Sweet Enchantress Read online

  “Very well then,” Edie said. “Ask for Sheik Ibrahim ben Kaddour. He arranged to meet us here.”

  Zaria turned to the Arab watching them from the doorway. He too was nervous, she thought, and guessed, although she was not certain, that he was not of much importance.

  “The American gentlemen are asking when Sheik Ibrahim ben Kaddour is to delight them with his presence,” she said in Arabic.

  She was relieved to find that, although she had not used the language for so long, the phraseology and the words she required came easily to her tongue.

  To her surprise the man seemed almost startled at her words. Bowing politely, with his eyes shifting from side to side, he hurried away.

  “Perhaps he’s gone to find him,” Edie said.

  “Who is the Sheik?” Zaria enquired.

  “You mind your own business,” Edie snapped and then added, as if the thought had suddenly struck him, “Everything that goes on here is of the utmost secrecy, you realise that? Mr. Virdon is paying you for your loyalty. You are not to breathe a word to anyone of what you hear or what is said. Is that understood?”

  Instead of being frightened Zaria merely felt rebellious at the way he was speaking to her.

  Yet she was almost astonished to hear her voice so defiant and firm as she said,

  “Loyalty is not a thing that can be bought. At the same time I should not think of discussing Mr. Virdon’s private affairs with anyone so long as I am in his employ.”

  To her utter astonishment Edie crumpled up.

  “See here, Zaria. We’re friends, you know that. We don’t want no trouble, any of us, isn’t that right, Corny?”

  “I think Zaria is being very helpful,” Mr. Virdon said in his quiet manner. “You jumped down her throat, Edie, when she asked you a simple question and nobody cares for that sort of thing.”

  “O.K. I apologise,” Edie said hastily.

  There were footsteps and then, through another entrance to the room that had been hidden by a curtain, an Arab entered.

  They all turned to face him and Edie sprang to his feet.

  “Sheik Ibrahim?” he enquired eagerly, but the man shook his head.

  He was young and rather good-looking. His golden skin was an effective contrast to his white robes and black burnous. His eyes had that strange alert brilliance that Zaria had noticed before that was so characteristic of the Arabs who lived in the desert.

  “My cousin very sad, unable come,” the newcomer said slowly in broken English.

  “Let’s get down to business,” Edie said sharply. “I want to see your cousin, Sheik Ibrahim. He promised to meet us as soon as we arrived. Why is he not here?”

  “My cousin send greetings, but, him not enter town, not safe!”

  “But, that’s ridiculous!” Edie exploded. “Unless, of course, you are going to manage his business for him.”

  “No business, without cousin,” the Arab answered.

  He stood there smiling as if he found the situation amusing and Zaria suddenly had the feeling that he was playing a game, that he was matching his wits against Edie’s and, as far as she could make out, winning.

  “This is no time for playing about,” Edie said angrily. “I insist that the Sheik meets me immediately or else the goods we have brought him go back to America.”

  The Arab looked puzzled.

  “Please, I not understand.”

  Zaria translated the words quickly. She hesitated for a moment over the word ‘goods’, wondering if the Arab would understand. But it was obvious from the expression on his face that it meant more to him than her.

  “My cousin very pleased you come,” he said. “But everything difficult, very difficult.”

  “Ask him what he suggests then,” Edie said impatiently to Zaria.

  She put the question to the Arab and it struck her that this was what he had been waiting for.

  “My cousin suggest you come, Tipasa,” he said. “Plenty places dig there, very interesting. Very fine new Temple. Bring goods with you.”

  Edie’s eyes narrowed.

  “Tell him I may be a fool,” he said to Zaria, “but I’m not such a damned fool as that.”

  Zaria looked at him helplessly.

  “I cannot translate that,” she said. “Besides, it sounds rather rude.”

  “I mean to be rude,” Edie answered. “Now tell him to get this straight. We don’t move out of this town until the proper arrangements are made. He’ll know what I mean.”

