The Sword of Fate (48 page)

After a little I decided to take the coast road to the south on the chance that we might sight a vessel, as many of our men who had been driven through the low country to the east of Mount Olympus along the seashore must have been taken off in that neighbourhood.

Driving slowly along the ribbon of road I kept a sharp lookout, and about half an hour later, on rounding a headland into a low bay, I saw a light flashing out to sea. We drove on until we were opposite to it, then abandoned the car and walked down to the beach. The signalling had stopped, but I could just make out the dark hulk of a small ship about half a mile out. As we reached the water’s edge I caught the sound of voices and saw that some men, who had just waded out, were being hauled into a boat.

I gave them a hail, not too loud but loud enough for them to hear, and an English voice called back:

“Who are you?”

“A British officer,” I cried.

“Right-oh, come along!” called back the voice. “The Navy’s here!”

I took out my wallet, which still contained most of the big sum that Diamopholus had given me. Stuffing it into Tino’s pocket, I said:

“Take care of that, Tino. It’s enough to buy you a little
cottage and a garden when things settle down. You’ve been a good friend and I wish you all the luck in the world.”

He didn’t reply for a moment, then he gulped out: “Thank you, master. Good luck.” And we solemnly shook hands before I waded out into the water.

I had gone perhaps fifty yards and was up to my waist before a new thought struck me, and turning I raced back. The men in the boat were now shouting at me to make haste, but I took no notice of them. Tino was still standing where I had left him.

“Look here,” I said, “what happened to your father and mother?”

“They’re both—both dead,” he said in a whisper.

“What’s to become of you, then?” I asked.

He shook his head and twisted it again to look up at me. “I don’t know, master. The Germans will rule us now, won’t they, until the British bring us back our freedom? They taught us in school that the Nazis hate cripples, so things may be—may be difficult for anyone like me.”

Something stirred in me then. He was a grand little man—this hunchback. Fate had been savagely cruel to both of us. It had striken him at birth and worse than it had me. Perhaps I could help to make that up to him by giving him a good education, a chance in life to make the best use of his quick brain and the affection that every child must crave.

“Come on, old chap,” I said. “You’re coming with me.” And picking him up in my arms, I waded back into the water. In Greece I had lost something that could never be replaced. My heart had died with Daphnis; but I was not leaving Greece empty-handed. I was carrying out of it a spirit that was brave and kind and free.

DENNIS WHEATLEY

Dennis Wheatley (1897 – 1977) was an English author whose prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling writers from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Wheatley was the eldest of three children, and his parents were the owners of Wheatley & Son of Mayfair, a wine business. He admitted to little aptitude for schooling, and was expelled from Dulwich College, London. In 1919 he assumed management of the family wine business but in 1931, after a decline in business due to the depression, he began writing.

His first book,
The Forbidden Territory
, became a bestseller overnight, and since then his books have sold over 50 million copies worldwide. During the 1960s, his publishers sold one million copies of Wheatley titles per year, and his Gregory Sallust series was one of the main inspirations for Ian Fleming’s James Bond stories.

During the Second World War, Wheatley was a member of the London Controlling Section, which secretly coordinated strategic military deception and cover plans. His literary talents gained him employment with planning staffs for the War Office. He wrote numerous papers for the War Office, including suggestions for dealing with a German invasion of Britain.

Dennis Wheatley died on 11th November 1977. During his life he wrote over 70 books and sold over 50 million copies.

Discover books by Dennis Wheatley published by Bloomsbury Reader at
www.bloomsbury.com/DennisWheatley

Duke de Richleau
The Forbidden Territory
The Devil Rides Out
The Golden Spaniard
Three Inquisitive People
Strange Conflict
Codeword Golden Fleece
The Second Seal
The Prisoner in the Mask
Vendetta in Spain
Dangerous Inheritance
Gateway to Hell

Gregory Sallust
Black August
Contraband
The Scarlet Impostor
Faked Passports
The Black Baroness
V for Vengeance
Come into My Parlour
The Island Where Time Stands Still
Traitors’ Gate
They Used Dark Forces
The White Witch of the South Seas

Julian Day
The Quest of Julian Day
The Sword of Fate
Bill for the Use of a Body

Roger Brook
The Launching of Roger Brook
The Shadow of Tyburn Tree
The Rising Storm
The Man Who Killed the King
The Dark Secret of Josephine
The Rape of Venice
The Sultan’s Daughter
The Wanton Princess
Evil in a Mask
The Ravishing of Lady Mary Ware
The Irish Witch
Desperate Measures

Molly Fountain
To the Devil a Daughter
The Satanist

Lost World
They Found Atlantis
Uncharted Seas
The Man Who Missed the War

Espionage
Mayhem in Greece
The Eunuch of Stamboul
The Fabulous Valley
The Strange Story of Linda Lee
Such Power is Dangerous
The Secret War

Science Fiction
Sixty Days to Live
Star of Ill-Omen

Black Magic
The Haunting of Toby Jugg
The KA of Gifford Hillary
Unholy Crusade

Short Stories
Mediterranean Nights
Gunmen, Gallants and Ghosts

This electronic edition published in 2014 by Bloomsbury Reader

Bloomsbury Reader is a division of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 50 Bedford Square,
London WC1B 3DP

First published in 1942 by Hutchinson & Co. Ltd.

Copyright © 1942 Dennis Wheatley

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise
make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means
(including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying,
printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the
publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The moral right of the author is asserted.

eISBN: 9781448212699

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