I forgot about it then. Jim was coming across the plaza.

He came straight toward me, his face serious. I felt the way I had the first time I was in a school play. Butterflies were ricocheting around in my insides.

Jim sat down. “Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” I said.

Then both of us started to talk at once.

“Jim, I’m sorry about-”

“ Sandy, I want to apologize for-”

We both burst out laughing, and Jim took hold of my hand.

“I acted like a jerk,” he said.

“Right,” I agreed.

“How about you? Nancy Drew on a case. Why all the mystery?”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’ve got all day,” Jim said, smiling.

He looked tired and hot and dusty. Dark patches of perspiration stained his crumpled shirt, and chalk dust whitened his brown hair like premature gray streaks.

“No, you don’t,” I said repentantly. “I bet you want to shower and change.”

He laughed. “Shower! You know not whereof you speak, spoiled child of civilization. That bowl of lukewarm water can wait. Talk.”

“My mother left Frederick when I was about two,” I said. “I hadn’t seen him since, until last winter. She married again. I’ve got a sensational stepfather, whom I adore. Neither one of them knows where I am, incidentally. They think I’m touring Europe.”

“I’m sorry I said that about your mother,” Jim said.

“You were upset.”

“Yeah. Well, that’s very enlightening. When you decide to open up, you don’t stall around, do you?”

“I hate lying,” I said vehemently. “I felt rotten about having had to lie to you.”

“Then why did you? No, don’t tell me; Frederick insisted.”

I nodded.

“For a supposedly brilliant scholar he’s singularly stupid about some things,” Jim said. “Did either of you think you could keep your activities a secret? Small towns are all alike. Everybody in the village knows you’re diving.”

“Oh, damn,” I said. “Everybody?”

“Yes, and it’s lucky for you you weren’t around when I found out. I was so mad I almost came calling on you with a club. I may yet. If you broke an arm or a leg, you’d have to stop this nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense,” I said defensively. “ Frederick thinks-”

I stopped just in time-but it wouldn’t have mattered. Jim was laughing.

“ Frederick thinks there are ruins out in the bay. So do a lot of other people, you little turkey. But nobody else is fool enough to risk his neck looking for them without proper equipment, not to mention official sanction.”

“I’m not doing anything wrong. Not until I-My God, what’s the matter with me? I keep blurting out all these things.”

“It’s me,” Jim said proudly. “I bring out your true, honest nature, and you can’t lie to me.” He sobered. “ Sandy, I know all. Your old man was down on the pier the other day talking to one of the men about air tanks and compressors. Platon is an honest crook, he’ll supply you and keep his mouth shut if he’s bribed well enough. But you can’t hope to keep it a secret from the others. Promise me you won’t use that gear. In fact, I want your promise that you’ll stop diving altogether unless I’m around.”

“You?”

“ Frederick is no damn good; he’s got a weak heart or something. If you got in trouble he couldn’t possibly rescue you. In fact, if what Chris says about him is true, he might not even try.”

I should have resented that, but I couldn’t. My expression reflected my memories of the times Frederick had simply walked off and left me alone in the water. Jim, watching my face, swore.

“I thought so,” he said. “Look, Sandy, I’ll spend as much time diving with you as I can spare. Not only will I not horn in on anything you find, but I won’t even tell Chris what we’re doing. I can’t be any fairer than that, can I?”

It was not only a fair offer, it was magnificently generous. I knew how uncomfortable his position would be if we did make a major discovery and Sir Christopher learned that Jim had helped, unbeknown to him. I was so tempted I felt dizzy. But I realized what Frederick would say if I proposed the scheme to him. I knew Jim was trustworthy. Frederick wouldn’t trust his own mother.

“What will you do if I say ‘no thanks’?” I asked.

Jim’s smile faded. “Report you to the port officer in Phira.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t make me, Sandy. I’d like to see you away from here. Oh, don’t give me that hurt look, you know I’m crazy about you. I want to see you and go on seeing you. Only not here. There’s something peculiar going on around here; your stupid diving is only part of the problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you noticed the way the villagers are acting? Don’t worry, I’m not going to say ‘the natives are restless.’ They aren’t restless. They’re afraid. It can’t be the quakes or the volcanic activity out in the bay, they’re used to that.”

“What, then?”

“It’s that woman-Kore, or whatever she calls herself. I managed to worm a few more confidences out of some of the men after our conversation with her. The picture I’m building up is somewhat disconcerting. Her boyfriend at the villa is a former German officer. Sure, it’s been a long time since that particular war; but the older people still remember the occupation, and German military types are resented. And the Greeks have several words for women like Kore, who went over to the enemy. Her position, and her lover’s, would be difficult here if she didn’t have some hold over the villagers. That hold is fear. She’s playing on their superstitions and doing a hell of a good job of it.”

“They think she’s a witch? That woman in her Dior slacks?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Jim said soberly. “They believe she has magical powers, yes; but they don’t regard her as a witch. She’s something much more dangerous. I don’t know precisely how she convinced them. It can’t only be the way she talks, although that’s disturbing enough. You heard her the other night, rambling on about the bride of Hell.”

“But why should the raving of a half-crazy old woman worry you?”

Jim shook his head. “Never mind Kore’s fantasies. There are enough solid facts to worry me. How did she know who you were?”

“Oh, hell, let’s not beat around the bush,” I said. “We’re both thinking the same thing. It’s unavoidable. She was in Crete when your uncle and Sir Christopher and Frederick were there. Frederick admitted as much the other night.”

“He did? What did you do, tie him up and burn his feet?”

I had to laugh, the question was so in line with my appraisal of my father.

“No, he talked freely, but that was about all he said. How about your boss?”

“I haven’t asked him.”

“It’s possible he didn’t know her. You’re really jumping to conclusions if you think the man in the villa was in Crete during the occupation, and that Kore was his mistress even then. Obviously she knew Frederick in his secret-agent days or she wouldn’t know his alias. That suggests she was a member of the Cretan underground. She might have been in contact with Frederick but not with either of the others.”

“It’s possible,” Jim said.

“Well, it’s useless to speculate about it. Weren’t you the one who was telling me we shouldn’t dwell on the dead past?” I glanced toward the bay, where the first star of evening was now visible. “Geez, it’s late. I’ve got to get this fish home before it goes bad.”

“I’ll walk you home.” Jim rose.

I stared at him in surprise. “Why, sir, I do believe your intentions are serious! I’d ask you to supper, only Frederick-”

“I couldn’t. Chris is really cracking down; I’ve got eight hours of work ahead of me tonight. But I’ve got time to see you get home all right.”

He looked taller than usual, standing so close to me; I had to tilt my head back to look up into his face.

“You never offered to walk me home before,” I reminded him. “Jim, you’re being silly. I’m a lot safer on that back road than I would be on the streets of an American city.”