  Zaria repeated his words. The Arab bowed his head almost as if he was defeated and then he said,

  “I tell my cousin. You come tonight, Salem’s House, see dancing girls. You get message there. Not safe, come here.”

  “O.K!” Edie said. “But tell the Sheik if he doesn’t want what I have brought, there are plenty of other people who will take them. He’s not the only pebble on the beach.”

  “Please, I not understand.”

  Again Zaria translated Edie’s words but much more politely. Again the Arab bowed and she had the impression that he was enjoying this exchange of wits and that things had gone exactly as he had expected they would.

  “And now let’s get out of here,” Edie urged.

  He turned towards the door they had come through.

  “No, go other way,” the Arab said. “We very careful. Perhaps Police and soldiers watch!”

  He made a signal to the Arab who had originally shown them into the room and the man led the way through the curtained aperture through which the Sheik’s cousin had entered and down a narrow twisting passage into a courtyard.

  Here there was a door in the wall and almost before they knew what was happening they had passed through it and it was closed behind them.

  Zaria saw ahead the closely packed crowd and the brightly coloured booths.

  Neither Edie nor Mr. Virdon said anything until they had all managed to extricate themselves from the jostling mob and emerged into one of the main streets of the town.

  Then they hailed a taxi and, getting in, told the driver to take them to the Port.

  “Phew!” Mr. Virdon took off his yachting cap and wiped his brow. “It was hot in there.”

  “Damned waste of time,” Edie said angrily. “Dragging us all that way to tell us precisely nothing.”

  “I am afraid you will always find the Arabs are like that,” Zaria explained. “They seldom come to the point and would not think of doing business the first time they meet you.”

  “You’d think the damned fools would be only too eager – ’ Edie began.

  Then he seemed to remember that Zaria was present and stopped abruptly.

  “O.K!” he said. “We’ll go to this place tonight. If Sheik Ibrahim isn’t there, I’ll take the roof off.”

  Mr. Virdon suddenly bent forward and closed the glass window behind the taxi driver’s back.

  “I’ve an idea it would be wiser not to mention names,” he urged.

  “The Sheik you are seeking may have quite a wide reputation in the town. Would it not be wiser to find out something about him?” Zaria asked.

  Edie turned on her at once.

  “Will you shut up?” he said. “You’re here to translate what we want to say, not to make suggestions. And remember, you’re not to mention anything that’s happened to anyone and that includes that young man of yours.”

  “You can trust Chuck,” Zaria answered. “He is also working for Mr. Virdon, as I am.”

  “Not as far as I’m concerned,” Edie answered. “So we’re trusting you and you’re not to tell him nothing.”

  Zaria wanted to argue, but the taxi was already pulling up at the quay. They climbed out and the sailor on duty at the gangway saluted smartly.

  “Mr. Jacobetti back?” Edie enquired.

  “Yes, sir, he’s in the Saloon.”

  Edie turned immediately towards the Saloon and Zaria followed him.

  She wanted to see Chuck. She wanted him with a sudden longing that told her that whatever was
happening, however dramatic or eventful things might be, part of her mind was with him, thinking of him and loving him.

  She knew now with a sudden constriction of her heart that she was half afraid that he would not be there. Supposing something had happened to him?

  Supposing they had ‘dealt’ with him?

  It sounded so ridiculous and dramatic and yet she was afraid of Edie – afraid of both him and Victor Jacobetti. She had a feeling that neither of them would stop at anything that interfered with their plans.

  But Chuck was sitting in the Saloon beside Victor.

  As Edie entered, he rose slowly to his feet.

  “Well, we’ve ordered all the stuff,” Victor answered. “It’s going to cost a pretty penny. I can tell you that. We insisted on having the very best, it will be cheaper in the end.”

  Edie turned to Chuck and said,

  “I want to speak to Victor alone. Can you and Zaria make yourselves scarce? You’ve an office to sit in.”

