Throwing away his cigarette, Gregory tiptoed over to Manon, stooped, and kissed her on the back of the neck.
Starting up, she turned over as swiftly as an eel. For a second her big dark eyes glared with offended dignity. Then they grew wide with astonishment and joy.
‘Gregory!’ she cried. Her arms reached out, closed round his neck and, drawing him down, she gave him a long, luscious kiss on the mouth.
As she released him, he smiled at her and said, ‘Quite a surprise for you, eh? Anyhow, it’s good to know that I still have a place in your affections.’
‘Oh, darling!’ She was a little breathless. ‘Of course I still love you. But where have you been all this time? Why didn’t you write me? I’ve been desolate, positively aching for you for months.’
‘It’s a long story,’ he replied, sitting down on the other fish-shaped basket lounge. ‘For most of the time I was in prison and it was impossible to write.’
‘In prison?’ she repeated. ‘Whatever for?’
He then gave her a version of the tribulations which had befallen James and him, following James’ assault on de Carvalho; but suppressing the facts that on Yuloga they had been prisoners of the Russians, the part that General Ribaud had played, his own knowledge that Lacost and de Carvalho had gone into partnership and that the latter was now dead.
When he had done he added casually, ‘By the by, hoping to find you there, I went to your island yesterday.’
She could not suppress a start, and her eyes widened. For a moment she was silent, then she said, ‘I’ve been away from home for some time. As you know, it is a delightful spot, but if I am there alone for long I do get bored. So I spent a week with friends at the lovely new Fijian Hotel halfway down the south coast, then came on here for a few days to do some shopping before going back.’
Gregory’s expression remained quite friendly, but his eyes bored into hers as he said, ‘Meanwhile you had either let or lent your island to Lacost.’
Ready for him now, she raised her tapering eyebrows and repeated, ‘Lacost?’ as though she had never heard the name.
‘Yes. The man who tried to kill me when we were in Guatemala.’
‘Oh! Yes, of course. For the moment his name didn’t ring a bell with me. But how can you possibly suppose that I’d let my island to a man who tried to murder you? I haven’t even set eyes on him since we saw him at Mexico City airport.’
‘The fact remains that up till two days ago, for a week or more, he and his Colons made your island their headquarters while they went round the Yasawas engaging divers. And Joe-Joe told me they were there with your permission.’
‘Oh, Colons!’ Manon exclaimed, her face suddenly brightening. ‘Now I understand. One evening while I was at the Fijian I ran into an old acquaintance of mine. His name is André Gougon and I knew him both in Algeria and Tahiti. He told me he had come ashore from a boat in which he and a few other men were about to make a trip round the Yasawas. They were all nearly broke and fed up with Tahiti, where living has become appallingly expensive; so they were going to look for an island where they could settle and perhaps go into the copra trade. I said that if they liked to make my house their headquarters for a week or two while they looked round they were welcome; and I wrote him a note to take to Joe-Joe.’
Gregory shook his head. ‘As it turns out that your Monsieur Gougon is now one of Lacost’s gang, I fear having fallen on evil times must have driven him to crime—although he probably didn’t need much driving. While I was in Tujoa I learned that Lacost had only recently been let out of prison. Apparently, on his return to Tahiti, the police got him for smuggling. Maybe your friend Gougon was in that racket with him. Anyway, it set their plans back for a couple of months, which was a bit of luck for us.’
With a light laugh, he added, ‘Still, you weren’t to know that Gougon was one of Lacost’s pals, so that explains everything. What a joy it is to see you again. You look positively ravishing.’
‘Do I?’ She preened herself and fluttered her long eyelashes at him.
‘Indeed you do. How I wish that we were on a deserted beach instead of in this garden. I’d have that bikini off you quicker than you could take one sip at a dry martini. As it is, I’ll have to make do with a good nibble of your lovely neck.’
As he spoke he took her by the shoulders and brought his face down close to hers.
‘Non, je t’en prie!’ she cried, squirming away. ‘Not here! Not here!’ Then, as he released her, she gave a happy laugh. ‘Mon Dieu, what a man you are! Such ardour. And at your age. You should be ashamed of yourself.’
He grinned at her. ‘I’m not, my dear, because I can’t help myself. It’s the old candle flame and moth trouble. Lying about like this with next to no clothes on, you are a public danger.’
