When one has, as, indeed, have we, discovered an array of multi-coloured threads with varied, interesting textures, there are really only two possible results as the filaments interweave. One is an elegant, useful fabric, maybe a simple gingham or worsted, possibly a bold tartan, a brocade, even a pictorial tapestry. The other is a chaotic maze, a muddled, hopeless scramble.

Perhaps two threads account for the warp of whatever cloth we are trying to weave, for they have, on the whole, progressed straight and true, only on a couple of occasions coming close enough to risk becoming entangled. The old man on The Mountain reveals himself as something of a homespun, strong but soft-coloured, though subject to the occasional slub. The other true thread is silken, finer, lustrous, even golden. Like a silken thread, our accountant reveals himself, perhaps, as being a lot stronger than one might have thought. Yes, not a bad warp: alternating unequal parallels of Eugene and John, in places well-spaced, in others, almost touching.

Of the weft, one thread is dominant. It is consistently glossy and fascinating, but of inconsistent strength, variable girth, unpredictable quality, for it has been spun of motley raw materials, finest wool, perhaps a little silk, even gossamer, cotton of unknown worth, metallic hairs of silver. Too often, however, it reveals the presence of cheap, plastic rubbish, metaphorically not unlike the superficial nonsense so frequently found on television. Our William is a natural 'sport', insecure in his origins, equally so in his intentions. When one doesn't truly know where one has come from, it is very hard to know where one is going.

For the rest, the threads come and go, as befits a cloth of potentially entertaining texture. Sometimes, a pattern may seem to emerge; sometimes, it is randomness that tries to maintain the interest, flecks of sudden colour, strands of unexpected brilliance or coarseness. Yes. We hope we have a glorious, multicoloured tweed speckled with areas of Asiatic brightness incorporating the occasional little mirror or ersatz jewel. On the other hand, perhaps only the original uncoordinated ravel pertains.

It is said that dogs have a memory-span of some six minutes. Don't you believe it! Garbo was fully aware of the length of Egbert's absence which was considerably longer than that. Not that it mattered to her. She considered Sweet-Smell - in human terms, Gerry - to be her 'person' - and would have been most affronted had she perceived the concept of 'mistress', for she understood Sweet-Smell to be totally dependent on her, able to do nothing without her, in fact, only when Hairy-Face was about did Sweet-Smell seem to have much of a life of her own. Otherwise, she went virtually nowhere without Garbo to guide her.

Egbert had phoned the kafenio from Athens to leave a message for Gerry that the flight from London had been delayed and that he and Lester wouldn't be arriving till the evening shuttle. By then, however, it was a bit late. Despite the original arrangement that Egbert and his new friend would get a taxi, Gerry had decided to meet them at the airport and had left the house very early in the morning without Garbo. Garbo was a bit miffed, though not seriously so, for it was very early and, as the car drove away, she simply went back to sleep. Thus, Gerry had been sitting in the arrivals lounge for quite a long time when the aircraft touched down. Of course, Egbert and Lester weren't on it.

It was pretty obvious what had happened. Still, Gerry confirmed her suspicion at the Olympic desk and returned to the car at half-past seven. As she drove away from the airport it occurred to her that, in the absence of Garbo, this would be a good opportunity to do some serious shopping so, when she came to the junction where she would have turned left to go home, she turned right and headed for the big supermarket on the edge of the Town.

The shop hadn't long been open when she got there so it wasn't at all crowded, which contributed to the pleasure of shopping. Usually, she had to cope not only with a crowded shop with long check-out queues, but also with a bored Garbo in the car. In fact, she spent much more time in the supermarket than usual so that, when she approached the check-out, the queues were just as long as ever!

As their holiday approached its half-way point, William and Eugene seemed to be spending less and less time in each other's company. They would leave the house together to go to a beach, install themselves, but then not coincide for a couple of hours. Eugene, of course, was to some extent stuck, and resolved to himself to learn to drive, particularly as it was he rather than William who wandered off.

On the Saturday of their final weekend they were on the nudist beach. The sun was waning and William began to dress ready to leave for the house on The Mountain. Eugene remained naked, lying on his belly, and William said, 'Aren't you getting dressed? It's nearly time we weren't here.'

Eugene turned over and sat up. 'No,' he said. 'I want to stay a bit longer. You go on. I can get a taxi.' He stood up and stretched. 'I've done it before.'

'Please yourself. Want me to take the rucksack?'

'No. I'll bring it.'

'What sort of time will you be back?'

'Don't know. Tell John not to wait supper for me.'

Garbo wasn't sure about the new one. It didn't have a hairy face, but it had a low-pitched voice and a decidedly meaty smell. Still, mostly, it kept out of her way. In turn, Lester was not pleased to meet Garbo. He disliked dogs in general and big, strange ones in particular, and gave her a wide berth, not realising that she was at least as mistrustful of him as he was of her.

At breakfast on the second day, Gerry said, 'Why don't you show Lester around the Island? I'm sure he can think of better things to do than hang around here.'

Lester stirred his coffee. 'Seems unfair to deprive you of the car. I think I'd better hire one.'

'I don't mind. I'd rather walk with Garbo, anyway.'

Egbert said, 'Do you like to swim?'

'Yes, I do, but I didn't bring any trunks. Stupid.'

'I can lend you some. Or there are places where you don't need them anyway.'

So it was that Lester and Egbert came to be on that same nudist beach. Egbert said, 'If you want to swim, I'll stay with the things. It's never been a problem, but I still don't like leaving my money and car keys unguarded.'

So it also was that Lester and Eugene came to be swimming in the same bit of sea a fair distance from where William lay sunbathing with a magazine over his face.

One couldn't say Eugene was swimming exactly, rather he was wallowing, occasionally making enough of a movement to propel himself a little, but mostly simply allowing himself to be carried by the gentle sea. He watched Lester stride into the water and launch himself into a powerful butterfly-stroke. This man was good! William may have beaten him on the running-track those many years before, but in the swimming-pool, Lester left everyone standing, or rather, since it's pretty hard to stand in the deep-end, treading water.

He leapt, plunged, swam for quite a while, and Eugene couldn't take his eyes off him. When at last he climbed back up the steeply-shelved beach, Eugene followed where he went among the dunes. A little later, he, too, came from the water to aim for wherever it was Lester had gone. Lester and Egbert were sunbathing in a deep hollow, and Eugene found them easily, though he was disappointed when he saw there were two of them. Still, he made his first pass with excruciating nonchalance. On his second, he paused where they could see him and stood with his back to them, looking up to The Mountain. Then he turned slowly, shaded his eyes with one hand, and looked out to sea. Egbert said, 'Would you care to join us?'

