'Godfrey! Hey dude, welcome aboard. Cool!'
The ship was about 35 metres long and varnished to look like glass. Its three black masts dominated the bay of Dorini like primed Harpoon missiles locked onto a delicate conservation sanctuary. I suppose I should have been impressed but even as the courtesy gig nudged the boarding steps, I had never felt so naked and exposed. On the hull, at eye level, a brass plate announced the name, Kaliantikos. What if they were aware of how much I knew? If they had a mere scintilla of suspicion they'd never let me return to shore, they couldn't afford to. On the other hand I could always bank on Daphne to underestimate me.
The drive from Sophia down to the quayside in the old banger Aristethes used for a post van had been incident free except for the running out of fuel and me having to freewheel the last half a mile or so. But it was good of him to let me borrow it, 'Help yourself,' he'd said. 'I keep the keys in the ignition, who'd want to steal a wreck like this?'
Adrian welcomed me onto the deck with all the fuss and bluster of an extreme fitness holidays commercial; all impenetrable shades and shining muscle and gleaming fangs. I made a point of not standing too close so as not to further inflate his ego. On board, one or two flunkies fiddled with ropes and wires, and the corporate maroon was everywhere, but in general we seemed quite alone.
'So, what do you think of her?' Before I could answer, Adrian told me why he loved the yacht. 'She's unique man, one of a kind. Hand-crafted like ultra-fine antique furniture. The hull of this natural beauty is triple planked with Honduras mahogany and white oak beams. She's powered by Mercedes-Benz. This boat has class. Hey, like the carbon spars? No one can touch her. Can't be beat. This babe's invincible, man. Know what I'm sayin'?'
He was drooling; a large boy with a super toy.
'Adrian, I'm a landlubber but I do appreciate what a wonderful, dominating experience it must be to have this at your mercy. Thanks for inviting me.' And yes, she was charming and lush but all the lounge bits, like the three sofas on the afterdeck, looked as though they'd been added after the armaments. She was a chariot with an over-padded headrest. 'By the way, where's Daphne?'
Then over my shoulder, I saw her. Topless and bethonged and stretched across one of the sofas, she was carefully admiring her reflection in a mirror whilst wiping away some lipstick traces from those teeth. She saw my reflection and burst into action.
'Why Godfrey! How wonderful to see you. Brilliant.' She jumped up and just skimmed my cheek with her cheeks. 'So glad you could come, darling. We have a simple buffet … but quite exquisite, as you might expect.'
A steward swept by shaking the martinis. He filled three cocktail glasses and addressed Daphne as 'Ma'am', with bows, as you might expect. Adrian was astonished to discover I didn't want a drink but by then my stomach was playing fast and loose with its contents.
'Aw, c'mon big guy. Have something. It'll help you unwind,' disbelief tortured his face.
'Oh, I don't think he's ever been over wound,' Daphne stifled a yawn. 'Take it from one who knows.' They exchanged smiles and shared the joke.
'Don't mind us, old boy, we don't mean any harm,' said Adrian. 'Hey man, how about a little scud around the bay before we eat?'
'Oh, I don't know. I'm feeling a little queasy.'
'Come on Godfrey, live a little.' Daphne waved to Charon in the wheelhouse and the boat eased away from it's mooring without a sound.
Adrian was excited again and that made me wary, 'Powered by Mercedes-Benz, or have I mentioned that already? GPS and Galileo, customised, armed, long and short-range. Tax deductible. Beat that.'
'How wonderful. Which government?'
'That would be telling. Suffice to say, we didn't get it on eBay.'
I shuddered. The boat was a weapon in itself. We stood on the afterdeck watching the harbour recede. In no time at all, the coast was nothing more than a faint form on the horizon. Behind Dorini stood the mountain and a little further to the right lay the plateaux above the bay, and below them, Faria beach. Everything in a row.
'Daphne? Why are we heading out to sea?'
'I thought I told you. We're going to Bodrum and you're coming with us.' A moment of deafening silence, then my mounting panic, then a dry hollow laugh when she saw my face. 'Joking, Godfrey, joking. Couldn't resist. And apart from whingeing, what could you do? Swim? And without your wubber wing? How does it feel to be trapped? I bet you love it.'
Adrian wanted to dive so they signalled for the boat to stop. He couldn't wait. Within no time he was a neoprene tube treading water. 'It's a bit cold but nice and deep and solid. C'mon Godfrey, just take a deep breath and I'll bring you up just before you drown.' He looked over at Daphne and they laughed. She looked at Adrian and shook her head in despair.
'He might be deranged but he has his uses. Why don't you try a dive? I'm sure there's spare equipment.' Her laughter was devoid of any cheer. She knew I could barely doggy-paddle. Adrian jack-knifed and disappeared into the deep. 'Hey, don't the islands look beautiful from here? They have such potential.'
'What are you cooking, Daphne?'
She reloaded her holder and lit the cigarette. 'OK. I'll put you in the picture. Ever been to the little island on the end, Godfrey?'
'Faria? Why?'