‘Then let us go in, get dressed, then meet in the lounge for a drink,’ she suggested. ‘Anyhow, it is getting a little chilly.’
‘Fine,’ he agreed. ‘And what about dinner afterwards? Or have you an attendant beau who has to drag himself from your side to do some errand for you?’
She shook her head. ‘No. I am staying here alone, and can think of nothing nicer than to dine with you.’
‘I can,’ he responded with the suggestion of a quick grin, ‘but maybe later.’
‘About that we’ll see,’ she said, with mock primness, as they walked towards the hotel entrance. ‘I have not yet forgiven you for deserting me for so long. Although I suppose I’ll have to, as you spent most of the time in prison.’ They then agreed to meet in an hour.
Up in her room Manon collapsed upon her bed and lay for a while staring at the ceiling. Her heart beat a little faster as she thought of the narrow escape she had had. It was quite a long time now since she had reluctantly come to the conclusion that, having had his fun with her, Gregory had found some other woman who appealed to him, so she had lost him for good. Her hopes of getting him to marry her having come to an end, no reason remained why she should endeavour to put a check on Pierre Lacost’s activities. More than ever in need of money, she had become desperately anxious that he should secure the Maria Amalia’s gold, and to help him she had even connived at murder.
He had told her about the partnership that he had entered into with de Carvalho, then that he meant to get rid of him and how. She had agreed to lend her island for the deed, and only over lunch that day Pierre had told her that it had been satisfactorily carried out. Earlier he had wanted her to play hostess to de Carvalho, but, just in case some question about the way in which he had met his end should later be raised, she had refused, and had left her island before the Colons arrived so that, whatever happened, she could never be associated with de Carvalho’s death. Now, she had good reason to thank the gods for that cautious streak in her nature; for, had she remained while the Colons were there, Joe-Joe would have told Gregory of it. Then she could not possibly have concealed from him her association with Pierre.
That Gregory had swallowed her story about lending her home to André Gougon without the least idea that he had become a crook she had no doubt. And here was this immensely wealthy potential husband back again, within her grasp. He had not met and gone off with some other woman, after all, but had spent the greater part of the time they had been separated immured in prison. He had made it obvious, too, that he was as mad about her as ever. What stupendous luck.
But she was very far from out of the wood yet. Along with his other activities, Pierre had continued as her lover and now, having returned to Suva that morning, he had taken a room at the Grand Pacific. Only her patron saint could have intervened to prevent Gregory from finding them lunching together, and over lunch Pierre had declared with gusto his intention of sleeping with her that night. Gregory obviously meant to also. Somehow a clash must be avoided, but it was going to tax all her ingenuity.
Jumping off the bed, she hastily began to dress, then made up her face. As soon as she had finished, she phoned down to the office and got the number of Pierre’s room. Hurrying along to it, she knocked on the door. To her consternation, there was no reply. Half-running, she returned to her own room and swiftly wrote a note: Sallust is here. You know my intentions towards him. Remember all you owe me. For God’s sake keep out of the way and leave this hotel as soon as possible. In no circumstances come to my room tonight.
Putting the note in an envelope she again hastened to Pierre’s room and slipped it under the door. Then, endeavouring to still her agitation, she went downstairs to meet Gregory.
He, in the meantime, while washing and shaving, had been considering what he should do about Manon. Highly conscious that to sleep with she was a woman in a thousand, he was greatly looking forward to the night to come. But what then? He was expecting to leave Fiji for Tujoa in four or five days. That seemed all too short a time in which to enjoy to the full a resumption of their liaison. Should he take her with him? That was the question. After all, why not? Through her connection with the Colons she could be dangerous. But he credited himself with the ability to keep an eye on that.
If he did take her he would have, to some extent, to let her in on what was going on. But how much? Obviously that Olinda now held the licence, so that should Lacost and his pals attempt to salvage the gold they could be legally branded as pirates. Yet they must know that already. So, if he kept her in the dark about his day-to-day plans, what harm could she do?
When they met in the lounge for drinks it was overtly as old friends—lover and mistress who were happy with one another and had not a care in the world. Unaware that Manon already knew that de Carvalho was dead, Gregory related quite casually how, during his visit to her island, he had learned that the Brazilian had accompanied Lacost to it and had been hit on the head by a falling coconut.
