King Rat

Chapter 17

"Come on, hurry up," Peter Marlowe said to the yawning men lined up bleakly outside the hut. It was just after dawn and breakfast was already memory and the deficiency of it served only to increase the men's irritability. And, too, the long sun-hot day at the airfield was ahead of them.

Unless they had the luck.

It was rumored that today one detail was going to the far west side of the airfield where the coconut trees grew. It was rumored that three trees were going to be cut down. And the heart of a coconut tree was not only edible but very nutritious and a great delicacy. It was called "millionaire's cabbage," for a whole coconut tree had to die to provide it. Along with the millionaire's cabbage there would be coconuts as well. More than enough for a thirty-man detail. So officers and enlisted men alike were tense.

The sergeant in charge of the hut came up to Peter Marlowe and saluted.

"That's the lot, sir. Twenty men including me."

"We're supposed to have thirty."

"Well, twenty's all we have. The rest're sick or on wood detail. Nothin' I can do about it."

"All right. Let's get up to the gate."

The sergeant got the men under way and they began streaming loosely along the jail wall to join the rest of the airfield detail near the barricade-gate west. Peter Marlowe beckoned to the sergeant and got the men herded together in the best position-near the end of the line, where they were likelier to be chosen for the tree detail. When the men noticed that their officer had maneuvered them just right they began to pay attention and sorted themselves out quickly.

They all had their rag shirts tucked into grub-bags. Grub-bags were an institution, and took many forms. Sometimes they were regulation haversacks, sometimes suitcases, sometimes rattan baskets, sometimes bags, sometimes a cloth and a stick, sometimes a piece of material. But all the men carried some container for the plunder to be. On a work party there was always plunder, and if it wasn't millionaire's cabbage or coconut, it could be driftwood, firewood, coconut husks, bananas, oil palm nuts, edible roots, leaves of many types, or even sometimes papaya.

Most of the men wore clogs of wood or tire rubber. Some wore shoes with the toes cut out. And some had boots. Peter Marlowe was wearing Mac's boots. They were tight, but for a three-mile march and a work party they were better than clogs.

The snake of men began marching through the gate west, an officer in charge of each company. At the head was a group of Koreans and at the tail was a single Korean guard.

Peter Marlowe's group waited near the rear for space to join the march.

He was looking forward to the trek and the prospect of the trees. He shifted his shirt more comfortably in the rucksack strap and adjusted his water bottle — not the bottle, for to take that would have been dangerous on a work party. You could never tell when a guard or someone else might want to take a drink.

Finally it was time to move, and and he and his men began to walk towards the gate. As they passed the guardhouse they saluted, and the squat little Japanese sergeant stood on the veranda and returned their salute stiffly. Peter Marlowe gave the number of his men to the other guard, who checked them against the total already tallied.

Then they were outside the camp and walking the tarmac road. It curled easily, with gentle hills and dales, then sped through a rubber plantation.

The rubber trees were unkempt and untapped. Now that's strange, thought Peter Marlowe, for rubber was at a premium and a vital food for war.

"Hello, Duncan," he said as Captain Duncan and his group began to pass.

He fell into step beside Duncan, keeping his eyes on his own group, the next ahead.

"Isn't it great to have the news again?" Duncan said.

"Yes," he replied automatically, "if it's true."

"Must say it sounds too good to be true."

Peter Marlowe liked Duncan. He was a little Scot, red-haired and middle-aged. Nothing seemed to faze him. He always had a smile and a good word. Peter Marlowe had the feeling that something was different about him today. Now what was it?

Duncan noted his curiosity and grimaced to show his new false teeth.

"Oh, that's it," said Peter Marlowe. "I was wondering what was different."

"How do they look?"

"Oh, better than none at all."

"Now that's a fine remark. I thought they looked pretty good."

"I can't get used to aluminum teeth. They look all wrong."

"Went through bloody hell to have mine taken out. Bloody hell!"

"Thank God my teeth are all right. Had to have them filled last year.

Rotten business. You're probably wise to have had all yours taken out.

How many did —"

"Eighteen," said Duncan angrily. "Makes you want to spit blood. But they were completely rotten. Doc said something about the water and lack of chewable material and rice diet and lack of calcium. But my God, these false ones feel great." He chomped once or twice reflectively, then continued, "The dental chaps are very clever the way they make them. Lot of ingenuity. Of course, I have to admit it's a bit of a shock — not having white teeth. But for comfort, why, lad, I haven't felt so good in years, white or aluminum makes no difference. Always had trouble with my teeth. To hell with teeth anyway."

Up ahead, the column of men moved into the side of the road as a bus began to pass. It was ancient and puffing and steaming and had seats for twenty-five passengers. But inside were nearly sixty men, women and children, and outside another ten were hanging on with fingers and toes.

The top of the bus was piled with cages of chickens and baggage and mat-rolls. As the asthmatic bus passed, the natives looked curiously at the men and the men eyed the crates of half-dead chickens and hoped the bloody bus would break down or go into a ditch and then they could help push it out of the ditch and liberate a dozen or so chickens. But today the bus passed, and there were many curses.

