I turned. There was something in his voice that made my short hairs prickly. He was buckling a belt around his middle and adjusting the machete at his side. 'What is it?'
'Just this,' he said in a strained voice. 'Stay away from my wife.'
'What the hell do you mean by that?'
'Exactly what I said. You've been hanging around her like a dog around a bitch in heat. Don't think I haven't seen you.' His deeply sunken eyes looked manic and his hands were trembling 'lightly.
I said. 'The choice of phrase was yours -- you called her a bitch, not me.' His hand clutched convulsively at the hilt of the machete, and I said sharply, 'Now just listen to me. I haven't touched Katherine, nor do I intend to -- nor would she let me if I tried. All that's gone on between us is all that goes on between reasonable people in our position, and that's conversation of varying degrees of friendliness. And I must say we're not too friendly right at this minute.'
'Don't try to pull that on me.' he said savagely. 'What were you doing with her down at the pool three days ago?'
'If you want to know, we were having a flaming row,' I said 'But why don't you ask her?' He was silent at that, and looked at me hard. 'But, of course, you did ask her, didn't you? You asked her with your fist. Why don't you try asking me that way, Halstead? With your fists or with that oversized carving knife you have there? But watch it -- you can get hurt.'
For a moment I thought he was going to pull the machete and cleave my skull, and my fingers closed around one of the stones that Fallon used to weigh the maps on the table. At last he expelled his breath in a whistling sound and he thrust home the machete into its sheath the half inch he had withdrawn it. 'Just stay away from her,' he said hoarsely. 'That's all.'
He shouldered past me and left the hut to disappear into the blinding sunlight outside. Then came the sudden rhythmical roar from the chopper and it took off, and the sound faded quickly as it went over the trees, just as it always did.
I leaned against the table and felt the sweat break out on my forehead and at the back of my neck. I looked at my hands. They were trembling uncontrollably, and when I turned them over I saw the palms were wet. What the flaming hell was I doing in a set-up like this? And what had possessed me to push at Halstead so hard? The man was obviously a little loose in the brainbox and he could very well have cut me down with that damned machete. I had a sudden feeling that this whole operation was sending me as crazy as he obviously was.
I pushed myself away from the table and walked outside. There was no one to be seen. I strode over to the Halsteads' hut and knocked on the door. There was no reply, so I knocked again, and Katherine called, 'Who is it?'
'Who were you expecting? It's Jemmy, damn it!'
'I don't want to talk to you.'
'You don't have to,' I said. 'All you have to do Is listen. Open the door.'
There was a long pause and then a click as the door opened not too widely. She didn't look very well and there were dark smudges below her eyes. I leaned on the door and swung it open wider. 'You said you could control your husband,' I said. 'You'd better start hauling on the reins because he seems to think that you and I are having a passionate affair.'
'I know,' she said tonelessly.
I nodded. 'You know, of course. I wonder how he could have got that impression? You couldn't have led him on a bit -- some women do.'
She flared. 'That's a despicable thing to say.'
'Very likely it is; I'm not feeling too spicable right now. That nutty husband of yours and I nearly had a fight not five minutes ago.'
She looked alarmed. 'Where is he?'
'Where do you think he is? He's gone with Fallon in the chopper, Look, Katherine; I'm not too sure that Paul shouldn't pull out of this expedition.'
'Oh, no,' she said quickly. 'You couldn't do that.'
'I could -- and I will -- if he doesn't bloody well behave himself. Even Rider is threatening to hammer him. You know that he is only here because of my say-so; that I forced him down Fallon's throat. One word from me and Fallon will be only too glad to get rid of him.'
She grabbed my hand. 'Oh, please, Jemmy; please don't do that.'
'Get up off your knees,' I said. 'Why the hell should you have to plead for him? I told you a long time ago, back in England, that you can't apologize for another person -- not even your husband.' She was looking very blue, so I said, 'All right, I wont push him out -- but see that he stays off my neck.'
'I'll try,' she said. 'I really will try. Thanks, Jemmy.'
I blew out my cheeks. 'If I'm accused of it, and if I'm going to get into a fight because of it, this passionate affair might not be such a bad idea. At least I'll get myself half-killed because of something I did.'
She stiffened. 'I don't mink that's funny.'