Later, over dinner, he referred airily to de Carvalho’s death being a stroke of good luck for James, as the handsome young Ratu had for some time been in love with the dead man’s widow. He went on to say how well everything was panning out, as Olinda now held the licence and, as she reciprocated James’ love, they would in future work together.
Having given Manon this handout of information, he felt that he had put her in the picture as far as was necessary. Then he laid himself out to charm her. While doing so, in fact during the whole of dinner, he had sensed that she was having difficulty in concealing nervous tension. That, he suspected, might well be accounted for by the possibility that, in spite of her having said that she had not got a beau, she was in fact having an affaire with someone in the hotel, or anyway in Suva, and feared that at any moment her new lover might put in an appearance.
It was not until they were having coffee and liqueurs in the lounge that she gave a reason for the nervy state in which she had been all the evening. Hesitantly, she said:
‘Chéri, you must not come to my room tonight. I could not be sorrier. It is appalling luck when, after all this time, we have just met again. But there is no controlling nature. Fortunately, I am over the worst, so tomorrow I’ll be all right. We’ll just have to be patient and make up for lost time as soon as I’m well enough to have you love me.’
Naturally, Gregory was disappointed and, while her excuse might have been valid, it tended to deepen his suspicion that she was expecting another lover. To test the situation further, he said:
‘Of course I understand. But never mind. It’s so long since we have seen each other that we still have lots to talk about, so I’ll come to your room anyhow. I’ll bring along a bottle of champagne and we’ll have a cosy chat. At least I’ll be able to enjoy some of your luscious kisses.’
‘No!’ she protested hastily. ‘No, please! When I am like this I can’t bear to be touched. And I’m feeling rotten. I meant to go to bed early and take a sleeping pill. I promise you that tomorrow I’ll make it up to you a hundred-fold.’
‘That settles it,’ he thought, and for a moment his sense of mischief led him to contemplate walking in on her a little after midnight. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Not only could it lead to a most unpleasant scene, as a result of which he might lose her altogether, but it would be a dirty trick to play. She had every right to take another lover. In fact, believing that he had deserted her, it would have been surprising if she hadn’t. After all, what really mattered was that she had shown real delight at his return; and if she had another lover she obviously meant to get rid of him as soon as possible.
When they had finished their liqueurs she went up to her room and shortly afterwards he also went up to read in bed; so he did not see Lacost when the Colon passed through the lounge soon after ten o’clock on his way upstairs.
On reading the note Manon had left for him, Lacost gave vent to a string of unprintable oaths. He had believed that, having made away with de Carvalho, the treasure was now as good as his. On reaching Tujoa, he had meant to tell Elbœuf that he was acting on behalf of the dead man’s widow, hoping that if Elbœuf called on her for verification, she would reply in the affirmative. Then, by the time she arrived in Tujoa, he would have got up the gold and have devised some means of swindling her out of her share of it. Now the accursed Sallust and the young Ratu, of whom he had heard nothing for months, had suddenly appeared on the scene again and threatened to ruin all his plans.
He was made even more furious by the fact that he had taken a room at the Grand Pacific for the night only in order to sleep with Manon; otherwise he would have remained with his friends in the Pigalle. And now that pleasant prospect had also been scotched. It seemed certain that Sallust would want to sleep with her, and now she had been given a second chance to get her claws on his money it was most unlikely that she would refuse him.
Nevertheless he must ignore her forbidding Mm to go to her room. It was imperative that he should see her, in order to learn whatever she might know about Sallust’s plans. As it was still early and unlikely that Sallust would join her much before midnight, he was tempted to go along to her at once. But, on second thoughts, he decided that he dare not risk it. If Sallust did come upon them together their secret association would be blown once and for all, and she was far too valuable as a spy in the enemy camp to be thrown away.
Seething with rage, he marched up and down his room. Then his glance fell on the bedside telephone. Snatching it up, he had the office put him through to her. When she answered he asked gruffly:
‘Are you alone?’
‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘I dined with him and had the very devil of an evening. I feared every moment that you might turn up and queer my pitch with him by, one way or another, putting your foot in it.’
‘I suppose he will be coming along to you later.’
‘No. That is, I’ve stalled him off by telling him I am unwell. But we can’t be certain that he won’t think up some excuse to come to my room. I’m sure he suspects that I put him off only because I was expecting someone else, so he may try to catch me out.’