Peter Marlowe walked alongside Duncan, who kept on chattering about his teeth and showing them in the broadness of his smile. But the smile was all wrong. It looked grotesque.

Behind them a Korean guard, slouching lethargically, shouted at a man who fell out of the line to the side of the road, but the man merely dropped his pants and quickly relieved himself and called out "Sakit marah" —dysentery — so the guard shrugged and took out a cigarette and lit it while he waited, and quickly the man was back in line once more.

"Peter," said Duncan quietly, "cover for me."

Peter Marlowe looked ahead. About twenty yards from the road, on a little path beside the storm ditch, were Duncan's wife and child. Ming Duncan was Singapore Chinese. Since she was Oriental, she was not put into a camp along with the wives and children of the other prisoners, but lived freely in the outskirts of the city. The child, a girl, was beautiful like her mother, and tall for her age, and she had a face that would never wear a sigh upon it. Once a week they "happened" to pass by so that Duncan could see them. He always said that as long as he could see them Changi was not so bad.

Peter Marlowe moved between Duncan and the guard, shielding him, and let Duncan fall back to the side of his men.

As the column passed by, the mother and child made no sign. When Duncan passed, their eyes met his, briefly, and they saw him drop the little piece of paper to the side of the road, but they kept on walking, and then Duncan had passed and was lost in the mass of men. But he knew they had seen the paper, and knew that they would keep on walking until all the men and all the guards were gone; then they would return and find the paper and they would read it and that thought made Duncan happy. I love you and miss you and you are both my life, he had written. The message was always the same, but it was always new, both to him and to them, for the words were written afresh, and the words were worth saying, over and over and over. Forever.

"Don't you think she's looking well?" Duncan said as he rejoined Peter Marlowe.

"Wonderful, you're very lucky. And Mordeen's growing up to be a beauty."

"Ay, a real beauty that one. She'll be six this September."

The happiness faded, and Duncan fell silent. "How I wish this war was over," he said.

"Won't be long now."

"When you get married, Peter, marry a Chinese girl. They make the best wives in the world." Duncan had said the same thing many times. "I know that it's hard to be ostracized, and hard on the children — but I'll die content if I die in her arms." He sighed. "But you won't listen. You'll marry some English girl and you'll think you're living. What a waste! I know. I've tried both."

"I'll have to wait and see, won't I, Duncan?" Peter Marlowe laughed. Then he quickened his pace to get into position ahead of his men. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Peter," Duncan called after him.

They were almost up to the airfield now. Ahead was a group of guards waiting to take their parties to their work areas. Beside the guards were mattocks and spades and shovels. Already many of the men were streaming under guard across the airfield.

Peter Marlowe looked west. There was one party heading for the trees already. Bloody hell!

He stopped his men and saluted the guards, noticing that one of them was Torusumi.

Torusumi recognized Peter Marlowe, and smiled. "Tabe!"

"Tabe," replied Peter Marlowe, embarrassed by Torusumi's obvious friendliness.

"I will take thee and thy men," said Torusumi and nodded to the implements.

"I thank thee," said Peter Marlowe and nodded at the sergeant. "We're to go with him."

"That bleeder works the east end," said the sergeant irritably. "Just our bloody luck."

"I know that," said Peter Marlowe just as irritably, and as the men moved forward to get the tools he said to Torusumi, "I hope today thou wilt be taking us to the west end. It is cooler there."

"We are to go to the east. I know it is cooler on the west side, and I always get the east."

Peter Marlowe decided to gamble. "Perhaps thou shouldst ask for better treatment." It was dangerous to make a suggestion to a Korean or a Japanese. Torusumi observed him coldly, then turned abruptly and went over to Azumi, a Japanese corporal, who stood grimly to one side. Azumi was known for his bad temper.

Apprehensively, Peter Marlowe watched Torusumi bow and start to speak rapidly and harshly in Japanese. And he felt Azumi's stare on him.

Beside Peter Marlowe the sergeant was also watching the exchange anxiously. "What'd you say, sir?"

"I said it'd be a good idea if we went to the west end for a change."

The sergeant winced. If the officer got a slap the sergeant got one automatically. "You're taking a chance —" He stopped abruptly as Azumi began walking towards them, followed by Torusumi, deferentially two paces behind.

Azumi, a small bowlegged man, halted five paces from Peter Marlowe, then stared up into his face for perhaps ten seconds. Peter Marlowe readied himself for the slap that was to come. But it didn't. Instead Azumi suddenly smiled and showed his gold teeth and sucked in air and took out a pack of cigarettes. He offered Peter Marlowe one and said something in Japanese which Peter Marlowe didn't understand, but he caught "Shoko-san" and was even more astonished, since he hadn't been called Shoko-san before. "Shoko" is "officer" and "san" means "mister," and to be called Mr. Officer by a fiendish little bastard like Azumi was praise indeed.

