'Then it would be honourable enough to do it.'
She stood still, this tall bony gawky girl in her white nightgown and her bare feet, her face so unguarded it was almost naked, a face where intelligence and honesty and shyness and courage and hope all blended into an expression that touched Lee's heart so strongly he all but fell in love with her there and then. He saw her soft hands holding her daemon to her breast. And he saw her grace, the sweet overcoming of her young body's clumsiness - for she was young; and he thought how proud she would make any man who gained her approval; and he thought if once he was privileged to hold this treasure of a girl in his arms, he would never again look at a vapid doll like Miss Poliakova.
Suddenly she held out her hand to shake. He stood up and took it.
'I am most grateful,' she said.
'Happy to help, miss, and I wish you very well,' said Lee. 'I truly hope you can stop worrying about this.'
A few chilly seconds later he was in his own bed, with Hester beside him on the pillow.
'Well, Hester,' he said, 'what was that all about?'
'You don't know? She had a proposal of marriage, of course, you big fool.'
'She did? No kidding! How about that. And what did I advise her to do?'
'To say yes, of course.'
'Sheesh,' said Lee. 'I hope I got that right.'
Next morning Lee came down to a breakfast of greasy cheese and pickled fish, in the course of which each of the gentleman boarders took great pains to address the young librarian with careless charm, and she responded with silent disdain. Neither she nor Lee made any reference to what had happened in the night.
'A frosty character, our Miss Lund,' said the photographer when she'd left. 'She expects high standards of conversation.'
'She has a sweetheart in the Customs Office,' said Vassiliev. 'I saw them last night after the meeting. What happened to you, Mr Scoresby? Were you drawn into the maelstrom of politics?'
'Guess I was, for a minute,' said Lee. 'Then I came to my senses again. That Poliakov is a disapproving individual, and no mistake. Is he going to win this election?'
'Oh, yes. His only opponent is the present Mayor, who is an indolent and cowardly man. Yes, Poliakov will win, and then he will be perfectly placed to make a bid to return to the Senate at Novgorod. I fully expect to see more of him, unfortunately.'
'You know, I just remembered something,' Lee said. 'He began to mention a situation at the harbour that needed...whatever it was he said...resolving. Would that be the business of the Captain who can't load his cargo? Do you know anything about that?'
'Well, I don't know exactly what is going on down there, but no doubt our old friends Larsen Manganese have something to do with it. So Poliakov has a hand in it as well, does he? I'm sure that he will win that too.'
'Well now,' said Lee, 'would you care to make a little - ?'
Hester bit him quite hard on the wrist. Lee looked at her reproachfully.
'No betting,' she said.
'For shame!' he said. 'I was about to suggest to Mr Vassiliev that he might care to take a little trip down to the harbour to see what happens. Betting! Hester, Hester.'
'Unfortunately, I have other plans,' said Vassiliev. 'I have to inspect employment conditions at the tannery today, and then I must make my preparations to leave.'
'Well, enjoy the inspection, sir. If I don't see you again before you leave, I'll tell our fair companion that you took your broken heart away to nurse.'
It was a blustery morning, with little dashes of rain in between bright sunshine, and big white clouds hurrying across a brilliant blue sky.
'Pretty weather,' said Lee as they made their way to the harbour. 'Sooner be down here on the ground, though.'
'If you don't watch your step, you'll be under it,' said Hester.
Lee sat on a bollard at the water's edge and settled his hat lower over his eyes, because the glare off the water was surprising. He took out his little pair of field glasses and looked around the basin. The big steam crane on the right-hand quay had finished with the barque's new mast, and was now busy unloading the coal from the tanker into a train of rail wagons. As for the ships on the left, the one that had been taking on fish oil had done with that and was now loading what looked like bundles of skins, and the other vessel was riding much higher in the water after all her cargo of timber had been unloaded. Her decks were clear, and the crew were busy with scrubbing and painting. The only new vessel in sight was a dredger working near the harbour mouth, laboriously hauling up bucketfuls of sand and mud and dumping them into a lighter alongside.
On the schooner, nothing had changed. She lay still and silent at the quay. There was a knot of men
gathered part-way along the quay at the corner of a warehouse, and Lee was about to train the field glasses on them when a harsh voice spoke behind him.
'What are you looking at?'
Lee put the glasses down carefully and turned round, taking his time. Hester moved a little closer. The man standing there was the red-haired Dutchman he'd helped out of the bar only the day before.
'Captain van Breda?' he said, standing up slowly and tipping his hat.
'That I am. Who are you?'
The man had no memory of him, which was hardly surprising, unless he was ashamed to admit it.
'The name's Scoresby, Captain. I was looking at that schooner, and thinking I wouldn't care to pay the harbour dues that must be piling up while she can't load her cargo.'
'You are an associate of that man Poliakov?' said van Breda, clenching his fists. His cheeks, under the red stubble, were suffused with a deeper crimson, and his eyes were bloodshot. It seemed as if he might fall to an apoplexy at
any moment, Lee thought, looking at his daemon - a big rough-haired mongrel bitch with a lot of wolf in
her, her hackles raised, trembling and emitting a
constant low growl. One or two passers-by glanced
at them curiously and walked on.
Not far away, a bear climbed up the steps from the water and shook himself, sending sheets of spray flying high in the air, before standing to look along the waterfront towards the two men.
'An associate?' Lee said carefully. 'No, sir. That's way wrong. I met the man last night at the town hall, and I told him I didn't care for the kind of man he employs. Anyway, I ain't got a vote in his election, and I fell asleep during his speech. Is that your ship?'
'Yes, goddamnit, and I don't like spies. What are you looking for? Hey?'
Hester moved a step or two closer and said a quiet word to van Breda's daemon, who snapped and growled in reply. Hester turned to Lee and said:
'Lee, buy the Captain a drink.'
She was right: the man looked close to collapse.
'I'm no spy, Captain,' Lee said. 'Would you care to join me in a glass of hot rum? There's a bar right there. I'd like to hear about your situation.'
'Yes. Ja. Very well. Why not?' said the Captain, removing his cap and scratching his thick red hair with a trembling hand. All the brittle anger had left him, and he followed Lee helplessly into the bar.