“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. But he’s extraordinarily useful to us just at present. I don’t know what we should do without him. Then they would want us to give evidence, and you don’t know what the Egyptian courts are for delay—and worse things.”
“But what is it all about? For the Lord’s sake, man, tell me straight what’s happened.”
“I was just going to. It seems he’s wanted by the Egyptian police, and they have traced him on to the Astarte, and have warrants out for him all over the place. They might put the ship under arrest, and that would simply ruin us. We’ve got to get him back to Egypt, sir. We can get rid of him there, and we cannot get rid of him any nearer home.”
There was an air of finality in his tone which warned me I must try to preserve my dignity, even if bereft of my liberty.
“I think this is a matter that ought to be discussed between all three of us,” I said. “Do you mind if I send Hassan to ask my brother to join us?”
“Not at all. I’ll go myself,” said Welfare with an air of intense relief.
For the time being the thought uppermost in my mind was the anxiety of Bates and Mrs. Rattray at my absence. I had not been long enough away, nor far enough, for the home foreground to recede.
Edmund came in, looking, to my surprise, more cheerful and jollier than he had done for a long time.
“Well,” he said, “I suppose Welfare’s broken it to you? Ah! I see you’ve been drinking to the cruise! I’ll join you. Hassan, get another glass. I’m really jolly glad, old man, you’re coming. You will simply love the Mediterranean.”
“It seems to me,” I said, with a sincere attempt at austerity, “that I am being taken to the Mediterranean against my will, in order to help a criminal to elude justice.”