Part 31 (1/2)
”Sherry Northt Manny stared at h of aht you were, Harry”
”The girl is of no further interest to us” Suleilass, and I could s warmth of the cabin ”You can have her”
”I want et me off the island ”Reasonable, Harry, very reasonable,” Manny ser's head,” and both Manny and Suleihed out loud
”Harry! Harry!” Sulei ”Greedy Harry,” Manny stopped laughing
”You can have the diaem stones, - I tried to sell the idea with all the persuasion I couldto do for aThe diamond is worth a million the head would just cover my expenses”
”You are a hard et out of it, then?” I derateful for it,” Manny said softly, and I stared at him I saw the coldness in his eyes, like those of a reptile and I knew beyond all doubt what his intentions were for me, once I had led theh the ed indifferently
”Harry, how can you not trust us?” Sulei you and your young lady? ”And what could you possibly lose,” I thought, but I nodded and said, ”Okay I don't haveat each other and Suleilass in a silent salute
”Drink, Harry? he asked
”It's a little early for irl with me now”
Suleiman motioned one of his men to fetch her
”I want the whaleboat loaded with fuel and water and left on the beach,” I went on doggedly, and Suleio ashore and after I have shown you the chest and the head, you'll take it and go” I stared from one to the other ”You'll leave us on the island unharree?”
”Of course, Harry” Suleireed” I was afraid that they would see the disbelief in my expression - so I turned with relief to Sherry as she was led into the cabin
My relief faded swiftly as I stared at her
”Harry,” she whispered through her swollen purple lips ”You ca step towards me
Her cheek was bruised and swollen horribly, and froht perhaps the bone was cracked The bruising under her eyes made her look sick and consumptive, and blood had dried in a black crust on the rims of her nostrils I didn't want to look at her injuries, so I took her inthe pair of us with amusement and interest, I felt their eyes upon us, but I did not want to face them and let them see the ht,” I said, ”let's get it over with” When at last I turned to face them, I hoped that my expression was under control
”Unfortunately, I shall not be going with you,” Sulei in and out of sh the sand are not my particular pleasures I shall say farewell to you here, Harry, and o with you as my representatives Of course, you will also be acco underwas not entirely for my benefit alone
”Goodbye, Suleiain”
”I doubt it, Harry,” he chuckled ”But God speed and reat pink-pallass and drained the last half-inch of liquor
Sherry sat close beside ainst me, and her body seemed to have shrivelled with the pain of her ordeal I put my aroing to kill us, Harry, you know that, don't you?”
I ignored the question and asked softly, ”Your hand,” it was still wrapped in the rough bandage, ”what happened?” Sherry looked up at the blonde girl beside Manny Resnick, and I felt her shi+ver briefly againstanimatedly to Manny Resnick Her carefully lacquered hairstyle resisted the efforts of the breeze to ruffle it, and her face was meticulously lossy and her eyelids were silvery green, with long mascaraed lashes around the cat's eyes
”They held ain, and Lorna Page laughed lightly Manny cupped his hands around a gold Dunhill lighter for her while she lit a cigarette ”They kept asking me where the treasure was - and each time I couldn't answer she pulled a nail with the pliers Theysound as they came out” Sherry ”broke off and held her injured hand protectively against her sto coth to her by physical contact
”Gently, baby, gently now,” I whispered, and she pressed a little closer to er, bearing down hard upon it before it clouded rounded on the beach We clied us with levelled weapons
”Okay, Harry,” Manny pointed- ”There's your boat all ready for you” The whaleboat was drawn up on the beach ”The tanks are full and when you've shown us the goods you can take off”
He spoke easily, but the girl beside hioose looks at a chicken I wondered ay she had chosen for us I guessed that Manny had promised us to her for her pleasure without reservations - just as soon as he was through with us
”I hope we aren't going to play ga to be sensible - and not waste our time”
I had noticed that Manny had surrounded himself with his own men
Four of them, all armed with pistols, one of them my old acquaintance who had driven the Rover on our firstTo balance them there were ten black seamen under a petty officer, and already I sensed that the opposition was divided into two increasingly hostile parties Manny farther reduced the nu two of them to stay with the motor-boat Then he turned to me, ”If you are ready, Harry, youher elbow and guiding her up through the grove She was so weak that she stued before we reached the caves
With thethe edge of the slope Surreptitiously I glanced at o before the case of gelignite under the crash boat blew The ti was still within the li the precise spot where the chest was buried, and it ith difficulty that I refrained froround was screened by vegetation
”Tell the here,” I said to Manny, and stepped back Four seamen handed their weapons to a co arht with them
The soil was soft and freshly turned so they went down at an alar speed They would expose the chest within irl's hurt,” I said to Manny, ”she lanced at me, and I saw his mind work swiftly He knew Sherry could not run far and I think he welcomed the opportunity to distract some of the seamen for he spoke briefly to the petty officer and I led Sherry to the palhed eary relief, and two of the sealanced up the slope, but there was no sign of anything suspicious there, although I knew Chubby uards, everyone else was gathered expectantly around the fourhole
Even out two guards were consulanced repeatedly at the group forty yards away
I heard quite clearly the clang as a spade struck the metal of the chest - and there was a shout of excitement They all crowded around the excavation with a babble of rising voices, beginning to pull and elbow each other for the opportunity to look down on to it Our two guards turned their backs on us, and took a step or two in the same direction It was more than I could have hoped for
Manny Resnick- shoved two seahly, and juers I heard hi those ropes and let's lift it out Carefully, don't da out over the hole also It was perfect
I lifted nal I had arranged with Chubby, and as I dropped ain, I seized Sherry and rolled swiftly backwards into the shallow rain-washed runnel
It caught Sherry by surprise, and I had handled her roughly in et under cover She cried out as I hurt her already painful injuries
The two guards whirled at the cry, lifting theirto fire - and that the shallow trench provided no cover