“But what about the Major—”
He said patiently: “You don’t understand. It’s all part of my plan, see? The Major is the big thing here and he’s got a birthday coming up next month. Well, the way I put it to Amy, we’ll fix him up with a yacht as a birthday present, see? And, of course, when it’s all fixed up and ready to lift anchor—”
I said doubtfully: “That’s the hard way, Vern. Why couldn’t we just sort of get steam up and take off?”
He shook his head. “That is the hard way. This way we get all the help and supplies we need, understand?”
I shrugged. That was the way it was, so what was the use of arguing?
But there was one thing more on my mind. I said: “How come Amy’s so interested in making the Major happy?”
Vern chortled. “Jealous, eh?”
“I asked a question!”
“Calm down, boy. It’s just that he’s in charge of things here so naturally she wants to keep in good with him.”
I scowled. “I keep hearing stories about how the Major’s chief interest in life is women. You sure she isn’t ambitious to be one of them?”