`I… I feel that I'm letting both of you down,’ James stammered. `But I just can't help myself. I don't want to die.'
`Die!' Gregory snapped angrily. `Just because an old witch doctor has performed some mumbo jumbo? What nonsense
'It's not nonsense. Valentim is far from being the only man that I've known to die as the result of a curse.' `Were any of the others white men?'
`No'
`Did any of them die suddenly, as the result of a heart attack or, apparently, an accident?
'Well, no. They just sickened and died.'
`There you are, then. This was no case of a man gradually losing vitality, then dying because he knew that a curse had been put upon him… De Carvalho was murdered killed in cold blood while perfectly fit and with all his faculties an entirely different matter.'
Gregory had not previously disclosed to Manon that he knew de Carvalho to have been murdered; so she gave a gasp of simulated surprise, as James retorted swiftly.
`That is neither here nor there. The fact remains that he met his end on the day of the full moon just as the White Witch had decreed.'
`I don't believe for one moment that she had anything to do with it. You know perfectly well that we had already agreed that, sooner or later, Lacost would do de Carvalho in. That he killed him on the day he did is pure coincidence.'
,You may think so, but I don't. And I know much more about what goes on in these islands than you do. In Europe and the United States people may no longer believe in the Black Art, but Draunikau still works here in the South Seas.'
`I am not contesting that, but of one thing I am certain: it can affect only people who are afraid of it.'
`All right, then,' James gave a sullen shrug. `There you have the truth of the matter. I am backing out because I am afraid.'
`Oh, James!' Olinda exclaimed reproachfully. `You mustn't say that. I'm sure you are not a coward.'
He turned sad eyes to her. `I don't think I am in a physical sense, but I am about this.'
`I won't believe it,' she protested. `It is quite understandable that the natives in these islands should still be affected by magic and curses; but you are an educated man, so should be capable of resisting that sort of thing.'
`I would have expected more sympathy from you, Olinda,' he murmured with evident distress. 'After all, magical practices are an everyday occurrence in Brazil. They call it Macumba there, don't they, and nearly everyone goes in fear of the Macumba priests.'
`The ignorant masses do, and plenty of other weak minded superstitious people. But not those of the class to which I belong. That is, provided they lead normal lives and have sane, well balanced brains. Only fools would deny the existence of occult powers, but that does not mean that one should allow oneself to become dominated by them.'
`I'm not. In the ordinary way I never give a thought to such things.'
`Then, for God's sake, stop doing so now,' Gregory put in. `All you have to do is to exercise a little will power. Keep your mind on normal things and ignore this other business.'
`That's right.' Olinda backed him up. `I entirely agree with everything Gregory has said. If you allow your primitive instincts to get the upper hand, and start imagining things, evil people with occult powers can do what they like with you. But if you treat them as if they don't exist they can't possibly do you any harm.'
`You really believe that?' James asked hesitantly. `Indeed I do.'
For a moment they were silent, then Gregory said, 'Now listen, James. Surely you are sufficiently sophisticated to appreciate that the human brain is like a wireless set, and can be tuned in to many wave lengths. If you are stupid enough, and stubborn enough, to keep thinking of the awful things
that, with the aid of the White Witch, Roboumo might possibly do to you, that will be giving them a chance to pull off something pretty nasty. But if you have the guts to switch to another wave length their curses will prove as futile as stones thrown against a brick wall.'
James looked miserably from Gregory to Olinda and back again. `That's all very well; and you may be right. But nothing will convince me that Valentim's death was not due to the White Witch's curse. And if we go on with this business she'll curse us and we'll die too, so how can I stop thinking of that?'
`If you can't ignore it, James, fight it.' Olinda spoke with great earnestness. `It is either that, or to go on thinking about it, but with defiance not in fear. If you don't you will fall undue her evil influence for ever, and she will ruin your whole life.'
`But I have no occult power, so how can I defy the White Witch?'
`Everyone has occult power. What you mean is that you have never attempted to use yours.' Olinda paused for a moment, then went on. `I am not suggesting that without prolonged instruction and training you could perform any great magic’s. But the exertion of will power to influence others is in itself an occult phenomenon. You also seem to have forgotten that these people are your subjects, and that they are in rebellion against you. As a Ratu and a ruling Prince, it is no less than your duty to pit your will against theirs and subdue them.'
`If only I could,' James moaned. `But I can't! I can't! They would get the better of it and inflict on me some horrible death. I just haven't the courage to challenge them. It's too much to ask.'
`Then you are a coward, and not fit to rule.' Olinda sadly shook her head. Her voice became almost a wail as she added, `I'd never have believed it. How terribly I have let myself be misled.' Suddenly she burst into tears and ran from the saloon.
James started after her,, then, utterly stricken, collapsed on the settee and buried his face in his hands. His great shoulders began to heave and tears trickled between his fingers.
Manon had remained a silent observer throughout this unhappy scene. Gregory now signed to her to leave the cabin. Much relieved that James had not been persuaded to alter his mind, she was inwardly smiling, but before going up on deck she gave Gregory one of those expressive French grimaces in which raised eyebrows and down turned mouth portray both puzzlement and sympathy.
As soon as she had gone, Gregory laid a hand on James' shoulder and said, `Don't take Olinda’s outburst too badly. When she has had a little time to think things over I'm sure she'll come round and understand your point of view.'
`No!' sobbed James. `No, I'm sure she won't. She meant what she said about being disappointed in me. I love her so dearly, and now I've lost her love. Oh, this is terrible… terrible.'
In spite of what Gregory had said, he thought the odds were that James was right. At a loss for words to console him, he sat down on the settee and began vaguely to philosophise, in the hope of distracting his young friend's attention from his grief.
`If a man lived to be as old as Methuselah he could still not count on predicting every time what a woman's reaction to an act of his would be. That is because each one is an individual, with a different upbringing, past experience, background, morals, instincts and so on. But there are certain general principles that apply to most. Flattery in moderation never fails to go down well and, of course, generosity. Honesty, earnestness and endeavour they may respect, but they would far rather have a man who makes them laugh. Their attitude towards courage is illogical. They admire a man for his past deeds of valour, but if he wants to go out and fight again they do their utmost to restrain him. On the other hand, should he be faced with a challenge and refuse it, they send him straight to the bottom of the class.'
James suddenly looked up and said bitterly, `That's where Olinda has sent me, and I've got to get back to the top. I've got to. But how am I going to do it.
`My dear boy, with tine best will in the world I can't give you any answer to that one, except to change your mind about facing up to this curse unless..