The Dark Crusader by Alistair MacLean Read Free Book Online Page A

hospital, not with my neck but because I was a bit out of my mind and then they let me out again." All this in a very matter-of-fact voice. I wondered what it cost her to say it. I tried not to feel sorry for her, not to feel pity: involvement with any person was the one thing I couldn't afford. But I couldn't help myself from saying: "Your unpleasant experiences weren't just confined to the rats, were they?"
    She twisted to look at me, then said slowly: "You are more shrewd than I had thought."
    "Not really. When you find women behaving in the hands-off down the nose snooty superciliousness affected by some, it's because they think it's an interesting attitude or a mark of superiority, or provocative, or simply because it's a cover-up for the fact that they haven't sufficient intelligence or common sense to behave and converse like a human being. We include you out. How about the wicked uncle?"
    "He was wicked all right," she said, unsmiling. "By and by my cousin ran away because she couldn't stand him any longer. A week later I did the same, but for different reasons, some neighbours found me crying in the woods in the dark. I was taken to some institution, then put in care of a guardian." She didn't like any of this and neither did I. "He had a sick wife and a full-grown son and-and they fought over me. Then another institution and another and another. I had no family, I was young, a foreigner and had no money: some people think the combination entitles them to-"
    "All right," I said. "You don't like rats. And you don't like men."
    "I've never had any reason to change my mind about either."
    It was hardly the time to point out that with her face and her figure she had as much chance of escaping attention as a magnet would have of moving untouched through a heap of iron filings. Instead, I cleared my throat and said: "I'm a man, too."
    "So you are. I'd quite forgotten." The words meant nothing but the little smile that went with them made me feel ten feet tall. "I'll bet you're just as bad as the rest."
    "Worse," I assured her. " 'Ravening' would be a weak word to describe me."
    "That's nice," she murmured. "Put your arm around me."
    I stared at her. "Come the dawn," I said, "you'll regret this weakness."
    "Let the dawn look after itself," she said comfortably. "You'll stay here all night?"
    "What's left of it."
    "You won't leave me?" This with a child-like persistence. "Not even for a moment?"
    "Nary a minute." I rattled my club against the battens. "I'll sit here and I'll keep awake and I'll fight off every rat in the South Pacific. Every man in the South Pacific, too, if it conies to that."
    "I'm quite sure you would," she said peacefully. She was asleep inside a minute.

    CHAPTER TWO
    Tuesday 8:30 A.M.-7 P.M.

    She slept serenely, like one dead, for over three hours, her breathing so quiet that I could hardly hear it. As the time slipped by, the rolling of the schooner became increasingly more pronounced until after one particularly violent lurch she woke up with a start and stared at me, her eyes reflecting confusion and perhaps a touch of fear. Then understanding came back and she sat up, taking the weight off my arm for the first time in hours.
    "Hullo, knight-errant," she said.
    "Morning. Feel better?"
    "Mmm." She grabbed a batten as another violent lurch sent some loose boxes banging about the hold. "But I won't be for long, not if this sort of thing keeps up. Nuisance, I know, but I can't help it. What's the time?"
    I made to look at the watch on my left wrist, but the arm was quite dead. I reached it across with my right hand, trying not to wince as the pins and needles of returning circulation shot through it. She frowned and said: "What's wrong?"
    "You told me not to stir all night," I pointed out patiently. "So I didn't. You are no light weight, young lady."
    "I'm sorry," she said quickly. She looked at me quizzically, colour in her cheeks, but smiled without embarrassment. "It's come the dawn and I still don't