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.
That evening, another telex arrived. FM: WAN HAI LINES, TAIPEI RE: LIABILITY SURVEY CONFIRMED. USD 480,000 PLUS SURVEY FEE (USD 1,200) DUE WITHIN 14 DAYS. VESSEL UNDER DETENTION ORDER. FURTHER DISPUTES WILL INCUR DAILY DEMURRAGE AT USD 1,500. - WAN HAI TELEX Tzeo sat in his cabin. He had no $480,000. The ship’s owner would pay, then take it from his wages for the next ten years. Or simply fire him. wan hai telex
Kim swallowed. “Can we fight it?”
“Wan Hai has frozen us. A surveyor is coming. They’ll cut our seals, open the container, and find nothing but air. Then Wan Hai will bill us for the air, plus damages, plus the surveyor’s coffee.” The static hissed on the bridge of the
Tzeo smiled for the first time in a week. “The Wan Hai telex says we’re free.” From Wan Hai
“The Wan Hai telex, Captain?” Kim asked.