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rack and placing it before her. 'Yet it is Miranda you are thinking of?'
'And her mother. You forget that there are two people who are at this
moment out of their minds. And even Pam might be worried--'
'Not she!' came the derisive interruption. 'That girl's concerned with Number
One only and always will be.'
'Counting her out, then, there are still Mrs Mad- dison and her other
daughter.'
'Both of whom deserve to suffer,' he returned indifferently. 'I shall not make
you any promises as to when I'll send the Halcyone back or even say for
certain that I will send it back. I might decide to let your friend stay on
Jscarte until someone rescues her.'
'That might be months!'
'So it might.' Charon eyed his toast with maddening deliberation before
adding, 'Now what would I have done in those circumstances? I believe I'd
ljave lighted a fire up on the highest point yes, that would be the most
practical thing to do, and if she's any sense she'll do it without delay.'
'The highest point? How can she get up there?'
'Climb,' he said briefly.
Sarah gave a small sigh.
'You know as well as I that no woman could get up to the top of one of those
rugged heights.'
'What about you?' And without affording her the chance of replying he
added, a confident ring to his voice, 'You'd manage it without too much
difficulty.'
'I don't wish for your flattery, Mr Drakos!' she snapped.
'Charon,' he said quietly. 'Let me hear you say it, Sarah.'
'I can't!'
'Nonsense! Say it.'
She shook her head.
'You have no right to expect me to call you ... anything other than Mr
Drakos.'
The glimmer of an amused smile caught his lips.
'You almost said it, didn't you? As to rights I have the rights of a lover,
Sarah,' he told her with a firm implacable tone to his voice. 'You're my
property now.'
She looked down at her plate, her appetite gone. But she ate the meal,
knowing he would once again assert his authority and make her eat it. He
spoke, softly, ordering her to use his Christian name. She could have
screamed with frustration at her helplessness as, forced to obey him, she did
as she was told.
'That's better,' he applauded. 'After all, when you're lying in my arms you
can scarcely say "good night, Mr Drakos", can you?' he added with a laugh.
'I shall not be saying good night at all!'
The black eyes kindled.
'You'll do as I bid you. If I wish you to say good night to me then you will do
just that.'
'I've finished my breakfast,' she snapped. 'Do you mind if I go to my
bedroom?'
'Not at all. I might join you in a few minutes.'
'Join?' she faltered, her face losing its colour. 'The--the yacht. Won't you
b-be needed to help sail it?'
Charon's mouth twitched.
'My men are making a most satisfactory job of sailing it at the moment, don't
you think?'
Sarah moistened her lips.
'Er ... yes ... yes.' She had been on the verge of rising from her chair, but she
settled down again. 'I think I'll have another piece of toast,' she decided, and
Charon obligingly held out the rack to her, a trace of mocking amusement in
his glance.
'Afraid- of my company, eh? Sarah, my girl, you're going to have to get used
to it.' He paused in order to allow her to speak, but she remained silent. 'Last
night you were saved, but I shouldn't think that could happen again.'
The yacht was moving smoothly over the water; islands came and went,
some of them recognised by Sarah although she had never visited them. And
the morning moved on too, with Charon spending some of his time in a
small saloon which, he informed Sarah, was private. She could use the main
saloon, or sunbathe on deck. At other times Charon would be seen talking in
Greek to one or both of his men. Watching him, seeing him in profile
sometimes, Sarah found herself wondering what kind of man he really was;
she speculated on his business, on his home, his leisure. She had already
guessed his age at about thirty-three or four, and it surprised her that he was
not married, since Greeks liked to boast of their children, especially their
sons. Females were of secondary importance; in the poorer families they
often lived fetched lives, tending the sheep, working in the fields or
orchards, toiling in the home. And in between all this, they often bore a child
each year. In the Deep Mani life in the past was overshadowed for both
men and women by the blood-feuds, traces of which still remained,
evidence of the pagan way in which the people lived.
It suddenly occurred to Sarah, for no particular reason that she could see,
that the Deep Mani was a strange place for Charon Drakos to reside. With
his wealth, and the sophistication of which his yacht afforded ample
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