‘I can’t help that. I’ve got to talk to you.’
‘Listen!’ Her voice was sharp with anger and apprehension. ‘If you come to my room I’ll scream the place down. Can’t you realise what his turning up again means to me? It’s the chance of a lifetime. If you ruin it I’ll kill you! I swear I will!’
‘If you made a scene you’d ruin yourself,’ he retorted sullenly, ‘because I’ll spill the beans to him about you.’
‘Then I’ll spill the beans about what happened on my island,’ she snapped back.
‘Grâce de Dieu!’ he gasped. ‘Keep a guard on your tongue, girl. Now, look. If you won’t let me come to you, you must come to me.’
‘What, and risk his finding my room empty? That would be as bad as if he found someone with me. He’d be certain to think I was keeping an assignation.’
‘There will be no risk if you leave it late enough. Or, better still, make it early tomorrow morning. Ask the office to give you a ring at six o’clock. Then if you meet anyone on your way here they’ll think you are going for an early swim. The number of my room is 103.’
For a moment she hesitated, then she said, ‘All right. I’ll do that.’
Soon after six, having given a swift glance to either side up and down the passage, Manon opened the door of Pierre’s room and slipped inside. He was lying on his back, snoring loudly. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she gave him a quick shake. The snoring stopped abruptly. With a grunt he sat up, blinked at her, then rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Going to the window, she pulled aside the curtain to let in more of the early-morning light. Returning to the bed, she perched herself on the end of it and said, ‘Well, here I am. What do you want to talk to me about?’
‘Sallust, of course,’ he replied, heaving his great bulk higher up against the pillows. ‘Where has he been all this time, and what are his latest plans?’
‘He and the Ratu were imprisoned by the French for two months. Apparently they went to Noumea and had a row with de Carvalho. The Ratu half-killed him and they were lucky not to have got a longer sentence.’
‘I see. De Carvalho never said anything about that to me, but it explains why he was still pretty groggy when I first met him in Tujoa.’
‘When they were freed they flew to Tujoa,’ Manon went on, ‘and they meant to start work on the wreck. But the witch-doctor there made trouble for them. He threatened to put a curse on the local divers, so they came on here to collect Fijians. The idea was that the Ratu should make a round of the Yasawas to get the divers, while Sallust put in a week or so with me.’
Lacost brushed up his long, yellow moustache and grinned. ‘He’s still got hot pants for you, then?’
‘He certainly has, thank God. And I’ll hook him yet if you keep your nose out of my affairs and don’t mess things up for me.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it—provided you behave yourself. What then?’
‘It was lucky for you they didn’t land on my island a day or two earlier or you might not have got away with … with what you did there. Lucky for me, too, that I had the sense to refuse to play hostess to you and the others. If I had I could never have put over my story that I had no idea you were one of the party to whom I had lent my island. Anyhow, Sallust got there only a few hours after you had left. Joe-Joe told him about de Carvalho’s death and instead of going after divers he and the Ratu made straight to Suva.’
‘To get hold of the luscious Madame Olinda, I suppose.’
‘Naturally; knowing that, unless de Carvalho had taken the licence with him, she must have it. Even if he had, unless you had entered into an agreement with him for a half-share in it, as his widow she has inherited it and, by right of the registration in Noumea, can dispose of her title to it as she wishes.’
Lacost slapped a hand angrily on his big knee. ‘What a fool I was not to have had a deed of partnership drawn up between myself and de Carvalho. If I’d done that she would be tied to me. But I deliberately refrained, because his heirs would have used the document to claim a half-share. And I had counted on being able to twist her round my little finger when I got back here.’
Manon’s full lips opened in a malicious grin. ‘That’s what comes of trying to be too clever.’
Ignoring the gibe, he asked, ‘What do you think the chances are of my persuading her to let me do the job as her nominee?’
‘None whatever.’
‘Why are you so certain? When we were together in Tujoa, and later here in Suva before I took her husband off to your island, she was quite pleasant to me.’
‘Maybe. But she was not in love with you, and she is with the handsome young Ratu.’
‘Sacré bleu!’ Lacost exploded. ‘D’you really mean that?’
‘That is what Sallust told me.’
