The Captain and the Enemy Read Free

along now. I’ll take a look at the pictures outside the cinema.
Tarzan’s Daughter
you said, didn’t you? One can generally judge from the pictures outside if a film’s suitable for a child. If it’s not, we’ll just go for a walk, and I might slip in myself for the evening performance when the boy’s safe in bed.’
    ‘You turn left out of the door, and then it’s just across the road a hundred yards down.’
    ‘We’ll be seeing you,’ the Captain replied and we went out, but to my surprise we turned sharp right.
    ‘The cinema’s the other way,’ I said.
    ‘We are not going to the cinema.’
    I was disappointed, and I tried to reassure him. ‘Lots of the day boys have been to
Tarzan’s Daughter
.’
    The Captain halted. He said, ‘I’ll give you a free choice. We’ll go and see
Tarzan’s Daughter
if you insist and then back you must go to – what did that pompous old ass call it? – your “house”, or else we don’t go to the film and you don’t go to your house.’
    ‘Where do I go?’
    ‘There’s a good train to London at three o’clock.’
    ‘You mean we can go all the way to London. But when do we come back?’
    ‘We don’t come back – unless of course you want to see
Tarzan’s Daughter
.’
    ‘I don’t want to see
Tarzan’s Daughter
that much.’
    ‘Well then … Is this the way to the station, boy?’
    ‘Yes, but you ought to know.’
    ‘Why the hell should I know? I took a different route this morning.’
    ‘But you’re an old boy, the headmaster said.’
    ‘This is the first time I’ve ever seen the bloody town.’
    He put a hand on my shoulder and I could feel kindness in the touch. He said, ‘When you get to know me better, boy, you’ll realize that I don’t always tell the exact truth. Any more than you do, I expect.’
    ‘But I always get found out.’
    ‘Ah, you’ll have to learn to tell a lie properly. What’s the good of a lie if it’s seen through? When I tell a lie no one can tell it from the gospel truth. Sometimes I can’t even tell it myself.’
    We walked down what was called Castle Street, which led us past the school, and I dreaded to think that he might prove to be wrong in his choice and that the headmaster would come sailing out of the quad with his gown spread like the sail of a pinnace and catch both me and the Captain out, but all was as quiet as quiet.
    Outside the Swiss Cottage the Captain hesitated for a moment, but the door was shut – the bar had closed. A child screamed at us from one of the painted barges on the canal – the barge children always screamed at the schoolchildren. It was like cat and dog – the enmity was noisy but never came as far as a bite. I said, ‘What about your bag at the hotel?’
    ‘There’s nothing in it but a couple of bricks.’
    ‘Bricks?’
    ‘Yes, bricks.’
    ‘You are going to leave them behind?’
    ‘Why not? One can always lay one’s hand on a few bricks when required and the bag’s an old one. Old bags with a few labels stuck on inspire confidence. Especially labels from foreign parts. A new bag looks stolen.’
    I was still puzzled. After all I knew enough about life to realize that, even if he possessed a return ticket, he would have to pay for mine. All my money had gone at the Swiss Cottage to help pay for his gin and tonics. And then there was the lunch we had eaten – a feast, there was no meal in my memory that I could compare with it. We had nearly reached the station when I said, ‘But you haven’t paid for our lunch, have you?’
    ‘Bless you, boy. I signed for it. What more do you expect me to do?’
    ‘Is your name really Victor?’
    ‘Oh, sometimes it’s one thing and sometimes it’s another. It wouldn’t be much fun, would it, always carrying the same name from birth till death. Baxter now. It’s not what I’d call a beautiful name. You’ve had it a good many years now, haven’t you?’
    ‘Twelve.’
    ‘Too long. We’ll think of a better name for you on the