Gregory Sallust (01): Black August by Wheatley Dennis

Author:Wheatley, Dennis [Wheatley, Dennis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci-fi, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 1934-01-16T03:00:00+00:00

15

With Women on Board

The two girls had turned their whole attention to Lieutenant Broughton the moment Kenyon left them.

‘What an awful gash,’ said Ann as she cut away the hair surrounding the wound with a pair of nail scissors.

‘Can you wonder!’ Veronica was tearing a shirt into rough strips for a bandage. ‘It was that elephantine American who hit him, and he must weigh twenty stone if he weighs an ounce.’

‘Yet he doesn’t look fat somehow.’

‘No, just sheer bigness. He’s a nice creature, I think.’

‘Yes, I love that lazy good-natured smile of his. Hello! What’s happening now?’ Ann ceased dabbing at the sailor’s wound and straightened up.

‘We’ve stopped, lovie.’

After a moment the propellers started to thud again and it was obvious that they had increased their speed.

‘There’s that light flashing.’ Ann nodded at the scuttle. ‘It was on the other side before, so we must be going north again.’

‘Perhaps Napoleon-Mussolini has had an inspiration. Thinks Iceland would be more shattering for us.’

‘No, Gregory loathes the cold and you can trust him to think of his own comfort.’

Veronica supported the Lieutenant while Ann applied the bandage. Then they settled him as comfortably as possible in his bunk.

‘I don’t think there is the least chance of his coming out of this coma for hours,’ Ann remarked.

‘Then we might as well get back to the wardroom. One of us can come and have a look at the poor boy every now and again.’

Veronica led the way down the passage but paused, frowning suddenly when she reached the wardroom door.

‘What is it?’asked Ann.

‘Goodness knows, my sweet. Someone has opened up a couple of trapdoors in the floor and another in the ceiling. Kenyon, I suppose, getting more things for King Sallust—but he might have shut them down again before he went on deck.’

They settled themselves on the settee and were silent for a little, then Ann said suddenly: ‘Do you think we’ll ever get to the West Indies?’

‘Why not? The boy friend in the brass hat seems a determined enough person. I should triple lock the door and throw the key out of the window if he manifested any desire to become amorous, and I wouldn’t feel quite safe even then.’

Ann chuckled. ‘No, if I know anything about Gregory he would be waiting underneath the window to catch the key.’

‘Yes, and to be truthful, my dear, I should probably wait until he turned up before I threw it out!’

‘Really! Do you mean that you have fallen for him then?’

‘No—not quite. But I always have been attracted by the type of blackguard who has brains and guts providing they have a sense of humour and the decencies.’

‘I like to listen to him, but I should hate him physically.’

‘Would you? Well, I’m afraid I’m a shameless hussy,’ Veronica confessed. ‘That wolfish look plays the devil with the back end of my brain. One might get hurt but I bet that man knows how to make love.’

‘Yes, but not the kind of love that appeals to me. I’m a simple soul just liking to be cuddled and cuddle in return—for ages and ages and ages.

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