"Arigato," Peter Marlowe said, accepting the light. "Thank you" was the only Japanese he knew, apart from "Stand easy" and "Attention" and

"Quick march" and "Salute" and "Come here, you white bastard." He ordered the sergeant, who was obviously nonplused, to get the men lined up.

"Yes, sir," said the sergeant, glad of an excuse to get out of range.

Then Azumi snapped in Japanese at Torusumi and Torusumi moved up too and said, "Hotchatore," which means "Quick March." When they were halfway across the airfield and well out of Azumi's hearing distance, Torusumi smiled at Peter Marlowe. "We're going to the west end today.

And we're going to cut down the trees."

"We are? I don't understand."

"It is simple. I told Azumi-san that thou art the King's interpreter, and that I felt he should know this, since he takes ten percent of our profits. So,"

Torusumi shrugged, "of course we must look after each other. And maybe we can discuss some business during the day."

Peter Marlowe weakly ordered the men to halt.

"What's the matter, sir?" asked the sergeant.

"Nothing, Sergeant. Listen, all of you! Now no noise. We've got the trees."

"Oh bloody hell how great."

There was the beginning of a cheer, quickly stifled.

When they got to the three trees, Spence and his working party were already there with their guard. Torusumi went up to the guard and they had a slanging match in Korean. But Spence and his angry men were lined up and marched away by the furious guard. "Why the hell have you got the trees, you bastard? We were here first!" Spence called out.

"Yes," said Peter Marlowe sympathetically. He knew how Spence felt.

"Torusumi beckoned to Peter Marlowe and sat down in the shade and propped his rifle against a tree. "Post a guard," he yawned. "I hold thee responsible if I am caught asleep by any pestilential Japanese or Korean."

"Thou mayest sleep soft in my trust," Peter Marlowe replied.

"Wake me at the hour of food."

"It will be done."

Peter Marlowe posted guards in vantage points, then led the furious assault on the trees. He wanted the trees down and carved up before anyone changed their orders.

By noon the three trees were down and the millionaire's cabbage out of the trees. The men were all exhausted and ant-bitten, but that didn't matter, for today's booty was huge. There were two coconuts per man to take home and another fifteen left over. Peter Marlowe said that they would save five for Torusumi and share the other ten for lunch. He divided two millionaire's cabbage and said that the other should be kept for Torusumi and Azumi, just in case they wanted it. If they didn't, then it too would be divided.

Peter Marlowe was propped against a tree, panting from the exertion, when a sudden danger whistle rocked him to his feet and he was quickly beside Torusumi, shaking him awake.

"A guard, Torusumi-san, hurry."

Torusumi scrambled to his feet and brushed down his uniform. "Good. Go back to the trees and look busy," he said softly.

Then Torusumi wandered nonchalantly into the clearing. When he recognized the guard, he relaxed and motioned the man into the shade and they both propped their rifles and lay back and began to smoke.

"Shoko-san," Torusumi called out. "Rest easy, it is only my friend."

Peter Marlowe smiled, then called out, "Hey, Sergeant. Cut open a couple of the best young coconuts and take them to the guards." He couldn't take them himself, for he would have lost much face.

The sergeant chose the two carefully and sliced the tops off. The outside husks were green-brown and two inches thick and pithy on the deep imbedded nut. The white meat that lined the interior of the nut was just soft enough and easy to eat with a spoon if you'd a mind, and the juice cool and sweet-tasting.

"Smith," he called out.

"Yes, Sarn't."

"Take these over to the bloody Nips."

"Why me? I'm bloody well always having to do more than the —"

"Get your arse over here."

Smith, a spare little Cockney, grumbled to his feet and did as he was ordered.

Torusumi and the other guard drank deeply. Then Torusumi called out to Peter Marlowe, "We thank thee."

"Peace be with thee," replied Peter Marlowe.

Torusumi jerked out a crumpled pack, of Kooas and handed them to Peter Marlowe.

"I thank thee," said Peter Marlowe.

"Peace be with thee," Torusumi replied politely.

There were seven cigarettes. The men insisted that Peter Marlowe take two. The other five were split up, one to four men, and by general consent the cigarettes were to be smoked after lunch.

Lunch was rice and fish water and weak tea. Peter Marlowe took only rice and mixed in a touch of blachang. For dessert he enjoyed his share of coconut. Then he settled tiredly against the stump of one of the trees and looked over the airfield, waiting for the lunch hour to end.

To the south there was a hill, and surrounding the hill were thousands of Chinese coolies. They all carried two bamboo baskets on a bamboo pole over their shoulders, and they walked up the hill and collected two baskets of earth and walked down the hill and emptied the two baskets. Their movement was perpetual and you could almost see the hill disappear.

Under the burning sun.

Peter Marlowe had been coming to the airfield four, five times a week for almost two years now. When he and Larkin had first seen the site, with its hills and swamps and sand, they had laughed and thought that it would never be turned into an airfield. After all, the Chinese had no tractors or bulldozers. But now, two years later, there was already one operative strip, and the big one, the bomber strip, was nearly finished.

