condensed master

The Reluctant agent
A Compelling Story of Espionage
of the hard disciplined captain.
The "Wiltshire" began to pull away from the coastline much to everyone's
relief, and things settled down to routine for the crossing of the Atlantic. If Will
thought however, that life aboard this ship was just going to be mundane he was
very much mistaken. With mixed emotions, he took one last look at the English
coastline, knowing that it would be a long time before he got back home again.
On the morning of the second day out into the Atlantic, the captain was up to
his old tricks. After finding his cabin other than a hundred per cent perfect, he had
literally thrown his cabin steward down the companion way, which was next to his
cabin door. He was demanding that his cabin be properly cleaned out, but no one
would go up there for obvious reasons.
The ship was so small that all the crew knew simultaneously what was
happening at any one point in time, consequently, a small gathering had milled
around waiting for any further action. A very reluctant replacement steward filled
the gap, and things appeared to settle down. The following morning however,
rumours were circulating, and information added by the minute.
"What's happening?"
"Somebody's slipped the skipper a Mickey Finn and he's in a right mess up
there."
As the day wore on the facts began to emerge. The skipper was in a bad way,
and the ship carried no doctor. Some of the more brutal members of the crew
were taking bets that he wouldn't make it to New York. His early morning and late
evening pounding of the deck ceased abruptly, and he never left his cabin. He was
ultimately to be taken ashore in New York and hospitalized, not to be seen again
until later in the voyage.
The final few days before arriving in New York were truly routine, but it was
in the early hours of the morning when the anchor was dropped in the harbour. All
the off duty crew were asleep at the time, but got a rude awakening when ordered
to dress and assemble on the bridge deck. Will looked at his watch as he entered
the room, it was just after 2 a.m. and all the crew members were lined up and their
passports and sailing credentials were being examined by the port authorities. The
men were complaining in no uncertain terms, making the attitude of the immigration
officials far from genial.
Being one of the last to enter the room examining Will's documents concluded
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