Passage by Night (v5) by Jack Higgins Page A

Melos introduced Anna and Manning. 'My daughter and Alexias Stavrou. He's crewing for me now.'
    'And Yanni? How is Yanni?'
    'Drowned six months ago,' Papa Melos said calmly.
    A spasm of pain crossed the little Cuban's face and he reached instinctively to touch the old man's sleeve. 'He was a good boy.'
    'None better,' Papa Melos said. 'It is God's will.'
    The slight awkward silence was quickly glossed over by Rafael who dropped his hat onto a table and pulled forward a chair for Anna. 'But this is the time for wine, not talk. A bottle of your best is indicated, Bayo.'
    Bayo nodded eagerly. 'I have some Chablis '57 cooling in the icebox for Colonel Rojas, but he won't be in until this evening.'
    He disappeared into the back room and Manning turned to Rafael. 'Who's this Colonel Rojas he mentioned?'
    Rafael immediately looked uncomfortable. 'He commands the fortress here. They have turned it into a prison for political offenders. Since the Bay of Pigs affair, it's had plenty of occupants.'
    'What is he? Police or army?'
    The glance the Cuban threw over his shoulder before leaning forward was almost a reflex action. 'They say he is of the DIER, senor. The military secret police. In Cuba today they have more power than anyone.'
    'What happened to Bayo?' Papa Melos said as he tapped tobacco into the bowl of his pipe. 'His face is certainly one hell of a mess.'
    'Three months ago a new batch of prisoners was delivered to the fortress from the main island. Their guards were a rough lot. Real barbudos of the kind who were in the hills with the President. They got drunk and started to break the place up. When Bayo tried to stop them, one of them slashed him across the face. He lost an eye.'
    'Nice people,' Manning said.
    Rafael shrugged, 'In Cuba today, it is not wise to pass judgment on anything, senor. You would do well to remember that.'
    'I suppose you're right.' Manning offered him a cigarette. 'Is this the only hotel in town?'
    'There was another, but it closed last month. No one comes for the fishing any more.'
    'Anyone staying here now?'
    Rafael smiled. 'I don't think Bayo has had a guest in six months. There will be plenty of room for you to stay, if that's what's worrying you.'
    At that moment, Bayo appeared from the rear, a clean white cloth over one arm and carrying a tray on which stood the bottle of wine and five glasses.
    He put down the tray and lifted the bottle. 'Nectar of the gods. See how the moisture has frozen on the outside.'
    'Perfect, my dear Bayo. Perfect. You must have known I was coming.'
    The man spoke excellent English and completely filled the doorway. His face was shaded by a Panama hat and a soiled white linen suit draped loosely from the immense shoulders, only half-concealing the grotesque figure.
    He carried a malacca cane in one hand and as he moved into the room, the look of complete terror appeared on Bayo's face and the bottle slipped between nerveless fingers. Manning caught it neatly and placed it on the table.
    'My thanks, senor,' the fat man said. 'A pity to waste good wine. But there are only five glasses here, Bayo.'
    As Bayo moved away quickly, Rafael jumped up, his face quite pale. 'A chair, colonel.'
    'Thank you, my friend.'
    He flopped down with a groan. 'The English have a saying. Only mad dogs and themselves go out in the midday sun. It would appear to me that there is much truth in this. Would you agree?'
    'The perfect remedy.' Manning poured some wine into one of the glasses and pushed it across.
    'My thanks, senor, but it would hardly be good manners for me to drink alone. Rafael, introduce me to your friends.'
    'But of course, Colonel Rojas.'
    So this was Rojas? Rafael babbled the introductions and Manning schooled his face to steadiness and poured wine into the glasses as Bayo returned.
    Sweat stained the colonel's jacket in great patches and trickled along the folds of his fat face. He produced a red silk handkerchief, mopped the worst of it away and removed his panama. His head