Peter Marlowe marveled at the patience of all those worker-ants and wondered what their hands could not do if they were set in motion with modern equipment.

His eyes closed and he was asleep.

"Ewartt, Where's Marlowe?" Grey asked curtly.

"On a work party at the airfield. Why?"

"Just tell him to report to me immediately he gets back."

"Where'll you be?"

"How the hell do I know! Just tell him to find me." As Grey left the hut he felt a spasm building, and he began to hurry to the latrines. Before he got halfway the spasm climaxed and a little of the bloody mucus oozed out of him, soaking even more the grass pad he wore in his pants. Tormented and very weak, he leaned against a hut to gather strength.

Grey knew that it was time to change the pad once more, the fourth time today, but he didn't mind. At least the pad was hygienic and it saved his pants, the only pair he possessed. And without the pad he could not walk around. Disgusting, he told himself, just like a sanitary napkin. What a bloody mess! But at least it was efficient.

He should have reported sick today, but he couldn't, not when he had Marlowe nailed. Oh no, this was too good to miss, and he wanted to see Marlowe's face when he told him. It was worth the pain to know he had him. The cheap, no-good bastard. And through Marlowe the King'd sweat a little. In a couple of days he would have them both. For he knew about the diamond and knew that contact was to be made within the next week.

He didn't know yet exactly when, but he would be told. You're clever, he told himself, clever to have such an efficient system.

He went up to his jail hut and told the MP to wait outside. He changed the pad and scrubbed his hands, hoping to wash the stain away, the invisible stain.

Feeling better, Grey forced himself off the veranda steps and headed for the supply hut. Today he was to make his weekly inspection of the supplies of rice and food. The supplies always checked, for Lieutenant Colonel Jones was efficient and dedicated and always weighed the day's rice himself, personally, in public. So there was never any chance of skulduggery.

Grey admired Lieutenant Colonel Jones and liked the way he did everything himself — then there were no slips. He envied him too, for he was very young to be a lieutenant colonel. Just thirty-three. Makes you sick, he told himself, he's a lieutenant colonel and you're a lieutenant —and the only difference is being in the right job at the right time. Still, you're doing all right, and making friends who will stand up for you when the war's over. Of course, Jones was a civilian soldier, so he wouldn't stay in the service afterwards. But Jones was a pal of Samson and also of Smedly-Taylor, Grey's boss, and he played bridge with the Camp Commandant. Lucky bastard. I can play bridge as good as you can, but I don't get invited, and I work harder than anyone.

When Grey got to the supply hut, the day's issue of rice was still in progress.

"Morning, Grey," Jones said. "I'll be right with you." He was a tall man, handsome, well-educated, quiet. He had a boyish face and was nicknamed the Boy Colonel.

"Thank you, sir."

Grey stood and watched as the cookhouse representatives - a sergeant and an enlisted man - came up to the scales. Each cookhouse supplied two men to pick up the allotment - one to keep an eye on the other. The tally of men submitted by the representatives was checked and the rice weighed out. Then the tally sheet was initialed.

When the last cookhouse had been served, the remains of the sack of rice was lifted by Quartermaster Sergeant Blakely and carried into the hut.

Grey followed Lieutenant Colonel Jones inside and listened absently as Jones wearily gave him the figures: "Nine thousand four hundred and eighty-three officers and men. Two thousand three hundred and seventy and three-quarters pounds of rice issued today, four ounces per man.

Twelve bags approx." He nodded to the empty jute bags. Grey watched him count them, knowing that there would be twelve. Then Jones continued, "One bag was short ten pounds" - this was not unusual - "and the residue is twenty and a quarter pounds."

The lieutenant colonel went over and picked up the almost empty sack and put it on the scales that Quartermaster Sergeant Blakely had pulled inside the hut. He carefully placed the weights on the platform and built them up to twenty and one quarter pounds. The sack lifted and balanced.

"It checks," he smiled, satisfied, looking at Grey.

Everything else - a side of beef, sixteen tubs of dried fish, forty pounds of gula malacca, five dozen eggs, fifty pounds of salt and bags of peppercorns and dried red chilis - checked out perfectly also.

Grey signed the store chart, and winced as another spasm racked him.

"Dysentery?" asked Jones, concerned.

"Just a touch, sir." Grey looked around the semidarkness, then saluted.

"Thank you, sir. See you next week."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

On the way out, Grey was hit by another spasm and stumbled against the scale, knocking it over and scattering the weights across the dirt floor.

"Sorry," Grey cursed, "bloody careless of me." He lifted the machine and groped on the floor for the weights, but Jones and Blakely were already on their knees picking them up.

"Don't bother, Grey," Jones said, then he barked at Blakely, "I've told you before to put the scale in the corner."

But Grey had already picked up a two-pound weight. He couldn't believe what he saw, and he carried the weight to the door and inspected it in the light to make certain his eyes weren't deceiving him. They weren't. In the bottom of the iron weight was a small hole packed hard with clay. He picked out the clay with a fingernail, his face chalky.

"What is it, Grey?" said Jones.

