CHAPTER 2 An offer of a superboat
The Surrey countryside was becoming greener by the day as more and more trees responded to the call of Spring and burst into life. Amongst them, in a quiet part of the countryside below the hills to the north-east of Guildford, a phone rang in the Chief Executive's office of Perley Automation. Before reaching to pick it up, Robert Bradley finished writing some figures on the top sheet of several in front of him on the desk.
"Bradley" he said.
"Mr Rowlands on the line for you" the girl's voice announced.
"Thanks" Robert replied, "put him through."
A fraction of a second later Robert knew, by the click, that he was connected.
"Hello, John" he said, "what can I do for you?"
"Hello, Rob" the genial voice of John answered. "Uh, I've got a problem that you might like to tackle ‑ I think it's right up your street."
"Give me the details. You know I'll do what I can, John" Robert responded. "Is it a big job - timewise I mean?"
"Well, I wouldn't think so" John answered, adding in a lighthearted way, "for you anyway. No, seriously, shouldn't be with your experience."
"That's fine. I only mentioned that because we have an MOD job going" Robert said. "Keeps us pretty well occupied, but we are grateful for it, nevertheless, and don't look gift horses in the mouth and all that sort of thing."
"Are you sure you would like to consider another job?" John asked.
"Absolutely. There was a time when we owed our survival to non-contract jobs. Anyway, it's always a good idea to have more than one string to your bow" Robert said as he chuckled. "Tell me more about your problem, John."
"We need a remote controlled operating device for a kiln‑type of enclosure, which is situated in a radioactive environment" John replied. "We have got most of the mechanicals defined, but the whole assembly will need a robotic operating cylinder and a whole lot of control electronics. How does that sound for starters?"
"Worth having a look at" Robert remarked. Then an idea occurred to him. "As a matter of fact, Trevor and I could look at it tomorrow, if that's OK with you. Anything special about it, I mean, that it would help us to know about before we come over?"
"Not specifically, Rob" John answered. "The operating cylinder itself has to be slim, about a metre long, have several sensors along its length and" he added, "a mechanical connecting point for an optional takeoff."
"Complicated" Robert reflected, "but on the whole it doesn't sound like too much of a problem. As I said, if you are there tomorrow, we'll pop in. What do you say?"
"OK with me" John agreed. "Tomorrow will be absolutely great. Didn't expect you to look at it quite so quickly" he added.
"All part of the service" Robert joked. "To be honest, I intended coming out that way anyway. I need to call in at McCalls Garden Centre. See you tomorrow, then."
"Thanks, Rob. I am grateful. See you tomorrow" John responded.
"Bye" Robert said, almost inaudibly, as he hung up the phone and returned to his paperwork.
Robert, a man whose compact build belied his six feet in height, worked steadily for the next fifteen minutes. His office was well furnished with high quality furniture, desk-top word processor, upright drawing board, plants in pots and, generally, had the high standard of decor one would expect to see in the Chief Executive's office of a successful and profitable company. Glass-enclosed, the office gave Robert a view of the prototype development section of the factory. He was about to finalise the figures in front of him and call it a day, when he caught sight of his partner, Trevor Perry, heading towards his office door. Trevor Perry was one of those rare chaps who could do an amazing number of things well. An electronics expert, a computer buff and with skills in many other areas of electro-mechanical engineering and physical activity. Sport for example. He had used his six feet four inch, heavy, frame to his advantage in playing rugby for the university, as a wing-forward.
He and Robert were partners in Perley Automation, which they had jointly run for the past seven years. It had been a successful partnership combining Robert's ingenious flair for engineering-related business with the wide ranging expertise of Trevor.
Three years ago, because of their company's small size, they had rapidly come up with an answer to a problem for the Ministry of Defence. One that had been taking the larger companies approached by the MOD a long time to solve. A number of companies had been asked to tender for the design and manufacture of a robotic device for the loading of some new weaponry. Perley Automation had been asked at a late date if they would like to tender. They did, and their design had won, and they had been awarded the contract for a continuing supply of the equipment, together with the associated control systems. It was the turning point in the fortunes of Perley Automation.
