He stood up. It was time for me to leave. I asked if I could have copies of some of his speeches. A Personal Assistant was instructed to take me to the Office of Information.
I asked for tapes.
Later that day two envelopes were delivered to the rest-house. In one there was a number of Mr Tuakana’s speeches translated into English. A covering note from the Information Officer explained that there were no taped recordings of the speeches available in a language I would understand.
The second envelope contained the promised invitations to a reception by Chief Tebuke later in the week.
I had nothing more to do on Placid. There was a plane leaving the following day. With my wife’s agreement, I answered the invitation with an apologetic letter explaining that we were expected back in Suva and much regretted our inability to attend the reception.
Firman’s Mr Williamson cannot, in my opinion, be described as able.
He is not even a good liar.
Melanie finished reading the Commentary in a state of high excitement.
‘If you still have those company accounts,’ she said, ‘this is a wonderful gift that Krom has sent you.’
Bedtime on the Island had usually been nine-thirty; but that night, with Melanie smoking to keep the insects at bay, we sat up later.
‘It’s not only a gift,’ I said, ‘it’s a gift horse with a mouth I’m looking into. Oh yes, I have those company accounts all right. I had them all microfilmed in Hong Kong at the time. Mat’s accounts were very good, but not to anyone who’d been trained to read figures by Carlo. The only thing I could never discover was the name of the suckers using his nominees. Now, we have the name — Fidelity Lion. No wonder the Australians were treading on Mat’s tail.’
Doubts assailed her. ‘It’s several years ago now. What about statutes of limitations?’
‘With our knowledge we could get him in trouble any time we wanted, and he’ll know it.’
‘The uncrowned king of Placid?’
‘Especially the uncrowned King of Placid. He’s totally vulnerable. There’d be no more topsoil for a man suspected of fraud. No more anything else. All we do is what Professor Krom did in Brussels. We leave copies of all the evidence in sealed envelopes to be opened in case of either of our sudden deaths, particularly if my sudden death looked like a suicide. Then, we just tell Mat. Perfect!’
‘If it’s perfect, why aren’t you happier?’
‘Because along with the gift, there comes a disturbing message. Krom has finally confirmed beyond doubt the truth of something that I have resolutely denied. He is telling me again that I have been Number One all the time. The Number One anarchist!’
‘Why should that disturb you?’
‘It’s a lie.’
‘You’ve had too much to drink, Paul.’
‘Very likely. They say there’s no taste in vodka. There is in this vodka. There’s a taste of scorched paint.’
She filled her own glass again. ‘Bid you really say it?’
‘What?’
‘That thing about always failing the people who loved you.’
‘I may have said something to that effect. I was wallowing in self-pity at the time. Even so, Mat’s version sounds a bit mawkish to me.’
When Melanie thinks hard, her lower jaw droops a little, giving her a hangdog look. She had it now.
‘Failing people who loved me is something I have never done,’ she said after a while.
‘Good for you.’
‘Not good at all.’ Her mouth resumed its normal shape. ‘I have always been the one who loved.’
‘Oh.’
She disposed of the subject firmly. ‘Food, that’s the important thing.’ She emptied her glass again and banged it down on the table. ‘I must tell you, Paul, that I shall think a lot tonight about food. About the good food I’m going to have away from here.’
‘Yes. Yes, so shall I..’
I did.
I thought of good food, cold days and decent glasses of wine.