managed to escape?â
âYes I did. But only because a girl who worked in the sick bay came by and they went after her. She was blonde and wore a lot of makeup. She didnât seem to mind and of course I was delighted.â
âOf course,â said Carolus.
âWhere are you sitting in the dining saloon? I expect Iâm at the Captainâs tableâbeing alone on board.â
âI expect you are,â said Carolus, comfortingly but insincerely. âI shall see you there.â
âTa ta for now,â said Miss Berry.
âI know her sort,â said the Purser sourly when she had gone. âThereâs a rude name for her. A something teaser. Hullo, I wonder who these are?â
Another couple, three single men, two girls and yet another couple came by and departed to search for their cabins. Then Mr Ratchett said, âThis is the Dunleary family that Porteous has got such a wind up about. Heâs had all theirluggage searched for bombs. Windy bastard. Theyâre just a noisy middle-class Irish family. No harm in them at all. But what about these? Pretty sinister, if you ask me.â
âTheseâ were the Sticks, dressed for foreign travel. Mrs Stick, for some reason unknown as yet to Carolus, had exchanged her steel-rimmed glasses for ones with dark lenses, and Stick looked about him suspiciously. They gave no sign of recognition to Carolus, but as they passed him Mrs Stick whisperedâor would it be more correct to say âhissedâ?ââSee you later, sir. Mustnât stop now.â
âI should think,â said the Purser jovially to Carolus, âI should think youâd get some pretty good copy out of this lot, one way or another. I wonder where they dig them up from?â
âYour cruises are advertised quite widely,â said Carolus, then added, âI thought you didnât take coloured people?â
A very dark African-looking man was approaching.
âOh, you mustnât take any notice of Porteous. The girls in the office have put a stop to that sort of thing this summer. They threatened to report him to the Race Relations Board and he had to give in.â
âI congratulate the girls in the office.â
âOld hat, that sort of thing. All the kitchen staff are Goanese and first-rate they are, so what the hell? This one whoâs just coming aboard is a West Indian. Alexander Carlisle, his name is. Iâve put him at the Captainâs table next to Porteous. Thatâll teach old P a lesson.â
âMr Porteous explained to me how loyal everyone was to the Company, by which I took it he meant himself.â
âAre they, hell? But we all have our illusions. I donât know who this man is coming up now.â Mr Ratchett consulted a list. âI think his name is Stopford. I canât know everyone by name. Good evening. Mr Stopford,â he called cheerily.
The man who had approached gave him a very hostile look from two steel-grey eyes.
âRunwell,â he corrected.
âOf course, Mr Runwell.â
âDoctor,â the man reproved him again.
âYes. I remember now. I hope youâll have a pleasant trip, Dr Runwell.â
âIâm taking it purely for my health,â said the other severely, as he passed on.
âWhat can you say?â the Purser asked Carolus with a chuckle. âNow this one just approaching is crackers. Barking. Up the wall. We had him a year ago. Wait till you hear him.â
The cruiser, a powerful-looking fellow in his forties, informed the Purser that the ship ought to be taken out of commission.
âThe breakerâs yard is all itâs fit for.â
âYouâll pardon the question, Mr Medlow, but why do you book a passage on her in that case?â
Mr Medlow stared.
âWhy do I book a passage? Why? You know very well. I have to make my report. Youâre perfectly aware of that. And 1 shanât be deterred from it,
Martha Stewart Living Magazine