Dennis Wheatley - The White Witch of the South Seas

`Well,' she asked, `where do we go from here?'

Gregory remained thoughtful for a moment, then he said, `We have to put ourselves in Lacost's shoes to make any likely guess at what he will do. It really depends on how much value he sets on obtaining a licence. James and I were prepared to go ahead without one, because the Maria Amalia having been sunk before Tujoa became a French possession, he could claim that he had inherited the right to the treasure trove as part of his ancestor's estate, and an international court might well have given a decision in his favour. But Lacost can claim no such right; so to make off with it would amount to an act equivalent to piracy, and for the rest of their lives he and his pals would be wanted criminals.

`He left a message to the effect that he now regarded Olinda as his partner, and expected her to follow him as soon as she could to Tujoa. No doubt when he left the message he was hoping that she would do so; then, covered by her legal authority, he could have salvaged the gold and later devised some way of swindling her out of her share of it.

`But he did not then know that James and I had reappeared on the scene. I don't suppose he does yet, but he will within a few hours because, to have sabotaged the engines of this yacht, he must have some contact with one of her crew; and the fact that we have turned up will alter his whole thinking.

`He must know about James having attacked de Carvalho in Noumea and possibly knows, or anyhow may suspect, the real reason for that namely, that you two are in love. In any case, he will learn that the three of us are together in this yacht and on the most friendly terms. That will lead him to assume that, when Olinda arrives in Tujoa, James and I will be with her and that we will prevent him from getting the gold up under the legal cover of being her representative or, if having the lead on us he has already got some of it up, swindling her out of any part of it.'

`You have raised a point there,' James put in. `He has got the start on us, and a good one. For one thing, he knows that this yacht is still out of action and may remain so for some days. For another, we have not yet secured any divers and can't procure them on Tujoa. If he sails at once and the weather proves favourable, he might scoop the pool and make off with it before we could get there.'

`That would entail defying Elboeuf and becoming a fugitive from the French Government.'

`If the haul is as large as we have reason to anticipate, he might think it worth it. To hunt for a handful of men among the innumerable islands of the South Pacific would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. If they lie up on one of the uninhabited ones that has water, and make do for a couple of years on wild pig, fruit and fish, it is very unlikely that they would be discovered; then they could separate and each unload his share of the spoil in a different country.'

`That is possible, but I don't see men of their kind having the patience to wait two years for the sort of life they hope to lead on their ill gotten gains. It is a certainty they would quarrel. After a month or two some of them would plot to murder those who were in favour of sticking it out, get a double share of the loot and gamble on being able to evade the police when they got back to civilisation. Lacost is clever enough to realise the danger of rushing his fences. He would be all for continuing to lie doggo, so it would be him and anyone who stood by him that the others would murder. He must realise the risk he would run of having a mutiny on his hands or being knifed on a dark night. That is why I think he may be prepared to go to any lengths to make his operation legal. And the only way he can do that is to put Olinda out of the way. With her death the licence would lapse. Neither James nor I can return to Noumea; so he'd have a free field, go there, get a licence, pay the tax on the treasure and sail off with it, having nothing to fear:

James' face took on a worried frown. `Then you think Olinda is still in danger?'

'It's quite possible that she is. Lacost may send the Pigalle off on a cruise, but remain on here himself hoping to find some way of having a crack at her. But if she stays aboard her yacht I don't think he will stand much chance of doing her any harm.'

Olinda smiled. `If you will both remain as my guests I'm sure I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep.'

`Thanks! Thanks!' James accepted eagerly. `I was going to ask if I might stay. Just… just in case…'

Gregory, not relishing the idea of having to play gooseberry and conscious that his presence would put a damper on much of their enjoyment at being together again, replied

`Thank you, Senhora, but I feel sure that James is capable of taking care of you, and there are certain things I want to do in Suva; so it would be more convenient for me to live ashore. I think I will go back to the Grand Pacific.'

James and Olinda both refrained from pressing Gregory to alter his decision. Then James asked, not very enthusiastically, `How about the future? What ought our next move to be?'

Gregory took his time about replying, then he said, 'Lacost may stay on here for a few days, in the hope of eliminating Olinda; but he may equally well do as he said he would sail for Tujoa right away even when he knows that he now has no chance of getting hold of the treasure legally. So, in spite of the fact that we now have the law on our side, we mustn't give him too great a lead say five or six days.'

`We came here to get divers,' James remarked. `We wouldn't be able to get them together in so short a time. We can't get them on Tujoa, and we can do nothing without them. All we can do is to confront Lacost when we reach Tujoa and stall him off. And we dare not leave him there with a free hand long enough for us to return here and get divers, so it would result in a stalemate.'

`We don't have to get divers,' Gregory smiled. `That is why I suggested that we should give Lacost the best part of a week's start. We will let his divers do the job for us. Then we'll turn up unexpectedly and pounce.'

`That sounds all right,' James agreed, a shade dubiously, `but when we get to the point of pouncing what do we pounce with?

'Now we have the licence we can row in with old Elboeuf, whose job it is to see that no one gets hold of the gold illegally and to collect the Government's ten per cent. With his gendarmes and the support of your body guard which you will remember you promised him in such a situation we should have no great difficulty in overcoming half a dozen Colons and taking the treasure from them.'

`Say they have not got it up when we arrive there?' Gregory shrugged. `Providing we don't give them long enough both to get it up and get away with it, we don't have to worry. With the help of Elboeuf gendarmes we'll put Lacost and Co. out of business, then take over his divers. Our man Baker will do the job of directing them.'

There seemed no more to be said. James and Gregory had another long drink while Olinda changed into the only dark coat and skirt she had on board and draped a black scarf over her head. They then went ashore Olinda, escorted by James, to buy a ready made mourning outfit and arrange for Masses to be said for her husband's soul; Gregory to the Grand Pacific.

By then it was a quarter to two. Gregory felt very tired, but not particularly hungry. In the restaurant he made a quick meal off a few giant prawns, then had a bath, went to bed and immediately fell asleep.

Four hours later he woke, feeling both easy in his mind at the turn events had taken, and much refreshed. Putting on his bathing shorts and robe he went down to the garden for an evening dip. Now that May was only a week away it was considerably cooler than when he had been in Suva towards the end of January; but the sun still shone from a bright blue sky and it was as warm as one of those rare, really good days in an English summer. No one was in the pool but several people were scattered about the garden, sunbathing.