Criminal Mischief

49

Stone ordered dinner served on deck at seven o’clock, then went below, picked out a cabin for Wilcox, and put Brio in the one adjoining his and sharing a bath. His trunk was lying on a single berth in the master’s cabin, next to a double. He put his valise next to it and tested the locks on both, then he stripped naked and got into the bigger berth. He was asleep almost at once.

He awoke and his wristwatch read five-thirty. Brio was asleep next to him. He got softly out of bed, went into the bath, and showered and shaved. Feeling refreshed he went back into his cabin and found Brio stretching and yawning. He tossed his robe aside and got into bed with her. “What you need,” he said, “is some stimulation to bring you to full consciousness.” He stimulated her, and she came to.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t do that,” she said after they had finished. “That’s why I put myself in your way.”

“You were a welcome impediment,” he replied. “We’ll do it again later, but right now we should dress for dinner.”

“Black tie?” she asked. “A girl needs to know what to wear.”

“I think just casual,” he said. “I don’t know if I have enough strength left to tie a necktie.”

They had cocktails, and the captain came aft to speak to them. “Have you thought about an itinerary?” he asked.

“We’ll want to sail at eight tomorrow morning and travel north, slowly, keeping near the eastern shore,” Stone said. “We’re looking for a friend.” As he spoke, he looked out to see a very large yacht passing them, going south. “What on earth is that?”

“That is Star of Saud, the sultan’s yacht. She has been in a yard for a refit for several months and must be out for sea trials now.”

“She must be two hundred and fifty feet,” Stone said.

“More like three hundred,” the captain replied.

“I hope we’ll get a better look at her,” Stone said.

“I’ll try and arrange that, if she’s out tomorrow,” the captain replied.

Dinner was served on the fantail, and Stone was once again relieved that it was lamb and humpless.

“I was aboard Star before her refit,” Wilcox said. “She was sumptuous but looking worn. I expect she’ll be like new after her relaunch. The sultan likes his possessions well-kept.”

“We should have chartered her,” Stone said, “since the FBI is paying.”

“The director wouldn’t like explaining that to a congressional committee,” Brio said.

“Did you see a man on the afterdeck, smoking a cigar?” Wilcox asked.

“No,” Stone replied.

“It could have been Zanian,” he said, “though I wouldn’t swear to it. He smokes Cuban cigars.”

“If it were Zanian,” Stone said, “it would be interesting to know how he made it from the sultan’s dungeon to the sultan’s yacht.”

They all laughed.

Stone and Brio gave each other an encore at bedtime, and they slept well again.

Stone was awakened by the starting of engines and hit Brio on the backside to get her started.

By the time breakfast was served on deck they had left the marina and started north, Stone reckoned at about six knots: perfect. When they had finished breakfast, the captain brought binoculars for them. “To look for your friend,” he said. “How is he traveling?”

“We’ve been out of touch,” Stone said, “so I don’t know.” He raised the binoculars and examined the shoreline. They were leaving Jeddah and there had been nothing ashore to attract Stone’s notice. Now they were passing dozens of dhows, with their sails set for fishing. It was as he had imagined the Nile would have looked in earlier days.

“Lovely,” Wilcox said, “if one is a romantic.”

“One is,” Stone replied.

They used the binoculars while Brio enjoyed the soft breeze over the deck. Shortly before lunchtime, the captain came aft and handed Stone a newspaper. “I’m sorry, I forgot to give you this at breakfast. It’s the International New York Times from yesterday.”

A small note among an array across the bottom of the front page caught Stone’s eye:

Stone showed it to the others.

Wilcox spoke up, “I wouldn’t put too much stock in the rumors,” he said. “The sultan has to do this every few years, some say, just to show he is still in charge.”

Stone wondered if it were true, and if it were, what, if anything, it would mean to their search for Zanian.

He watched the shoreline until dusk, then put away the binoculars.