can actually go straight to Penghu by road? ”
“ Yes, but I ’ ve been thinking about it. It may take time to arrange for transport and at best it ’ s an hour ’ s run. Also it might be better for you to turn up in Penghu in daylight—say mid-morning. I ’ m sure we could stay here tonight. ”
Terry found herself snatching at the suggestion. “ Perhaps you ’ re right. It would be awfully late and perhaps unsettling. I ... I don ’ t mind staying. ”
“ I ’ ll fix it, ” he said, and then shouted teasingly to the children who were leaning perilously over the water, competing for the privilege of catching the rope he would throw.
In the hot smoky darkness, Terry closed her eyes and thanked heaven for the temporary reprieve.
CHAPTER FOUR
AT Tembin there was a rest-house s i milar to the one at Vinan, except that it contained only an iron table and two chairs. The hospitable Malays were willing, however, to turn the hut into a bedroom, and without prompting they brought half a dozen straw mattresses and made two beds of three mattresses each. If Pete hadn ’ t stopped them they might have built the beds six feet high. They provided blankets, stringy towels, bowls of steaming rice and meat, and brought tumblers formed from sections of bamboo with one end sealed from which to drink the kava wine that was part of the service.
With the doorway unscreened, Pete and Terry sat and ate, smoked cigarettes and watched the narrow beach become deserted. The sounds of human beings had died away when Pete squashed out his cigarette and said,
“ I ’ ve been putting this off because I don ’ t want to spoil the day, but I ’ m afraid we ’ ll have to have a talk. It ’ s probably our last chance of being quiet and alone. ”
Terry nodded and unconsciously pushed her feet rather hard against the floor, to brace herself. Watching the smoke as it curled from her cigarette, she said, “ There ’ s not really very much to discuss, is there? You have just to destroy that certificate. You said you ’ d do it as we left Vinan territory. ”
“ That was before I ’ d given it any thought. I ’ m still certain it ’ s worthless, but just to set your mind completely at rest, I ’ m going to consult a solicitor friend of mine in Penghu. I ’ ll get him over to my house for dinner, and I ’ ll destroy the thing in front of him; you can depend on his silence. You needn ’ t worry about it at all. ”
“ I won ’ t. I ’ m sure you ’ ll get rid of it as soon as you can. ”
He leaned back in the protesting grass chair. “ Now, the next thing. What did you plan to tell your sister about the trip here from Vinan? ”
She drew in a dry lip. “ Well, I ... I ’ d rather not lie. She and I have always been truthful with each other. ”
“ I imagined that. ” He paused. “ Seems to me you may as well be quite open about it. You were stranded at Vinan, I was coming up the river and offered to bring you. At night-time we stopped at villages and with the Lunns. You only have to imply that it was monotonous and I was a bore, to complete the picture. ”
She flickered a glance at him. “ I won ’ t say much at all, and luckily my sister will be full of her wedding. You don ’ t know the construction company staff, do you? ”
“ I ’ ve met a couple of fellows casually, that ’ s all. They haven ’ t been here very long, and being a bunch of newcomers they stick together. Why? ”
“ I was wondering what you would say if Vic spoke to you. ”
“ Your prospective brother-in-law? ” He smiled a little tightly. “ I ’ ll say you were a good child, no trouble at all. And leave it there. ”
He would do it convincingly, too; she was sure of that. She wished her throat had not suddenly become so painful. “ Is there anything else? ”
He studied her for a moment. “ You ’ ve said you ’ ll stay while your sister needs you. Any idea how long that ’ s likely to be? ”
“ Not till I ’
“ Yes, but I ’ ve been thinking about it. It may take time to arrange for transport and at best it ’ s an hour ’ s run. Also it might be better for you to turn up in Penghu in daylight—say mid-morning. I ’ m sure we could stay here tonight. ”
Terry found herself snatching at the suggestion. “ Perhaps you ’ re right. It would be awfully late and perhaps unsettling. I ... I don ’ t mind staying. ”
“ I ’ ll fix it, ” he said, and then shouted teasingly to the children who were leaning perilously over the water, competing for the privilege of catching the rope he would throw.
In the hot smoky darkness, Terry closed her eyes and thanked heaven for the temporary reprieve.
CHAPTER FOUR
AT Tembin there was a rest-house s i milar to the one at Vinan, except that it contained only an iron table and two chairs. The hospitable Malays were willing, however, to turn the hut into a bedroom, and without prompting they brought half a dozen straw mattresses and made two beds of three mattresses each. If Pete hadn ’ t stopped them they might have built the beds six feet high. They provided blankets, stringy towels, bowls of steaming rice and meat, and brought tumblers formed from sections of bamboo with one end sealed from which to drink the kava wine that was part of the service.
With the doorway unscreened, Pete and Terry sat and ate, smoked cigarettes and watched the narrow beach become deserted. The sounds of human beings had died away when Pete squashed out his cigarette and said,
“ I ’ ve been putting this off because I don ’ t want to spoil the day, but I ’ m afraid we ’ ll have to have a talk. It ’ s probably our last chance of being quiet and alone. ”
Terry nodded and unconsciously pushed her feet rather hard against the floor, to brace herself. Watching the smoke as it curled from her cigarette, she said, “ There ’ s not really very much to discuss, is there? You have just to destroy that certificate. You said you ’ d do it as we left Vinan territory. ”
“ That was before I ’ d given it any thought. I ’ m still certain it ’ s worthless, but just to set your mind completely at rest, I ’ m going to consult a solicitor friend of mine in Penghu. I ’ ll get him over to my house for dinner, and I ’ ll destroy the thing in front of him; you can depend on his silence. You needn ’ t worry about it at all. ”
“ I won ’ t. I ’ m sure you ’ ll get rid of it as soon as you can. ”
He leaned back in the protesting grass chair. “ Now, the next thing. What did you plan to tell your sister about the trip here from Vinan? ”
She drew in a dry lip. “ Well, I ... I ’ d rather not lie. She and I have always been truthful with each other. ”
“ I imagined that. ” He paused. “ Seems to me you may as well be quite open about it. You were stranded at Vinan, I was coming up the river and offered to bring you. At night-time we stopped at villages and with the Lunns. You only have to imply that it was monotonous and I was a bore, to complete the picture. ”
She flickered a glance at him. “ I won ’ t say much at all, and luckily my sister will be full of her wedding. You don ’ t know the construction company staff, do you? ”
“ I ’ ve met a couple of fellows casually, that ’ s all. They haven ’ t been here very long, and being a bunch of newcomers they stick together. Why? ”
“ I was wondering what you would say if Vic spoke to you. ”
“ Your prospective brother-in-law? ” He smiled a little tightly. “ I ’ ll say you were a good child, no trouble at all. And leave it there. ”
He would do it convincingly, too; she was sure of that. She wished her throat had not suddenly become so painful. “ Is there anything else? ”
He studied her for a moment. “ You ’ ve said you ’ ll stay while your sister needs you. Any idea how long that ’ s likely to be? ”
“ Not till I ’
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