Trevor opened the door and shoved his head in. "Burning the midnight oil?" he asked.
"It's not that late, is it?" Robert asked as he looked in surprise at his watch.
"Not really" Trevor answered, "just seems like it." He sounded in a good mood and playfully joked with Robert. They got on exceptionally well, sharing the same sense of humour.
"Oh" Robert exclaimed as Trevor turned to leave, "I had a call from John Rowlands just now. He's got a job he would like us to look at and I said we'd pop over tomorrow. That OK with you?"
"Fine, Rob, fine" Trevor replied. "It'll be nice to see John again. Don't see him much now. Not like the old days when he gave us nearly all our work."
"Yes," Robert reflected, pausing for a while. "Nice chap, old John."
"What time?" Trevor asked.
"I didn't mention a specific time, come to think of it" Robert answered. "What about our leaving here about 10.30. Should give us enough time to pop in here first, do what's necessary, and get over there without too much hassle with the traffic. I mustn't forget to call in at McCalls on the way back."
Trevor nodded his head in agreement and Robert added as he exhaled forcefully "Time I packed up here, I think."
"You're right" Trevor agreed, "it's time...........
The telephone rang and interrupted the throw‑away remark Trevor was about to make. Robert picked up the phone.
"Hello" he opened, but realised that it had gone 5.30 and that he was having to take any incoming calls direct through the switched internal line. "Perley Automation" he added.
"Rob?" the voice at the other end of the phone asked, but with the confidence of knowing that is was `Rob', it went on "Rob, it's Boz." He paused. "And, in case you've forgotten, that's Dave Boswell to anyone else."
Robert laughed a little uneasily. "As if I could forget" he said. "How are you keeping, Boz?" he asked looking up at a surprised Trevor, raising his eyebrows and pulling a face, to indicate that he was equally surprised. "Long time no see."
Trevor could tell from what he had heard that it was Dave Boswell on the line. He could not help being anxious as to why Boz would want to phone Robert after such a long time without contact. It had been more than, five years? Yes, five years, since Robert's last attempt on the world water speed record on Lake Arraen, and the failure on that occasion, and the circumstances before and after the event, had led to some bad feelings between Robert and Dave. Following the aborted attempt, there had been no contact between them for some weeks. Friends had observed, but, diplomatically, no one had commented. The weeks had turned into months and, eventually, a year had passed without either one breaking the silence. After the first year, it was obvious to Robert's wife Carla, and friends, that the two had dropped out of each other's lives. During the whole of the five years, neither had made a move to re‑kindle the old relationship ‑ until now.
The Bradley‑Boswell partnership had lasted through nine attempts on the world water speed record, four of which had been successful. The last three had been failures and, after the last attempt, it had appeared to Robert that Dave Boswell had lost his enthusiasm to be 'the man who built the fastest boat in the world'. It was possible that each had seen the other as the reason for the lack of success, and the mutual feeling had erased much of those intangibles on which their friendship had been built up over many years.
Trevor had been concerned, but not particularly upset, when the relationship cooled, as he had seen it gradually deteriorate over a period of time. Robert had been difficult to work with at first, but once he had got over the first few months, he had thrown himself into his work at Perley Automation with great enthusiasm and effort. It had been as though he was channelling all his energy into making the company a vehicle of his success. It had paid off. The MOD contract had come along at the right time and with that now firmly established, after more than two years, and with some years yet to run, everything looked rosy.
"You're kidding." Robert's voice brought Trevor back to the present. "I am a little at a loss for words" he went on. "You're actually ready to have another crack at the record?"