"This weight's been tampered with." The words were an accusation.

"What? Impossible!" Jones went up to Grey. "Let me see that." For an eternity he studied it, then smiled.

"It's not been tampered with. This is merely a corrective hole. The particular weight was probably a fraction heavier than it was supposed to be." He laughed weakly. "My God, you had me worried for a moment."

Grey walked rapidly over to the rest of the weights and picked up another one. It too had a hole in it.

"Christ! They've all been tampered with!"

"That's absurd," Jones said. "They're just corrective —"

"I know enough about weights and measures," Grey said, "to know holes aren't allowed. Not corrective holes. If the weight's wrong, it's never issued."

He whirled on Blakely, who cringed against the door. "What do you know about it?"

"Nothing, sir," Blakely said, terrified.

"You'd better tell me!"

"I don't know anything, sir, honest —"

"All right, Blakely. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go out of the hut and I'm going to tell everyone I meet about you, everyone — and I'm going to show them this weight, and before I can report it to Colonel Smedly-Taylor you'll be torn apart."

Grey started for the door."

"Wait, sir," Blakely choked out. "I'll tell you. It wasn't me, sir, it was the colonel. He made me do it. He caught me pinching a little rice and he swore he'd turn me in if I didn't help him —"

"Shut up, you fool," Jones said. Then, in a calmer voice, he said to Grey,

"The fool's trying to implicate me. I never knew anything —"

"Don't you listen to him, sir," Blakely interrupted, babbling. "He always weighs the rice himself. Always. And he has the key to the safe that he keeps the weights in. You know yourself how he does it all. And anyone who handles weights has to look at the bottom sometimes. However well the holes're camouflaged, you've got to notice them. And it's been going on for a year or more."

"Shut up, Blakely!" Jones screamed. "Shut up."

Silence.

Then Grey said, "Colonel, how long have these weights been used?"

"I don't know."

"A year? Two years?"

"How the hell do I know? If the weights are fixed it's nothing to do with me."

"But you have the key and you keep them locked up?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean —"

"Have you ever looked at the bottom of the weights?"

"No, but —"

"That's somewhat strange, isn't it?" said Grey relentlessly.

"No, it isn't, and I won't be cross-questioned by —"

"You'd better be telling the truth, for your own sake."

"Are you threatening me, Lieutenant? I'll have you court-martialed —"

"I don't know about that, Colonel. I'm here legally and the weights have been tampered with, haven't they?"

"Now, look here, Grey —"

"Haven't they?" Grey held the weight up to Jones's drained face, which was no longer boyish.

"I — suppose so," said Jones, "but that doesn't mean —"

"It means that either Blakely or you is responsible. Perhaps both of you.

You're the only two allowed here. The weights are short, and one or both of you has been taking the extra ration."

"It wasn't me, sir," Blakely whined. "I only got a pound in every ten —"

"Liar!" shouted Jones.

"Oh no I'm not. I've told you a thousand times we'd be for it." He turned to Grey, wringing his hands. "Please sir, please, don't say anything. The men'd tear us to pieces."

"You bastard, I hope they do." Grey was glad that he had found the false weights. Oh yes, he was glad.

Jones took out his cigarette box and began to roll a cigarette. "Would you like one?" he said, the boy face jowled and strangely sick and tentatively smiling.

"No thank you." Grey hadn't had a smoke for four days and he needed one.

"We can sort this out," Jones said, his boyishness and good breeding returning. "Perhaps someone has tampered with the weights. But the amount is insignificant. I can easily get other weights, correct ones —"

"So you admit that they're crooked?"

"I'm only saying, Grey —" Jones stopped. "Get out, Blakely. Wait outside."

Immediately Blakely turned for the door.

"Stay where you are, Blakely," Grey said. Then he glanced back at Jones, his manner deferential. "There's no need for Blakely to go, is there, sir?"

Jones studied him through the smoke, then said, "No. Walls don't have ears. All right. You'll get a pound of rice a week."

"Is that all?"

"We'll make it two pounds per week, and half a pound of dried fish. Once a week."

"No sugar? Or eggs?"

"They both go to the hospital, you know that."

Jones waited and Grey waited and Blakely sobbed in the background.

Then Grey began to leave, pocketing the weight.

"Grey, just a minute." Jones took two eggs and offered them to him. "Here, you'll get one a week, along with the rest of the supplies. And some sugar."

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do, Colonel. I'm going to go down to Colonel Smedly-Taylor and tell him what you said and I'm going to show him the weights — and if there's a borehole party, and I pray there will be one, I'm going to be there and I'm going to shove you down, but not too fast, because I want to see you die. I want to hear you scream and see you die, for a long time. Both of you."

Then he went out of the hut into the sun, and the heat of the day hit him and the pain ripped through his insides. But he willed himself to walk and started slowly down the hill.

Jones and Blakely at the door of the supply hut watched him go. And both were terrified.

"Oh, Christ, sir, what's going to happen?" Blakely whimpered. "They'll string us up —"

Jones jerked him back into the hut, slammed the door and backhanded him viciously. "Shut up!"