'He said he'd come home in a taxi. Said not to wait supper. Said he didn't know when he'd be back.' William sat on the edge of the sofa. 'I suppose it's my own fault.'

'Why do things have to be someone's fault? There's always at least one reason for things to happen, but none of them has to be someone's fault. Want a drink?'

'Yes, please. Can I have an ouzo?'

'Of course. I didn't know you liked ouzo.'

'I don't know if I do. I've never tried it before. I've been coming to Greece for years, but I never tried it. I suppose it's because you see people on package tours getting pissed on it.'

'Do you want ice and water?'

'I don't know. Is that a good idea?'

John went into the kitchen and came back with a tumbler full of ice-cubes and a jug of water. 'I think so, if it's your first taste. Those tourists tend to knock it back straight. Fatal mistake.' He put some ice into a glass, covered it with ouzo, and topped it up with water. 'Try that,' he said.

William sipped the drink. 'I don't know,' he said. 'Maybe I'll stick to brandy.'

The telephone rang and John answered it. 'All right,' he said. 'See you later.' He put the instrument down. 'That was Eugene. He said he won't be back tonight.'

Eugene had arranged to meet Egbert and Lester for a meal. Once William was out of sight, he pulled on his shorts, shook out his towel and set off towards the nearest beach-shower. There he showered the sand away as best he could, dried himself, and went to sit on a low wall beside the metalled road, ostensibly so he could dry his feet and put on his shoes and socks. First, though, he looked to see who was about. Almost no-one. He wrapped his towel round him, wriggled from the wet shorts and slid into the light jogging trousers he had in the rucksack. Only then did he deal with his feet and pull on a sweat shirt. He rolled the shorts in the towel and stuffed it into a plastic bag which he stowed away in the rucksack before he set off for the village.

He was at the restaurant where they had arranged to eat quite a while before the appointed time and thought simply to go in and have a drink or so - Dutch, and English courage! - until they arrived. If they arrived. While he had acquired the confidence to accost men on the beach, he wasn't so sure about assignations such as this. Then he saw the card-telephone, went into a shop to buy a card, and joined the queue to use it.

It wasn't a long queue, but people appeared to have so much to say! When his turn came, he inserted the card and dialled the number. He didn't have much to say, and you know what that was. He had, so to speak, burned his boats for he didn't at that time know if he were to be invited to spend a night. Anyway, while the idea hardly appealed to him, it consoled him to think that, with the temperance of the climate, he could, if necessary, sleep on the beach.

He didn't know what sort of car Lester and Egbert would be driving and he didn't take much notice of the four-wheel drive when Egbert parked it. Thus he was sat at a table on the terrace of the restaurant when his new friends arrived.

It surprised old John that William was so relaxed. He had developed something of a taste for ouzo, which probably helped, and his knowledge of matters theatrical rather surprised the old man, but then William had been an albeit-failed Thespian, and he did have a degree in English Literature. They talked a little of Shakespeare, rather more of Sheridan and great deal of Beckett, agreeing on the anomaly of how two Irish eccentrics, one of whom wrote mainly in French, should have become such important figures in the English theatre.

The contents of the ouzo bottle diminished and William said, 'Is that all we've got?'

'There's another one in the kitchen. Tell me more about you. I know you know your theatre and you've read a lot, but I don't know your surname!'

'Colquhoun.' William's surname really was 'Colquhoun', though his middle name wasn't 'St John'. 'Scottish, I suppose. I don't know. I never met my father. He pushed off when I was three weeks old, or so my mother says. My mother was an actress but she stopped when I arrived. She hasn't worked all through my life but she's got plenty of money. She owns a lot of property. I don't know how. I always assumed it was my father, but I don't really know. Anyway, once she had me, that was it. She spent all her time ruining me. When I was a kid, I was terribly fat because her idea of looking after me was keeping me full of junk food and chocolate.'

'I can't imagine you fat.'

'Oh, I was! It wasn't until I realised I was gay that I did something about it. It was bloody hard work, but I did it. When I was thirteen, I was Billy Bunter. When I was fifteen, I won the mile in the school sports.'

Garbo barked perfunctorily when the car drew up. Egbert said, 'Ssh! Shut up, Garbo,' but he needn't have bothered for, despite the presence of two new meaty smells, she went back to her doggy dreams straight away. Gerry was also asleep and, although there was considerable activity in Egbert's room later, was surprised to find another new face at breakfast.

It must have been something after midnight when John said, 'Look, I shall have to sleep. I've got to go to work in the morning.'

'I'm sorry. I'll get out of your way.' William paused at the door. 'Do you need the loo?'

'No. I'm all right. You get some sleep.'

'Can I have a hug?'

'Of course.' They embraced for a few moments. Then William broke away a little, kissed the old man briefly, and said, 'You'd better get to bed. Sleep well. See you in the morning.'

Gerry woke at half-past-six, just as she usually did, expecting Egbert already to be up, just as he usually was. At first, she put his tardiness down to his having been away though, as she filled the kettle, switched it on and organised Garbo's breakfast, it occurred to her that he might not have come home at all after his day out with Lester. Such things had happened before. In truth, it bothered her rather that he would sometimes go out in search of what he referred to as 'trade', which is to say, suitable but promiscuous men in bars or on the beach for probably equally suitable in Egbert's terms and certainly equally promiscuous sex. She opened the kitchen door to be greeted by Garbo, happy to see her, and even happier to see the breakfast, and saw that the car was there.

Eugene closed the door of Egbert's room behind him. 'Hello,' he said. 'You must be Geraldine. I'm Eugene. Friend of Wim's. Excuse me. I really need the loo.' Happily, his hasty departure into the bathroom had prevented Gerry from saying, 'Who the hell's Wim?'

She made herself instant, black, sugarless coffee and was sitting at the table rolling a cigarette when he eventually came out. He said, 'Sorry about that.'

'You know, no-one's called me Geraldine for years. Would you like coffee?'

'Yes please, but I'd prefer tea if you've got any.'

She got up to put the kettle on again. 'Oh yes. We've got plenty of tea. English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Assam.' She opened a cupboard. 'Lapsang Soochong. Oh, and P.G. Tips.'

Eugene laughed lightly. 'P.G. Tips, please. And could I be cheeky and steal a roll-up? Those two don't smoke and I've left my cigarettes in there.'

'Sure. Help yourself.' She made the tea. 'Eg . . . Wim's a passionate non-smoker, but I stand my ground. Milk and sugar?'

'Milk. No sugar, thanks.'

She set the mug before him. 'You're not making a very good job of that roll-up. Shall I do it for you?'

'Yes please. Out of practice. To be honest, I was never very good at it.'

She handed him the cigarette and stood up. 'Well,' she said, 'I'm going to take Garbo for a run. She's been on the chain too long. See you later, I expect.'

