Читаем A Dangerous Fortune (1994) полностью

She saw that his mind was made up. She had never been able to talk him round when his mind was made up. With dread in her heart she said: "When should we go? In the morning?"

He shook his head. "Now. I'll need to get aboard the ship as soon as it's dark."

"Do you really mean it?"

"Yes." As if to prove it, he stood up.

She stood up too. "Should we take anything?"

"What?"

She shrugged. She had no spare clothes, no souvenirs, no possessions of any kind. There was no food or money to take. "I want to kiss Mama good-bye," she said.

"Don't," said Danny harshly. "If you do, you'll stay."

It was true. If she saw Mama now she would break down and tell everything. She swallowed hard. "All right," she said, fighting back the tears. "I'm ready."

They walked away side by side.

When they got to the end of the street she wanted to turn around and take a last look at the house; but she was afraid that if she did she would weaken; so she walked on, and never looked back.

Section 4

FROM The Times:

CHARACTER OF THE ENGLISH SCHOOLBOY.--The Deputy-Coroner for Ashton, Mr. H. S. Wasbrough, held an inquest yesterday at the Station Hotel, Windfield, on the body of Peter James St John Middleton, aged 13, a schoolboy. The boy had been swimming in a pool at a disused quarry near Windfield School when two older boys had seen him apparently in difficulties, the court was told. One of the older boys, Miguel Miranda, a native of Cordova, gave evidence that his companion, Edward Pilaster, aged 16, stripped off his outer clothing and dived in to try to save the younger boy, but to no avail. The headmaster of Windfield, Dr Herbert Poleson, testified that the quarry was out of bounds to pupils, but he was aware that the rule was not always obeyed. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death by drowning. The Deputy-Coroner then called attention to the bravery of Edward Pilaster in trying to save the life of his friend, and said the character of the English schoolboy, as formed by such institutions as Windfield, was a thing of which we might justifiably feel proud.

Section 5

MICKY MIRANDA WAS CAPTIVATED by Edward's mother.