He listened to Dave Boswell's response. "Another boat, eh?" Robert seemed to be echoing what he was hearing. "A jet engined job of the very latest up-to-date design." He paused. "Sounds like a very promising machine." Again he listened to some of Dave Boswell's remarks. "But why me, Boz, I thought that you had considered that our magic had passed its sell‑by date?"
This time, as Robert had deliberately tilted the phone away from his ear, Boz's response became audible to Trevor.
"I think you want to take the record more than any other man alive, Rob. Am I right, or am I right?"
"You could be... right" Robert replied cautiously.
Boz went on with his softly-softly persuasion. "That's why I've come to you, Rob. And I'm confident of my judgement to the tune of, well, let's say a lot of money."
"The sponsors are there already, Boz?" Robert asked.
"Let's just say that the money is there, Rob" Boz replied diplomatically.
Robert may have been reluctant to admit it to himself, but deep down inside he really did want to hold the world water speed record more than he felt safe to admit. He kept his innermost feelings to himself. He had put a large slice of his life into winning, and several times regaining, the record. The times when he had been hailed as the `World Water Speed Record holder' he had been king. His last attempts though, had been bitterly disappointing to him, and he had come to accept, bit by bit, little by little, that he would no longer be the man at the top. But now.... now, perhaps there was another chance to get back to that pinnacle on which he had once sat. A completely unexpected chance.....
"I've not let the desire to be the WWSR holder dwell on my mind too much, to tell you the truth Boz, but if I let myself think about it, I might just agree with you" Robert replied with some thoughtful reflection.
Trevor could not help being intrigued, curious and wondering what exactly was going on. He knew he would have to exercise patience as Robert could explain nothing until he had finished his telephone call. He could gather quite a lot of the generality from what Robert was saying and the snatches of Boz's comments, but not the detail.
"Where's the boat now?" Robert asked.
"It's here in Salsome, Rob" boz answered. "It's as good a place as any for low‑powered trials, for handling, for trying out the systems and so on. "
Robert "mmmd" his agreement to that as he nodded his head gently.
"All the dry work has been completed, the wind tunnel testing done and so on, Rob" Boz continued to talk. "And, so far, we have managed to keep everything low key."
"You want to keep everything low key?" Robert asked.
"This time around, yes" Boz replied. "That's the way it has to be this time, up until the actual attempt,"
Robert thought that there had to be some special reason why Boz wanted to take on an attempt at the world water speed record without publicising it from day one. Possibly, the wish of the sponsors, for some reason or other. It was unusual, as most sponsors normally wanted to maximise the exposure of their names. However, that side of it was none of his business he thought. Boz interrupted his thoughts.
"When can you come down?"
Robert felt some reluctance to respond to that question. He was unsure of how much he was being pressed into agreeing to take on something before he had thought about it rationally. He did not want to respond emotionally. He could concede to himself that there was no harm in agreeing to see the boat and, even, trying it out for Boz by putting it through its low‑powerthrust trails. He knew he did not have to commit himself to any more than that. At any point along the way he could pull out he re‑assured himself.
"Uh, it's a bit of a surprise, all this Boz" he eventually responded, "but I'm not doing anything this coming Sunday. Maybe I could talk Carla into coming down for a few hours. I think she might enjoy the break."
Boz sounded delighted. "That's great, Rob, that's great news" he repeated. "I'm sure Carla will enjoy the trip. I'll be at the boatyard all day Sunday. If you are able to make it on that day I'll see you there then, Rob." He added "You won't be disappointed."
"O.K." Robert confirmed, "see you there, uh, if there are no problems." His voice trailed off with an element of disbelief in what he had just done. One moment he had been deeply engrossed in sorting out the company's books and the next he had allowed himself to be roped into... well, he was not too sure what he had let himself in for. The beginnings of yet another attempt on the world record? He thought that he had left such things a long way behind. "How quickly the world changes" he mused.
"C'est la vie" he said aloud and looked up on realising that Trevor was there in front of him, looking quite puzzled, if not even anxious.