Eugene said, 'Yes. I hope so.' However, what he was thinking, as you may have deduced, was, 'So it is Garbo,' but he didn't say so.

As he, old John and Yotta climbed the steps to the kafenio, William said, 'What does it mean? To Vounaki?'

John unlocked the door. 'The Little Mountain,' he said. 'It wasn't my idea, but I think it's a good name.' He switched the coffee machine on, took a cloth from the kitchen, and began to wipe the outside tables.

'You sure you don't mind me staying up here? I wouldn't mind helping.'

'Not at all. It's nice to have company. Let's hope we have enough business to make it worth while having help at hand.'

'Is there anything I can do now?'

'There's a pile of tablecloths inside. I hate them because they're plastic. Still, I suppose they're practical. Could you put them on? Oh, and the clips. They go on diagonally, one clip on each edge. I shall go and make some tea. Want some? Or coffee?'

Garbo took Sweet-Smell for a good, long walk across country, nearly all the way to the place where the land stopped and there was nothing but ferocious water. Sweet-Smell didn't seem to mind the edge of the world and the ferocious water, but Garbo drew the line a couple of chain-lengths away and lay down in the shade of a tree.

Gerry said, 'All right, old girl. You stay there. I shan't be long,' walked away and climbed down the cliff to the little cove where Egbert moored the boat.

Egbert was next to emerge. Eugene still sat at the table, the cold remains of his tea before him. He re-lit the cigarette. The trouble, or advantage, with roll-ups is that they tend to go out. Egbert put the kettle on and said, 'Where's Gerry? Not still in bed?'

'No. She was up when I came out. She's taken the dog for a walk.'

'D'you want tea or coffee?' Egbert called to the remaining member of the company who was still in the bedroom.

'Coffee.' Lester came and sat at the table. 'Black. Two sugars. What shall we do today?'

'I suppose I'll have to get back up The Mountain.' Eugene went into the bedroom and returned with his cigarettes and lit one.

'Why?' Egbert waved the smoke away with his hand and pulled a face.

'It's where I'm staying. With my partner, don't forget.'

'I suppose we could go up there for lunch. You said there's a place to eat.' Lester moved his chair away.

'All right.' Egbert opened the door. 'I used to know the old chap who runs it. But I want to go to a beach first.'

Garbo was fed up. Sweet-Smell seemed to have been missing a long time. Still, she had nothing better to do. If she were at home, she would be doing exactly what she was doing there beneath the tree. She closed her eyes.

The morning at The Little Mountain proved to be quite busy. Not all that long after John and William had opened, a party of hikers arrived wanting breakfast and William found himself carrying baskets of rolls, butter and jam and cups of coffee. He said, 'How d'you manage when you're on your own?'

'They just get served slower.' A car passed and stopped further up the hill. John said, 'I hope they're not going to try to park there. They'll block the road.' In fact, 'they', an elderly English couple, parked sensibly and walked down to the café where they ordered English breakfast which John went to cook.

The lady struck up a conversation with William. 'How long have you worked here?' she said.

'I don't really work here. I'm on holiday at the moment. The chap who runs the kafenion is a friend.' John didn't hear him, of course, but he added, 'I'm thinking of staying, though. Haven't really got much to go home for.'

'What about your family?'

'There's only my mother, and I shouldn't think she's even noticed I'm not there.'

The gentleman said, 'No wife, good-looking chap like you?'

William laughed. 'No, no wife,' he said.

'What about your job?'

'Thoroughly fed up with it. Need a change.'

The lady said, 'What do you do? At home?'

'I'm in television. I know it sounds glamourous, but it isn't. When I started, I suppose it was. Now it's all sorting contracts and arguing with agents.' John called from the kitchen. 'Excuse me. I think your breakfast's ready.' William went inside, then brought out the food. 'Enjoy your meal,' he said.

Garbo opened her eyes and was just as fed up. Sweet-Smell had been gone for a very long time undoubtedly. Still, Garbo had nothing much better to do. Let's face it, if she were at home, she would still be doing more or less the same thing she was doing there beneath the tree. She closed her eyes again.

The English couple called for their bill. John said, 'You go and get it. They'll probably leave a tip,' and William went out to them. The old gentleman paid and did, indeed, refuse the change. As they were leaving, he said, 'If you do go back to England, get in touch with me. I may be able to find you a job you might like a bit better,' and he gave William a card.

'Thank you. I will.' William watched them go back to their car and drive away before he looked at the card. 'W. Angus Colquhoun Productions - television and cinema.'

Egbert also watched. He sat in a hollow in the dunes watching Lester and Eugene for, even though it had been he that wanted a swim before lunch, he hadn't actually been in the water. At last, Eugene came out and ran up the beach to join him. He said, 'Lester's a bloody good swimmer. I don't know how he keeps it up for so long.'

'That's what I thought the first night I spent with him.' Egbert laughed at his own joke. 'Let's go and get something to eat when he comes out.'

'I won't mention the dog. Unless you want me to.'

'What?'

'The dog. Garbo used to be old John's dog, didn't she? Don't worry. He doesn't mind. They never got on and I don't think she liked his little dog either.'

'No. Don't mention the dog.' Egbert didn't look at Eugene when he said it.

Lester came from the sea and strolled back to them. 'I'm hungry,' he said.

Garbo got up, stretched and yawned. Sweet-Smell still hadn't come back. The dog walked round the tree three times, then lay down again, though she didn't close her eyes.

Old John came out to serve them. 'What can I get you?' he said. 'I haven't seen you for a long time, Egbert. I thought you'd left the island.' They ordered salads and beer and the old man went inside to get it.

Eugene said, 'Why did he call you 'Egbert'?'

'Because it's my name. It's common in Holland, but I'm told it sounds old-fashioned in England, so I'm Wim when I'm in London.'

Lester smiled and said, 'What're you called in Athens? What does Naftaki call you?'

'What?'

Eugene said, 'Who's Naftaki?'

'Mutual friend.' Lester eased his chair a little away from the table. 'I wish he'd hurry up with that beer. I'm thirsty,' at which point William brought the drinks. He looked pointedly at Eugene and said, 'I think we ought to talk. When you've had your lunch.'

Garbo could take it no longer. She steeled herself and crept towards the End of the World. For the last little distance, she wriggled flat on her belly. She rested her head on the very edge and, though it made her feel sick, looked down. Sweet-Smell simply wasn't there. She sniffed. No scent. Nothing. She wriggled back a bit, stood up, and loped away towards home.

John brought their food and Eugene said, 'I need to talk to William. Is he inside?'

Although it was an obvious answer to an obvious question, John said, 'Yes. If you want to talk privately, I'll stay out.'