  “But, of course,” Chuck answered easily. “I apologise if we seem to be in the way.”

  “And there’s one more thing,” Edie said. “Neither of you is to go ashore without my permission. Is that clear?”

  “Absolutely!” Chuck replied sarcastically.

  And then, taking Zaria by the arm, he led her outside the door of the Saloon and shut it behind them.

  “Come down below,” he said, leading the way, but when she would have gone towards the office, he shook his head.

  “Too dangerous,” he whispered. “Let’s go into your cabin. That’s safe, as far as I know.”

  She did as he suggested and he shut the door behind them and then had a quick look round as if in search of microphones.

  “They can’t be listening, can they?” Zaria asked. “It’s been such an extraordinary morning. I must tell you – ”

  She stopped suddenly.

  “What’s the matter?” Chuck asked.

  “Edie told me I wasn’t to tell you anything,” Zaria said. “I had almost forgotten.”

  Chuck took her hand and led her across to the bed. They sat on it side by side.

  “Listen,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t think you owe these people much. To begin with they haven’t paid you any salary yet. Secondly I don’t think they are the sort of people for whom you should be worrying. Virdon’s the best of them, but that’s not saying much. If you ask me we’re in a bit of a spot – both of us.”

  “Why don’t we go to the Police?” Zaria asked.

  “If you really consider it, what have we got to say?” he answered. “That we think our employers are a bit peculiar, that they’re certainly not what one could call ladies and gentlemen in any language and that they are running round the town trying to contact some Sheik or other.”

  “How do you know that?” Zaria asked. “I didn’t tell you.”

  “No, I put two and two together with a little bit of information I got out of Kate.”

  “I still think it would be better to tell the Police that we’re suspicious,” Zaria said. “And, anyway they could tell us about Sheik Ibrahim ben Kaddour.”

  She felt Chuck stiffen.

  “Ben Kaddour! Did you say Kaddour?” he asked.

  “Oh dear! I suppose I ought not to have said it,” Zaria answered. “But you did seem to know, even though I had not told you.”

  “I didn’t know his name,” Chuck said.

  He gave a little whistle.

  “So that’s who their contact is, is it? This begins to be interesting.”

  “Don’t keep me in ignorance,” Zaria begged him.

  “What’s the plan? When are they going to see him?” Chuck asked quickly.

  “Tonight I think,” Zaria answered. “Edie has been told to go to Salem’s House. The Sheik is supposed to meet him there.”

  “I bet you a thousand dollars to a dime he doesn’t turn up,” Chuck answered. “Well, it will be interesting to see what happens.”

  “Shall we be allowed to go?” Zaria asked. “We are to be kept prisoners here apparently.”

  “I’ll find a way out somehow,” Chuck answered. “Incidentally I can swim quite well.”

  “You won’t go away and leave me all alone?” Zaria asked anxiously.

  He took both her hands in his.

  “Shall I promise you something?” he said. “I will never leave you alone, not for long at any rate. And that’s rather an important promise, if you but knew it.”

  “It’s all I want to hear,” she said with a sigh of relief. “I am not frightened of these people when you are with me.

  “So that’s why you want me, is it?” Chuck asked. “A strong armed nursemaid! Is that the only reason?”

  She turned her head away from him. If only she could tell him the truth, she thought. If only she could tell him there were a thousand and one reasons why she wanted him and why every moment she was with him was a sheer delight.

  “You are so vulnerable, aren’t you?” he said quietly and unexpectedly. “You ought to have someone permanently looking after you.”

  “That’s not very easy,” she answered. “You see, I am all alone in the world now.”

  “No relatives?” he enquired.

  “None that I know of,” she answered.

  “So that if you disappeared nobody would worry,” he said reflectively. “For Heaven’s sake don’t tell Edie that.”

  She looked at him wide-eyed.

  “What are you suggesting?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he said. “But don’t volunteer information to that gang up above.”

  “I’ve no intention of telling them anything,” she answered.

