“What for?”
“To ask after friends and to get my things.”
“There’ll be darned few messages passing after this.”
“Well, what are we to do, then?”
“What did the cat do?”
“I don’t know. What did he do?”
“He went back, when he couldn’t stay no longer.”
“The Consuls will help us get our things,” a man said.
“The Consuls, hell,” another answered. “We’ll not see a stick nor stitch of anything we had. This land is going to have the bust-up that’s been preparing for years. It will be a year before it’s settled. Perhaps a year after that we may be allowed in again to settle our businesses. Thank God, I saw a little of this coming.”
By this time they were at the Mole, where Hi had landed with such hopes a fortnight before. The water was gleaming over the lower steps. Some men were standing under the Mole light: some soldiers came to attention there as the party drew near.