Bloody Passage - Jack Higgins [36]
Stavrou was waiting on the high terrace, seated at the table. This time the bottles in the bucket were champagne. The waiter filled glasses quickly and brought them round on a silver tray. He even wore white gloves.
Stavrou raised his glass. "A toast, gentlemen. Fair winds and good fortune."
The whole thing was getting more farcical by the minute. I said, "Can we go now? I'd like to get started."
"Time for another glass, sir, and I'd like a word in your private ear before you leave." He pushed himself up, balancing on the sticks. "Your friend may join us if he wishes. He may find what I have to say of some interest"
He moved to the parapet, Langley carrying his champagne for him and Barzini and I followed. Langley handed him the glass and Stavrou looked over the ramparts. "A long way down, gentlemen."
Nobody made any comment. We all waited and after a while he said, "You are familiar with Greek mythology, Major Grant?"
"Get to the point," I told him.
"I'm thinking particularly of the Theseus legend. When he returned from Crete his crew hoisted black sails, the signal of ill-success, in error and Aegeus the King, thinking his son dead, threw himself into the sea."
There was a heavy silence and even Langley wasn't smiling. Stavrou said softly, "When you are sighted on your return, Major Grant, I shall be waiting up here on the high terrace with your sister and I will expect to see my son on deck as you enter the bay. If not, then I regret to say that history, in a manner of speaking, will repeat itself."
I fought for breath, schooling myself to stillness, fighting to keep my hands off him, for there was no purpose to be served in that--not now. When I finally spoke I was surprised at my own calmness.
"You've got a clump of bamboo down by the fountain that reminds me of Vietnam. The Viet Cong were rather partial to a lethal little item called a punji stick. Sharpened bamboo stuck in the ground smeared with excrement. A nasty festering wound if you stepped on one. I once saw a marine who'd been tied down across half a dozen of them and he'd taken a long time to die. Now I'll do this job for you. I'll try and get your bloody stepson out, but you harm my sister in any way and you know what you get, my word on it."
His eyes were very dark, the face white. Strangely enough it was Langley who tugged at my sleeve and said quietly, "I think we should go now, old stick."
I turned on my heel and went down through the garden without another word and the others followed. We all got into the Landrover and Moro took us down to the jetty. There was no sign of Simone, not that it mattered, for reaction was setting in and I was filled with a blank, despairing, killing rage. I stumbled going over the rail and when Barzini took my arm I started to shake.
"I'll kill him! I'll kill the bastard!" I said hoarsely.
"We'll go now," Barzini said firmly. "Take the wheel."
He was right, of course, for at least it gave my hands something to do. I went into the wheelhouse and pressed the starter, the engines picking up instantly. Nino and Angelo cast off, I took Palmyra round past the Cessna in a long sweeping curve and headed out to sea.
7
Dead on Course
I took the first watch and nobody argued, mainly because I was fit company for no man in that mood. Dusk was falling now, and I switched on the navigation lights and checked my course.
I stood there in the gathering darkness staring out to sea, crushed by guilt for the moment. The consequences, if I failed, were terrible to contemplate and it was all my fault for if I had not been the man I was, led the sort of life I had done, Hannah would not have been touched by any of this.
The masthead light swung rhythmically from side to side and spray scattered across the window. A couple of points to starboard the red and green navigation lights of a steamer were clearly visible. It had its own kind of peace, all this. I felt a little calmer,