• • •

Eason stood on the jetty, his arm around Althaea as they waved goodbye to the Anneka . The parishioners were leaning over the gunwale, waving back, shouting farewells which were scrambled by the wavelets lapping against the coral.

Tiarella started walking back to the house. Eason turned to follow, and gave Althaea a reassuring hug, noting a certain wistfulness in her eyes. «Don't worry, I'm sure your new boyfriend will be in touch. He's madly in love with you, after all.» He grinned broadly to show he understood.

Althaea shot him a look of pure venom, then her face became the identical blank mask which defended Tiarella from the world.

«Hey, listen—« he began.

But she shook herself free and ran off down the jetty. He stared after her in consternation.

«What did I say?»

Tiarella arched her eyebrow. «It's not what you say, it's what you are.»

«You make me out as some kind of ogre,» he snapped, suddenly exasperated with her, the unending stream of oblique remarks.

«In medieval times that's exactly what you would be.»

«Name one thing I've done to hurt her.»

«You wouldn't dare. We both know that.»

«With or without your threats, I wouldn't hurt her.»

Her lips compressed as she studied him. «No, I don't suppose you would. I never really thought about how you would be affected by your time here. I should have done.»

«My time? You make it sound finite.»

«It is. I told you that the day you came.»

«Your fucking cards again!» Crazy bitch!

Tiarella shrugged and sauntered off down the path to the house.

He slept alone that night, for the first time since the funeral. Guilt soaked his mind as he lay on the cot, yet he still didn't know what it was he'd done.

The next morning over breakfast she gave him a timid smile, and he glossed over any awkwardness with an enthusiastic account of how he intended to clear all the island's old service tracks with the mower tractor. Then they'd be able to start attending to the coffee bushes.

That night he welcomed her back to his bed. It wasn't the same; she had become reserved. Not physically, as always her body was defenceless against his skill and strength. But somewhere deep inside her thoughts she was holding herself back from him. No matter how exquisite their lovemaking was she no longer surrendered completely.

• • •

It took a certain amount of nerve to walk into the Kulu Embassy carrying three antimatter-confinement spheres. Eason was pleased to find himself perfectly calm as the glass doors of the reception area closed behind him. He asked the girl behind the desk for an interview with the military attaché, only to be told the Kingdom had no military ties with Tropicana.

«What about a police or security liaison officer?» he asked. «Surely you cooperate in tracking down criminals?»

She agreed they did, and asked for his name.

He handed over his passport, proving if nothing else that he was a bona fide citizen of Quissico. «And could you also say I'm a senior member of the Independence Party.» He smiled warmly at her flustered expression.