A Hero for Leanda

your answer was very reassuring.... But you could still change your mind.”
    “And lose my pay after all the trouble I’ve gone to? Why on earth would I do that?”
    “Because you’re fond of Leanda.”
    “I’m quite fond of her, certainly, but...”
    “You’re very fond of her, Conway . I’ve got eyes and ears. When she and I had our little difference over the gun, you called her ‘darling.’ ”
    Conway smiled. “That was just force of habit. Don’t forget we were playing man and wife for quite a while .“
    “It didn’t sound like force of habit,” Kastella said. “It sounded quite heartfelt. It was all the more impressive because when you called her ‘darling’ she was unconscious! I’ve had to ask myself whether your affection for her might not be stronger than your desire for money.”
    “Well, the answer’s no. She’s not my type—not in that way. I’ve no taste for political bluestockings!”
    “She’s got a very nice leg inside the stocking.”
    “I dare say, but the answer’s still no. I’m fond of her, but I’m much fonder of twenty thousand pounds. You’ll see.”
    “Oh, I believe you,” Kastella said. “I just like to be cautious, that’s all. Hence the gun!”
    Conway gave a little nod. “Talking of caution,” he said, “I don’t entirely trust you, either. Maybe this is the time to raise the matter.”
    Kastella regarded him impassively. “Well?”
    “I’m not saying this is likely, but Leanda and I do know a great deal about you—all of it highly unpleasant—and it seemed just possible you might try and silence us before you went ashore.”
    “The idea never crossed my mind.”
    “I find that hard to believe,” Conway said. “But I certainly advise against it—in your own interests. If you shot Leanda, you’d naturally have to shoot me. You could get rid of our bodies easily enough, but you couldn’t get rid of Thalia. She’d be found at once. Long before you could get out of Kenya , there’d be an inquiry and a search. Ionides would refuse to help you, and you’d be caught .“
    “Very probably,” Kastella said.
    “Almost certainly .... Of course, you may be thinking you could scuttle the ship, and that in that case she wouldn’t be found.... But that’s just the point. If you scuttled her outside the reef and tried to row yourself in through the swell, the dinghy would be swamped and you’d be drowned. And you couldn’t scuttle her inside, because the water in the lagoon is only about six feet deep, and she’d show.... I thought I’d mention it. I should hate to be shot because of a technical miscalculation!”
    “I understand,” Kastella said. “Happily, the problem doesn’t arise. As I told you, I’m not in the least afraid that you will talk. I shall warn Leanda again before I leave, though I can’t believe it’s necessary. In any case, I very much doubt if she could do me serious harm.... So you’ll find, Conway , that your suspicions are misplaced, too.”

    The day drew to a close with a clear sky and almost no wind. Conway took special care over his dusk sights and got a perfect fix from three stars. The penciled cross put Thalia sixty-three miles due east of Malindi. They were all set now for the last dash to the coast. Both the men had an early evening meal, since the ship would have to be darkened for the run-in and it would be difficult to move about. Kastella prepared himself for the shore, and Conway removed the lamps from the forecabin and explained to Leanda why she would have to be locked in there later. She protested that it was unnecessary, that she had no more plans for making trouble, but when she found that Conway was adamant she retired there voluntarily, saying she was going to bed. After her effort of the night before, she seemed to have lost all hope. Conway doused the lights in the saloon, while Kastella waited outside. Then he rigged a piece of sailcloth as a shield round the hurricane lamp in the cockpit and started the engine. Kastella returned to the dark saloon and lay down on one of the bunks with the gun barrel pointing toward the tiller.
    It was a tense passage for both men. Despite their mutual assurances, suspicion charged the air. Kastella, it was clear, still feared he might suddenly find himself at the entrance to a lighted port. Conway still felt uneasy about what Kastella might do when they arrived off the coast. In addition, he had the considerable sea hazards to worry about. This was