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n the rest of us were starving；〃 he said； his face stark。 〃Used to drive us mad。〃 He looked at Peter Marlowe； his hate open now。 〃Didn't you？〃
After a pause； Peter Marlowe said； 〃Everyone had coffee some of the time。 Everyone roasted coffee beans。〃
〃Not like you two。〃 Grey turned to Casey。 〃They had coffee every day； him and his Yankee friend。 Me； I was provost marshal and I had it once a month if I was lucky。〃 He glanced back。 〃How did you get coffee and food while the rest of us starved？〃
Casey noticed the vein in Peter Marlowe's forehead knotting and she realized； aghast； that no answer was also an answer。 〃Robin 。。。〃 she began； but Grey overrode her； his voice taunting。 〃Why don't you answer； Marlowe？〃 In the silence they all looked from Grey to Peter Marlowe； staring at each other； even the girls tense and on guard； feeling the sudden violence in the cabin。
〃My dear fellow；〃 Gornt interrupted； deliberately using that slight nuance of accent he knew would goad Grey； 〃surely those are ancient times and rather unimportant now。 It is Sunday afternoon and we're all friends。〃
〃I think 'em rather important； Sunday afternoon or not and Marlowe and I aren't friends； never have been！ He's a toff； I'm not。〃 Grey aped the long a he loathed and broadened his accent。 〃Yes。 But the war changed everything and us workers'll never forget！〃
〃You consider yourself a worker and me not？〃 Peter Marlowe asked； his voice grating。
〃We're the exploited； you're the exploiters。 Like in Changi。〃
〃Get off that old broken record； Grey！ Changi was another world； another place and other time an… 〃
〃It was the same as everywhere。 There was bosses and the bossed； workers and them that fed off the workers。 Like you and the King。〃
〃Stuff and nonsense！〃
Casey was near to Grey and she reached out and took his arm。 〃Let's have coffee； okay？〃
〃Of course；〃 Grey said。 〃But first ask him； Casey。〃 Grimly Grey stood his ground； well aware he had； at long last； brought his enemy to bay in front of his peers。 〃Mr。 Gornt； ask him； eh？ Any of you 。。。〃
They all stood there in silence； embarrassed for Peter Marlowe and shocked with the implied accusations … Gornt and Plumm privately amused and fascinated。 Then one of the girls turned for the gangway and left quietly； the others following。 Casey would have liked to have gone too but she did not。
〃Now is not the time； Mr。 Grey；〃 she heard Gornt say gently and she was glad he was there to break it up。 〃Would you kindly leave this matter alone。 Please？〃
Grey looked at them all； his eyes ending up on his adversary。 〃You see； Casey； not one's got the guts to ask … they're all his class； so…called upper class and they look after their own。〃
Barre flushed。 〃I say； old chap； don't you th… 〃
Peter Marlowe said； his voice flat； 〃It's easy to stop this nonsense。 You can't equate Changi … or Dachau or Buchenwald with normality。 You just can't。 There were different rules； different patterns。 We were soldiers； war prisoners； teen…agers most of us。 Changi was genesis； everything new； upside down； ev… 〃
〃Were you a black marketeer？〃
〃No。 I was an interpreter in Malay for a friend who was a trader and there's a lot of difference between trading and black marketing an…
〃But it was against camp rules； camp law； and that makes it black marketing； right？〃
〃Trading with the guards was against enemy rules； Japanese rules。〃
〃And tell them how the King'd buy some poor bugger's watch or ring or fountain pen for a pittance； the last bloody thing he had in the world； and sell it high and never tell and cheat on the price； cheat； always cheat。 Eh？〃
Peter Marlowe stared back。 〃Read my book。 In it th… 〃
〃Book？〃 Again Grey laughed； goading him。 〃Tell 'em on your honor as a gent； your father's honor and your family's honor you're so bloody proud of … did the King cheat or didn't he？ On your honor！ Eh？〃
Almost paralyzed； Casey saw Peter Marlowe make a fist。 〃If we weren't guests here；〃 he hissed； 〃I'd tell them what a shower you really were！〃
〃You can rot in hell。 。。。〃
〃Now that's enough；〃 Gornt said as a mand and Casey began to breathe again。 〃For the last time； kindly leave this all alone！〃
Grey tore his eyes off Marlowe。 〃I will。 Now； can I get a taxi in the village？ I think I'd rather get home meself by meself if you don't mind。〃
〃Of course；〃 Gornt said； his face suitably grave； delighted that Grey had asked so that he did not have to finesse the suggestion into the open。 〃But surely；〃 he added； delivering the coup de grace； 〃surely you and Marlowe could shake hands like gentlemen and forget about th… 〃