‘Nom d’un nom! What cursed luck! And I had it all nicely fixed to do the job legally, pay the French their ten per cent, then bilk her out of her share afterwards. Now she’ll go in with the nigger and the English swine. Well, there’s only one thing for it.’
‘What is that?’
‘Get the stuff up before they have a chance to. Jules smuggled himself aboard the Boa Viagem one night and sabotaged her engines. That was so that I could get de Carvalho to come along for the trip with us and away from his own crew. Now that will pay me another dividend. It will be days yet, maybe a week, before the Boa Viagem can put to sea. Another thing. I’ve got my divers. They haven’t any yet and they can’t get any in Tujoa because the witch man won’t let the divers there play. With luck we’ll have the gold and be off before they even get there.’
‘What about the French authorities?’
Lacost shrugged his massive shoulders. ‘To hell with them! The old Resident will kick up a stink, but we have arms and there aren’t enough police in Revika to stop us. Afterwards we’ll have to disappear. Still, the Pacific is a big place. If there is anything like the amount of treasure in the Maria Amalia that the records in Antigua led me to suppose, it will be well worth lying doggo for a year on one of the islands, to enjoy it afterwards. As for you, mon petit chou, I’ll put your share aside for you. Meanwhile, do your utmost to delay Sallust and Co. setting out for Tujoa. And all the luck in getting him to the altar, then giving him half a dozen pairs of cuckold’s horns.’
Manon nodded. ‘I’ll do what I can; but once he is set on a thing, it is next to impossible to dissuade him from doing it.’
As she stood up, he lurched forward and grabbed her by the wrist. ‘Not so fast, little one. We’ve lost a night together, but there is still time to get up an appetite for our petit déjeuner?’
‘No!’ She tried to pull away. ‘No, Pierre. I’m not feeling like that sort of thing.’
His good humour restored by his belief that he would be able to get away with the treasure before his enemies reached Tujoa, he gave a great guffaw and cried, ‘You will, ma belle, in another two minutes, I promise you!’
Still grasping her wrist, he jumped out of bed, swung her round and pushed her backwards on to it. Her struggle was brief and vain. Next moment his heavy body was pinning her down. Relaxing, she closed her eyes and, submitting to the animal ferocity which was his principal attraction for her, gave herself to him willingly.
At nine o’clock Gregory telephoned her, and they agreed to meet downstairs at eleven. When she appeared she was, as ever, dressed with exquisite taste and her make-up had been so skilfully applied that the sallowness of her skin was not perceptible. Her eyes seemed so large that they detracted attention from her receding chin. Her step was buoyant with the vitality of youth and as, smiling, she extended her hand for Gregory to kiss, he thought again that, dubious as her morals might be, he was lucky as a man no longer young to have acquired such an enchanting companion.
The weather being warm, but not too hot, they decided to walk the half-mile to the town and, perhaps, do some shopping. In a shop run by Chinese they saw some richly-embroidered jackets and wraps, so he bought several of them for her. Then, as they came out of the shop, they ran into Mr. Hunt.
When Gregory had thanked him for the excellent arrangements made by his travel service he said, ‘If you would like to do something rather special tomorrow I could fix it up for you. The natives on Beqa are doing a fire-walk. That does not happen often, and it is unique. The Indian fakirs walk on hot ashes, but these chaps walk over white-hot stones—a far more hazardous test of faith and will-power. I’ve a boat going over to the island with a party of Americans, and if you like I could arrange for you to go with them.’
Gregory and Manon at once agreed that they would like to see this extraordinary performance. They then strolled on past the market, down to the harbour and went on board the Boa Viagem.
James and Manon greeted each other pleasantly, as old acquaintances, but it was the first time the two women had met. As they exchanged courtesies, Gregory was amused to see them sizing each other up. Olinda’s eyes, he noted, swept over Manon’s clothes, that singled her out, even in the tropics, as a Parisienne. Manon’s first glance was at a solitaire diamond which Gregory estimated to be worth several thousand pounds that Olinda was now wearing on her engagement finger.
After a few minutes the four of them were at ease together and soon enjoying well-iced drinks. James was positively glowing with happiness, and Olinda kept glancing at him with obvious delight and pride. Gregory mentioned the expedition to Beqa, and asked if they would like to come, too. James said he had seen it before, when in his teens, but Olinda was enthralled by the idea; so Gregory rang up Mr. Hunt, who obligingly said that he would somehow manage to squeeze two more people into the party.
