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Show 16 smiling, as she indicated the captive beach. "Sorry," said Louise. "We didn't know." "You must join us." Mrs Satterwhite leaned forward, grasping Louise in a gesture that merged the amicable with the manacle. "Love to have you. We see our people all the time. Good to have new blood." And she led her to their party. The Colonel stood up and Sid, who had exited a few yards distant, spotted the group and walked over. Sid was trim and broad-shouldered, independent in his bearing and rather proud that (unlike some of the others) he had not only done well in Japanese but made a respectable officer. At the same time he possessed a touch of the conventional that proved itself valuable in emergencies. "How are you, sir?" he asked, urbane. "Sorry to intrude. Didn't know you were here." "Quite all right. No intrusion at all. Have a seat." And he indicated a place on the blanket. Sid held up his hand. "Wouldn't think of it. There are other beaches." And he pointed north. "Uchida village," said Mrs Satterwhite. "Chickens and children." Louise looked in the other direction, but was forestalled. "Can't picnic on a dock," said Mrs Satterwhite. "Don't worry; we'll just merge. We need to know each other." She was tall and thin, with a number of angles that gave a quartz impression to her most genial gesture. "Sometimes I feel" - she laughed, shaking the diamond-edge of her profile - "you avoid us." |