the soles of their feet, smeared the rocks and smothered the carcasses
of the jackass penguins they found at the water's edge, Samantha was
life itself, just to touch the warmth of her and to drink the sound of
her laughter was to be rejuvenated. To walk beside her was to feel
vital and strong.
Strong enough f or the long days in the sea and sun, strong enough to
dance to the loud wild music half the night, and then strong enough to
lift her when she faltered and carry her down to their bungalow above
the beach, she in his arms like a sleepy child, her skin tingling with
the memory of the sun, her muscles aching deliciously with fatigue, and
her belly crammed with rich food.
Oh Nicholas, Nicholas - I'm so happy I want to cry. Then Larry Fry
arrived; he arrived on a cloud of indignation, red-faced and accusing as
a cuckolded husband.
Two weeks/ he blared. London and Bermuda and St Nazaire have been
driving me mad for two weeks! And he brandished a sheath of telex
flimsies that looked like the galley proofs for the Encyclopaedia
Britannica.
Nobody knew what had happened to you. You just disappeared. He ordered
a large gin and tonic from the white jacketed bar-tender and sank
wearily on to the stool beside Nick. You nearly cost me my job, Mr.
Berg, and that's the truth. You'd have thought I'd bumped you off
personally and dumped your body in the bay. I had to hire a private
detective to check every hotel register in the country. He took a long,
soothing draught of the gin.
At that moment, Samantha drifted into the cocktail lounge. She wore a
loose, floating dress the same green as her eyes, and a respectful hush
fell on the pre-luncheon drinkers as they watched her cross the room.
Larry Fry forgot his indignation and gaped at her, his bald scorched
head growing shining under a thin film of perspiration.
Godstrewth/ he Muttered. I'd rather feel that, than feel sick. And then
his admiration turned to consternation when she came directly to
Nicholas, laid her hand on his shoulder and in full view of the entire
room kissed him lingeringly on the mouth.
There was a soft collective sigh from the watchers and Larry Fry knocked
over his gin.
We must go now, today/ Samantha decided. We mustn't stay even another
hour, Nicholas, or we will spoil it. It was perfect, but now we must
go. Nicholas understood. Like him she had the compulsion to keep
moving forward. Within the hour, he had chartered a twin-engined
Beechcraft Baron. It picked them up at the little earth strip near the
hotel and put them down at Johannesburg's Jan Smuts Airport an hour
before the departure of the UTA flight for Paris.
I always rode in the back of the bus before/ said Samantha, as she
looked around the first-class cabin appraisingly.
Is it true that up this end you can eat and drink as much as you like,
for free? Yes. Then Nick added hastily, But you don't have to take
that as a personal challenge. Nicholas had come to stand in awe of
Samantha's appetites.