Olinda insisted that her visitors should stay to lunch, and it proved a merry meal, Manon contributing, by her wit and charm, an outstanding share to their gaiety.
Afterwards Gregory took Olinda aside and asked her if she would do him the kindness to invite Manon to accompany them when they left for Tujoa, and Olinda readily agreed.
Half an hour later Gregory and Manon drove back to the Grand Pacific in a taxi, went to their rooms for their siestas, then met again to swim in the late afternoon. Drinks and dinner followed. Having nothing more to fear from Lacost, she talked and laughed as though spring instead of blood coursed through her veins, so that Gregory was enchanted by her. Later that night, with her lovely body in his arms, he felt as though twenty years had dropped from him, and that from her soft, rich mouth he was drawing the Elixir of Life.
Back in his own room in the early hours, he thought again what a delightful travelling companion she would make. She had charm, wit, vivacity, was well educated and invariably soignée. No one could ever replace Erika for him, but Manon had everything—bar one thing.
Wondering about the future, he dropped asleep, but slept only for three hours, as they had to make an early start for Beqa, and both of them had put in a call for six o’clock.
He had ordered a car for seven o’clock, as it was a drive of some twenty miles to the place where they were to take a boat out to the island. After picking up Olinda and James, they drove west out of Suva, passing the picturesque cemetery, and right round the bay into the flat, cattle country. From a lonely landing stage a small boat took them off to a tubby motor yacht some way out. The party of Americans was already on board and after exchanging polite greetings with some of them, they settled down for the ten-mile sea trip.
The sea was choppy and the ship far from comfortable. They were told that it had formerly been Queen Salote’s yacht, but found that difficult to believe, as the one lavatory could be entered from the cabin only by climbing a steep ladder and through a narrow door; so how so large a lady could have reached it with dignity it was hard to imagine. Manon made Gregory laugh by whispering bawdy comments on the possibilities.
The yacht anchored a good mile off the island, and the water was so shallow that a motor boat could not have taken them more than halfway to the shore. Two native rowing boats came off; but they had to make several trips before the twenty-odd people in the party had all been landed by big, laughing fuzzy-headed men carrying them through the shallows. Even then, as the tide was out, there was a quarter of a mile or more of muddy sand to be crossed between the water and the tangles of exposed mangrove roots that fringed the coast.
On dry land at last, they entered the village. Like all the others they had seen, there was no trace of squalor. Each bure stood well apart from the others, with neat rows of small, white stones marking the path to the door and here and there a palm to give a patch of shade.
There they were greeted by the Vunivalu and his Council of Elders. The Chief, a very old man, explained to them in good English that, as he had recently been ill, he would not be presiding at the ceremony. Then, showing special deference to James, he said that he would explain the proceedings to his party and led the way with them up a steep, grassy slope just beyond the village.
Halfway up the slope there stood what amounted to a small grandstand, with two rows of chairs shaded from the sun by a palm-thatch awning. The Chief bowed Olinda and Manon to chairs on either side of him, and when the rest of the party had taken their places he clapped his hands for the ‘welcome’ ceremony to begin.
The usual yaggona drinking followed, the coconut-shell bilo being first presented to James. Then, to the accompanying hollow hand-claps, everyone else drank in turn.
About fifty feet below them, where the slope flattened out on to level ground, there lay a circular pit some twenty feet in circumference. The surface consisted of smouldering logs from which smoke was rising. Using careful English, in a low voice the old Chief told Olinda and Manon about this ancient custom of his country.
The big pit was three-quarters full of large stones. By a log fire lit at seven o’clock that morning they had been made red-hot. Shortly now all the unburnt wood would be removed to expose the stones. The fire-walkers would then step down into the pit and walk once round it. Today there were eight of them. For twenty-four hours they had been fasting and in seclusion. Several of them had made the fire-walk before. Every healthy man born on Beqa did it at least once, when he reached maturity, otherwise he left the island. Some of the men, including the Chief himself, had done it many times, because doing it brought the favour of the gods and strengthened the spirit.