'No. We can go up the road,' and he called to William.

We shall not report the details of their conversation. The upshot was that Eugene wouldn't return to The Mountain and that, if it were all right with John, which it was, he would collect his things then and there and probably see William at the airport.

It is, perhaps, interesting that William didn't recognise Lester, and Lester didn't seem to recognise William.

Garbo came to meet the car as Egbert drove along the track towards the house. He, Lester and Eugene got out, and Garbo bounced about considerably, something she rarely did for Egbert who said, 'What's up with you, dog? Where's Gerry? Why aren't you on the chain?'

Lester went inside and came out immediately. 'She's not here,' he said. 'Gerry isn't here.'

It was quite a lot after six when John locked the door of the café, for there had been late customers. He and William walked down the hill and then climbed the little mountain to the house in silence. Yotta, possibly sensing some matter beyond her cognisance, walked sedately with them. Inside the kitchen, John said, 'So what's going on?'

'He's got someone else.' William sighed. 'I can't honestly say that I care. Maybe it was a mistake to come here together in the first place.'

'Maybe. Lets go on to the balcony and have a drink.'

They each sipped a little ouzo and smoked a cigarette, though they didn't really talk. At last, John said, 'Want something to eat?'

'I'm not very hungry.'

'Neither am I. How about a tuna salad?'

'Don't really fancy fish.' William stubbed out his cigarette.

'Neither do I. It's just that it's quick and it's easy to pick at.'

'No. Let's leave it till later. I'll probably feel hungry later.'

'All right.' The old man got up, went inside, and came back with the ouzo bottle and a jug of iced water. 'D'you want to talk?' he said.

'I don't know. Yes. All right.' William lifted his drink, but didn't take from the glass. 'All right. Can I stay?'

'What?'

'Can I stay? Here?'

'What about your mother? What about your job?'

William became angry. 'Sod my mother! Sod my job! I don't want to go back. I don't want to get involved again.' He took breath. 'Can I stay here? With you?'

'Wow!' The old man swallowed his ouzo much quicker than he would usually have done and poured himself another. 'What can I say?'

'You can say yes. I don't want to go back to contracts and agents. I want to stay here.' He paused again. 'With you.'

We have looked at events through the eyes of Garbo, a dog. Now let us look at the same events through the eyes of Gerry, a person.

"Egbert is back. He's brought a friend with him, an Englishman called, of all names, Lester. I don't trust this man. He smiles too much. Anyway, they went to the beach, and didn't come home till late. I don't know how late because I must have been asleep when they did. Anyway, today, I got up and was confronted by another strange man, young, thin, freckled, who said his name was Eugene. Obviously, he's someone Egbert and Lester picked up on the beach, though he seems all right. I really didn't want to stay with them, so I took Garbo for a walk to the place where Egbert moors the boat in the Winter. I thought I'd go down to my box, where I keep a few bits as an insurance policy, just to check it out. Poor Garbo hates the sea and the cliff. I never knew a dog with vertigo before! Anyway, I checked my box, and it was all right, so I decided to go for a swim. I swam for quite a while, probably so that Egbert and his friends would be out of the way when we got back, but not as long as I'd have liked because I was worried about Garbo. She stayed at the top, and I knew she wouldn't be happy. I came back to the shore and was getting dressed when Hussein's boat came."

'What d'you mean, 'with me'?' John offered William a cigarette.

'What I said. I want to stay with you. All the time.' William lit it.

'But you hardly know me. I hardly know you. What makes you think we'd, well, get on?'

'I think you get on with everyone.'

'That's hardly the basis for a relationship.'

'I'm not hard to get on with and you're not hard to get on with. I like you. I'm not sure I ever did really like Eugene.'

The old man refilled his glass. 'Did he tell you about the first time he came here?'

'Often. I suppose I've lived with that story ever since I met him again. I mean after I met him here.'

'I don't understand. I didn't realise you met him here. He only wrote to me once and that was to ask if you could stay with me when you came for a holiday.'

'Oh, yes. I met him here. On the beach.'

'That would explain something.'

'What?'

'Well, that first time I met him, he was emphatic about coming back, but he never did. I didn't hear from him until that letter.'

'My fault, I suppose. He was completely inexperienced and I enjoyed, well, educating him. But I don't take complete responsibilty. He didn't have to come back for the second lesson!'

John laughed. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I suppose it isn't funny really. I do like you. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to.'

'Why not?'

'Well, Eugene only wrote that one letter and he didn't say much about you, but what he did say was, well, gooey.'

William spluttered on his drink and roared with laughter. 'Gooey? Bloody Hell! What d'you mean by gooey?'

'I'm sorry.'

'Stop being sorry! You haven't got anything to be sorry about. What d'you mean by gooey?'

'Oh, dear! Want a top-up?' The old man poured himself another drink.

'Yes, please. Go on. What d'you mean by gooey?'

John sighed. 'Well, as I said, he didn't say much about you, but the picture I got was sickly-sweet and rather sticky. You know. Gooey.'

William shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'I'm not gooey. Actually, I don't stick easily at all. I suppose that's why it isn't difficult for me to split up with Eugene.' He sipped his drink and smiled. 'Oh, Old Man, I do love you.'

'Exactly.' John lit another cigarette.

'What?'

'Old Man. I am an old man. I'm certainly old enough to be your father. Maybe I'm old enough to be your grandfather. You don't want to be stuck with me.'

'I told you. I don't stick easily.

John was silent for a while. Then, 'All right,' he said. 'Of course you can stay.' He stood up. 'Come on. Let's get to bed. We've got to go to work in the morning.'

"Hussein's is only a little boat, a fishing-boat, not like ours, not fast. Hussein wasn't there. It was a man I don't know. The man said Hussein sent him. He had something for us if I went with him. I asked him why he didn't bring it and he said he couldn't. He said Hussein couldn't be sure I'd be there. I'd have to go with him to get it. I don't really know why, but I did."

Eugene said, 'Shouldn't we go and look for her?'

'Look where? She could have gone anywhere. I'm sure she's all right. Probably in the kafenio. Don't worry.' Egbert got up and took a beer from the fridge. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'Anyone else want a drink?'

'Yes please.' Eugene lit a cigarette.

Lester moved pointedly nearer the open door. 'I'll have a beer,' he said. 'I wish you wouldn't do that.'

'I should think Garbo knows where Gerry is.' Eugene equally pointedly ignored Lester's remark.

Garbo, possibly because she heard her name, began to bark. Egbert said, 'I expect she's hungry. I'll get her supper.'

Lester finished his beer. 'I wouldn't mind something to eat myself,' he said.

