South Sea Gold: Chapter Thirty-One

From the The Port Moresby Journal: OWEGO MINE PUT ON HOLD

In a joint release by the Ministry of Mining and the DEC, a spokesman who wished to remain anonymous said that a temporary injunction was issued against the gold and copper mine on Owego Island in Milne Bay last Friday. The spokesman said that work will be suspended until management brings its safety measures up to standard, both for its workers and for those who live nearby. The government spokesman cited inadequate ventilation underground, poor management of mine waste, and "failure to protect the public from contact with hazardous material."

South Sea Gold Corporation (SSG), the mine's operator, acknowledges the shut down, but said it would be brief. The new ventilation raise will soon reach the mine's recently opened underground Level Four. Oxygen supplies are readily available, both to miners and to the hoist operators, to guarantee safe exit in case of an emergency such as the mine experienced two months ago.

SSG information officer Jeremy Blake said that although the slurry pipeline still carries traces of cyanide and other pollutants, the pipe itself has been rerouted around a landslide area where it had been broken twice. He estimates the mine will resume production in two weeks.

A new group, the Association of Milne Mine Owners (AMMO) objected to the delay. AMMO protested the mine's closure, claiming the Owego Mine was a victim of discrimination. In a letter to the editor, an AMMO member pointed out that several PNG mines dump their waste in the ocean, but no one penalizes them.

"Owego," the editor responded, "is one of the few ocean-disposal mines that has caused documented illness in a nearby village. We are not against mining innovations in principle. We have withheld opinion on new methods of very deep ocean-bottom mining,for example, while awaiting results of the first one or two such projects in the world. If significant danger to sea creatures can be demonstrated in fact as well as theory, we shall oppose it until such damage is corrected. We believe the government should limit any more such licenses until the first one or two ocean-bottom mines have been operating for several years. The minerals will still be there. If research proves that deep-sea forms of life can migrate on ocean currents to reach other deep sea vents, (and there are evidently thousands of such spots around the world), new sources of useful products will have been achieved, and new knowledge gained about these recently discovered life forms.

"Demonstration of such deep ocean currents," he added, "would be another reason to ban deep sea disposal of mine waste, as most nations have already done."

With Petey in jail and Joe Moran disappeared, the embezzlers' street gang had shrunk to two, known on the streets as Shark and Rocky. With no leader, they were running out of the easy money they had become accustomed to.

"These guys in the fancy suits get their money in thousand-Kina notes," said Shark. He had never seen a thousand-Kina note, but liked to imagine having such wealth. "It stands to reason, don't it, if they have all that money, they need protection, right?"

"Who do we protect them from?" Rocky was a little slow in grasping new ideas.

"From us, Matey!"

"Suppose they call the police, what do we do then?"

"They won't want to call the police. They're getting that money illegal-like. They're crooks like we are, only bigger. All we need to do is set up an appointment. That's the way they work, make an appointment first. I already got one guy's number."

The mining embezzlers were meeting again, to set up their fraudulent trust fund. "I heard from our street gang again," one remarked. "He wanted more money. I asked him where Joseph had gone, and he said he was out of town."

"Does that mean like on the bottom of the Coral Sea, or away on business?" asked another.

"I didn't choose to ask. This new fellow is called "Shark". Have we any projects for him?"

"Why take the risk? Our project is going well enough as it is. The more we mess with The Journal the more publicity we get. It can backfire on us."

"Let me handle it," said the woman, Linda. "I have assets that you don't."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'll have Gideon Bilasso set up another offer with that reporter, Tom Akani."

"With all due respect, Linda, aren't you robbing the cradle?"

"What I had in mind was simply money, Simpson. But don't sell a fifty-five year-old woman short. Like I said, I have assets that you don't."

"I'm sure you have. What about the street gang?"

"We don't need them anymore. Drop them."

"And who's going to tell The Shark?"

"Send him to me."

Madame Linda, as she preferred to be called, was entertaining her co-conspirator Simpson Chen the next afternoon, when there was a knock on the door of her hotel suite. She didn't recognize the man on the other side of the door's glass peep hole, and so put the safety chain on the door before opening it a crack. "Yes? What do you want?"

"You sent for me."

"Who are you?"

"They call me Shark," he said. He was a tall, heavily built Melanesian with the battle-scarred ears of a prize fighter, and an aggressive voice to match.

"You were supposed to be here at ten this morning," she said.

"I am here now. Do you want to see me or not?"

Madame Linda cast a what-can-you-expect look at Simpson, who was still sitting in his chair. She released the door chain, allowing Shark to enter. She made an imperious gesture toward a chair and waited.

Shark gazed around the room and nodded. This was the kind of people he had imagined. They would have money. He was not a man to make small talk. "I came for more money," he said.

"We deal with Mr. Moran," said Madame Linda. "Where is he?"

"He's out of town. I have come for our pay."

Linda maintained an indifferent look, while she opened her purse. Shark half rose from his seat, but she did not produce any money. "We will deal only with your boss. Your coming here is inappropriate," she said. "Now go away."

Shark's face darkened with rage. Didn't this foreign woman know who he was? As he rose to his full height he reached back and pulled a knife with a razor-sharp, gleaming six-inch blade from the back of his belt. But when Linda pulled her hand from her purse, she held a pistol. She clicked the safety off and calmly pointed the gun at Shark.

Undeterred, and while Simpson watched in horror, Shark moved forward, knife outstretched.

Without a trace of emotion, Linda shot him.