“I apologise, Josette. It shan’t happen again. Are you sure you are warm? You wouldn’t like a drink?” He wanted to get away now. He knew what he must do and was impatient to do it before he could begin to think.
But she took his arm again. “No, it is all right. I am not angry and I am not cold. If we go up on the top deck you can kiss me to show that we are friends again. Soon I must go back to José. I said that I would only be a few minutes.”
Half an hour later he went down to his cabin, took off his coat and went to look for the steward. He found him busy with a mop and bucket in the lavatories.
“Signore?”
“I promised to lend Signor Kuvetli a book. What is the number of his cabin?”
“Three, signore.”
Graham walked back to cabin number three and stood for a moment hesitating. Perhaps he should think again before he did anything decisive, anything for which he might be sorry later. Perhaps it would be better if he left it until the morning. Perhaps …
He set his teeth, raised his hand and knocked on the door.
CHAPTER NINE
Mr. Kuvetli opened the door.
He was wearing an old red wool dressing gown over a flannel night-shirt and his fringe of grey hair stood out from the sides of his head in ringlets. He had a book in his hand and looked as if he had been lying in his bunk reading. He stared at Graham blankly for a moment, then his smile returned.
“Mr. Graham! Is very good to see you. What can I do, please?”
At the sight of him, Graham’s heart sank. It was to this grubby little man with a stupid smile that he was proposing to commit his safety. But it was too late to turn back now. He said: “I wonder if I could have a talk with you, Mr. Kuvetli.”
Mr. Kuvetli blinked a little shiftily. “Talk? Oh, yes. Come in, please.”
Graham stepped into the cabin. It was as small as his own and very stuffy.
Mr. Kuvetli smoothed out the blankets on his bunk. “Please take seat.”
Graham sat down and opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Kuvetli forestalled him.
“Cigarette, please, Mr. Graham?”
“Thank you.” He took a cigarette. “I had a visit from Herr Professor Haller earlier this evening,” he added; and then, remembering that the bulkheads were thin, glanced at them.
Mr. Kuvetli struck a match and held it out. “Herr Professor Haller is very interesting man, eh?” He lit Graham’s cigarette and his own and blew the match out. “Cabins on both sides empty,” he remarked.
“Then …”
“Please,” interrupted Mr. Kuvetli, “will you allow me to speak French? My English is not very good, eh? Your French is very good. We understand better each.”
“By all means.”
“Now, then, we can talk easily.” Mr. Kuvetli sat down beside him on the bunk. “Monsieur Graham, I was going to introduce myself to you to-morrow. Now, Monsieur Moeller has saved me the trouble, I think. You know that I am not a tobacco merchant, eh?”
“According to Moeller you are a Turkish agent acting under Colonel Haki’s orders. Is that so?”
“Yes, that is so. I will be truthful. I am surprised that you have not discovered me before this. When the Frenchman asked me what firm I belonged to I had to say Pazar and Co., because I had given that name to you. Unfortunately, the firm of Pazar and Co. does not exist. Naturally he was puzzled. I was able to prevent him from asking more questions then, but I expected him to discuss it with you later.” The smile had gone and with it the bright-eyed stupidity which, for Graham, had been the tobacco merchant. In its place was a firm determined mouth, and a pair of steady brown eyes which surveyed him with something very like good-humoured contempt. “He did not discuss it.”
“And you did not suspect that I was avoiding his questions?” He shrugged. “One always takes unnecessary precautions. People are so much more trusting than one supposes.”
“Why should I suspect?” Graham demanded irritably. “What I cannot understand is why you did not approach me as soon as you knew that Banat was on the ship. I suppose,” he added spitefully, “that you do know that Banat is on the ship?”
“Yes, I know,” said Mr. Kuvetli airily. “I did not approach you for three reasons.” He held up podgy fingers. “Colonel Haki instructed me in the first place that your attitude to his efforts to protect you were unsympathetic and that unless it became necessary I would do better to remain unknown to you. Secondly, Colonel Haki has a low opinion of your ability to conceal your feelings and considered that if I wished to keep my true identity secret I had better not tell you of it.”
Graham was scarlet. “And what about the third reason?”
“Thirdly,” continued Mr. Kuvetli serenely, “I wished to see what Banat and Moeller would do. You tell me that Moeller has talked to you. Excellent. I would like to hear what he had to say.”
Graham was angry now. “Before I waste my time doing that,” he said coldly, “supposing you show me your credentials. So far I have only Moeller’s word and your own that you are a Turkish agent. I’ve already made some silly mistakes on this trip. I don’t intend to make any more.”
To his surprise, Mr. Kuvetli grinned. “I am pleased to see that you are in such excellent spirits, Monsieur Graham. I was getting a little worried about you this evening. In this sort of situation, whisky does more harm to the nerves than good. Excuse me, please.” He turned to his jacket hanging on the hook behind the door and produced from the pocket of it a letter which he handed to Graham. “That was given to me by Colonel Haki to give to you. I think you will find it satisfactory.”
Graham looked at it. It was an ordinary letter of introduction written in French on notepaper embossed with the title and address of the Turkish Ministry of the Interior. It was addressed to him personally and signed “Zia Haki.” He put it in his pocket. “Yes, Monsieur Kuvetli, it is quite satisfactory. I must apologise for doubting your word.”
“It was correct of you to do so,” said Mr. Kuvetli primly. “And now, Monsieur, tell me about Moeller. I am afraid Banat’s appearance on the ship must have been a shock to you. I felt guilty about keeping you ashore in Athens. But it was for the best. As to Moeller …”
Graham looked at him quickly. “Wait a minute! Do you mean to say that you knew Banat was coming aboard? Do you mean that you hung about in Athens asking all those fool questions solely in order to prevent my finding out before we sailed that Banat was on board?”
Mr. Kuvetli looked sheepish. “It was necessary. You must see …”
“Of all the damned …!” began Graham violently.
“One moment, please,” said Mr. Kuvetli sharply. “I have said that it was necessary. At Çanakkale I received a telegram from Colonel Haki saying that Banat had left Turkey, that it was possible that he might try to join the ship at the Piræus and …”
“You knew that! And yet …”
“Please, Monsieur! I will continue. Colonel Haki added that I was to keep you here on the ship. That was intelligent. On the ship nothing could happen to you. Banat might have been going to the Piræus for the purpose of frightening you on to the land, where very unpleasant things could happen to you. Wait, please! I went to Athens with you partly to see that you were not attacked while you were ashore and partly so that if Banat did join the ship, you would not see him until we had sailed.”
“But why, in the name of goodness, didn’t Colonel Haki arrest Banat or at least delay him until it was too late for him to reach the ship?”
“Because Banat would certainly have been replaced. We know all about Banat. A strange Monsieur Mavrodopoulos would have been a new problem.”
“But you say that Banat’s, or, rather, Moeller’s idea might have been to scare me off the boat. Banat could not know that I knew him?”
“You told Colonel Haki that Banat was pointed out to you in Le Jockey Cabaret. Banat was watching you then. He would probably know that you had noticed him. He is not an amateur. You see Colonel Haki’s point of view? If they were hoping to drive you on to the land and kill you there, it would be better for them to attempt to do so and fail than for the attempt to be frustrated in time for them to make other arrangements. As it happens, however,” he went on cheerfully, “their intention was not to drive you on to the land and my precautions were wasted. Banat did join the ship, but he stayed in his cabin until the pilot had been taken off.”