The static hissed on the bridge of the MV Stellar Fortune , a sound Captain Tzeo had long stopped noticing. What he noticed was the slip of yellow paper the radioman handed him. The telex. From Wan Hai.
“Mr. Kim,” Tzeo said quietly to his first mate. “We’re not going to Surabaya.” wan hai telex
He folded the paper, tucked it into his shirt pocket, and turned to Mr. Kim. “Set course for Surabaya. And bring me some tea.” The static hissed on the bridge of the
For now.
It was short. Wan Hai telexes always were. Their reputation preceded them: cold, precise, and absolute. FM: WAN HAI LINES, TAIPEI RE: B/L NO. WHKK-8872 / 40FT HC ‘DREAMS’ CARGO DISCREPANCY. SEAL INTACT. INTERNAL CONTENT: 2,000 CTNS EMPTY. CONSIGNEE CLAIMS USD 480,000. VESSEL HELD LIABLE. DO NOT PROCEED. AWAIT SURVEYOR. - WAN HAI TELEX Tzeo read it three times. The air in the bridge grew thick. From Wan Hai
Tzeo smiled for the first time in a week. “The Wan Hai telex says we’re free.”