Loose Lips Sink Ships

A MATTER OF PRIORITIES
IT WAS A DARK ,MOONLESS NIGHT. THE WATCH ON THE BRIDGE STRAINED THEIR EYES THROUGH BINOCULARS TO FOCUS ON A DIM LIGHT THAT APPEARED SPORADICALLY BETWEEN RAIN SQUALLS UP AHEAD. THE GIANT SHIP WAS STEAMING FULL SPEED INTO THE INKY BLACKNESS.

"BEARING'S HOLDING CONSTANT, SIR," REPORTED ONE OF THE LOOKOUTS. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE LIGHT WAS STEADY, AND THE BEARING WAS UNCHANGED. THE ADMIRAL GAVE THE ORDER TO SIGNAL.

"ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE NORTH," FLASHED THE SIGNALMAN FROM THE BRIDGE WING.

THE MESSAGE WENT UNANSWERED FOR SOME TIME. BUT JUST BEFORE THE ORDER WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO REPEAT IT, A LOOKOUT SAW THE FAINT FLASH OF THE RETURN SIGNAL. "THEY SAY 'ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE SOUTH', SIR" REPORTED THE LOOKOUT.

THE ADMIRAL WAS NOT PLEASED. "SIGNAL THEM TO ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE NORTH," HE SAID AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, "AND I HAVE PRIORITY." THE SIGNAL WAS DUTIFULLY FLASHED. BY NOW THE WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE WITHOUT BINOCULARS. THE LOOKOUT HAD NO TROUBLE PICKING UP THE RETURN COMMUNICATION.

"ALTER - COURSE - TEN -DEGREES - TO - THE - SOUTH," READ THE LOOKOUT AS HE TRANSLATED THE CODE. "I - HAVE - HIGHER - PRIORITY."

NOW THE ADMIRAL WAS ANNOYED. "SIGNAL THEM AGAIN," HE ORDERED . "ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE NORTH. I HAVE PRIORITY AND I AM A ADMIRAL." THE SIGNAL WAS FLASHED SMARTLY.

AGAIN THERE WAS AN ANXIOUS PAUSE WAITING FOR THE REPONSE, AND THEN A SQUALL CLOUD OBSCURED THE LIGHT. TWO MINUTES LATER THE LIGHT CAME INTO VIEW AGAIN, MUCH BRIGHTER AND STEADY, BEARING STILL UNCHANGED. THE SIGNAL LIGHT WAS NOW VISIBLE TO THE UNAIDED EYE.

" ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE SOUTH," IT SAID. "I HAVE HIGHER PRIORITY, AND I AM AN ORDINARY SEAMAN FIRST CLASS."

THE ADMIRAL WAS ENRAGED, HE STORMED OUT ONTO THE BRIDGE WING, LEANING INTO THE COLD AND BITING WIND, "GIVE ME THAT THING," HE MUTTERED AS HE PUSHED THE SIGNALMAN ASIDE.

WITH UNEVEN BUT EMPHATIC SLAMS ON THE SHUTTER LEVER HE SIGNALED THE NEXT MESSAGE HIMSELF: "ALTER COURSE TEN DEGREES TO THE NORTH. I HAVE PRIORITY . I AM AN ADMIRAL. THIS IS A BATTLESHIP."

HE STORMED BACK INTO THE RELATIVE PROTECTION OF THE BRIDGE. NO ONE DARED TO SPEAK. THE LIGHT ON THE BOW WAS STRONG AND STEADY, AND GROWING BRIGHTER EVERY MINUTE. FINALLY THE SIGNAL LIGHT CARRYING THE RETURN MESSAGE APPEARED, NO CLEARLY VISIBLE TO ALL ON THE BRIDGE.

"ALTER - COURSE - TEN - DEGREES - TO - THE - SOUTH." READ THE SIGNALMAN OUT LOUD. "I - HAVE - HIGHER - PRIORITY - I - AM - AN - ORDINARY - SEAMAN - FIRST - CLASS. THIS - IS - A LIGHTHOUSE.

This story was contributed: Arthur G Carter