〃Gentlemen？ Ta； but no。 No； I've had gentlemen like Marlowe forever。 Gentlemen？ Thank God England's changing and soon'll be in proper hands again … and the very British Oxford accent won't be a permanent passport to gentry and power； not ever again。 We'll reform the Lords and if I have my way 。。。〃
〃Let's hope you don't！〃 Pugmire said。
Gornt said firmly； 〃Pug！ It's coffee and port time！〃 Affably he took Grey's arm。 〃If you'll excuse Mr。 Grey and myself a moment 。。。〃
They went on deck。 The chatter of the Chinese girls stopped a moment。 Secretly very pleased with himself； Gornt led the way to the gangway and went ashore onto the wharf。 Everything was turning out far better than he had thought。
〃Sorry about that； Mr。 Grey；〃 he said。 〃I had no idea that Marlowe 。。。 Disgusting！ Well； you never know； do you？〃
〃He's a bastard； always was； always will be … him and his filthy Yank friend。 Hate Yanks too！ About time we broke up with that shower！〃
Gornt found a taxi easily。
〃Are you sure； Mr。 Grey； you won't change your mind？〃
〃Ta； but no thanks。〃
〃Sorry about Marlowe。 Clearly you were provoked。 When are you and your trade mission off？〃
〃In the morning； early。〃
〃If there's anything I can do for you here； just let me know。〃
〃Ta。 When you e home give me a tinkle。〃
〃Thank you。 I will； and thanks for ing。〃 He paid the fare in advance and waved politely as the taxi drove off。 Grey did not look around。
Gornt smiled。 That revolting bastard's going to be a useful ally in the years to e； he chortled as he walked back。
Most of the others were on deck； drinking coffee and liqueurs； Casey and Peter Marlowe to one side。
〃What a bloody berk！〃 Gornt called out to general agreement。 〃Frightfully sorry about that； Marlowe； the bugger pr… 〃
〃No； it was my fault；〃 Peter Marlowe said； clearly very upset。 〃Sorry。 I feel terrible that he left。〃
〃No need to apologize。 I should never have invited him … thanks for being such a gentleman about it； he clearly provoked you。〃
〃Quite right；〃 Pugmire said to more agreement。 〃If I'd been you I'd've given him one。 Whatever happened is in the past。〃
〃Oh yes；〃 Casey said quickly； 〃what an awful man！ If you hadn't stopped it； Quillan； Grey wou… 〃
〃Enough of that berk；〃 Gornt said warmly； wanting the specter laid to rest。 〃Let's forget him； let's not allow him to spoil a wonderful afternoon。〃 He put his arm around Casey and gave her a hug。 〃Eh？〃 He saw the admiration in her eyes and he knew； gleefully； he was getting there fast。 〃It's too cold for a swim。 Shall we just cruise leisurely home？〃
〃Good idea！〃 Dunstan Barre said。 〃I think I'm going to have a siesta。〃
〃Smashing idea！〃 someone said to laughter。 The girls joined in but the laughter was forced。 Everyone was still unsettled and Gornt felt it strongly。 〃First some brandy！ Marlowe？〃
〃No thank you； Mr。 Gornt。〃
Gornt studied him。 〃Listen to me； Marlowe；〃 he said with real passion and everyone fell silent。 〃We've all seen too much of life； too much of Asia； not to know that whatever you did； you did for good and not evil。 What you said was right。 Changi was special with special problems。 Pug was locked up in Stanley Prison … that's on Hong Kong Island； Casey … for three and a half years。 I got out of Shanghai barely with my skin； and blood on my hands。 Jason was grabbed by the Nazis after Dunkirk and had a couple of dicey years with them； Dunstan operated in China … Dunstan's been in Asia forever and he knows too。 Eh？〃
〃Oh yes；〃 Dunstan Barre said sadly。 〃Casey； in war to survive you have to stretch things a bit sometimes。 As to trading； Marlowe； I agree； most times you have to equate the problem to the time and place。 I thank God I was never caught。 Don't think I'd've survived； know I wouldn't。〃 He refilled his port from the decanter； embarrassed to be speaking real truths。
〃What was Changi really like； Peter？〃 Casey asked for all of them。
〃It's hard to talk about；〃 he said。 〃It was the nearest to no…life that you could get。 We were issued a quarter of a pound of dry rice a day； some vegetables； one egg a week。 Sometimes meat was 。。。 was waved over the soup。 It was different； that's all I can say about it。 Most of us had never seen a jungle before； let alone Chinese and Japanese and to lose a war 。。。 I was just eighteen when Changi began。〃
〃Christ； I can't stand Japs； just can't！〃 Pugmire said and the others nodded。
〃But that's not fair； really。 They were just playing the game according to their rules；〃 Peter Marlowe said。 〃That was fair from the Japanese point of view。 Look what wonderful soldiers they were； look how they fought and