The Nice and the Good

projecting rock upon which one might rest. Pierce thought, it can't go on like this.
Then he thought, why not? The cavern was winding about, bearing quite sharply away to the left. Why should not these worm holes, so neatly cleanly drilled in the rock, wind about indefinitely below the level of the high tide? They might afford him hours of this black featureless swimming before the rising waters finally pressed the crown of his head against the slow descent of the slimy roof.
A shiver of panic went through Pierce like an electric shock and he began at once to feel cold. He thought, supposing I were to swim very fast back the way I came would I be in time to get out of the cave before the tide covered the entrance? He lifted his arm from the water and shone the torch on his watch. His watch, dripping, but with its familiar everyday face, looked weird and lonely under the black bell of the darkness. He had only been inside for fifteen minutes. He might be able to get out if he turned back at once. Pierce switched off the light and began to swim vigorously ahead of him, deeper into the cave.
He paused again and flashed the light about, wanting to be sure that he had passed no more divisions. It looked as if there was another one coming ahead. He paddled cautiously forward and came into a wider space from which there seemed to be no less than four issues, black rounds, like clenched fists above the very faintly moving water over which the torch-light slid in long fragments of pale chocolaty brown. Here Pierce saw to the right of him, as the cavern in which he was swimming enlarged itself, an irregularity in the wall which formed a sort of sloping shelf. Pierce made for the shelf and tried to haul himself on to it. This was not easy, as the rock was covered with a light green seaweed, like fine hair, which was extremely slippery. At last he managed to perch uncomfortably, half out of the water, and to use his torch with greater care. There were four openings ahead. Pierce saw that all four had roofs considerably lower than the roof of the chamber out of which they led. The cave seemed to be descending.
At that moment Pierce heard a noise in the water. It was not a noise made by himself. He was lying quite still, seal-like, stretched upon the sloping rock, and holding himself in place rather painfully with one hand clamped upon the abrupt end of the shelf. He stiffened, listening. There was a splashing sound as if something large and clumsy were swimming nearby.
Pierce turned awkwardly, holding on and turning his head over his shoulder. The pale brown light of the torch moved on the surface of the water. Something was there, splashing in the water in the centre of the cavern. It was Mingo.
'Mingo!' said Pierce. He let go abruptly both of the torch and of his hold on the edge of the shelf. As he slid down, the string which attached the torch to his waist caught on a pro jection of the rock and snapped. The torch balanced on the edge of the rock and then quietly tilted over and vanished into the water.
Pierce lay still against the slippery rock, the water round his shoulder, one arm still clutching at the seaweed. The darkness was thick, total. The splashing sound approached and Pierce's outstretched hand touched Mingo's collar and the dry fur of his head. Mingo scrabbled at the rock, trying to get himself out of the water.
'Oh Mingo, Mingo,' said Pierce. He pushed the dog up a little on to the slimy incline of the seaweed and laid his head against the wet warm flank, holding himself close to the rock with a stiffening grip. Hot tears began to run suddenly down his face.

Thirty-five

'Whatever shall we do?' said Paula. She looked at Ducane. Barbara clutched the sleeve of his coat. The twins clutched each other.

'A motor boat?' said Ducane.

'There's one in the village,' said Paula, 'but by the time –'It's hired out for the afternoon,' said Edward. 'We saw it going away.'

'We'd better ring up the coastguards,' said Ducane. 'Not that that – How long is it since he went in?'

'It must be nearly fifteen minutes,' said Barbara.

'More,' said Henrietta.

'You see,' said Barbara, her voice becoming high and tearful, 'I didn't really believe him at first. I kept waiting for him to come out again. Then I suddenly felt sure he meant it. Then it was quite a long way to swim back.'

'We were there too,' said Edward. 'I was sure he meant it, I said so at once.'

'We may see the young fool swimming back any – '

'No, no, no!' wailed Barbara. 'He's inside, he's going to stay inside, I know it!'

Ducane held his head. He thought as quickly as he could, his eyes fixed on Paula, who seemed to be trying desperately to help him. 'How long is it before the entrance closes?'

'Half an hour,' said Edward.

'Twenty-five minutes,' said Henrietta.

Ducane looked at his watch. 'Look,' he said to Paula. 'We'd better assume the worst. You give the alarm. Ring the coastguards, ring the village. If you see a motor boat stop it. Find out if anyone knows the cave. Find out if there's frogman gear available and anyone who can use it. Though I don't see what the hell – I'll swim round now and investigate. He may be hanging about just inside the entrance trying to frighten us.'

'We'll come with you!' cried the children.

, No, you won't,' said Ducane. 'You're chilled, you've been in too long.' All three children were shivering. 'Anyway it's you pierce is trying to impress, especially you, Barbara. If he thinks you're there he may not come out. You go along with Paula.'

'John, you won't go into the cave, will you?' cried Paula.

'No, no. Just a little way. I'll probably meet Pierce swimming back. Go on, the rest of you, and don't panic.'

Ducane took off his jacket and his tie. He kicked off his shoes and socks and stepped out of his trousers. 'Go on!' he shouted at them.

Paula and the children set off over the pebbles at a run.

Ducane put his shoes on again and began to run in the opposite direction along the beach to the point where the red cliff descended.

He abandoned his shoes and slipped into the sea.

He swam with a quick vigorous sidestroke, keeping as close as he could to the foot of the cliff. He could feel the tug of one of those currents which made the region unpopular with bathers. It seemed to be coming against him and his progress was slow. He had never felt swimming to be so like an agonized strenuous standing still. He was panting already. The sleeves of his shirt now clinging, now ballooned with water impeded him and, still swimming, he began to try to pull the shirt off. He got it over his head and abandoned it in the water. Then the current seemed to give as he turned the point of rock which took him into the next bay and out of sight of Trescombe.

Now nothing was visible except the still sea and the sky and the inward and outward curve of the cliff which hid the land on both sides. Ducane felt suddenly very small and alone. The red cliff, which close to showed a brownish terracotta streaked with slatey blue, descended sheer into the sea, looking so dry and crumbling it seemed it must dissolve at the touch of the water. A broad stripe along its lower half marked the level of the high tide, and seaweeds, baked already in the sun since the sea had last abandoned them, hung in dark ugly bunches like superflous hair. Up above clumps of white daisies floated, ad hering somehow to the rising wall. Ducane could smell their light odour mingled with the baked sea smell of the half-dried seaweed.

He could see the entrance to the cave now, an irregular dark brown streak above the water. As he approached it he looked at his watch, which seemed to be still going. On Henrietta's estimate there was just under fifteen minutes before the mouth was closed. A few more strokes brought Ducane suddenly in out of the sunshine, and as the shadow of the cliff fell upon him he called out, 'Pierce! Pierce!' Silence.

The roof of the cave was about seven feet above the water at the entrance. Ducane swam a little farther in, noticing that the roof seemed to fall a little. Farther on it rose into invisibility in the darkness and the cave grew wider. Ducane swam into the larger space and called again.