and I ’ m getting more used to the heat every hour. I ’ m lucky to be here! ”
“ Let ’ s hope so. In this country you never know. ” He looked at his watch. “ Time for a salt tablet. Has that water cooled down? ”
She reached over and touched the bottle. “ Only a little, but I can drink it. Are you going to have one this time? ”
“ Only five left. I ’ ll have one tomorrow. ” He took a salt tablet from the tin, opened the tiny wrapping and showed her the wet mass it had become. “ Damp gets into everything. I hope you ’ ve nothing that can spoil in that unopened case of yours. ”
“ I have, but it doesn ’ t matter. ” She drank the warm salt water, felt slightly sick but kept a smile on her lips. “ Did you have to take medicines with you on your trip? ”
“ A few. The usual anti-malaria stuff, codeine, calomine, gentian violet jelly, dressings, and so on. I used some of it on boys I engaged at odd times, but most of it is still i ntact. ”
“ Calomine? ” she said. “ It protects the skin against the sun. May we use it up? ”
“ It ’ s not all that good, when you sweat a lot, but I ’ ll get it for you, ” he said. And did.
Ostentatiously, she used a little on her reddening forearms. The bottle she slipped into the deep pocket of her frock; the very fact of its existence made her feel cheerful, and she began to hum a popular song, and sing a few words here and there.
“ What ’ s that? ” he asked lazily.
“ One of the newer tunes. They played it on the ship several times. Do you own a gramophone? ”
“ A radiogram, no less. In Penghu, when the wind is in the right direction, we can get Radio Malaya. I bought a couple of records in Bangkok. ”
“ Of Siamese music? ”
“ Yes. Can ’ t promise you ’ ll hear them because they ’ re a gift for a friend of mine whom you ’ re not likely to meet. Actually, the discs were cut in England, but the recording was made out here. ”
“ Did you see any Siamese cats? ”
“ Not one, though I was commissioned to buy one for the same friend. ”
“ A man? ” she heard herself asking.
“ No, Teresa, not a man. Does that make you curious? ”
It did, but she answered, “ Why should it? It would be far stranger if you had no women friends. What else did you buy her? ”
“ A little carved box in Burmese teak and a small ivory replica of a temple in Rangoon. Three presents are enough for one woman, don ’ t you think? ”
“ Ample. ” Terry was annoyed with herself for adding, “ I expect she ’ ll be glad to have you back. ”
He said calmly, “ You can take my word for it that it will be a joyous reunion. She ’ s the only woman I ’ ve ever thought of marrying. ”
Terry ’ s hand went a little tight, and pressed down on the ground-sheet. “ What does she think of your determination not to marry? ”
“ She says she ’ ll wear me down, get a proposal out of me and then leave me flat. ” And with his tongue in his cheek; “ All in fun, of course. ”
“ Oh, of course. ” She paused. “ What is she like—this woman in your life? ”
“ She ’ s ash-blonde, has green eyes and a pretty accent. Her father was Swedish, and she ’ s mostly lived in Sweden. ”
“ Then I daresay she has a pretty name, too? ”
“ A fairly common one—Astrid. She owns a rubber estate with her brother. ”
“ Have you always been neighbors? I mean ... ”
“ I know what you mean, Teresa, ” he said, “ and the answer is no. Astrid came out to visit her brother a year ago. She should have stayed three months, but she ’ s still here. ”
Terry said casually, “ So it ’ s during this last year that you ’ ve been considering marriage? ”
“ Not considering it, Teresa. Let ’ s say it ’ s come into my mind a few times when I was off guard. I ’ m too old a hand to be worn down in a year. ”
“ D ’ you think she ’ ll wait much longer? ”
“ Don ’ t you think I ’ m worth waiting
“ Let ’ s hope so. In this country you never know. ” He looked at his watch. “ Time for a salt tablet. Has that water cooled down? ”
She reached over and touched the bottle. “ Only a little, but I can drink it. Are you going to have one this time? ”
“ Only five left. I ’ ll have one tomorrow. ” He took a salt tablet from the tin, opened the tiny wrapping and showed her the wet mass it had become. “ Damp gets into everything. I hope you ’ ve nothing that can spoil in that unopened case of yours. ”
“ I have, but it doesn ’ t matter. ” She drank the warm salt water, felt slightly sick but kept a smile on her lips. “ Did you have to take medicines with you on your trip? ”
“ A few. The usual anti-malaria stuff, codeine, calomine, gentian violet jelly, dressings, and so on. I used some of it on boys I engaged at odd times, but most of it is still i ntact. ”
“ Calomine? ” she said. “ It protects the skin against the sun. May we use it up? ”
“ It ’ s not all that good, when you sweat a lot, but I ’ ll get it for you, ” he said. And did.
Ostentatiously, she used a little on her reddening forearms. The bottle she slipped into the deep pocket of her frock; the very fact of its existence made her feel cheerful, and she began to hum a popular song, and sing a few words here and there.
“ What ’ s that? ” he asked lazily.
“ One of the newer tunes. They played it on the ship several times. Do you own a gramophone? ”
“ A radiogram, no less. In Penghu, when the wind is in the right direction, we can get Radio Malaya. I bought a couple of records in Bangkok. ”
“ Of Siamese music? ”
“ Yes. Can ’ t promise you ’ ll hear them because they ’ re a gift for a friend of mine whom you ’ re not likely to meet. Actually, the discs were cut in England, but the recording was made out here. ”
“ Did you see any Siamese cats? ”
“ Not one, though I was commissioned to buy one for the same friend. ”
“ A man? ” she heard herself asking.
“ No, Teresa, not a man. Does that make you curious? ”
It did, but she answered, “ Why should it? It would be far stranger if you had no women friends. What else did you buy her? ”
“ A little carved box in Burmese teak and a small ivory replica of a temple in Rangoon. Three presents are enough for one woman, don ’ t you think? ”
“ Ample. ” Terry was annoyed with herself for adding, “ I expect she ’ ll be glad to have you back. ”
He said calmly, “ You can take my word for it that it will be a joyous reunion. She ’ s the only woman I ’ ve ever thought of marrying. ”
Terry ’ s hand went a little tight, and pressed down on the ground-sheet. “ What does she think of your determination not to marry? ”
“ She says she ’ ll wear me down, get a proposal out of me and then leave me flat. ” And with his tongue in his cheek; “ All in fun, of course. ”
“ Oh, of course. ” She paused. “ What is she like—this woman in your life? ”
“ She ’ s ash-blonde, has green eyes and a pretty accent. Her father was Swedish, and she ’ s mostly lived in Sweden. ”
“ Then I daresay she has a pretty name, too? ”
“ A fairly common one—Astrid. She owns a rubber estate with her brother. ”
“ Have you always been neighbors? I mean ... ”
“ I know what you mean, Teresa, ” he said, “ and the answer is no. Astrid came out to visit her brother a year ago. She should have stayed three months, but she ’ s still here. ”
Terry said casually, “ So it ’ s during this last year that you ’ ve been considering marriage? ”
“ Not considering it, Teresa. Let ’ s say it ’ s come into my mind a few times when I was off guard. I ’ m too old a hand to be worn down in a year. ”
“ D ’ you think she ’ ll wait much longer? ”
“ Don ’ t you think I ’ m worth waiting
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