"Oh, Trev" Robert started, "I suppose you realised what that was all about?"
Trevor nodded.
"He wants me to take his new boat through some test runs, as he put it, but I think, really, that he wants me to put his new boat through an attempt on the record." Robert explained, knowing that Trevor had heard some, but missed a lot of Boz's remarks. "I feel as though I have been persuaded to go along with something to which I've not given enough thought" he added.
A sympathetic smile crossed Trevor's face. "That's our Boz" he said. "Think Carla will agree to your having another shot at it?"
"A good question" Robert replied. "She was glad to see me turn my back on it the last time, but a lot of water has passed under boats since then" he said, twisting the old metaphor.
"Well, I'm sure you'll give it plenty of thought before deciding just how much to get involved. Whatever you decide, good luck" Trevor said. He made to leave. "I must be on my way home. See you in the morning then, Rob."
"Night, Trev" Robert responded, "see you then."
Robert pursed his lips and pondered. Through his head the thoughts were turning at high speed, sometimes fantasising and sometimes pursuing the lines of reality, all mixed in with his recollection of those wonderful times when he had been successful. Successful in that specialised and dangerous area of world speed records. He could almost smell and feel the sweetness of those days when he had been perched on the pinnacle of success. He could feel himself becoming euphoric, daydreaming and reliving those special moments of his life that had been filled with excitement.
"Enough of this" he said aloud and snapped himself back to reality. "You have accepted Boz's suggestion on a basis of taking the boat through its preliminary trials! Nothing else. O.K.? O.K!" He spoke out aloud as though to ensure he would not miss the point of his own reasoning. He continued aloud, gently admonishing himself and responding. He thought it better to leave the assessment of the new situation until tomorrow, after he had had time to turn over, in his mind, what had happened today. Something so unexpected. Something that could have an impact on the rest of one's life.
He got up from his desk, walked out of his office and out through the main doors, locking them behind him. He strolled over to his car looking as thoughtful as he felt, got in and set off for home, to discuss with Carla the surprise call he had had from Boz. He wondered how she would react. Not only to Boz's actual proposition, but also to his intrusion into their lives once again It triggered off in Robert many thoughts of events long ago. After all, it was Boz who was responsible for Robert meeting Carla in the first place. She had turned up with Boz at the start of the last but one attempt they had made on the record. Robert could remember how he had taken an immediate liking to her, but kept his feelings to himself. He was unable to give her even a hint, until he discovered that she liked him too. They had then hit it off very well. And Boz did not appear to be emotionally attached to her in any way, seeming to be unaffected by their blossoming relationship.
Robert's relationship with Carla really had blossomed. Even the bad feelings that had built up between Robert and Boz, over the way the record attempts were going, had had no effect on how they felt about each other. Following the setting up of Perley Automation, Robert and Carla had got married and had got along fine.
Boz had been sent an invitation, but had communicated through a friend that he was unable to come, because of his commitments and the suddenness of the event. Then the years of no contact between Robert and Boz had begun to develop.
Robert's mind came back to the present. He hoped that Carla would see Boz's latest proposition in the right light. She had always been such a tremendous support over the years of marriage, encouraging him to press ahead with some of the projects that had not been without risks. Robert reflected on his own good fortune. "She's been such a brick. I don't know what I would have done without her support over the years."
His thoughts again roamed over some of the past events they had shared. Mixed thoughts passed through his mind until he realised he had arrived home. He pressed a button on the dashboard. The double‑wide door of his garage silently lifted its bottom edge towards him and on up into the night sky. The fading evening light was transformed to a flood of brightness as the security lights automatically came on. He drove his Jaguar into its warmly illuminated overnight resting place and switched off the engine. He looked ahead in an unfocused stare. He breathed deeply and exhaled slowly, not relishing the task ahead of announcing to Carla his contact with Boz. He actually felt a little guilty of having agreed to visit him, knowing that the decision could well have been made because of his selfishness.