I floated on my back, breathing in great surges of cool air and blinking at the crimson sky. I had been under water, a few yards from shore, drowning. Then there was an awareness, like a voice, telling me what to do. From out of the mass of Vallonian knowledge I had acquired, I had drawn what I needed. And now I was here, half a mile from the beach, winded but intact. I felt beat and hungry, but I had to keep my mind on the problem of getting to the mainland. It was a fifteen-mile swim, but if the boys on shore could keep each other occupied, I ought to be able to make it. The full moon would make steering easy. And the first thing I would do when I got out of this would be to order the biggest, rarest steak in South America. CHAPTER XI I sat at the kitchen table in Margareta's Lima apartment and gnawed the last few shreds off the stripped T-bone, while she poured me another cup of coffee. "Now tell me about it," she said. "You say they burned your house, but why? And how did you get here?" "They got so interested in the fight, they lost their heads," I said. "That's the only explanation I can think of. I figured they'd go to some pains to avoid damaging me. I guessed wrong." "But your own people...." "Maybe they were right: they couldn't afford to let the Russkis get me." "But how did you get covered with mud? And the blood stains on your back?" "I had a nice long swim: five hours' worth. Then another hour getting through a mangrove swamp. Lucky I had a moon. Then a three-hour hike...." "You'd better get some sleep," said Margareta. "What do you want me to do?" "Get me some clothes," I said. "A grey suit, white shirt, black tie and shoes. And go to my bank and draw some money, say five thousand. Oh yeah, see if there's anything in the papers. If you see anybody hanging around the lobby when you come back, don't come up; give me a call and I'll meet you." She stood up. "This is really awful," she said. "Can't your embassy--" "Didn't I mention it? A Mr. Pruffy, of the embassy, came along to hold Smale's hand ... not to mention a Colonel Sanchez. I wouldn't be surprised if the local cops weren't in the act by now...." "Where will you go?" "I'll get to the airport and play it by ear. I don't think they've alerted everybody. It was a hush-hush deal, until it went sour; now they're still picking up the pieces." "The bank won't be open for hours yet," said Margareta. "Go to sleep and don't worry. I'll take care of everything." * * * * * I knew I wasn't alone as soon as I opened my eyes. I hadn't heard anything, but I could feel someone in the room. I sat up slowly, looked around. He was sitting in the embroidered chair by the window: an ordinary-looking fellow in a tan tropical suit, with an unlighted cigarette in his mouth and no particular expression on his face. "Go ahead, light up," I said. "Don't mind me."