At a signal from the Chief’s deputy, a dozen natives approached the pit in pairs, each holding one end of a long, very tough, rope-like liana. Throwing these across the pit, they ran from it parallel to each other, so that the middle of the liana formed a bight and, as it narrowed to a loop, caught round one of the smouldering logs; then, hauling on it, they dragged the log out of the pit.
This procedure took about a quarter of an hour. When the big stones had been cleared of the layer of wood the natives again approached the pit, this time carrying long poles. Standing round the edge, they used the poles to prod at the stones, pushing them a little over so that above the roughly level surface no jagged points should be left, upon which a fire-walker might trip.
As they were doing this, one of the poles snapped and the end, about two feet long, fell on the stones. It had not been there for more than thirty seconds when it burst into flame. A murmur went up from the audience, some of whom had been convinced that they were about to witness only some clever trickery, for the flaming pole-end was incontestable evidence that the stones really were intensely hot.
From a nearby bure the eight fire-walkers now emerged in single file. They were naked to the waist, but wore short sulus of what looked like leather; their legs and feet were bare. Carrying themselves very upright, they walked with slow, dignified steps to the pit, down on to the stones, once round it, then out again. Not one of them faltered, made a murmur or showed any change of expression on his face.
There came a burst of applause from the onlookers. As usual on such expeditions, most of the Americans had been taking photographs every few minutes. Now several of them went down the slope to get close-ups of the men. Two of the fire-walkers lay down on their backs and raised their legs in the air, to show that there was not even a blister on the soles of their feet.
The old Chief then personally escorted James and his party back to the beach. Most of the villagers—men, women and children—came too. There was much hand-shaking and laughter, then the visitors were rowed back to the tubby, ill-found yacht. The Americans had spent the previous night at Korolevu, but now they were going on to Suva; so instead of returning to the landing stage, the cruiser set a course for the capital. The distance was more than twice as far, and it proved anything but a pleasant voyage. Halfway there a squall blew up, it rained in torrents, and the yacht bucked about abominably.
Several of the passengers were seasick, and Olinda and Manon prevented themselves from succumbing only with difficulty. Fortunately, the weather eased when they were within a few miles of the harbour; but on landing they all felt the need of a good, strong drink, so they walked the few hundred yards to the Boa Viagem.
On board, good news awaited them. The one piece of machinery which had been holding up the complete repair of the ship’s engines had been delivered that morning. Captain Amedo reported to Olinda that the engineers had been working on the job all day, and that if a trial run in the forenoon next day proved satisfactory he could sail in the afternoon.
Lacost’s Pigalle, they now learned, had left harbour the previous morning and he had been seen on the bridge when she sailed. This made it clear that, realising he had no chance of doing a deal with Olinda or of eliminating her, he had decided to make all speed for Tujoa, and attempt to get away with the treasure illegally before they could follow and stop him. But now that the Boa Viagem should be able to sail within twenty-four hours, he would then have only two and a half days’ start.
Manon, unaware that this was less than half the lead that Gregory secretly intended to give him and anxious to carry out her promise to Lacost to delay them if possible, began to press them to spend a day or two at her island on their way to Tujoa. As she did so, it suddenly struck her that Olinda would not at all like the idea of visiting the place where her husband had been killed. But Gregory said he thought it an excellent idea, and to her surprise Olinda said she would like to do so in order to make arrangements for Valentim’s grave to be remade and properly tended.
That evening the four of them dined at the Grand Pacific, but the party was somewhat marred by James’ being unusually silent and appearing to be far from happy. When rallied on it, he excused himself by saying that he did not feel very well, which they put down to an after-effect of the tossing they had had that afternoon, and thought no more of it.
Next morning they did their final shopping. At lunchtime Olinda telephoned Gregory to let him know that the yacht’s trial run had been successful and at four o’clock that afternoon he and Manon went aboard with their baggage.
Olinda showed them to their cabins, then they returned with Manon to the saloon. James was sitting there, slumped on a settee, looking thoroughly miserable. Suddenly he came to his feet, stared at Gregory and cried:
‘I’m not going! And neither are you. I won’t let you. This cursed gold has brought us nothing but trouble. Let it stay where it is. Or let Lacost have it. I don’t give a damn. Roboumo had the White Witch curse Valentim and the curse worked. He died at the full of the moon. Roboumo will have her curse us. Both of us. And we’ll die there in Tujoa. I’m through with this business. Through with it. The whole thing is off.’