boiled,” he said. “That’ll do them good, won’t it?”
“A power of good.”
“Do you buy this story about a capsized boat and the husband who drowned?”
Hal thought for a moment. He gestured vaguely with one hand.
“What’s it matter? After all, it’s not that important. It’s a plausible enough story and you can’t ask any more, not even of a story…”
“I could hear her breathing in the dark…” said Frank dreamily. “And I wanted to get up and go and press my face down on her mouth…”
“You’re not the only one.”
“What! You too?”
“And how! I swear, if you hadn’t been there, I’d have had me some fun. Quality goods and tasty with it!”
“You’ve got it bad!” laughed Frank.
But his laughter jarred and sounded false.
“You think so?”
“Well, I mean to say… She’s been a widow ever since yesterday…”
“Widows,” sniggered Hal, “are a like fish: mustn’t wait too long before you gobble them up!”
“So you want her yourself, you old goat?”
Frank’s face was bright red—and it wasn’t on account of his temperature.
“And you don’t?” asked Hal.
“Leave me out of it. For the moment, I’m blind.”
“So what? Making love is something that’s usually done in the dark!”
Frank stood next to the woman, whom he could vaguely make out through the thick fog which enveloped her.
“The way things are going,” he said, “I’d be surprised if she stays prissy for long.”
The still-sleeping woman sighed deeply.
“Was that her?” asked Frank.
“Yes. She’s starting to wake up.”
“And to think I can’t see it! What’s she doing?”
Hal had moved nearer to the blonde woman. He stood watching her with some satisfaction, with his lips drawn back over his sharp teeth.
“She’s doing what all women do when they wake up,” he said quietly. “She looks as if she’s dreaming.”
“And to think I can’t see it! I can’t see it!” said Frank, almost weeping while he desperately screwed up his eyes. “I could kill myself!”
“Cheer up! Mustn’t start getting gloomy ideas!” said Hal in an effort to soothe his friend.
“Gloomy ideas! Brother, you said it!”
The woman was now staring at them in silence. She was hollow-cheeked with grief.
“Still, it’s not everything,” muttered Hal. “I’m going to make some coffee.”
He leant over her:
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She answered:
“Dora.”
“Sounds like someone in the films,” said Frank. “Still, some people like that sort of thing…”
Hal leant down farther. There was a glint in his eye. Dora did not pull away from him. She seemed transfixed.
Delicately he kissed her on the mouth.
Frank could not hear anything and felt anxious.
“What the hell are you two up to now?”
The kiss went on and on. Though it was not really a kiss, for it was one-way traffic. Hal gave it; Dora endured it.
Frank started getting very jumpy.
“What are you up to? What are you doing?”
“We’re looking at you,” answered Hal. “We’ve both got eyes, so why shouldn’t we make the most of them?”
“You swine!…” cried Frank. “You’re mocking me… But usually it’s the deaf who get laughed at, not the blind!”
“But you’re not blind,” said Hal. “Don’t exaggerate. Don’t lay it on so thick.”
“OK, OK!” said Frank, feeling crushed. “So I’m not blind, you’re right. It’s just that I can’t see!”
15
The days that followed were as strange as those which had preceded Dora’s arrival on the island. The three self-exiled castaways led a life not unlike that of campers. Dora seemed resigned to her fate. She had lost heart but put a brave face on things and submitted to the life imposed on her by the two men. They never let each other stray very far. When Hal went fishing for crabs or shrimps, Frank and the young woman went with him. They prepared their meals together and played pointless games using flat stones as a substitute
“A power of good.”
“Do you buy this story about a capsized boat and the husband who drowned?”
Hal thought for a moment. He gestured vaguely with one hand.
“What’s it matter? After all, it’s not that important. It’s a plausible enough story and you can’t ask any more, not even of a story…”
“I could hear her breathing in the dark…” said Frank dreamily. “And I wanted to get up and go and press my face down on her mouth…”
“You’re not the only one.”
“What! You too?”
“And how! I swear, if you hadn’t been there, I’d have had me some fun. Quality goods and tasty with it!”
“You’ve got it bad!” laughed Frank.
But his laughter jarred and sounded false.
“You think so?”
“Well, I mean to say… She’s been a widow ever since yesterday…”
“Widows,” sniggered Hal, “are a like fish: mustn’t wait too long before you gobble them up!”
“So you want her yourself, you old goat?”
Frank’s face was bright red—and it wasn’t on account of his temperature.
“And you don’t?” asked Hal.
“Leave me out of it. For the moment, I’m blind.”
“So what? Making love is something that’s usually done in the dark!”
Frank stood next to the woman, whom he could vaguely make out through the thick fog which enveloped her.
“The way things are going,” he said, “I’d be surprised if she stays prissy for long.”
The still-sleeping woman sighed deeply.
“Was that her?” asked Frank.
“Yes. She’s starting to wake up.”
“And to think I can’t see it! What’s she doing?”
Hal had moved nearer to the blonde woman. He stood watching her with some satisfaction, with his lips drawn back over his sharp teeth.
“She’s doing what all women do when they wake up,” he said quietly. “She looks as if she’s dreaming.”
“And to think I can’t see it! I can’t see it!” said Frank, almost weeping while he desperately screwed up his eyes. “I could kill myself!”
“Cheer up! Mustn’t start getting gloomy ideas!” said Hal in an effort to soothe his friend.
“Gloomy ideas! Brother, you said it!”
The woman was now staring at them in silence. She was hollow-cheeked with grief.
“Still, it’s not everything,” muttered Hal. “I’m going to make some coffee.”
He leant over her:
“What’s your name?” he asked.
She answered:
“Dora.”
“Sounds like someone in the films,” said Frank. “Still, some people like that sort of thing…”
Hal leant down farther. There was a glint in his eye. Dora did not pull away from him. She seemed transfixed.
Delicately he kissed her on the mouth.
Frank could not hear anything and felt anxious.
“What the hell are you two up to now?”
The kiss went on and on. Though it was not really a kiss, for it was one-way traffic. Hal gave it; Dora endured it.
Frank started getting very jumpy.
“What are you up to? What are you doing?”
“We’re looking at you,” answered Hal. “We’ve both got eyes, so why shouldn’t we make the most of them?”
“You swine!…” cried Frank. “You’re mocking me… But usually it’s the deaf who get laughed at, not the blind!”
“But you’re not blind,” said Hal. “Don’t exaggerate. Don’t lay it on so thick.”
“OK, OK!” said Frank, feeling crushed. “So I’m not blind, you’re right. It’s just that I can’t see!”
15
The days that followed were as strange as those which had preceded Dora’s arrival on the island. The three self-exiled castaways led a life not unlike that of campers. Dora seemed resigned to her fate. She had lost heart but put a brave face on things and submitted to the life imposed on her by the two men. They never let each other stray very far. When Hal went fishing for crabs or shrimps, Frank and the young woman went with him. They prepared their meals together and played pointless games using flat stones as a substitute
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