Part 20 (1/2)

The silence was more ominous now. Lapham, Dr.

Krom's college boy a.s.sistant, looked uneasily at Joe.

”Is it true?” he asked.

”No,” Joe said distractedly, for he was suddenly aware that he knew how their time jumps were happening.

”When you gonna take us home” Rose asked.

”How should I know?”

”You're supposed to know everything,” Gorson growled.

”I know one thing,” Joe snapped. ”If you want to get home it'll be easier after you've forgotten these trollops

and got some water in the Alice's tanks. And how about snaring a few dozen goats so we can dry the meat- providing the Roman coast guard doesn't patrol here too often.”

The blondes were restless with all this talk. They had the entertainer's instinct for crisis even if they didn't understand the language. One appeared from nowhere, bearing several fresh skins of wine.

”Three cheers for Mr. Rate,” Cookie yelled. ”It's been at least a month since I've had a liberty like this!”

Gorson swayed to his feet. ”You can't get away with this,” he growled. ”I've read the book. I know my rights.” From four feet away the brunette squirted an unerring red jet into Gorson's mouth. He choked on the wine and began coughing. While the others were still laughing Joe walked off.

What were these girls doing here in the first place?

Where was all that wine coming from? It took a press and vats to make wine. This island was honeycombed with caves but he was sure none was big enough to hide that land of installation.

Away from the noise of the party, he collapsed on the shady side of an oak and piled handfulls of damp leaf mold over his bleeding toes. He'd probably get hookworm or bilharzia but he was too disgusted to care. He dozed off and dreamt of a triumphal march through the streets of Rome. The triumph dissolved into a gladiatorial display with Joe on the wrong end of the sword. He woke abruptly and rolled off the rock which had been stabbing him.

The sun had gone down and the hours of inactivity without clothing or cover had left him thoroughly chilled. He clambered stiffly to his feet and limped back up to the spring. There was no sound now. The Alice's men sprawled in weird att.i.tudes around the demolished goat. Joe shook one. He grunted but did not waken. Worriedly, Joe made the rounds. All were

breathing but he didn't believe they could be so uni- formly drunk. Thank Neptune he hadn't tasted the wine.

There was not a girl in sight.

With a sinking in his stomach, Joe realized what was up. Should have stayed awake, he told himself. Should have gone down to the Alice. But he hadn't. Come to think of it, what could he have done alone? He threw branches on the embers where the goat had barbecued and when that blazed up he found the broken bottom of an amphora the girls had kept wine in. The spike bottomed jar fragment held about a gallon.

Straddling Gorson, he poured a gallon of spring water.

The bos'n sputtered. By the third slosh he was on his feet and swearing.

”Yes, I did it,” Joe said. ”Now listen you turgid t.e.s.t.i.c.l.ed slob-you bigmouthed yourself into this, now bigmouth yourself out. You're captain from now on.”

Gorson gazed blearily about the clearing and saw the Alice's men. Abruptly, he was wide awake and sober.

”Jesus, what do we do now?”

Joe savored his moment of glory. ”One of the first things you can do is stand at attention when you ad- dress your captain.”

Gorson gulped. ”Yessir,” he said. ”I'm sorry sir, I-”

”Get these men on their feet and let's get back to the s.h.i.+p.”

Gorson grabbed the amphora bottom and started carrying water. Ten minutes later they stood in the firelight. Dr. Krom's bushy head fitted his sheepish look. ”All right,” Joe growled, ”you've hit your first foreign port on this cruise. You've been rolled and you've probably all got a dose. Are you ready to go back aboard?” He stopped and looked at them carefully.

Raquel, he knew, was aboard the Alice. Someone else was missing. ”Where's McGrath?”