Santorini

Lieutenant Denholm's trusty Leica. He lent it to me less than an hour ago.'

Talbot chatted briefly with Hawkins, said his goodbye, climbed down the gangway, had a brief word with Denholm on the launch and then boarded the Angelina. Van Gelder had already pulled in and coiled the bow rope. Talbot stooped over the cleat on the poop-deck to do the same with the stern rope when he became aware of a certain commotion and exclamations about his head. He straightened and looked up.

Andropulos had made his reappearance not with his trusty Leica but with what was probably an equally trusty and much more unpleasant Navy Colt.44, the muzzle of which was pressed against the temple of a plainly terrified Angelina Wotherspoon. Behind him loomed Alexander and Aristotle, both men similarly armed and both with the muzzles of their pistols similarly pointed at temples, those of Irene Charial and her friend Eugenia, neither of whom looked any happier than Angelina, which was to say that they looked very unhappy indeed. Having a pistol grinding into one's temple is an unpleasant sensation for even the most hardened: for three young ladies whose nearest previous approach to violence must have been the printed page or some of the less-regarded TV psycho- dramas the effect must have been traumatic.

'Don't cast off quite yet, Captain,' Andropulos said. 'We're coming with you.'

'What in God's name is the meaning of this devilry?' Hawkins's expression reflected an equal degree of shock and anger. 'Have you taken leave of your senses?'

'We have not taken leave of our senses. We are just taking leave of you.'

'I don't understand,' Hawkins said. 'I just don't understand. This is the way you repay us for having saved your lives and offered you every hospitality?'

'We thank you both for your care and your kindness. However, we have no wish to overstay our welcome or impose upon you further.' He jabbed Angelina's temple with a force that made her gasp with pain. 'After you, Mrs Wotherspoon.'

The six of them descended the gangway in succession and boarded the Angelina. Andropulos transferred the attention of his Colt from Angelina to Talbot and Van Gelder.

'Nothing rash or heroic or gallant, if you please,' Andropulos said. 'Especially gallant. It could only have the most distressing consequences, both for you and the three young ladies.'

'Is this a joke?' Talbot said.

'Ah! Do I detect a certain loss of composure, a crack in the monolithic calm? If I were you, Captain, I would not take me for a joker.'

'I don't.' Talbot made no attempt to conceal his bitterness. 'I took you for a wealthy businessman and a man of honour. I took you at your face value. I suppose we all learn from our mistakes.'

'You are too late to learn from this mistake. You are correct in one respect — I freely confess to being a wealthy businessman. A very wealthy one. As to the second charge?' He shrugged his indifference. 'Honour is in the eye of the beholder. Let us not waste time. Instruct this young man ? ' Denholm standing in the bows of the launch was less than six feet away ' ? to follow his orders precisely. The orders, I understand, that you have given him, Captain. That is, not to start his engines until we have put three miles away from him and then to circle us, at that same distance, to fend off unwanted intruders.'

'Lieutenant Denholm understands his orders perfectly clearly;'

'In which case, cast off.'

The wind was fresh, but not strong, and it took the Angelina quite some time to overcome its initial inertia and reach a speed of three or four knots. Slowly the Ariadne dropped astern and after fifteen minutes it was at least a mile distant.

'Excellent,' Andropulos said. 'Rather gratifying, is it not, when things go exactly according to plan.' There was no hint of undue satisfaction in his voice. 'Tell me, Commander Talbot, would you believe me when I say that I am genuinely fond, very fond, of my niece and her friend Eugenia and might even come to regard Mrs Wotherspoon in the same light?'

'I don't know why I should believe you and I don't see why it should concern me. It could be.'

'And would you believe me when I say I wouldn't harm a hair of their heads.'

'I'm afraid I do.'

'Afraid?'

'Osiers wouldn't believe it, or wouldn't know whether to believe it or not. Which makes them perfect hostages.'

'Exactly. I don't need to say that they will come to no harm in my hands.' He looked thoughtfully at Talbot. 'You are singularly incurious as to the reasons for my conduct.'

'I am very curious. But one does not become a wealthy businessman by engaging in idle tittle-tattle. If I were to ask you, you would tell me exactly what you wanted to tell me. No more, no less.'

'How very true. Now, a different point entirely. The three young ladies pose absolutely no threat to me. Yo*u and Van Gelder are a very different kettle of fish. My two friends and I regard you as highly dangerous individuals. We think you are capable of concocting devious and cunning plans and using a great deal of violence in putting those plans to the test ? if, that is, you thought there was the slightest chance of success. You will understand, therefore, that we will have to immobilize you. I will remain by the wheel here. You two gentlemen, accompanied by the three ladies, will proceed to the saloon where Aristotle who, as you will readily understand, is very good at knots, will tie you hand and foot, while Alexander, who is every bit as proficient with a gun as Aristotle is with ropes, will ensure that proceedings are conducted in a peaceful fashion.'

Hawkins was bent over Professor Wotherspoon who was lying half propped-up on a sofa in the wardroom. Wotherspoon, dazed and making odd choking noises that were part way between moans and curses, was struggling to open his eyes. Finally, with the aid of his fingers, he managed to do just that.

'What the hell has happened?' The watchers had to strain to catch his words, which were no more than an asthmatic croak. 'Where am I?'

'Take this.' Hawkins put an arm around his shoulders and a glass of brandy to his lips. Wotherspoon sipped, gagged, then drained the contents.

'What has happened?'

'You've been banged over the back of the head,' Grierson said, 'and not lightly, either. 'Sapped', I believe, is the current term. By the butt of the revolver, I should guess.'

Wotherspoon struggled to a sitting position. 'Who?'

'Andropulos,' Hawkins said. 'Or one of his criminal friends. Some more brandy is in order, Doctor?'

'Normally, no,' Grierson said. 'In this case, yes. I know the back of your head must hurt badly, Professor, but don't touch it. Bruised, bleeding, puffy but no fracture.'

'Andropulos has hijacked your vessel,' Hawkins said. 'Along, of course, with the atomic mine. He has also taken hostages.'

Wotherspoon nodded and winced at the pain it caused him. 'My wife, of course, is one of them.'

'I am sorry. Along with Irene Charial and her friend Eugenia. There was no way we could stop them.'

'Did you try?'

'Would you have tried if you saw the barrel of a Colt screwing into your wife's temple? And two other guns screwed into the temples of the two other ladies?'

'I hardly think so.' Wotherspoon shook his head. 'I'm trying to come to terms with the situation. With a head like an over-ripe pumpkin about to burst, it's not,easy. Talbot and Van Gelder. What's happened to them?'

'We don't know, of course. Clapped in irons, handcuffed or some such, I should imagine.'

'Or permanently disposed of. What in God's name is behind all this, Admiral? Do you think this fellow Andropulos has gone off his rocker?'

'By his own standards, he's probably under the impression that he's perfectly sane. We have every reason to believe that he is a,long-term and highly professional criminal operating on a hitherto unprecedented international scale. Terrorism and drugs would appear to be his forte. There is no time to go into that at the moment. The immediate point is that Lieutenant Denholm is very shortly leaving in the launch to follow them. Do you feel up to accompanying him?'

'Follow them? Board and capture them? I should say.'

'As you as much as said yourself, Professor, your mind isn't yet firing on all cylinders. If the launch were to go within a couple of miles of the Angelina its engine beat would probably detonate the atomic mine.'

'As you say, I'm not at my best. But if you have any spare rifles or pistols there would be no harm in taking