Philip Caveney - The Tarantula Stone

The Tarantula Stone

Philip Caveney

This is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Harper An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2015

First published in 1985 by Granada Publishing

Copyright © Philip Caveney 1985

Philip Caveney asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design layout © HarperCollins Publishers 2015 Cover photographs ©

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books

Ebook Edition © MAY 2015 ISBN: 9780008127992

Version: 2015-04-16

For Rachel …

who doesn’t like adventure stories

I am aware that the cruzeiro did not actually become the currency of Brazil until 5 October 1942; but in the interests of the story, I deemed it advisable to disregard this fact. A change of currency seemed an unnecessary complication in an otherwise straightforward tale, which is, after all, intended as a celebration of a time when the world was not yet inextricably bound up with lengths of red tape. I trust that the purists among you will forgive this minor presumption.

Cover

Title Page The Tarantula Stone Philip Caveney

Copyright Copyright Copyright Dedication Author’s Note Part One: The Last Flight Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Part Two: Before the Rains Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Part Three: Downriver Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Epilogue Keep Reading About the Author By Philip Caveney About the Publisher This is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Harper An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF www.harpercollins.co.uk Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2015 First published in 1985 by Granada Publishing Copyright © Philip Caveney 1985 Philip Caveney asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work Cover design layout © HarperCollins Publishers 2015 Cover photographs © A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books Ebook Edition © MAY 2015 ISBN: 9780008127992 Version: 2015-04-16

Dedication Dedication Dedication Author’s Note Part One: The Last Flight Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Part Two: Before the Rains Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Part Three: Downriver Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Epilogue Keep Reading About the Author By Philip Caveney About the Publisher For Rachel … who doesn’t like adventure stories

Author’s Note Author’s Note Author’s Note Part One: The Last Flight Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Part Two: Before the Rains Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Part Three: Downriver Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Epilogue Keep Reading About the Author By Philip Caveney About the Publisher I am aware that the cruzeiro did not actually become the currency of Brazil until 5 October 1942; but in the interests of the story, I deemed it advisable to disregard this fact. A change of currency seemed an unnecessary complication in an otherwise straightforward tale, which is, after all, intended as a celebration of a time when the world was not yet inextricably bound up with lengths of red tape. I trust that the purists among you will forgive this minor presumption.

Part One: The Last Flight

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Part Two: Before the Rains

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Part Three: Downriver

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Keep Reading

About the Author

By Philip Caveney

About the Publisher

The backstreet bar was very nearly empty. Mark Austin settled himself onto a vacant stool at the counter and ordered cachaça . The bar-man, a dark-skinned young caboclo , brought him the drink and then left him to consume it in peace. Beyond the open doorway of the bar, the streets of Rio shimmered in the afternoon heat-haze.

Austin sighed. The cachaça was unpleasantly warm and within moments a fine film of sweat had moistened his face, neck and armpits. He was still not sure what he was doing here; looking for a little reality perhaps. The fancy main-street bars and cafés had none of the qualities he was seeking. That was for the tourists, a category to which he liked to think he did not belong. Here, there was only grime and squalor, but at least that was more honest; and it was in places like this that he tended to pick up his stock in trade. He gazed slowly around at the interior of the bar, noting the rusted tin tables, the mottled fly-blown mirrors; and then that the other occupant of the bar was looking at him curiously.