Dennis Wheatley - The White Witch of the South Seas

`Interesting, anyhow,' he replied with a smile. On the way back he had been considering whether he should tell her about the Ratu James' sunken galleon. Obviously the fewer people who knew about the possibility of its containing gold the better; but if he did finance the venture he would be going to the South Seas, and Manon lived there. He was thoroughly enjoying their affaire, and to have a charming mistress within easy flying distance of the operation would provide him with delightful relaxation during the time that must elapse while preparations were being made and, later, during periods when rough weather made diving impossible. So he had decided to take her into his confidence.

To begin with, as she listened, her face remained grave and intent. Then, when he told her of his intention of going to Tujoa, she exclaimed with delight, `To have you come to the South Seas would fulfil my dearest wish. The islands are unbelievably lovely and you must stay with me in my home. No matter what the gossips may say, I will willingly sacrifice my reputation for you.'

`Darling, how sweet of you,' he replied. `I'm greatly tempted to accept if we could find a way to get over that. No doubt I could hire a motor yacht, lie off your island and let it be thought that I was sleeping aboard. But once we've got the apparatus for the job, I fear my visits would be for only a day or two now and then, as I'll have to spend most of my time on Tujoa.'

At that she frowned, then said rather diffidently, `It’s not my business, of course, but do you think it really wise to sink a lot of money in such a speculative venture? The Pacific is littered with sunken galleons and for generations past any number of people have attempted to recover treasure from them. But I've never heard of anyone bringing up more than a few odd coins and things like weapons and bits of armour. That can be fun if it entails no more than skin diving; but you say you'll need pontoons with big cranes, and that sort of thing means a considerable capital investment.'

Admiring her French shrewdness, he nodded. `You're right about that, my sweet; and, as a matter of fact, I'm not going into this thing until I have found out a bit more about the prospects of getting a fair return for my money. In a few days' time I mean to fly to Seville and consult the records of the Council of the Indies. With luck, I'll learn from them what cargo this ship was carrying.'

She made a little moue. `So you mean to desert me so soon. How horrid of you.'

`Only temporarily. I'll be back inside a week.'

Leaning forward, Manon said earnestly, 'Cheri, why waste your time and money in this way? The odds are enormous against your succeeding where so many other people have failed. This poor young Ratu is building castles in the clouds. It would be much kinder to refrain from encouraging his hopes now rather than allow him to be grievously disappointed later. Put this foolish business out of your mind and, instead, come to stay with me in Fiji.'

Gregory took her hand and kissed it. 'My love, you are most persuasive, and you are probably right that I should be an ass to go further with the matter. But I feel I owe it to young James not to back out until I have a valid excuse for doing so. I mean to book a passage to Spain tomorrow morning. You will stay on here until my return, and if I learn when I get back that you have been hitting it up with some other chap I'll smack your lovely bottom until it's purple.'

She laughed uproariously. `What fun? You certainly tempt me to. That sort of beating puts fire into a girl. The following morning your legs would give under you. But seriously, cheri, have no thoughts but nice ones about me. As I have told you, I am not a woman who takes lovers after only a

short acquaintance.'

`Except myself,' Gregory grinned, kissing her hand again.

Nevertheless, he was not destined to go to Spain. On the following day they had both been invited to lunch with the Wellesleys. Knowing that anything he confided to them would go no further, Gregory told them about Ratu James and the quest for treasure which he was thinking of financing.

Hugo reinforced Manon's opinion that there was small hope of recovering a large quantity of gold from any galleon sunk in the Pacific. Then he went on

`Anyhow, I don't think you need go to Seville to find out what your chances are. In the old days the whole of Spanish South America was ruled from Antigua, in what is now Guatemala, by a Captain General. The city was destroyed by a terrible earthquake in 1773, but it was rebuilt some twenty years later. If your ship was not sunk until the 1790s, or thereabouts, the records of the cargo it carried are certain to be in Antigua.'

Manon clapped her hands. `How splendid! From here to Fiji the quickest route is up to Mexico City, then on by QANTAS, and Guatemala is on the way. We would go so far together, Gregory. That would be most pleasant.' She did not add that she hoped he would accompany her for the rest of her journey, but he realised the implication and smiled at her.

Next day Gregory telephoned James to tell him what he intended to do, and it was agreed that the Ratu should accompany them to Guatemala. On Wednesday the three of them left in a VARIG aircraft for Lima. It was the first time that Gregory had crossed the Andes and, peering down through the cloudless atmosphere, he was fascinated by the extraordinary barrenness of the lofty mountains and desolate valleys. He would have liked to stop off at Lima and spend a few days going up to Cuzco, the thirteen thousand foot high capital of the Incas, to see the ruins there, composed of twenty ton blocks of stone, reminiscent of the Mycean civilisation in pre Hellenic Greece; but now was not the time to do so.

They spent the night a few miles outside the modern Peruvian capital, at a delightful Country Club, with acres of tropical gardens, three swimming pools and every other civilised amenity.

On Thursday they did the short trip to Panama, again by the Brazilian line VARIG, which Gregory found put many other lines to shame. Instead of the horrid little vinegary kickshaws offered before a meal by most of them VARIG gave its passengers slices of genuine pate de foie gras, cold crawfish and a big tin of caviare in which to dip. The wines were from first class European vineyards, the meals excellent, the service impeccable; and the line prided itself on arriving on time. '

They could have gone on to Guatemala the same day, but Gregory wanted to see the Panama Canal; so they had engaged rooms at the `Siesta' Airport Hotel. The heat was terrific and humming birds zoomed over them as they bathed that afternoon in the palm shaded hotel pool. But the rooms were air conditioned and their twenty mile drive the following morning to Panama City and the Canal Zone was a most interesting expedition.

Late in the afternoon they flew on to Guatemala and it was already dark when they landed. Antigua, the old capital, lay twenty five miles inland and five thousand feet above sea level. A hired car took them up gradient after gradient and, looking back from an ever greater height, for a long while they could see the lights of Guatemala City spread below them like a fairyland.

For the rest of the way the car roared along an almost deserted road between banks of now black forest or high bushes. Overhead, the night sky looked like a blue black ribbon on which were floating thousands of bright stars.

The main building of the hotel appeared to have once been a spacious, one storey, Colonial mansion; but there were no bedrooms in it. These,, again one storey buildings, were set in blocks of four round a two acre garden. As they were led to their rooms, they approached an oval swimming pool. Beyond it, over the garden wall, there reared up the ruins of a once lofty church which, as they were floodlit, formed a lovely backdrop to the scene.