much preferred an answer instead of this suggestion. "I couldn't have," he said, shivering despite the rays that had found him through the shutter.
"You saw no more to tell me." When Ray shook his head, which failed to dislodge the memory of the perished whitish corpse, Apostolides said "Mr Banks, it is your turn to speak."
"Have you identified the gentleman?"
"We have done that."
"Are you going to say who he was?"
"He was like you." As Ray hoped Julian wouldn't take any exception to this the policeman said "A tourist from your country staying in Teleftaiafos."
"Was he the fellow who was supposed to have vanished after he went to the mainland?"
"That will be the person. Now, Mr Banks—"
"In that case I don't understand."
Apostolides took a breath that stirred the badges on his chest. "What is not clear?"
"If the gentleman died last week I don't see how the body could have ended up in that state so soon."
"No, he was reported last month."
"The guide on the cruise said he went missing last week. You'll confirm that, Raymond."
"I'm sure the police know better than he did if he didn't mean to say last month."
Ray was afraid that Julian would argue, and not just with him, until Apostolides intervened. "What state are you speaking of?"
"The fellow looked diseased to me. I didn't go as close as Raymond did, but I could see that much."
As the light probed Ray's eyes Apostolides said "Is that all?"
"I think it's quite enough to need investigating."
"That has been done." The policeman's gaze veered between Julian and Ray while he said "You may tell your families that he had a seizure and drowned. He was underwater for some weeks and then the tide took him into the cave, where as Mr Thornton says he was trapped in the rocks."
"They don't need to hear all that." Just as unenthusiastically Julian said "And how was he identified?"
"His passport was at his apartment."
"I was thinking of his family. Did he have any children? They'd be something like my age, of course, or older."
"Family, yes. They were not required."
"You wouldn't want them to see him like that. Will you be warning them?"
Apostolides gazed at him before saying "Warning them of what, Mr Banks?"
"What they'll find if they should want to see him. I take it he'll be sent home for a proper funeral."
"His ashes will go back."
Ray sensed Julian's dissatisfaction and tried to head it off. "I expect under the circumstances—"
"You know that was his wish, do you?" Julian was still interrogating the policeman. "Or has the family asked for it?"
"It is our decision, Mr Banks."
"Perhaps you should wait and see what they say." Since staring hard at Apostolides failed to provoke an answer, Julian said "Have you even consulted them?"
"It is already done."
"You're telling us you've had their authorisation."
"He has been cremated. They would not have liked to see the head."
"The face, you mean." When Apostolides answered only with a frown that clenched his eyes Julian persisted "Why are you saying the head?"
Apostolides plainly regretted having let himself be goaded, but he said close to carelessly "He was not together. It was apart."
"Good God, man, what are you telling us now?" Julian seemed about to lurch to his feet until Ray seized his arm. "All right, Raymond, I haven't lost control," Julian said but confronted the policeman. "When did that happen," he demanded, "and how? Even in his condition I don't see how it could."
"It is a police matter."
"You need to know he wasn't mutilated like that when we found him. Who could have done such a thing?" When the policeman failed to display outrage Julian said "It wouldn't be one of your traditions, would it? Is that why you're taking it for granted?"
"The police have to get used to such things, Julian," Ray tried to intervene. "They must have to deal with worse."
"There isn't much that's worse than desecrating the dead." Julian hadn't looked away from the policeman. "I'd like to know when it was done," he
"You saw no more to tell me." When Ray shook his head, which failed to dislodge the memory of the perished whitish corpse, Apostolides said "Mr Banks, it is your turn to speak."
"Have you identified the gentleman?"
"We have done that."
"Are you going to say who he was?"
"He was like you." As Ray hoped Julian wouldn't take any exception to this the policeman said "A tourist from your country staying in Teleftaiafos."
"Was he the fellow who was supposed to have vanished after he went to the mainland?"
"That will be the person. Now, Mr Banks—"
"In that case I don't understand."
Apostolides took a breath that stirred the badges on his chest. "What is not clear?"
"If the gentleman died last week I don't see how the body could have ended up in that state so soon."
"No, he was reported last month."
"The guide on the cruise said he went missing last week. You'll confirm that, Raymond."
"I'm sure the police know better than he did if he didn't mean to say last month."
Ray was afraid that Julian would argue, and not just with him, until Apostolides intervened. "What state are you speaking of?"
"The fellow looked diseased to me. I didn't go as close as Raymond did, but I could see that much."
As the light probed Ray's eyes Apostolides said "Is that all?"
"I think it's quite enough to need investigating."
"That has been done." The policeman's gaze veered between Julian and Ray while he said "You may tell your families that he had a seizure and drowned. He was underwater for some weeks and then the tide took him into the cave, where as Mr Thornton says he was trapped in the rocks."
"They don't need to hear all that." Just as unenthusiastically Julian said "And how was he identified?"
"His passport was at his apartment."
"I was thinking of his family. Did he have any children? They'd be something like my age, of course, or older."
"Family, yes. They were not required."
"You wouldn't want them to see him like that. Will you be warning them?"
Apostolides gazed at him before saying "Warning them of what, Mr Banks?"
"What they'll find if they should want to see him. I take it he'll be sent home for a proper funeral."
"His ashes will go back."
Ray sensed Julian's dissatisfaction and tried to head it off. "I expect under the circumstances—"
"You know that was his wish, do you?" Julian was still interrogating the policeman. "Or has the family asked for it?"
"It is our decision, Mr Banks."
"Perhaps you should wait and see what they say." Since staring hard at Apostolides failed to provoke an answer, Julian said "Have you even consulted them?"
"It is already done."
"You're telling us you've had their authorisation."
"He has been cremated. They would not have liked to see the head."
"The face, you mean." When Apostolides answered only with a frown that clenched his eyes Julian persisted "Why are you saying the head?"
Apostolides plainly regretted having let himself be goaded, but he said close to carelessly "He was not together. It was apart."
"Good God, man, what are you telling us now?" Julian seemed about to lurch to his feet until Ray seized his arm. "All right, Raymond, I haven't lost control," Julian said but confronted the policeman. "When did that happen," he demanded, "and how? Even in his condition I don't see how it could."
"It is a police matter."
"You need to know he wasn't mutilated like that when we found him. Who could have done such a thing?" When the policeman failed to display outrage Julian said "It wouldn't be one of your traditions, would it? Is that why you're taking it for granted?"
"The police have to get used to such things, Julian," Ray tried to intervene. "They must have to deal with worse."
"There isn't much that's worse than desecrating the dead." Julian hadn't looked away from the policeman. "I'd like to know when it was done," he
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