Read Online The Love Beach by Leslie Thomas - Free Book Online
Authors: Leslie Thomas
Tags: Fiction & Literature
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of the room. Sir William, slightly stooping and sharp‑faced, walked a great brown carpet at its centre looking like a cage bird pacing its captivity. The Governor glanced up abruptly and muttered, 'Come on in,' then continued his walk. Conway ventured to the fringe of the carpet. He felt like a man standing at the edge of a field. Cooper sniffed and bowed his way out. Conway hid his plastic briefcase behind his back.
'We're busy, Mr Conway,' said Sir William, suddenly advancing on him and thrusting out his hand like a threatening sword. 'We've got a special visitor coming to the Apostles. A very special visitor.'
The Governor waited for Conway to ask who the visitor was, but he didn't. 'Sit down. Have something, will you?' said Sir William.
'Thank you.'
Sir William pulled an old‑fashioned bell‑rope. There was a profound silence. Conway strained his ears and saw that the Governor was doing the same, his hawkish head turned on its side. They caught each other's eye.
'Never know whether the blamed thing rings the other end,' confessed Sir William. 'Sometimes it does. Sometimes not. It depends a lot on the humidity.'
Nothing happened. Theysat uncomfortably. 'Damn it, I'll get them myself. Otherwise I go blaring about the place, and it doesn't do to lose your temper in front of these people, you know. What is it?'
'A beer, 'replied Conway.
'Good God.'
'Do you have beer?'
'Yes, yes, my dear chap. Beer, of course. I give it to the dogs sometimes because every now and again the water gets contaminated. Beer! Oh yes, we have beer.'
He found the bottle and attempted to open it, making such a panic of the operation and making several darts towards the bell‑pull, that eventually Conway stood up, took the bottle, and opened it himself.
Sir William laughed. 'Easy!' he exclaimed. 'Just shows you there's an art in everything.' He had delivered undiluted whisky into his own glass. They sat down again, Sir William behind his desk. 'Heard a man at a reception some time ago asking for a whisky and coke. Civilization's going to pieces.'
They raised their glasses, Sir William gazing apprehensively at the pale column held by Conway. He shrugged resignedly and they drank. 'Now,' said the Governor. 'What the hell have you come here about?'
'St Paul's,' said Conway.
'What about it? It's still there. Out to sea. First island on the left.'
'The Australian Government, or more accurately, the Australian War Department. want to try something out on St Paul's.'
Sir William looked over the top of his glass like a sniper. 'Australian War Department,' he said slowly and suspiciously. 'I don't like the sound of that.'
‘An experiment,' said Conway uncomfortably. He was surprised to find his self‑confidence, his exterior, evaporating before the old man. 'They want ‑ well, to be honest, we want, because I'm in this as well ‑ to get the natives over there to help in a sort of public relations exercise.'
'Public relations?' whispered Sir William as though madness were near. 'Public relations? Good Christ, what will they think of next, my dear boy, those tribesmen on St Paul's only know one sort of relations and they've only just finished the habit of eating them. Sometimes I suspect they still do it.'
Conway grinned with discomfort. 'I know there will be difficulties, sir. Our Trusteeship people...'
'Trusteeship!' suddenly bellowed Sir William. 'Don't let the Australian Government send anyone here to the Apostles talking about their Trusteeship. They've done damn all for St Paul's Island since they've had it. Sent some bloody fool to look at the natives' teeth or their testicles or something about a year ago, and that's been the sum of it. So don't come here preaching...'
'We want the natives for Vietnam,' said Conway with quick bravery.
He thought Sir William was going to tip over the back of his big chair. The old man's eyes sagged, then his face, then his entire head. He rallied himself and leaned forward shakily on the
'We're busy, Mr Conway,' said Sir William, suddenly advancing on him and thrusting out his hand like a threatening sword. 'We've got a special visitor coming to the Apostles. A very special visitor.'
The Governor waited for Conway to ask who the visitor was, but he didn't. 'Sit down. Have something, will you?' said Sir William.
'Thank you.'
Sir William pulled an old‑fashioned bell‑rope. There was a profound silence. Conway strained his ears and saw that the Governor was doing the same, his hawkish head turned on its side. They caught each other's eye.
'Never know whether the blamed thing rings the other end,' confessed Sir William. 'Sometimes it does. Sometimes not. It depends a lot on the humidity.'
Nothing happened. Theysat uncomfortably. 'Damn it, I'll get them myself. Otherwise I go blaring about the place, and it doesn't do to lose your temper in front of these people, you know. What is it?'
'A beer, 'replied Conway.
'Good God.'
'Do you have beer?'
'Yes, yes, my dear chap. Beer, of course. I give it to the dogs sometimes because every now and again the water gets contaminated. Beer! Oh yes, we have beer.'
He found the bottle and attempted to open it, making such a panic of the operation and making several darts towards the bell‑pull, that eventually Conway stood up, took the bottle, and opened it himself.
Sir William laughed. 'Easy!' he exclaimed. 'Just shows you there's an art in everything.' He had delivered undiluted whisky into his own glass. They sat down again, Sir William behind his desk. 'Heard a man at a reception some time ago asking for a whisky and coke. Civilization's going to pieces.'
They raised their glasses, Sir William gazing apprehensively at the pale column held by Conway. He shrugged resignedly and they drank. 'Now,' said the Governor. 'What the hell have you come here about?'
'St Paul's,' said Conway.
'What about it? It's still there. Out to sea. First island on the left.'
'The Australian Government, or more accurately, the Australian War Department. want to try something out on St Paul's.'
Sir William looked over the top of his glass like a sniper. 'Australian War Department,' he said slowly and suspiciously. 'I don't like the sound of that.'
‘An experiment,' said Conway uncomfortably. He was surprised to find his self‑confidence, his exterior, evaporating before the old man. 'They want ‑ well, to be honest, we want, because I'm in this as well ‑ to get the natives over there to help in a sort of public relations exercise.'
'Public relations?' whispered Sir William as though madness were near. 'Public relations? Good Christ, what will they think of next, my dear boy, those tribesmen on St Paul's only know one sort of relations and they've only just finished the habit of eating them. Sometimes I suspect they still do it.'
Conway grinned with discomfort. 'I know there will be difficulties, sir. Our Trusteeship people...'
'Trusteeship!' suddenly bellowed Sir William. 'Don't let the Australian Government send anyone here to the Apostles talking about their Trusteeship. They've done damn all for St Paul's Island since they've had it. Sent some bloody fool to look at the natives' teeth or their testicles or something about a year ago, and that's been the sum of it. So don't come here preaching...'
'We want the natives for Vietnam,' said Conway with quick bravery.
He thought Sir William was going to tip over the back of his big chair. The old man's eyes sagged, then his face, then his entire head. He rallied himself and leaned forward shakily on the
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