John woke first, got up as quietly as he could, and went into the kitchen to open the shutters and put the kettle on. Yotta jumped around him just as she usually did, and he took a handful of dried dogfood to put in her dish. 'Ssh! Don't make a noise,' he said. 'Don't want to wake our visitor yet.' He looked up at the clock. 'Far too early.' He opened the shutters, made himself a cup of tea and went out on to the balcony to drink it and smoke a cigarette. 'We'll give him another hour and they we'll take him a cuppa.' However, he hadn't finished his first tea when William came to the door.

He was naked and he stood in the doorway, stretched, and flexed his body. 'I slept really well,' he said.

John looked at him. 'You're very beautiful,' he said. 'Want some tea? The kettle's not long boiled.'

'I'll do it.' The young man went inside and came back moments later with a mug of tea. He sat at the table. 'Can I have a cigarette?'

'Help yourself. What are you going to do today?'

'Come to work with you.'

'Are you sure? You don't have to.'

'I want to. At least for a few days. You don't mind, do you?'

'Of course not. If today's anything like yesterday, you'll be very useful.'

'Let's hope it is. You might not think it, but I don't like being useless.'

'Why do you say that? You were far from useless yesterday.'

William smiled. 'I suppose gooey people are! Useless, I mean. Want another cup?'

'Yes please. I'm sorry about the 'gooey' bit. I didn't intend to upset you.'

'I'm not upset. I don't think you know how to upset anyone.'

A motorcycle stopped somewhere below. John said, 'That could be Petros and Jeanne. They know I'm up because the shutters are open. You'd better go and put something on.'

When William came back from the bedroom, Jeanne and Petros were sat at the table. He had put on a pair of shorts and his watch, but nothing else, and Jeanne licked her lips. 'Hello!' she said. 'I'm Jeanne. You must be Eugene.'

'No. I'm William. I don't know where Eugene is.'

Petros looked decidedly uncomfortable and John smiled. 'Don't worry Pet,' he said. 'William's still one of us.'

Jeanne laughed lightly. 'Oh, dear!' she said. 'What a waste!'

William said, 'Would you like coffee or something?'

'No, thanks.' Petros still looked uncomfortable. 'We'll have to be getting down to the restaurant. We saw John was up, and we just called to see if everything was all right.'

John said, 'Fine. Everything's fine. In fact, I was so busy yesterday, I'd have been stuck if William hadn't been there.'

Jeanne said, 'Can I steal a cigarette? Is William going to help you for the rest of the Season?'

'We'll see.' William lit the cigarette for her. 'I'll certainly be here, but I might look for a job downstairs.'

Some time after Petros and Jeanne had left, John said, 'Why d'you want to look for a job downstairs?'

'I don't, but I can't expect you to keep me.'

'Why not? I don't mind. As things are, I could do with the help.'

William looked at his watch. 'We'll see,' he said again. 'I think it's time we weren't here. I'll just get a teeshirt.'

Yotta scampered ahead as they walked up the road and was already at her station on the balcony when John came to unlock the door. William said, 'You know that chap who was with Eugene and what's-his-name yesterday? I'm sure I know him.' John had gone into the kitchen, and William called, 'I'll do the outside tables.'

Eugene had left his cigarettes in the kitchen and went make himself a cup of tea and smoke one. Egbert and Lester still slept. Probably hearing someone moving inside, Garbo whined a little so, while he was waiting for the kettle to boil, he opened the door and went out to her. 'I suppose you want your breakfast,' he said. 'I'm not sure what you're supposed to have, but I'll see what I can do.' He picked up the dog's dish, went in to pour boiling water on the teabag he had already put into a mug, and opened the fridge to find the milk. There was an open tin of dogfood, so he took it out and looked for something with which to transfer some of its contents, failed to do so - he was always reluctant to root about in other people's kitchens - and shook out the whole lot. He took the dish outside and set it before the dog. 'There you are,' he said. 'I think that might be enough for you.' Before he had finished his tea, Garbo began to whine again. He went out to her. 'What's the matter?' he said. She had hardly touched the food, and she ran to the extent of her chain, looked at him, barked, and ran back. 'All right,' he said. 'Give me a minute and I'll take you for a walk.

John brought out two mugs of tea. 'What did you say?' he said. 'About that chap with Egbert and Eugene? I couldn't hear you properly.'

'Just that I think I know him. The more I think about it, I'm sure I know him. I'm sure we were at school together.'

'He didn't seem to recognise you.'

William sipped his tea. 'I don't think he may have wanted to recognise me. When he was in the upper-Sixth and I was in the Fifth-form, we had quite a lot of sex.'

John smiled. 'Well,' he said, 'Judging from the company he was in, he hasn't changed his ways.'

Garbo strained at the leash and Eugene said, 'Steady on! You'll have me over, dog.' He stopped. 'I suppose I could let you off. You obviously know where you're going,' but before he could do so, she lunged away, the leather of the leash slipped from his hand, and she ran off. He followed, and she ran back towards him, though, when he approached her, ran off again.

Quite a while later, Egbert and Lester came into the kitchen. Lester said, 'Where's Eugene?'

Egbert opened the door and stepped outside. 'Taken Garbo for a walk I should think. He's given her her breakfast. She hasn't eaten much.' He came back inside. 'Yes,' he said. 'Her leash isn't here. Want coffee?' and he filled the kettle.

Eugene crouched in the doorway panting and clearly shaken, his hands on his knees. 'I've found Gerry,' he said. 'I think she's dead.'

Eugene stood up and closed his eyes. 'I need a drink,' he said. 'Brandy or something. I don't care what it is. Not beer.' He came into the room and sat at the table.

'Sure.' Egbert went to a cupboard and brought out a bottle. 'Here.' He put it in front of Eugene, though he didn't bring a glass.

'What're you going to do?' Eugene sipped a little from the bottle.

'Nothing.' Lester went to the sink, brought three glasses, took the bottle and poured three measures. 'What would be the point?'

'You must do something.' Eugene fumbled for a cigarette.

'Why? If she's dead, we can't bring her back to life.' Uncharacteristically, Lester fetched an ashtray. 'Anyway, you didn't say where she is.'

'Little cove. Couple of miles. Garbo took me.' Eugene lit a cigarette though his hand shook, swallowed the brandy and poured himself some more. 'It's at the bottom of a cliff. Garbo wouldn't go down. I did as soon as I saw her. She's lying face down on the rocks. She isn't breathing. I'm sure. What're you going to do?'

Egbert said, 'I know the place. We can get there in the Jeep.'

'Can you get me a taxi?' Eugene took yet more brandy.

'I don't see how. No phone. Where would you go, anyway?'

'Airport. Flight's early tomorrow morning. I don't mind sitting in the airport. There's a cafe.'