  “Dear little Zaria!” he said softly. “You are so small and so fragile. If I touched you, I would be half afraid of breaking you and yet I have the feeling that inside you are very brave – braver, perhaps, than anyone else I know.”

  Zaria saw that he had pulled off his dark glasses and was looking down at her with a tenderness that she had never imagined possible in anyone’s face.

  The cabin was very quiet. There was only the soft lap of water against the sides of the yacht and far away in the distance the bustle and turmoil of the quay. A ship hooted far away out to sea.

  There was no other sound to break the sudden stillness that came between them.

  Zaria’s eyes met Chuck’s.

  She had a sudden feeling that this moment was momentous. She drew in her breath. She felt some flame within herself leap into being.

  There was something in Chuck’s cool, grey eyes that held her spellbound so that she could not escape from him.

  She had the tingling awareness that he might kiss her and yet there was almost no need for physical contact.

  They were so close that they were fused, one with the other.

  They were together.

  Then, just as she would have taken a step towards him, just as she knew that in one split second she would have been in his arms and his lips on hers, a noise and a turmoil broke out above them.

  There was Madame Bertin shouting for Edie. There were heavy footsteps thumping across the deck, there was a slamming of doors and sudden uproar of voices raised in anger.

  The spell was broken.

  Suddenly shy Zaria turned towards the cabin door and without a word Chuck opened it for her and they passed through it.

  Outside in the passage they listened to the altercation above. Madame Bertin’s voice, shrill and strident, came to their ears.

  “It’s disgraceful! Vous êtes un imbécile! A fool! A crook! How dare you suggest that I should accommodate myself in such a place?”

  “When thieves fall out, wise men come into their own,” Chuck whispered against Zaria’s ear and then he suddenly stiffened and Zaria beside him stared.

  A few yards down the passage the door of his cabin was open and standing by the dressing table were two French Gendarmes staring into an open drawer.

  They glanced up swiftly, saw Chuck and Zaria, an
d instantly one of senior rank, stepped forward.

  “You are Monsieur Tanner?” he enquired in French.

  “I am,” Chuck answered tersely in the same language.

  Zaria realised that he was as puzzled as she was as to why the Police were here.

  The cabin had obviously been ransacked. Clothes were scattered everywhere, the wardrobe doors were open and the bedclothes turned back. But it was easy to see what was engrossing the Gendarmes – a narrow, thin box filled with cigarettes and beneath it two others exactly the same.

  “What do you have there?” Chuck enquired.

  The Gendarme spoke almost before he had finished his sentence.

  “These, monsieur, are, I think, your property. We must therefore arrest you for being in charge of dangerous drugs.”

  “Dangerous drugs!” Chuck repeated in almost a dazed manner and the Gendarme answered,

  “I need not explain to you, monsieur, that marijuana cigarettes are not permitted to enter this country.”

  “I don’t know – ” Chuck began, only to be interrupted by a voice from behind him.

  Both he and Zaria turned round.

  Edie was standing in the doorway and, as usual, he had approached them silently in his rubber-soled shoes.

  “I’m sorry, Tanner,” he said in English. “But I’m afraid I could not allow Mr. Virdon’s yacht to be used as a cover for your nefarious trade. As I have explained to the Officers, dope carrying is something from which Mr. Virdon and myself shrink in horror.”

  “But – but there must be – some mistake,” Zaria stammered and then realised that no one was paying any attention to her.

  All the three men in the room were looking at Chuck, who was standing there staring at them, his expression, it seemed to her, quite inscrutable.

  “We must ask you, monsieur, to accompany us to the Sûreté,” the Gendarme said to Chuck.

  Zaria gasped out an exclamation of horror, but Chuck laughed.

  It was not a loud laugh, just a chuckle of sheer undiluted amusement.

  He turned to Edie.

  “All right,” he said. “You win. This was something I did not anticipate.”

  And then, before anyone could move, he was gone.