarette and stood up； taking the two plates over to the sink。
Moore got up and went to the door。 〃I've got things of my own to do。 Shutters and drainpipes still need some patching。〃
Kip walked out to the truck with him； and they exchanged a few more ments about the ferocity of the storm that had just passed。 Kip could only think of one thing： he dreaded the way the Kephas woman would stare at him when he said； I'm sorry； there's nothing I could have done； it was an unavoidable accident。 Unavoidable？
Moore swung up into the truck and started the engine； waving back at his friend。 He drove along the street toward the Indigo Inn。 After he was out of sight； Kip turned toward the flat blue…green expanse of the harbor； watching the thing that grew across the sandbar like a cancer。
He drew on his cigarette； exhaled smoke。 A trawler was moving out through the passage； with a gang of men on its starboard deck making sure they cleared the submarine's bulk。 Far out at sea； an industry freighter was swinging in to take on a load of fish； coconuts； or tobacco。
It would take three trawler