'I can take you, but not yet. I want to see Gerry first.'

'I don't. I'm not coming with you. I don't want to see her. I'm not cut out for this cloak-and-dagger business.'

Lester said, 'Is there a public phone on the way? You could ring for a taxi.'

'Easier to go into the village. It isn't much out of the way. If you go to the kafenio, they'll get a taxi for you.'

When they went out to the car, Garbo wasn't there.

Egbert and Lester simply dropped Eugene and his luggage outside a substantial cafe in the nearest village and drove off. He sat at a table on the terrace and a young man came out to serve him. He ordered brandy in English, then said, 'I'm sorry. I don't speak Greek. Can you get me a taxi? Do you understand?'

'No problem. Why you need taxi?'

'Airport.'

The young man raised his eyebrows. 'What time you must be at airport?'

'Not till 4 tomorrow morning.'

'So is no hurry.' The waiter went inside and was some little time returning. He brought the brandy Eugene had ordered and a mug of black instant coffee, though he also brought a little jug of milk and some packets of sugar on a saucer. He said, 'I bring coffee. I think you already drink much brandy.'

Eugene nodded. 'You're right,' he said, and he put milk into the coffee.

The young man sat down. 'You not like the sex with men?'

'What?' Eugene looked at him sharply.

'I see you with Egbert. I know Egbert. He like the sex with men very much.'

'So do I.' Eugene sighed. 'Very much. But not with those men. Not any more. I just want to go home. To England.'

'If you go to airport soon, you must wait many hours.'

'I don't care. I just want to be . . . away. From them.'

The waiter stood up. He touched Eugene's cheek and said, 'Is better you stay here with me until is time for flight. I take you to airport.'

The young man shook Eugene lightly at 3 the following morning. 'You must get ready,' he said. 'We have coffee and then we go to airport.' He watched Eugene get dressed. 'You have phone in England?'

'Yes.' Eugene rummaged in his wallet. 'I have two, my house and my office.' He gave the waiter a card.

'Number under is your house?'

'Yes.'

'Ah! You live Muswell Hill.'

Despite his desire to get back to England, Eugene was not looking forward to seeing William at the airport. His New Found Friend came into the departure lounge to wait with him while he checked in but then said, 'Sorry, but I must go. Must open kafenio soon. I will phone you.'

'What's your phone number?'

'Not matter now. I will phone you. Not worry. I like you. I will phone.' He shook Eugene's hand a little solemnly and said, 'Goodbye. We will meet again,' and he left.

Eugene went to the kiosk to buy cigarettes, then to the cafe to order coffee and sit at a table to sip it and smoke. The cafe was pretty crowded and it wasn't long before two young men, not much more than boys, came to ask in broad Birmingham accents if he minded their joining him. 'Of course not. There aren't many seats left! Where're you from?' Eugene observed that while one was slender and appealing, the other seemed to be body-builder.

'Hall Green.' It was the slim one who spoke.

'I don't know Birmingham very well. I live in London, but the only flight I could get that fitted my plans was from Birmingham. You had a good holiday?'

'Not half bad.' The boy looked at his companion. 'Haven't we, Love?'

There was no-one left in the queue and the check-in clerk wanted to close the desk . An announcement came over the P.A. 'Will Mr William Coquhoun report to Check-In Desk No. 9. The flight to Birmingham is closing now.'

Mr William Colquhoun, however, did not appear.

You may be wondering about the title of this brief chapter in our saga. The Greek word 'Asomatos' means 'unconfined, pure spirit', though not in the alcoholic sense, of course. It is often used to represent the Archangel Michael and is, from a religious point of view, synonymous with the popular name 'Mihalis'. However, completely literally, the word 'Asomatos' means 'no body' or 'without body'. When Egbert and Lester came to the cove expecting to see Gerry, that is what they found. No body.

John said, 'Shouldn't you tell someone?'

'Tell someone what?' William brought cruets to put on the outside tables.

'Where you are.'

'They know where I am.'

'Yes, but they'll have been expecting you back yesterday. On the same flight as Eugene.'

'He might not have gone back either. Anyway, who's 'they'?'

'Your mother. Work. Eugene.'

'I told you. Sod my mother and sod work. None of them really care a stuff about me.'

'Eugene did.' John debated whether to say 'does' or 'did'.

'Did he? I'm not so sure.'

Eugene found himself on the aeroplane beside the two lads from Hall Green. The one earlier referred to by his companion as 'Love' sat in the middle, and really didn't contribute much to the conversation so that, as soon as the 'Seat Belts' sign had gone off, they changed places, Eugene then being in between and listening to the other boy, who talked a lot. His name was Rodney and he said he had been an 'out' gay since he was twelve. Jim, the other one, hadn't, and he closed his eyes and seemed to sleep, only 'waking up' when the drinks-trolley came round. Rodney whispered, 'Buy one. The next few are on us!' As soon as the hostess had passed, he showed Eugene a miniature bottle such as are sold at a silly price on charter aircraft and said, 'Got a ruck of these in my bag. They never notice!' Thus, Eugene, Rodney and Jim arrived at Birmingham Airport generally pretty merry, though Jim still didn't have much to say and he drank a great deal more than either Rodney or Eugene during the flight, so was fairly somnolent as they waited to collect their luggage. Rodney said, 'How'm you getting back to London?'

'Train, I suppose.'

'Any rush?'

'Not really.'

'Why don't you come home with me? You know!'

'What about Jim?'

'Far as I'm concerned, he can sod off back to his mum's. All muscles and not much whatsit! Bloody waste of time.'

Thus it was that Eugene went into Dothebooks Hall only a day before Gloria had been expecting him. The plan had been that he and William would 'chill out' for a couple of days before going back to work. Holidays always take it out of one, after all! She said, 'Hello! Wasn't expecting you till tomorrow. Nice time? How's William?'

'Mixed. Pretty good on the whole, but I don't know about William. He didn't come back with me.'

Gloria looked serious, even sad. 'Did he . . . you know . . . find someone else?'

'I don't know. I did. Or I thought I did. Now I don't know. How's Andy?'

'Same as ever. Useless! Want a coffee?'

'Yes. No. Oh, go on!' Mr Hall rose before him again. 'Anything interesting come up while I was away?'

Gloria pursed her lips. 'Maybe. Tell you about it when I get back,' and she darted to the door.

Casey met William's mother in the Shopping Centre. (Remember him? William's 'Personal Trainer' and former less-than-occasional bedfellow?) 'Hello, darling,' he crooned. 'Haven't seen you for ages! All right? Not been poorly or anything?' He didn't give Marguerite a chance to reply. 'You're looking great! Haven't seen William for ages either. Not since he took up with what's-his-name, really.'

