Read Online Her Master's Voice by Jacqueline George - Free Book Online Page A

different. They’re so, I don’t know, enthusiastic, I suppose, and good to look at.”
    “I’ll have to introduce you. When your wife’s not looking, of course. I call them Faith and Hope. They’re only twins so there’s no Charity.”
    Again, Tim was surprised. “Are you Christian?”
    “Oh no. Staunchly Muslim, but my mother was Scottish and I went to a Christian school. That’s why I’m Alistair. My mother called me Alistair but my father would call me Ali, and everyone could be happy.”
    “But you’re eating bacon.”
    “Yes, I’m terrible, aren’t I? You know, there’s something about bacon in the fresh air. When you’re camping, or like this. At school it was bacon or nothing, so I got to like it. Remind me to tell you the joke about the imam and the priest sometime. Look, here’s your wife.”
    When Sherry arrived for breakfast, she had a serious shock. Tim was sitting at a small table overlooking the beach, tucking into a large breakfast. He wore only his swimming shorts, like his companion. Tim looked large and pink. The other man was slim, smooth and brown with black hair and deep black eyes, and a smile that leapt back into her memory. They talked happily, like old friends, as if Tim had met the man before Sherry. Before she had knelt at his feet in an expensive Singapore hotel and played his magic flute with Ranji looking over his shoulder.
    She walked towards them. The man gave no sign of recognition. Perhaps he did not know her in her old tee shirt and faded sarong.
    “Come and meet Alistair, Sherry. Have breakfast with us.”
    The man stood up to shake her hand. “My name is Alistair, and you are Sherry? What a pretty name.” Uncomfortably, she sat with them and ordered orange juice and toast.
    “Tim has just rescued me from the jaws of death, Sherry.”
    “What?” she said in surprise.
    “Yes. I was snorkelling and met an enormous shark with rows and rows of teeth. He fought it off with his paddle and rescued me.”
    Sherry looked at Tim with questions all over her face. He shrugged. “Well, you know, you have to do these things sometimes.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “It’s true,” protested Alistair. “Well, perhaps the shark wasn’t so very big, but it was very frightening. Quite terrifying enough for me.”
    “Tim?”
    “They can be frightening. Sometimes they look bigger than they really are.”
    “You told me it was safe here!”
    Alistair laughed at her. “Of course it’s safe. It was just me being stupid. It was a baby shark, and it surprised me, and then Tim rescued me. So tonight, I want you to join me for dinner, so I can say thank you.”
    In the shade of her verandah, Sherry thought about Alistair. In the restaurant he had been polite, friendly, and showed no sign of recognizing her. I wonder who he really is, she asked herself. Ranji had said he was a prince, a real prince. Son of the Sultan of somewhere. Sherry remembered feeling impressed and excited as they stood in the hotel corridor knocking on his door. She had expected someone grand and formal, or at least fat and pompous. Instead a lightly built man of around thirty had opened the door, dressed in running shorts and tee shirt. He smiled as he shook their hands politely and ushered them in.
    “Welcome, Ranji, welcome, and your friend, of course. Come in,” He knew Ranji well, that much was clear. “How are you? And your father?”
    “I am quite as well as I was this morning when we met, and my father has not changed either, although he was sad when you left him. You made him suffer with your bargaining.”
    The man had chuckled. “Oh, he’ll recover, I’m sure, and I’m sure I’m not getting the price I should. I know how you Indians take advantage of poor, ignorant Malays like me.”
    “You a poor ignorant Malay? Oh, that’ll be the day. He says you’re sharp enough to cut steel. He says no one gives him as much trouble as you do.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that, but never mind,