Dyton-Blease laughed aloud, and lunged for him, and Craig only just got out of the way in time. Even with the benzedrine, he was barely fast enough. Again the big man struck, and again Craig only just avoided him. He was being crowded into a corner again, but he couldn't help it. His hands came together briefly, and he twisted the ring into position. Next time a blow came he would have to take it
and hit back. A third time the enormous fist reached out for him, and this time he turned a fraction too slowly, felt a blow like a hammer crash into his side. He gasped, scrambling to stay upright on legs that seemed made of paper. For a fraction of a second the big man was off balance, and vulnerable.
Craig's fist lashed out in a tearing, searing blow across the big man's forehead, ripping four parallel lines into the skin. Dyton-Blease moaned, hesitated, and Craig struck with his other hand, under the heart. It was like hitting a lump of oak. Dyton-Blease put his hand to his head, and looked at the blood there.
"You cheated me," he screamed. 'You cut me."
Craig worked the ring from his finger, slipped it into his pocket, then waited till the big man crouched down again, the blood dripping slowly from his face. Craig feinted at the face again, and Dyton-Blease immediately raised his arm to protect it. Craig leaped in, grabbed the wrist, and threw the big man, held on to the wrist and pushed it up into a hammerlock. The big man was still pawing at his forehead with his free hand. Craig, very deliberately, struck at the big man's shoulder joint, and Dyton-Blease groaned aloud. Craig held on to the wrist, and pulled. Dyton-Blease spun like a top, crashed into the wall, and bounced back into Craig's fist, his whole body aimed like an arrow into the hard stomach. Dyton-Blease gasped, and deliberately fell on Craig.
Craig lurched back under the enormous weight, and he could feel Dyton-Blease's arms reaching for a hug that might still squeeze the life out of him. He let himself slide down, yielding to the weight, shpping through the clutching arms, grabbing the hands, pulling the big man forward, kicking upwards, feeling the impact of the big man's stomach on his foot before he straightened his leg and watched him soar over.
Dyton-Blease fell with a crash that shook the room, but even then his enormous strength brought him back to his feet again. Craig caught him round the waist, swung him round, pushed him toward the platform. Naxos yelled at Theseus "Shoot him," and Craig leaped in again. His shoulder caught Dyton-Blease in the chest, and spun him round. Craig's fingers interlaced and he struck at the big man's neck, the killer blow that Hakagawa had taught him, and that he had promised never to use unless the enemy were so evil and so strong that nothing else would do. This time, when the big man went down, he didn't try to get up, and Craig knew he wouldn't. He leaped up on to the balcony, and the hard edge of his hand disappeared into the softness of Naxos's belly, his arms came round Fhp. Her eyes still did not see him, but she responded at once to the touch of his fingers.
"Hi, honey," she said.
Craig lifted her to her feet, held her in front of him as Pia swerved away from Selina, took shelter behind him. "It's your move," said Craig.
* Chapter 16 *
Grierson had swum two miles, dressed, climbed a cliff, forced his way into a castle and climbed three flights of stairs. He was tired, frightened, on edge, and there was a door in front of him, a massive, olivewood door with a thin strip of light showing below it. To open it was perhaps his greatest act of courage, yet when the door swung, the first thing he saw was Craig, and Craig was in complete control.
Craig was still in his ball costume, and so was the dark girl who crouched behind him. Another dark girl, also in what appeared to be fancy dress, sat in a chair, watching him. She was smiling at him. In his arms Craig held a blonde who outsoared even Nono's imaginings. Once again Grierson bowed to the master, even as he watched Naxos groaning on the floor, even as he went up behind Theseus, who still held a gun, and tapped him behind the ear with the barrel of his own, and watched him fall.
T wish you hadn't done that," Craig said. "He's by way of being a friend of mine."
"I came to rescue you," said Grierson. "You're supposed to be grateful."
"Okay. Rescue me," Craig said.
The blonde whimpered in his arms, and Craig spoke to her softly, soothingly, hushing her as if she were a child. When she was calm, he looked at Naxos, now on his feet again, swaying as he clung to the table.
"You were going to watch me die, Harry," he said. "You were going to enjoy it. You brought your wife along to enjoy it too."
"All right," said Naxos. "I was wrong. I lost. We all have to lose sometime. But Flip knew nothing, Craig. I swear she knew nothing. Let her go. Please."
"You think I should go down there with you this
time?"
"I don't care what you do," Naxos said. "Just leave Philippa out of it."
"You're the only one who can do that," said Craig.
He let her go, and she went at once to a chair, sat down, and looked around her once again, her eyes still searching, searching.
Craig sank wearily into Dyton-Blease's chair.
"You think I'm going to hurt her?" he asked.
"You've got to get rid of us both," Naxos said. 'Those are your orders, aren't they? Look, Craig, why do it? I'm a rich man. I can buy you anything you want. Anything."
"I want a yacht," said Craig. 'Tour yacht. I want to go to England in it."
"Sure," said Naxos.
"You're coming too!" said Craig. Naxos froze.
"For God's sake," said Craig. "If I were going to kill you, wouldn't I do it now, when there aren't any witnesses? All I want you to do is talk to a couple of people."
He got up from the chair and went down to the big man, felt for his heart. Incredibly, it was still beating. Grierson came up to him.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We had a fight—two fights," said Craig. "He was too good for me. God he was good. I only beat him because I cheated." He took the ring from his pocket. "With this. I hit him with this and he bled. He didn't mind blood if it was someone else's. He couldn't stand his own. So I cheated and won. But fair and square he would have killed me."
"What happens if I say I won't go?" said Naxos.
Then you don't go," said Craig. "What the hell, it's your yacht."
Naxos hesitated.
There's a man in London who can help your wife, remember," Grierson said. "But you'll have to go to him. He won't come here."
Naxos looked at them, trying desperately to decide.
"All right," he said. "I haven't any choice anyway."
"You still don't trust me, do you?" said Craig. "I wouldn't bother trying, Harry. It doesn't suit you."
He went over to Selina, spoke softly in Arabic.
"I cheated," he said.
"He also," said Selina. "To fight so soon after he had hit you from behind—that was cheating. He deserved to die."
"He didn't die," said Craig.
"You will finish him then?" Craig shook his head. "You are a very strange man."
"I he no more than other men, and I keep my bargains."
"Yes," she said. "I believe that now."
"There are many Englishmen who do the same," said
Craig.
That I believe also."
"Come to England with us then," said Craig. The girl hesitated, then slowly, reluctantly, shook her head. "First I must speak with my father," she said. "But how can you do that?"
"In an airplane. You must put me on an airplane to Aden. After that it will be easy."
"Aden has British troops."
"I do not fear them," she said.