be pleased to see all of you up on the high terrace for lunch."
Gatano chose that precise moment to arrive at a shambling trot, those great hands of his ready to grab at my throat. Langley tripped him deftly, Gatano went sprawling. He tried to get up, sobbing with rage and Langley put a foot on his left hand.
"That's all--understand?"
Gatano looked up at him, eyes glazed, and then he subsided like a hurt dog.
"You'd think he'd have had enough by now," I said.
"Ah, but then some people never learn, do they, old stick?" He smiled beautifully. "Now, if you'd like to join me in the Merc, the others can follow in the Landrover."
Which I did. When I looked down at the turn in the dirt road, Gatano was on his own, walking.
* * *
The meal was pretty much a repetition of the one I'd had with Stavrou and Simone on that first night Once again he drank a great deal of wine, ate huge quantities of food and talked incessantly on every subject under the sun.
There was no sign of Simone who, I presumed, was with Hannah, but in any event Stavrou made no mention of her. When the meal was finished he announced his intention of looking over the boat although it was obvious to everyone there that he couldn't even negotiate the companionway.
Langley took him down in the Mercedes and the rest of us followed in the Landrover. He actually did get out, but conducted his inspection from the quayside, discussing the Palmyra with Barzini in a considerable amount of technical detail, showing a surprising knowledge of small sea-going craft in general.
Langley finally took him away and we got on with our final equipment check. Barzini went through the list with Nino, then I did the whole thing again, helped by Angelo Carter, just to make sure.
Finally, Barzini and I had a look at the charts in the wheelhouse while Nino and Angelo topped up the tanks from four fifty-gallon drums we'd carried as deck cargo.
"What do you think?" I said.
"We should be all right. I got the weather report on the radio. Three to four wind. Rain squalls. It might blow a little harder before morning, but nothing to get worried about." He chuckled. "Maybe enough to keep this Langley with his face in a bucket."
"You don't like him?"
"Half a man," he said contemptuously. "What is there left to like?" He stuck one of those vile Egyptian cheroots in his mouth. "And this Stavrou." He shook his head. "It must have been a very large stone, but underneath one is where they found him."
Nino called, "Someone coming."
The Landrover came down the dirt road and paused at the end of the jetty. Simone got out, wearing a straw hat, dark glasses, and a bikini and carrying a large beach bag. She glanced towards us briefly, then started down to the shore, and the Landrover moved on.
Langley got out and stood at the edge of the jetty. "Ready for off, are we?"
"Just about," I said.
"Mr. Stavrou would like a word before you go--with all of you."
Behind him, Simone dived off a rock and started to swim out into the bay in a fast, powerful crawl. There was little point in arguing, so I nodded to the others, who were standing listening to the conversation, and everyone got into the Landrover again.
Stavrou was waiting on the high terrace, seated at the table. This time the bottles in the bucket were champagne. The waiter filled glasses quickly and brought them round on a silver tray. He even wore white gloves.
Stavrou raised his glass. "A toast, gentlemen. Fair winds and good fortune."
The whole thing was getting more farcical by the minute. I said, "Can we go now? I'd like to get started."
"Time for another glass, sir, and I'd like a word in your private ear before you leave." He pushed himself up, balancing on the sticks. "Your friend may join us if he wishes. He may find what I have to say of some interest"
He moved to the parapet, Langley carrying his champagne for him and Barzini and I followed. Langley handed him the glass and Stavrou looked over the ramparts. "A long way down,
Gatano chose that precise moment to arrive at a shambling trot, those great hands of his ready to grab at my throat. Langley tripped him deftly, Gatano went sprawling. He tried to get up, sobbing with rage and Langley put a foot on his left hand.
"That's all--understand?"
Gatano looked up at him, eyes glazed, and then he subsided like a hurt dog.
"You'd think he'd have had enough by now," I said.
"Ah, but then some people never learn, do they, old stick?" He smiled beautifully. "Now, if you'd like to join me in the Merc, the others can follow in the Landrover."
Which I did. When I looked down at the turn in the dirt road, Gatano was on his own, walking.
* * *
The meal was pretty much a repetition of the one I'd had with Stavrou and Simone on that first night Once again he drank a great deal of wine, ate huge quantities of food and talked incessantly on every subject under the sun.
There was no sign of Simone who, I presumed, was with Hannah, but in any event Stavrou made no mention of her. When the meal was finished he announced his intention of looking over the boat although it was obvious to everyone there that he couldn't even negotiate the companionway.
Langley took him down in the Mercedes and the rest of us followed in the Landrover. He actually did get out, but conducted his inspection from the quayside, discussing the Palmyra with Barzini in a considerable amount of technical detail, showing a surprising knowledge of small sea-going craft in general.
Langley finally took him away and we got on with our final equipment check. Barzini went through the list with Nino, then I did the whole thing again, helped by Angelo Carter, just to make sure.
Finally, Barzini and I had a look at the charts in the wheelhouse while Nino and Angelo topped up the tanks from four fifty-gallon drums we'd carried as deck cargo.
"What do you think?" I said.
"We should be all right. I got the weather report on the radio. Three to four wind. Rain squalls. It might blow a little harder before morning, but nothing to get worried about." He chuckled. "Maybe enough to keep this Langley with his face in a bucket."
"You don't like him?"
"Half a man," he said contemptuously. "What is there left to like?" He stuck one of those vile Egyptian cheroots in his mouth. "And this Stavrou." He shook his head. "It must have been a very large stone, but underneath one is where they found him."
Nino called, "Someone coming."
The Landrover came down the dirt road and paused at the end of the jetty. Simone got out, wearing a straw hat, dark glasses, and a bikini and carrying a large beach bag. She glanced towards us briefly, then started down to the shore, and the Landrover moved on.
Langley got out and stood at the edge of the jetty. "Ready for off, are we?"
"Just about," I said.
"Mr. Stavrou would like a word before you go--with all of you."
Behind him, Simone dived off a rock and started to swim out into the bay in a fast, powerful crawl. There was little point in arguing, so I nodded to the others, who were standing listening to the conversation, and everyone got into the Landrover again.
Stavrou was waiting on the high terrace, seated at the table. This time the bottles in the bucket were champagne. The waiter filled glasses quickly and brought them round on a silver tray. He even wore white gloves.
Stavrou raised his glass. "A toast, gentlemen. Fair winds and good fortune."
The whole thing was getting more farcical by the minute. I said, "Can we go now? I'd like to get started."
"Time for another glass, sir, and I'd like a word in your private ear before you leave." He pushed himself up, balancing on the sticks. "Your friend may join us if he wishes. He may find what I have to say of some interest"
He moved to the parapet, Langley carrying his champagne for him and Barzini and I followed. Langley handed him the glass and Stavrou looked over the ramparts. "A long way down,
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