Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

Author:Mary Stewart [Stewart, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub

He was lifting his head to inhale the first breath of smoke. My hand, thrust down in the pocket of Frances' coat, met the shape of a packet of cigarettes.

I turned. "Mr. Alexiakis?"

His head jerked round, and the match dropped into the dust, and fizzled out. I moved toward him, with one of Frances' cigarettes in my hand. "Do you mind? Have you a light, please? I came out without one."

"Why, Miss Ferris! Of course." He came to meet me, and struck and held a match for me. "You're out very late, aren't you? Still exploring?"

I laughed. " 'Agios Georgios by Night?' Not really. I did go up to bed, but then I heard a nightingale, and I had to come out to track it down."

"Ah, yes, Tony told me you were keen on birds." He sounded unworried to the point of indifference. He leaned a shoulder back against the wall behind him, gesturing with his cigarette in the direction of the cypresses. "Up there, was it? They always sing there, ever since I was a boy I remember them. I don't notice them now. Was there one tonight? It's a little early for them."

"Just one, and he seems to have stopped." I smothered a yawn. "I think I'll go to bed now. It's been such a long day, but such a lovely one. Perhaps tomorrow —"

I stopped short, because he moved with a sharp, shushing gesture, as if some sound had startled him. I had heard it, too, but it had not registered with me as quickly as it had with Stratos; for all that relaxed, indifferent air, the man must be as alert as a fox.

We had been standing close against the wall of the shed that I had come to search. This was built of big, rough stones, crudely plastered, and with many gaps between. The sound had come apparently through some gap just beside us — a small, scraping sound, then a soft rustle as of spilled dust. Something moving, inside Sofia's shed.

Stratos had stiffened, head cocked. I could see the sideways gleam of his eyes in the tiny glow of his cigarette.

I said quickly: "What is it?"

"I thought I heard something. Wait."

Colin, I thought wildly, it's Colin . . . but then I saw that fear was making me stupid. If it were indeed Colin, then Stratos would know it, and would certainly not have informed me of the boy's presence in the shed. But if there was someone in the shed, I knew who it would be . . . I didn't even think of Lambis, who might very well have hung around till dusk to start a close search of the village; my mind jumped straight to Mark. There was no reason why I should have been so sure, but, as clearly as if I had heard him speak, I knew he was there, just on the other side of the wall, waiting and listening, and trying, after that one betraying movement, not even to breathe .

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