Blakely was babbling on the floor and tears were streaming down his face, so Jones jerked him up and smashed him again.

"Don't hit me, you've no right to hit —"

"Shut up and listen." Jones shook bun again. "Listen, damn you to hell.

I've told you a thousand times to use the real weights on Grey's inspection day, you bloody incompetent fool. Stop sniveling and listen. First, you're to deny that anything was said. You understand? I made no offer to Grey, you understand?"

"But sir —"

"You're to deny it, you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. We'll both deny it and if you stick to the story I'll get us out of this mess."

"Can you? Can you, sir?"

"I can if you deny it. Next. You know nothing about the weights and neither do I. You understand?"

"But we're the only ones —"

"You understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Next. Nothing took place here except that Grey discovered the false weights and you and I were just as astonished. You understand?"

"But —"

"Now tell me what happened. God damn you, tell me!" Jones bellowed, towering over him.

"We - we were finishing the check, and then - then Grey fell against the weighing machine, and the weights got knocked over, and - and then we discovered the weights were false. Is that all right, sir?"

"What happened next?"

"Well, sir." Blakely thought a moment, then his face lit up. "Grey asked us about the weights, and I'd never seen that they were false, and you were just as surprised. Then Grey left."

Jones offered him some tobacco. "You've forgotten what Grey said. Don't you remember? He said, 'If you give me some extra rice, a pound a week, and an egg or two, I won't report this.' And then I told him to go to hell, that I would report the weights myself and would report him too, and I was beside myself with worry about the false weights. How did they get there?

Who was the swine?"

Blakely's little eyes filled with admiration. "Yes, sir, I remember distinctly.

He asked for a pound of rice and an egg or two. Just like you said."

"Then remember it, you stupid fool! If you'd used the right weights and held your tongue we wouldn't be in this mess, Don't you fail me again or I'll put the blame on you. It'll be your word against mine."

"I won't fail, sir, I promise —"

"It's our word against Grey's anyway. So don't worry, you keep your head and remember!"

"I won't forget, sir, I won't."

"Good." Jones locked the safe and the front door of the hut and left the area.

Jones is a sharp man, Blakely persuaded himself, he'll get us out of this.

Now that the shock of being discovered had worn off he was feeling safer.

Yes, and Jones'll have to save his own neck to save yours. Yes, Blakely my man, you're smart yourself, smart to make sure you've got the goods on him, just in case of a double-cross.

Colonel Smedly-Taylor scrutinized the weight ponderously.

"Astonishing!" he said. "I just can't believe it." He looked up keenly. "You seriously mean to tell me that Lieutenant Colonel Jones offered to bribe you? With camp provisions?"

"Yes, sir. It was exactly like I told you."

Smedly-Taylor sat down on his bed in the little bungalow and wiped off the sweat, for it was hot and sultry. "I don't believe it," he repeated, shaking his head.

"They were the only ones who had access to the weights —"

"I know that. It's not that I dispute your word, Grey, it's just so, well, incredible."

Smedly-Taylor was quiet for a long time and Grey waited patiently.

"Grey." The Colonel still examined the weight and the tiny hole as he continued. "I'll think what to do about this. The whole affair is fraught with danger. You must not mention this to anyone, anyone, you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"My God, if it's as you say, well, those men would be massacred." Again Smedly-Taylor shook his head. "That two men - that Lieutenant Colonel Jones could - the camp rations! And every weight is false?"

"Yes, sir."

"How much do you think they are light, all in all?"

"I don't know, but perhaps a pound in every four hundred pounds. I suppose they were getting away with three or four pounds of rice per day.

Not counting the dried fish or the eggs. Perhaps there are others mixed up in this - there would have to be. They couldn't cook rice and not have it noticed. Probably a cookhouse's mixed up in it too."

"My God!" Smedly-Taylor got up and began pacing. "Thank you, Grey, you've done a fine job. I'll see that it goes into your official report." He put out his hand. "A good job, Grey."

Grey shook his hand firmly. "Thank you, sir. I'm only sorry I didn't discover it before."

"Now, not a word to anyone. That's an order!"

"I understand." He saluted and left, his feet hardly touching the ground.

That Smedly-Taylor should say, "I'll see that it goes into your official report"! Maybe they'd promote him, Grey thought with sudden hope. There had been a few camp promotions and he could certainly use the upped rank. Captain Grey - it had a nice ring to it. Captain Grey!

The afternoon was dragging now. Without work, it was difficult for Peter Marlowe to keep the men on their feet, so he organized foraging parties and kept the guards changing, for Torusumi was sleeping again. The heat was vicious and the air parched and everyone cursed the sun and prayed for night.

Finally Torusumi woke up and relieved himself in the undergrowth and picked up his rifle and began to walk up and down to take the sleep away.

He screamed at some of the men who were dozing, and he shouted to Peter Marlowe, "I beg thee get these sons of pigs up and about and make them work, or at least make them look as though they are working."

