The Moonspinners (37 page)

‘It's not that! She'll be wondering what happened! She must be half out of her mind!'

‘Not she,' he said cheerfully. ‘She'd seen us haul you in. She was yelling for help while you were in the water, with Stratos after you. It was the noise she made that brought us in – that, and the odd way his light was behaving, so near our rendezvous. Then, once we got near enough, there was too much to do, and I clean forgot her. Oh, and she threw a rock at Stratos.'

‘
Did
she? Good for her! Did she hit him?'

‘Did you ever know a female hit anything? That she aimed at, I mean? She hit me,' said Mark. He got to his feet, and addressed the concourse in Greek. This was to the effect that there was another English lady to be rescued, some way westwards along the coast, and that they would have to trust him and his party not to run away, but we must immediately go and fetch her.

Instantly every man present was on his feet. I am not quite sure what happened, amid the passionate babel of Cretan Greek, but in a very few minutes, as the caique swung away from shore, she was as well attended as a Cunarder edging her way out into Southampton Water. Not a man in Agios Georgios but would have died on the spot sooner than stay behind. Those light-boats that possessed engines had now caught up with us, lights blazing. Those that had not bobbed valiantly in our wake. Astern of us loomed the bigger mother-shapes of the
Agia Barbara
, and the innocent
Eros
, It was a noble procession.

To Frances, sitting nursing her sore ankle on her lonely rock, we must have been a brave sight, a pack of lighted boats swinging round the headland, our lamps yellow against the growing dawn.

Our caique drew ahead of the rest, and slid alongside the rockridge. Colin shot out the boat-hook, and held us fast. Mark hailed her, cheerfully.

‘Ahoy, there, Andromeda! Perseus here, with apologies, but there was a little matter of a dragon.'

I ran to the side. ‘Frances! Are you all right? I'm most dreadfully sorry—'

‘Well,' said Frances, ‘I can see you're all right, which is all that matters, though I did have information to that effect. How nice to be rescued in style! I'm glad to see you, Perseus. You're a little late for the other dragon but, as you see, he did me no harm.'

Mark's brows knitted. ‘The other dragon?'

I put my hand to my mouth. ‘Tony? You mean Tony?
Here?
'

‘As ever was.'

‘What happened?'

‘He came to collect the remainder of the jewels. The Camford House robbery, I understand.' Frances was bland. ‘How well I remember the fuss when it happened.'

‘But he didn't know where they were,' I said blankly. ‘I
know
he didn't. Colin said—'

‘Yes, he did.' Mark's voice was grim. ‘Fool that I am, I heard Stratos tell him tonight. He shouted out something about the
scháros
pots, when we were crashing around in the hotel garden like demented buffaloes. I don't know whether he was just cursing me, or whether he was letting Tony know, so that he could pick them up. But Tony heard, and it seems he didn't waste any time.' He looked at Frances. ‘Do you mean to tell me that while we've been sitting jabbering like monkeys in Agios Georgios, he's just calmly walked away with the rest of the jewels?'

‘Not all of them; only one pot-f. I don't know how many there are, and neither did he. He didn't even know where the pots were laid, and of course, even with the lights, it wasn't easy to find them. He hauled up four in turn, and only one of them had what he was looking for. The rest were fish pots, quite genuine. He was quite – er – picturesque about them. Then we heard the flotilla coming, and he cut his losses, and went. He said he'd got quite enough to make the whole thing worth while.'

‘“He said”? You mean he saw you?'

‘He could hardly avoid it, could he? At least one of the pots was almost at my feet. Don't look so horrified, my dear, he was very polite, and quite amusing. He simply kept nicely out of range – not that I could even have begun to try to stop him – and told me all about it. He really did seem pleased that Colin had got safe away.'

‘Small thanks to him,' I said tartly.

‘So I told him. But I gather you've quite a lot to thank Sofia for. Apparently she refused from first to last to take anything from Stratos, because she thought it was all the proceeds of crime. She wouldn't have given him away, but it seems she did threaten to turn the lot of them in, Josef and herself included, if they hurt Colin. Master Tony passed that on to me, so that I could put in a word for her. And he sent you his love, Nicola; he was sorry to have to pass out of your life, but you'll get a picture postcard from the Kara Bugaz.'

‘From the what? Where on earth's that?'

‘I doubt if it need worry you. I've a strong feeling that we'll never hear of Little Lord Fauntleroy again, from the Kara Bugaz or anywhere else. Oh yes, and I was to tell you how much he approves of your trousers.'

‘Well,' said Mark, ‘that's one thing over which he and I see eye to eye. Aren't you coming off your rock? I know we're pretty crowded, but I can guarantee Lambis to get you back without foundering, and Colin makes a smashing cup of cocoa.'

Frances smiled at the three of them. ‘So that's Lambis . . . and this is Colin. I can hardly believe we've never met till now, I seem to know you so well.' She put out a hand, and Mark jumped to the ridge, and helped her to her feet. ‘Thank you, Perseus. Well, Nicola, so this is your Mark?'

‘Why, yes,' I said.

About the Author

Mary Stewart, one of the most popular novelists, was born in Sunderland, County Durham and lives in the West Highlands. Her first novel,
Madam, Will You Talk?
was published in 1955 and marked the beginning of a long and acclaimed writing career. All her novels have been bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic. She was made a Doctor of Literature by Durham University in 2009.

Madam, Will You Talk?

Wildfire at Midnight

Thunder on the Right

Nine Coaches Waiting

My Brother Michael

The Ivy Tree

This Rough Magic

Airs Above the Ground

The Gabriel Hounds

Touch Not the Cat

Thornyhold

Stormy Petrel

Rose Cottage

The Crystal Cave

The Hollow Hills

The Last Enchantment

The Wicked Day

The Prince and the Pilgrim

Frost on the Window

The Little Broomstick

Ludo and the Star Horse

A Walk in Wolf Wood