Page 101 of Summer in Greece

The lone diver went out of shot. Shelly’s heart leapt.

‘Where’s he gone? The diver on screen 6. He was going to explore the sea floor below the mast. Now I can’t see him.’

Then a pale light came into view. ‘He must be on the bottom because he’s kicked up some silt and it’s drifted up, over him, so we can’t see him so well,’ Harry said.

Shelly thought of David and the fishing net, and felt sick.

Suddenly an awful screeching sounded. ‘That’s him,’ Harry said. ‘What’s going on? Tell sub 2 to send his drone down.’

The operator spoke into his headset. ‘He can’t, he’s running short of battery life. I’ll try drone 1.’ After a moment’s conversation with sub 1, he said. ‘He’s going to check. Also, it’s time to call everyone up for decompression.’ The screeching started again. ‘What the hell—’ the operator muttered. ‘Ah, got him on screen. Look, he’s either in great pain or very excited.’

Shelly’s mouth had dried so much she couldn’t speak. The drone came around the diver’s shoulders to get a better view of him. They could all see his eyes were wild and Shelly’s first thought was that he was in pain. He lifted his gloved hand in front of the drone, then pointed it down to the sand. The drone operator in the sub manoeuvred the drone again. Then, they all saw it in the same moment.

Three-quarters buried in the seabed, the graceful curves of Britannic’s bell.

*

‘They’re starting their ascent,’ Harry called from the prow. ‘Unbelievable, after over a hundred years, to find the bell! I can hardly believe it myself. God forgive me and a dozen others for suspecting Cousteau might have had something to do with its disappearance. It’s been there the whole time! I feel ashamed.’ His eyes sparkled. ‘Yes, shame on us all!’ Excitement resonated in his voice. Shelly’s grin widened. He swept her into his arms and kissed her fervently on the lips.

‘Dad!’ Elias shouted. ‘You’re embarrassing me!’

They broke apart, breathless and laughing.

‘Divers’ lives are at risk if we make a mistake up here.’ He tore off his white cotton crew-neck and knotted the sleeves around his waist. Although he had a golden tan, Shelly could see his mother had been fair-skinned and Elias was destined to always be cautious of the sun. For a second, he glared at Shelly and she sensed his animosity gathering again.

‘Let’s prepare for the divers – we want to be ready when they surface,’ he said angrily. ‘They’ll be exhausted after five hours in the water. Energy drinks, bottled water, and chocolate are top of the list.’

‘Of course. What would you like me to do?’ she asked.

‘Just stay out of the way. Make us all an iced coffee while we wait.’

Shelly reminded herself that she was lucky to be on this monumental dive, and the trip was still full of excitement. She could hardly wait for the divers’ return. Taking shite from Harry’s son was little price to pay. Just a bit of jealousy, and actually, good to know Harry’s son was so loyal. She descended to the galley and made frappé for everyone.

*

Carlos, descend-ascend team leader, called, ‘All four divers are in the wet dive-bell! Oxygen particle pressure’s confirmed. We’re clear to raise the decompression bell to the next stage. Estimated time of arrival on deck, two hours from now. Elias, prepare to retrieve the shot lines and marker buoys. The sooner we clear the dive-site the better.’

‘What’s happening?’ Shelly asked.

‘Carlos is watching the ascending divers and checking the gas levels. Spiros is controlling the remotely operated vehicle.’ Harry nodded at a serious man who stood before another series of screens.

‘The diving bell’s an advantage,’ Harry said. ‘Great for the divers to remove their mouthpiece for a while, and good for us to be able to communicate with them.’

‘They’ll be exhausted,’ Shelly said, ‘but it must be satisfying to see so many months of hard work and planning come together this smoothly. And, they’ve found the Britannic’s bell. Will they have it with them, Harry?’

‘Absolutely not, it’s against the law.’

They were all grinning, staring at the screens, when chaos erupted.

CHAPTER 42

GERTIE

Dover, 1917.

I ARRIVED BACK AT SOUTHAMPTON on a bitterly cold day. The wind whipped our cheeks, and the sting of salt chapped our lips. Matron Merriberry waited for us on the quayside. Josephine and I walked with a strange lolloping gait, the ground rocking and rolling under our feet. My stomach could not quite keep up.

‘Land sickness,’ Josephine told me. ‘It will fade in a day or two.’