Peter Marlowe came over. "I'm sorry that thou art troubled." Then he turned to the sergeant: "For Christ sake, you know you were supposed to keep an eye on him. Get these bloody idiots up and dig a hole or chop that bloody tree or cut some palm fronds, you bloody idiot!"

The sergeant was suitably apologetic and in no time he had the men hurrying about, pretending to be busy. They had it down to a fine art.

A few husks of coconut were moved, and a few fronds were piled, and a few first saw cuts made in the trees. If they worked at the same speed, day after day, well, soon the whole area would be clean and level.

The sergeant tiredly reported back to Peter Marlowe. "They're all as busy as they'll ever be, sir."

"Good. Won't be long now."

"Look, sir, would you - would you do something - for me?"

"What?"

"Well, it's like this. Seeing as how - as you - well . . ." He wiped his mouth on his sweatrag, embarrassed. But it was too good an opportunity to miss.

"Look at this." He brought out a fountain pen. "Would you see if the Nip'll buy it?"

"You mean you want me to sell it for you?" Peter Marlowe gaped at him.

"Yes, sir. It's - well - I thought, you being a friend of the King like, you'd know - maybe you'd know how to go about it."

"It's against orders to sell to the guards, both our orders and theirs."

"Aw, come on, sir, you can trust me. Why, you and the King —"

"What about me and the King?"

"Nothing, sir," said the sergeant cautiously. What's the matter with this bugger? Who's he trying to fool? "I just thought you might help me. And my unit, of course."

Peter Marlowe looked at the sergeant and at the pen and wondered why he had got so angry. After all, he had sold for the King - or at least, tried to sell for the King - and truthfully he was a friend of the King. And there was nothing wrong in that. If it wasn't for the King they would have never got the tree area. More likely he would be nursing a busted jaw, or at least a slapped face. So he should really uphold the reputation of the King. He did get you the coconuts.

"What do you want for it?"

The sergeant grinned. "Well, it isn't a Parker, but it's got a gold nib," and he unscrewed the top and showed it, "so it should be worth something.

Maybe you could see what he'd give."

"He'll want to know what you want for it. I'll ask him, but you set a price."

"If you could get me sixty-five dollars, I'd be happy."

"Is it worth that much?"

"I think so."

The pen did have a gold nib and a fourteen carat mark, and as near as Peter Marlowe could judge it was genuine. Not like the other pen.

"Where'd you get it?"

"It's mine, sir. I've been keeping it against a rainy day. Been raining a lot recently."

Peter Marlowe nodded briefly. He believed the man. "All right, I'll see what I can do. You keep an eye on the men, and make sure there's a guard out."

"Don't you worry, sir. The buggers won't bat a bleeding eyelid."

Peter Marlowe found Torusumi leaning against a squat tree, heavy with a grasping vine. "Tabe," he said.

"Tabe." Torusumi glanced at his Watch, and yawned. "In an hour we can go. It's not time yet." He took off his cap and wiped the sweat off his face and neck. "This stinking heat and stinking island!"

"Yes." Peter Marlowe tried to make the words sound important, as though it were the King speaking and not he: "One of the men has a pen he wishes to sell. It occurred to me that thee, as a friend, might wish to buy it."

"Astaghfaru'llah! Is it a Parka?"

"No." Peter Marlowe brought out the pen and unscrewed the top and held the nib so it caught the sunlight. "But it has a gold nib."

Torusumi examined it. He was disappointed that it wasn't a Parker, but that would have been too much to expect. Certainly not on the airfield. A Parker would be handled by the King personally.

"It is not worth much," he said.

"Of course. If thou dost not wish to consider it…" Peter Marlowe put the pen back in his pocket.

"I can consider it. Perhaps we can pass the hour, considering such a worthless item." He shrugged. "It would only be worth seventy-five dollars."

Peter Marlowe was amazed that the first bid was so high. The sergeant can't have any idea of its value. God, I wish I knew how much it was really worth.

So they sat and haggled. Torusumi got angry and Peter Marlowe was firm and they settled on a hundred and twenty dollars and a pack of Kooas.

Torusumi got up and yawned again. "It is time to go." He smiled. "The King is a good teacher. The next time I see him I will tell him how thou hast taken advantage of my friendship by driving such a hard bargain." He shook his head with feigned serf-pity. "Such a price for such a miserable pen! The King will surely laugh at me. Tell him, I beg thee, that I will be on guard in seven days from today, Perhaps he can find me a watch. A good one-this time!"

Peter Marlowe was content that he had safely made his first real transaction for what seemed to be a fair price. But he was in a quandary. If he gave all the money to the sergeant, the King would be very upset. That would ruin the price structure that the King had so carefully built. And Torusumi would certainly mention the pen and the amount to the King.

However, if he gave the sergeant only what he had asked and kept the rest, well that was cheating, wasn't it? Or was it good "business"? In truth, the sergeant had asked for sixty-five, and that's what he should get. And Peter Marlowe did owe the King a lot of money.