'Eugene.' Marguerite swallowed. 'Such a nice boy.' She almost bit her tongue. 'They've been on holiday. In Greece. They got back yesterday but I expect they're in London.'

'I expect they are, dear. Anyway, when you see him, tell him I was asking after him. 'Bye for now.' He bounced on his way, wondering almost aloud exactly what 'expect' meant.

Marguerite also wondered what 'expect' meant. She had only found out about her son's holiday by accident when she saw Cindi some days after he left for Greece. She-of-the- 'hairdresser's'-handwriting had prattled on about how lovely the Island must be, and Marguerite had told her that it was, but rather rubbed in the extra information that her own mother had died there. That, however, hadn't stopped William's secretary, and his mother had had to find an excuse to get away from her. Casey at least hadn't presented the same problem. Still, the encounter with him shook her strangely, and she felt impelled to go into the nearest 'suitable' establishment for a couple of gins-and-tonic and several cigarettes.

Gloria stirred her coffee. 'Solly didn't pay, but he brought a lovely bit of salt silverside. One or two cheques did come in. Actually, there was one from William's firm. Cindi rang me a couple of times. Otherwise, there wasn't much. Suppose everyone's started to go on holiday.'

'It's only May. We'll have to chase a few people up. Nothing else?'

'Well, there was an odd one. This Dutch chap came. Wanted a balance done. Wasn't bothered when I said I couldn't certify it. Told him he'd have to wait till you came back.'

'Give him a ring. Tell him I'm back now.'

'Funny, really. Strange looking bloke. Looked like Buddha.'

'What?'

'The Dutch chap. Looked like Buddha.' Gloria steeled herself. 'He paid. Cash.' She went to the safe. 'I told him the usual rate, and he paid. Cash up front. Two thousand quid. I gave him a receipt, but he didn't seem bothered about it.' She dropped the wad of notes on the desk.

'Can't be bad. Still, you'd better phone him.'

'Can't. He's gone away. Holland, he said. Didn't leave a number. Bit fishy if you ask me. Said he'd shut his shop here. Jeweller's in Holloway.'

'What did he call himself?'

'Van Stamp. Wim van Stamp. Queerest thing was he left all his receipts and stuff here. They're in the safe.' Gloria brought the file and put it on the desk on top of the money.

Eugene's mouth dried. 'Did you give him a receipt for them?'

'Couldn't. Wanted to, but he dashed off. Said it didn't matter.'

'Good.' He glanced in the folder. 'Shred them,' he said. 'All.'

'D'you remember that old English couple? Had breakfast?' There were no customers in the kafenio and William came to sit by the old man on the balcony.

John smiled. 'A lot of old English couples have breakfast. Want a cig.?'

William took one. 'You must remember,' he said. 'It was the first morning I was here. They gave me a decent tip. You said they would. He left his card. Said I should get in touch with him if I wanted a new job in England.'

Eugene was lying back in his chair with his eyes closed when Gloria came in to say she was going home. 'Just a minute,' he said, and he gave her a wad of banknotes. 'That's for you. Half for you and half for me. Use it for your holiday.'

'What?' Gloria frowned.

'You heard. It's half of Mr van Stamp's two thousand. Don't worry. Just enjoy.'

'What about the copy-receipt?'

'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'

'Suppose he turns up?'

'I told you. Don't worry. He won't.'

People came to the kafenio in a pretty steady stream so it was well into the afternoon when John was able to say, 'What about the old Englishman? The one who gave you his card?'

William sat down and took a cigarette. He lit it and sighed. 'Well,' he said. 'I think he might be my father.'

When Egbert and Lester returned to the house, Garbo was still missing. Egbert said, 'I wish I knew where that dog had gone.'

'Personally, I couldn't care less. I didn't like her, and she didn't like me.'

'Yes, but I don't like to think she's up to no good. I don't want any trouble with the locals. Or the police.'

Lester laughed. 'You don't want any trouble with the police? That's funny!' He went into the house. 'Is there any of that brandy left?'

Egbert followed him. 'I think so,' he said, 'But if there isn't, I've got another bottle.'

'Aren't you worried about Eugene saying something?'

This time, Egbert laughed. 'Not at all,' he said. 'I've paid him off already.' He poured the last of the brandy into two glasses.

Yotta yapped incessantly. John, who was actually already awake, put on his glasses and peered at the clock beside the bed. 6.30. Yotta continued to yap, and he got up and went into the kitchen to see what the matter was. He opened the shutters and saw Jeanne and Petros parking the motorbike so he went back to the bedroom to pull on his shorts and returned to the kitchen to fill the kettle, switch it on and be standing in the open doorway as they came up the path. William, despite all the activity and Yotta's noise, didn't appeared to stir.

Jeanne said, 'Sorry to disturb you so early, but we've got a problem.'

'Want a coffee?'

'No. Thanks.' Petros rubbed his forehead. 'We haven't got time. My mother went into the hospital last night. She has to have an operation. My brother's there now. I think I'll have to shut the shop downstairs. Can you make me a notice? I don't know how long she'll be in the hospital. She had a lot of pain.'

'I'll have to come down. I haven't got a piece of board to do a notice here.'

William, who had been awake all the time and had overheard what was going on, came into the kitchen. 'I don't see why you have to shut the shop. Will you be there, Jeanne?'

'I can be.'

Petros said, 'Yes, but she can't manage on her own. Not downstairs.'

'So why doesn't John go down to cook?' William made two mugs of tea. 'I can manage perfectly well up here. If people want something I can't cope with, I can explain.'

John said, 'That sounds like a fair idea. If you don't mind, William.'

'Of course not.'

'I don't know. It doesn't seem fair. On you.' Petros looked doubtful.

Jeanne said, 'Well I think it's the best way. Definitely. We can go down now so I can get the shop ready and you can go to the hospital. Then John can come down when he's ready. No-one ever comes in before nine really.

Petros sucked his lips. 'Are you sure you can manage, William?'

'Of course. I'll have Yotta if I need and extra pair of paws!'

Garbo wanted to avoid the house. She knew she could cope with him-who-smells-of-distant-chicken, but not the other one, for she had watched them from a safe distance, and she made her way along the top of the cliff, careful not to get too close, until it dropped down into a valley where there were people cooking meat on a barbecue in a little place where the ferocious water seemed at bit at bay. She mooched around the people, trying to engratiate herself, and someone threw her a bone.

It was half-past-two when John drove up to 'The Little Mountain'. William and Yotta were sitting on the balcony. William said, 'All right?'

'Yes. I suppose so. Stelios, Petros' brother, came back. He said it isn't as bad as they thought. She strained herself lifting something she shouldn't have. They're always telling her not to, but how do you tell a Greek mother?'

