Dyton-Blease fell with a crash that shook the room, but even then his enormous strength brought him back to his feet again. Craig caught him round the waist, swung him round, pushed him toward the platform. Naxos yelled at Theseus 'Shoot him,' and Craig leaped in again. His shoulder caught Dyton-Blease in the chest, and spun him round. Craig's fingers interlaced and he struck at the big man's neck, the killer blow that Hakagawa had taught him, and that he had promised never to use unless the enemy were so evil and so strong that nothing else would do. This time, when the big man went down, he didn't try to get up, and Craig knew he wouldn't. He leaped up on to the balcony, and the hard edge of his hand disappeared into the softness of Naxos's belly, his arms came round Fhp. Her eyes still did not see him, but she responded at once to the touch of his fingers.
'Hi, honey,' she said.
Craig lifted her to her feet, held her in front of him as Pia swerved away from Selina, took shelter behind him. 'It's your move,' said Craig.
* Chapter 16 *
Grierson had swum two miles, dressed, climbed a cliff, forced his way into a castle and climbed three flights of stairs. He was tired, frightened, on edge, and there was a door in front of him, a massive, olivewood door with a thin strip of light showing below it. To open it was perhaps his greatest act of courage, yet when the door swung, the first thing he saw was Craig, and Craig was in complete control.
Craig was still in his ball costume, and so was the dark girl who crouched behind him. Another dark girl, also in what appeared to be fancy dress, sat in a chair, watching him. She was smiling at him. In his arms Craig held a blonde who outsoared even Nono's imaginings. Once again Grierson bowed to the master, even as he watched Naxos groaning on the floor, even as he went up behind Theseus, who still held a gun, and tapped him behind the ear with the barrel of his own, and watched him fall.
T wish you hadn't done that,' Craig said. 'He's by way of being a friend of mine.'
'I came to rescue you,' said Grierson. 'You're supposed to be grateful.'
'Okay. Rescue me,' Craig said.
The blonde whimpered in his arms, and Craig spoke to her softly, soothingly, hushing her as if she were a child. When she was calm, he looked at Naxos, now on his feet again, swaying as he clung to the table.
'You were going to watch me die, Harry,' he said. 'You were going to enjoy it. You brought your wife along to enjoy it too.'
'All right,' said Naxos. 'I was wrong. I lost. We all have to lose sometime. But Flip knew nothing, Craig. I swear she knew nothing. Let her go. Please.'
'You think I should go down there with you this
time?'
'I don't care what you do,' Naxos said. 'Just leave Philippa out of it.'
'You're the only one who can do that,' said Craig.
He let her go, and she went at once to a chair, sat down, and looked around her once again, her eyes still searching, searching.
Craig sank wearily into Dyton-Blease's chair.
'You think I'm going to hurt her?' he asked.
'You've got to get rid of us both,' Naxos said. 'Those are your orders, aren't they? Look, Craig, why do it? I'm a rich man. I can buy you anything you want. Anything.'
'I want a yacht,' said Craig. 'Tour yacht. I want to go to England in it.'
'Sure,' said Naxos.
'You're coming too!' said Craig. Naxos froze.
'For God's sake,' said Craig. 'If I were going to kill you, wouldn't I do it now, when there aren't any witnesses? All I want you to do is talk to a couple of people.'
He got up from the chair and went down to the big man, felt for his heart. Incredibly, it was still beating. Grierson came up to him.
'What happened?' he asked.
'We had a fight—two fights,' said Craig. 'He was too good for me. God he was good. I only beat him because I cheated.' He took the ring from his pocket. 'With this. I hit him with this and he bled. He didn't mind blood if it was someone else's. He couldn't stand his own. So I cheated and won. But fair and square he would have killed me.'
'What happens if I say I won't go?' said Naxos.
Then you don't go,' said Craig. 'What the hell, it's your yacht.'
Naxos hesitated.
There's a man in London who can help your wife, remember,' Grierson said. 'But you'll have to go to him. He won't come here.'
Naxos looked at them, trying desperately to decide.
'All right,' he said. 'I haven't any choice anyway.'
'You still don't trust me, do you?' said Craig. 'I wouldn't bother trying, Harry. It doesn't suit you.'
He went over to Selina, spoke softly in Arabic.
'I cheated,' he said.
'He also,' said Selina. 'To fight so soon after he had hit you from behind—that was cheating. He deserved to die.'
'He didn't die,' said Craig.
'You will finish him then?' Craig shook his head. 'You are a very strange man.'
'I he no more than other men, and I keep my bargains.'
'Yes,' she said. 'I believe that now.'
'There are many Englishmen who do the same,' said
Craig.
That I believe also.'
'Come to England with us then,' said Craig. The girl hesitated, then slowly, reluctantly, shook her head. 'First I must speak with my father,' she said. 'But how can you do that?'
'In an airplane. You must put me on an airplane to Aden. After that it will be easy.'
'Aden has British troops.'
'I do not fear them,' she said.
Craig turned to Naxos. 'We'd better go,' he said. 'Athens first. Put Selina on an Aden flight. Then London.'
'What about him?' said Naxos, and gestured at Dyton-Blease.
'See if there's a doctor on the island,' said Craig. 'He'll need a doctor—for a long, long time.' He pushed himself forward, moving slowly now, for he was near exhaustion, and the ache had come back to his neck. Pia went to him at once, holding his hand tight in hers. Craig grinned at her.
'I told you,' he said. 'There's always a chance.'
They would go back to the ship now, and he would talk to Andrews.
««4
But Andrews had gone. One of Dyton-Blease's boats was missing too, and a great deal of Naxos's money. Grierson found that out when he talked to the captain. Then he went to Craig's cabin to report. Craig had just bathed, and was now in front of a mirror, slowly, luxuriously shaving, the bruise on his neck an exotic purple against the hard brown of his skin. On the bed, Pia lay watching him, a sheet pulled casually across her body, settling lightly on its rich and rounded contours. Grierson tried not to look too closely, and failed.
'Come in,' said Craig. 'Have a drink.' Pia pouted. Craig saw her expression in the mirror. 'He's a friend of mine,' he said. 'He saves my life from time to time.'
Pia smiled enchantingly, and reached a smooth-rounded arm out toward an ice bucket. The sheet started to slip, and Grierson willed himself not to look.
'This is business,' he said.
'Andrews?'
'He's scarpered,' said Grierson. 'Vanished. There's money gone too.'
Craig rubbed aftershave lotion on his face, then turned to take the glass that Pia held out to him. There was a