He wished he'd never started the stupid business. Now he was caught in the trap of his own making. Trouble with you, Peter, is you've too big an idea of your own importance. If you'd said no to the sergeant you wouldn't be up the creek now. What are you going to do? Whatever you do is going to be wrong!

He strolled back slowly, pondering. The sergeant had already lined the men up, and took Peter aside expectantly, "They're all ready, sir. An' I've checked the tools." He low' ered his voice. "Did he buy it?"

"Yes." Then Peter Marlowe made the decision. He put his hand hi his pocket and gave the sergeant the bundle of notes. "Here you are. Sixty-five dollars."

"Sir, you're a bloody toff!" He peeled off a five dollar bill and offered it to him. "I owe you a dollar-fifty."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Ten percent's yours. That's legal, an' I'm happy to pay it I'll give you the dollar an' a half soon as I get change."

Peter Marlowe shoved the note back. "No," he said, feeling suddenly guilty. "Keep it."

"I insist," the sergeant said, pushing the note back into his hand.

"Look, Sergeant —"

"Well, at least take the five. I'd feel terrible, sir, if you didn't. Terrible. I can't thank you enough."

All the way back to the airfield Peter Marlowe was silent. He felt unclean with the monstrous bundle of notes in his pocket, but at the same time he knew that he owed the money to the King and was pleased to have it, for it would buy extras for the unit. The only reason the sergeant had asked him was because he knew the King, and the King, not the sergeant, was his friend. The whole miserable business was still going round and round in his mind when he got back to his hut.

"Grey wants to see you, Peter," Ewart said.

"What for?"

"I don't know, Peter boy. But he seemed peed off about something."

Peter Marlowe's tired mind adjusted to the new danger. It had to be something to do with the King. Grey meant trouble. Now, think, think, Peter. The village? The watch? The diamond? Oh my God - the pen? No, that's being foolish. He can't know about that yet. Shall I go to the King?

Maybe he'd know what it's about. Dangerous. Perhaps that's why Grey told Ewart, to force me to make a mistake. He must have known I was on a work party.

No point in going like a lamb to the slaughter when you're hot and dirty. A shower, then I'll stroll up to the jail hut. Take my time.

So he went to the shower. Johnny Hawkins was under one of the spouts.

"Hello, Peter," Hawkins said.

Sudden guilt flushed Peter Marlowe's face. "Hello, Johnny." Hawkins looked ill. "Say, Johnny, I - I was so sorry—"

"Don't want to talk about it," Hawkins said. "I'd be glad if you never mentioned it."

Does he know, Peter Marlowe asked himself, appalled, that I'm one of the ones who ate? Even now — was it only yesterday? the sudden thought was revolting: cannibalism. He can't, surely, for then he would have tried to kill me. I know if I were in his shoes, I would. Or would I?

My God, what a state we've come to. Everything that seems wrong is right, and vice versa. It's too much to understand. Much too much. Stupid screwed-up world. And the sixty dollars and the pack of Kooas I've earned, and at the same time stolen - or made - which is it? Should I give them back? That would be quite wrong.

"Marlowe!"

He turned and saw Grey standing malevolently at the side of the shower.

"You were told to report to me when you got back!"

"I was told you wanted to see me. As soon as I'd showered I was going to

—"

"I left orders that you were to report to me immediately." There was a thin smile on Grey's face. "But it doesn't matter. You're under hut arrest."

There was a quiet in the showers and all the officers were watching and listening.

"What for?"

Grey rejoiced in the flash of concern he saw. "For disobeying orders."

"What orders?"

"You know as well as I do." That's right, sweat! Your guilty conscience will trouble you a little - if you've got a conscience, which I doubt. "You're to report to Colonel Smedly-Taylor after supper. And be dressed like an officer, not a bloody tart!"

Peter Marlowe snapped off the shower and slipped into his sarong and made the knot with a deft twist, conscious of the curious stares of the other officers. His mind was in a turmoil wondering what the trouble was, but he tried to hide his anxiety. Why give Grey the satisfaction?

"You're really so ill-bred, Grey. Such a bore," he said.

"I've learned a lot about breeding today, you bloody sod," Grey said. "I'm glad I don't belong to your stinking class, you rotten bugger. All shysters, cheats, thieves—"

"For the last time, Grey, button your mouth, or by God I'll button it for you."

Grey tried to control himself. He wanted to pit himself against this man, here and now. He could beat him, he knew he could. Any time. Dysentery or no. "If we ever get out of this mess alive, I'll look for you. The first thing.

The very first thing."

"It would be a pleasure. But until that time, if you ever insult me again I'll whip you." Peter Marlowe turned to the other officers. "You all heard me.

I'm giving him warning. I'm not going to be sworn at by this lower-class ape." He whipped around on Grey. "Now stay away from me."

"How can I when you're a lawbreaker?"

"What law?"

"Be at Colonel Smedly-Taylor's after supper. And one more thing - you're under hut arrest until time to report."

Grey walked away. Most of his exultation had been drained from him. It was stupid to call Marlowe names. Stupid, when there was no need.