William smiled. 'I don't know. How do you tell a Greek mother?'

'I don't know either! Anyway, Stelios says they'll be all right tonight. I'm glad of that. I wasn't looking forward to cooking till midnight. Everything O.K. here?'

'No problem. I've really enjoyed it. If I could raise the cash, I think I'd buy a bar here.'

'Not so easy. Anyway, if you don't mind, they want us to repeat the procedure tomorrow.'

'I told you. I really enjoyed it. I think it has something to do with being my own boss, or maybe it's because I couldn't smoke so much!' William lit a cigarette.

'Have you thought any more about that man? The one who might be your father?'

'Not really. Haven't had time. Do you ever think about your father?'

John shook his head. 'No. My father died so long ago, I can hardly remember who he was.'

'I think that may be better than never having known.'

'Hasn't your mother ever talked about him?'

'No. Never. I suppose it's my fault because I've never asked. My grandmother never talked about him either, but then I suppose she probably never met him. He can't have been around for very long. I think I might write to him. The man. W. Angus Colquhoun, I mean. I think I might tell him a bit about myself and see what happens.'

Some walkers came and John got up. 'I'll see to them,' he said. 'You finish your cigarette.'

Egbert said, 'It seems strange that we never met before. I mean, I knew about you from the Company, but I didn't know what you looked like. They said it wasn't necessary. I don't know what'll happen if they find out we've met.'

'Nothing. It wasn't a coincidence. Mind you, when I found you, it was hard to recognise you from the photographs they gave me. You had hair and a beard.'

'I'd have thought they'd have given you one of my passport pictures.'

'Even the Company has its shortcomings. What did you mean when you said you'd paid Eugene off?'

'Exactly that. It was an accident. I just picked a small firm of accountants. That's what they told me to do. I had to find out when the principal was going to be away, which turned out to be quite a bit earlier than I'd expected, take the accounts in and have a balance-sheet made up, collect it and pay in cash. Then, a couple of weeks later I had to say I was going to Holland, dump the file with them for safe keeping, and leave. That was supposed to be it, but then I met you.'

'How did you know he'd be here?'

'I didn't. I knew he was going to Greece with his boyfriend, but I didn't know exactly where. It was pure coincidence.'

'You're sure it's same man?'

'Certain. I watched him for quite a while. Once he'd gone, I gave it a couple of days, and did the rest of the business. My contact told me when he was going.'

Lester looked at him sharply. 'What contact? Does the Company know?'

'No. Neither does the contact. Women talk a lot. She works in a coffee-and-beigel shop near his office.'

That evening, it was William who shut up the café and he made as if to walk down the hill. John said, 'I've got the car. Don't you want a lift?'

'I'd forgotten.'

The old man parked in his usual place below the house. Yotta leapt out of the window and rushed up the steep path yapping wildly. He said, 'Oh dear! Looks like we got visitors. I could do without. I was looking forward to a drink and a fag, a shower, and then another drink and fag before supper. Not that I've thought about what we're going to have.'

They climbed the rocky steps and, as they came in full sight of the house, saw Garbo sitting like a dog at her old station in the garden as if she were chained up.

The following morning, Lester asked Egbert to take him into the nearest place where he could hire a car. Egbert said, 'What d'you want to do that for? What's wrong with my car?'

'Nothing. Nothing, but I'd like to be a bit independent. It isn't good for us to be seen together all the time.'

'Please yourself.'

The car having been hired, Egbert went back to the house. There were, after all, things he ought to be doing, like cleaning floors and using the washing-machine and, now Gerry wasn't there, although they had had a very even partnership, everything was up to him, and he was fussy about the state of the house. Thus, when Lester came back in the early evening, the place was completely spick-and-span and supper was in the oven.

Lester had brought a bottle of red wine, and he said, 'I hope it goes with supper.'

Egbert looked at the bottle. 'Yes, fine. I made a stew. Didn't know when you'd be back,' he said, though he thought, 'Didn't know if you'd be back.'

'Let's have a drink, then.'

'I could do with one. Been on the go all day.' He swallowed the contents of the glass almost in one, shuddered, and passed out.

William felt particularly exhilarated. It had been busy in the little kafenio, but he had coped, indeed, he hadn't had to 'explain' to anyone. John came about three and said that Petros' mother was to come out of hospital the next day, but that he would have to be down at the restaurant again. William said, 'I don't mind at all. It'll be nice working with you again, but I haven't minded being on my own.'

Lester put on thin surgical gloves before he dragged the somnolent Egbert into the front passenger seat of the Jeep and strapped him in. Then he followed the route he remembered to the little cove where Eugene found, or thought he had found, Gerry's body. There he stopped the car close to the edge of the cliff and set the handbrake, though he left the engine running. He unstrapped Egbert, got out, and manoeurvred him into the driver's seat. He released the handbrake and climbed from the passenger door. At first, the car didn't move, so he pushed it, though not hard. It started to roll, and he began to walk away across the fields in the early evening light. He hadn't gone very far when he heard the explosion.

After supper, William took out a cigarette. 'I think I shall stop smoking,' he said. 'It says on the packet, 'Tobacco seriously damages your health'.'

'Your Greek's coming on!'

'It says it on English cigarette packets, so I suppose that's what it says in Greek.'

John smiled. 'Yes, it does. But I always think, 'Life seriously damages your health'.'

'I like that.'

They sat for quite a while in silence till William said, 'You know, I was thinking today. About Eugene. The change in him. I can't understand how he became . . .' He searched for a word. 'Depraved so quickly.'

John shook his head. 'Oh, no,' he said. 'No-one ever suddenly becomes depraved.'

You may be wondering what happened to Gloria and Andy's holiday and, since any suspense such obscurity may engender in our reader has not been part of our intention, we shall tell you. It was, naturally, a great success and included, at Eugene's suggestion, a visit to John and William on The Mountain, in fact several visits on the days on which Andy hired a car. However, most of their daytimes were spent by or in the swimming-pool of their hotel and their evenings in several of the music-bars of the Town, after which they repaired to bed where they remained well into the morning.

The result of all this was that, some few weeks after their return to England and work, Gloria announced to Eugene that she was pregnant. He said, 'So are you going to become Mrs Pratt?'

'Suppose I'll have to. Can't have the little bleeder without a surname, and Pratt's a bit better than Mudd.

The 'little bleeder' turned out to be a boy and was named William Eugene Clarence, somewhat to the annoyance of Andy's mother, for Clarence was Gloria's father's name..

William Eugene Clarence Pratt is quite a name to conjure with, but, to let you into a future secret, when he grew up, he dropped the 'Pratt' and became simply Bill Clarence. He developed into a very successful . . . Well, that's another story.