were scattered along the foot of the high grey cliffs.
Africa, she murmured. So what was all the fuss about?
I wonder what Centaine- At the thought of the girl, all else was banished from her mind; although she still stared towards the shore, she saw nothing and heard nothing, until a light touch on her shoulder pulled her back to the present.
One of the ship's midshipmen, callow as a schoolboy even in his smart tropical whites, saluted her diffidently. There is a visitor for you in the wardroom, ma'am.
When it was obvious that Anna did not understand, he beckoned her to follow him.
At the door of the wardroom, the midshipman stood aside and ushered her through. Anna stood in the entrance and glowered around her suspiciously, holding the carpet bag protectively in front of her hips. Visitors and officers were already doing full justice to the ship's store of gin and tonic, but the cruiser's flag lieutenant saw Anna.
Ah, here we are. This is the worrian, and he drew one of the civilians from the group of men and led him to meet Anna.
Anna looked him over carefully. He was a slim, boyish figure dressed in a dove-grey three-piece suit of expensive material and superior cut.
Mevrou Stok? he asked, almost diffidently, and with surprise Anna realized that, far from being a boy, he was probably twenty years or so her senior.
Anna Stok? he repeated. His hair had receded in deep bays on each side of the smooth scholarly forehead, but had been allowed to grow feathery wisps down his neck and on to his shoulders.
We should take the scissors to you, she thought, and said [a, I am Anna Stok, and he replied in Afrikaans that she understood readily. A pleasant meeting, aangename kennis am Colonel Garrick Courtney, but I am saddened, as you must be, by the terrible loss we have experienced. For a few moments Anna did not understand what he was talking about. Instead she studied him more closely, and now she saw that his unbarbered hair had sprinkled the shoulder of his expensive suit with flakes of white dandruff. There was a button missing from his waistcoat and the thread dangled loosely. There was a grease spot on his silk cravat and the toe of one of his boots was scuffed.
A bachelor, Anna decided. Despite his intelligent eyes and the sensitive gentle mouth, there was something childlike and vulnerable about him, and Anna felt her maternal instincts stir.
He stepped closer to her, and the clumsy movement reminded Anna of what General Courtney had told Centaine and her, that Garrick Courtney had lost one of his legs in a hunting accident when he was a boy.
Coming on top of the death in action of my only son, Garrick lowered his voice and the look in his eyes was enough to soften Anna's reserves, this new loss is almost too much to bear. I have not only lost my son, but my daughter and my grandson before even I had a chance to know them. Now at last Anna understood what he was talking about, and her face flushed with such fury that Garry recoiled instinctively.
Never say that again! She followed him as he retreated, thrusting her face so close to his that their noses almost touched. Don't you dare ever to say that again! Madam, Garry faltered, I am sorry, I don't understand have I given you offence? Centaine is not dead and don't you ever dare again to speak as though she is! Do you understand? You mean Michael's wife is alive? Yes, Centaine is alive. Of course, she is alive. Where is she?
Slow delight dawned in Garry's faded blue eyes.
That is what we have got to find out, Anna told him firmly. We have got to find her again, you and U Garry Courtney had a suite at the Mount Nelson Hotel above the centre of Cape Town.
There was, of course, no real alternative lodging for a gentleman traveller visiting the Cape of Good Hope. Its guest book read like a roll of honour: statesman and explorers, diamond magnates and big game hunters, gallant soldiers and illustrious peers of the realm, princes and admirals had all made it their temporary home.
The Courtney brothers, Garry and Sean, always had the same suite on the corner of the top floor with a view on one side over the gardens laid out by the governors of the Dutch East India Company, across the waters of Table Bay to the smoky blue mountains on the far side; on the other side the grey rock ramparts of the mountain were so close that they blotted out half the sky.
These legendary views did not distract Anna for a moment. She glanced quickly around the sitting-room, then placed the carpet bag on the centre table and rummaged in it. She brought out the silver picture frame and showed it to Garry, who was hovering behind her indecisively.
Good Lord, that's Michael- He took the frame from her and stared hungrily at the photograph of NO 2 I Squadron, taken only a few months previously. It's so hard to believe- Garry broke off and gulped before going on. Could I please have a copy of this made for myself? Anna nodded, and Garry transferred his attention to the two photographs in the second leaf. This is Centaine? He pronounced it in the English way.
Her mother. Anna touched the other. This is Centaine. She corrected his pronounciation.
They are so much alike, Garry turned the photographs to catch the light. Yet the mother is prettier, but the daughter, Centaine, has more force of character. Anna nodded again.
Now you know why she cannot F be dead, she does not give up easily. Her manner became brusque. But we are wasting time. We need a map. The hotel porter knocked on the door within minutes of Garry's call, and they spread the chart he brought between them.
I do not understand these things, Anna told him. Show me where the ship was torpedoed. Garry had the position from the Inflexible's navigating officer, and he marked it for her.
Do you see? Anna was triumphant. It is only a few centimetres from the land. She stroked the outline of Africa with her finger. So close, so very close-'It's a hundred miles, even further perhaps.'Are you always so miserable? Anna snapped. They told me that the tide runs towards the land, and the wind also was blowing so strongly towards the land, anyway, I know my little girl. The current runs at four knots and the wind, Garry made a quick calculation. It's possible. But it would have taken days. Already Garry was enjoying himself. He liked this woman's absolute assurance. All his life he had been a victim of his own doubts and indecision, he could not remember even once being as certain of a single thing as she seemed certain of everything.
So, with the wind and water pushing her, where has she come ashore? Anna demanded. Show me. Garry pencilled in his estimates. I would say, about here! Ah! Anna placed a thick powerful finger on the map and smiled. When she smiled, she looked less like Chaka, Garry's huge fierce mastiff, and Garry grinned with her. Ah, so! Do you know this place? Well, I know a bit about it. I went with Botha and Smuts in I9I4, as a special correspondent for
