The Magus - John Fowles [273]
take much notice at first. I thought, well, the girl's a bit squiffy. Time of the month or something. But... actually she began, well she began to make fun of me in a damn silly sort of way." "How?" "Oh... you know, copied my voice. Way I say things. I suppose she was quite good at it. Damned offensive, all the same." "But what was she saying?" "Oh a load of stupid cock about pacifism and the bomb. You know the type. And I just wasn't having any." "Didn't the others join in?" "Hardly said a word. Too damn embarrassed. Well anyway suddenly wham this Julie girl shouted a whole string of really bloody nasty insults. Lost her temper completely. And then all hell broke loose. This other June girl got up and went for her. The old man flapped his hands like a wounded crow. Then the Julie one rushed away. Then her sister. I was left sitting there with the old man. He started talking about them being orphans. Load of guff. Sort of apology." "What were these insults she shouted?" "Old boy, I can't remember now. The girl was pissed." He dredged his memory. "Called me a Nazi, actually." "A Nazi!" "One of the things we were rowing about was Mosley." "You're not a --" "Of course not, old boy. Good God." He laughed, then fficked a look at me. "But let's face it, not all Mosley says is rot. If you ask me this country _has_ got bloody sloppy." He stretched his neck. "Bit more discipline. National pride..." "Maybe, but Mosley?" "Old man, don't get me wrong. Who the hell do you think I was fighting against in the war? It's just that... well, take your Spain. Look what Franco's done for Spain." "I thought all he'd done was build a lot of dungeons in Barcelona." "Ever been to Spain, old man?" "No, I haven't, as a matter of fact." "Well, till you have I'd keep quiet about what Franco has and hasn't done." I silently counted five, and shrugged. "Sorry. Forget it. Do go on." "As it happens I've read some of Mosley's stuff, and a lot of it makes sense." He articulated the words with curt clarity. "Quite a lot of sense." "I'm sure." He metaphorically preened his ruffled feathers and went on. "My twin came back, old boy left us for a few minutes and actually she was, seemed, damn sweet. Course I played up the hurt line and sort of indicated that a little stroll in the moonlight later would help me get back to normal. And then, she said wham--Stroll? How about a swim? And believe me, old boy, you only had to hear her say it to see swimming might lead to very interesting other activities. Midnight on the dot, at the gate. Okay, we go to bed at eleven, I sit round waiting for zero hour. Slip out of the house. No problems. Get to the gate. Five minutes later, along she comes. And old man, I can tell you, I've been in some clinches in my time, but that girl lit up like a bomb. Lit me up like a bomb, too. Began to think Operation Midnight Swim was going to be cancelled for a more important exercise. But she said she wanted to cooi off for a while." "I'm glad you didn't tell me about this before I went. The disappointment would have killed me." He grinned condescendingly. "We get down to the beach. She says, I haven't got a costume, do you mind going in first. I think, well maybe she's shy, maybe she wants to do the necessary. Fine. Operation undress. She retires into the trees. Charley does exactly what he's told, swims out fifty yards, treads water, waits two minutes, three, four, actually in the end about ten, begins to feel damn cold. Still no girl." "And your clothes had gone." "You've got it, old boy. Stark naked. Standing on that bloody beach hissing the damn girl's name." I laughed, but his smile was very thin. "So. Big joke. Message received. You can imagine how damned angry I was by then. I gave her half an hour to come back. Searched round. No go. So I marched off to the house. Didn't do my feet much good. Tore a bit of pine branch off to cover the old privates if necessary." "Fantastic." I was beginning to find it difficult not to grin all over my face; but I was clearly meant to share the outrage. "Through the gate, up the drive thing, towards