'You'd like it. Very interesting place. I want to buy it for the company and turn it into a sort of exclusive leisure resort.'
'You can't. It's not for sale and anyway, there are sacred ruins. They have to be protected.'
'Sacred ruins? Protected? Oh, don't be so damned sentimental. I suppose we could pick them up and maybe relocate them, stone by stone, further down the coast. We wouldn't want to draw unnecessary attention. We could market it in conjunction with Sophia. It'd be a gold mine. Dorini would be the accommodation village, you know, tennis courts, golf, pools, spas, casino, theatres, need I go on? I tell you, it couldn't fail.' My face must have told her how I felt. 'Now, now Godfrey, don't be a Luddite. Tourism and leisure are the future. Think about it! With modern technology and a few million Euros this place could knock every other playground into a black hole and my dear little Kaliantikos Foundation will provide the bungs.'
'They'd never let you do it. And what about the villages, established settlements for hundreds of years, what would happen to all the people?'
'Oh, I suppose we'd have to build them another village or they could live somewhere else. There are plenty of islands to choose from. Don't get so worked up. Sophia is nothing more than a bloody pathetic shanty town. Shit! It's no big deal.' She blew the smoke from her mouth in one sharp, impatient blast and flicked the cigarette over the side. 'Now come along, darling, do please try one of my martinis and calm down. You're getting yourself into quite a state.'
It was clear Daphne saw herself as an entrepreneur of unparalleled vision and nothing as trivial as the law or human rights was going to stop her success.
'Tell me, are you still working in the library? How exciting, though I'm sure you could do a lot better for yourself.' She lit another cigarette.
Adrian reappeared on deck, dripping pools of water, peeling off his suit like a snake shedding skin, 'Two-eight one-two, not so good. Hey, next time you must come with me, man. I insist.'
'It's still not too late if you want to go in, Godfrey.' She studied the tube of ash on the tip of her cigarette, aware of my unease, and then launched it into space with an unexpected blast from her lips. Her face grew pale, contrasting with the dark and threatening sea. She glanced at Adrian, a half smile pulling at a corner of her mouth whilst he waited obediently at the gunwales, legs astride, hands on hips, watching me, weighing me up. The yacht swayed on the waves. My legs twitched. The rails pressed against my back, holding me up. 'What's the matter? You can swim can't you?' She knew I couldn't swim.
'Or don't you trust us?' Adrian smirked. 'Don't worry man, nothing to worry about. Adrian will take care of you.'
'I'd rather not. I have to get back.' I felt sick.
'Hey, you're in the hands of a pro here,' he was getting quite a kick out of himself by then, 'or do you need more lemonade?'
'No thanks man,' I began to wish I could get ashore right away.
'OK. Alright. I'll cut to the chase. Darling, I want to buy a residence that could be described perhaps as a wondrous place full of charm. A handsome, detached accommodation of traditional character built from local stone overlooking the Aegean with rural and mountainous aspects - don't interrupt. The building should have a minimum of three balconied bedrooms, a galleried interior landing with water-closet. Downstairs I'd like a large open-plan lounge incorporating a modest kitchen with sea views from the sink. I'd like my own little sun-trap, and no neighbours - but overlooked by placid windmills. With no need for a garage, it's value beyond comparison. Ring any bells, dearest?'
'What? You are joking - or mad. It's not your style.'
'Now, now. Don't tell me what my style is. It will do nicely, thank you.'
'I'm sorry, but it's not for sale.'
'Don't be a fool. It's just what I'm looking for: highest point, commanding position, a gem. Name your price.'
'I've told you, we're going to keep it.'
'Look darling, let's drop the pretence. You don't like me and I, well, I love me. So listen! I know we have our differences and as you know, I won't take no for an answer. I see it as the gateway to my happiness. The place is remote, so no interruptions and no distractions. Desolate winters to uplift the spirit and it's so basic. I could pretend it was a Buddhist retreat or something. Claim it's a charity set-up. I know you want to put it on the market and return to your cosy non-existence as soon as possible, but you see the things that put other people off are just what make it ideal for me - that's if there are any other people interested, which I doubt. Face it! You'll never get a better deal. Take the money.'
'No deal. That's my decision.'
'Your decision? Your decision? It's not for you to decide, “It’s up to Auntie Agnes”. She sang the words like a spiteful bully. She was her old sweet self again.
'It's not for sale. Now please Daphne, no more.'
'I'll double the asking price. In fact, I could give you a cheque right now.'
Adrian opened the ever-present briefcase a half an inch.
'Everything's money with you isn't it? You think you can buy any damn thing you want.'
'Language, Godfrey, language,' she mimicked Auntie's sing-song Liverpool accent.
'Anyway, what else is there? And please don't start off with your tiresome moral platitudes.'
'I wouldn't waste my breath.'
She jumped to her feet, 'Did you ever become a Library Assistant or was that just pie in the sky? Minimum basic wage is such a goal, isn't it? Good grief. Do yourself a favour for once.'
'Take me back to Dorini. I've had enough of your insane plans for world domination.'
'Mmm, now that's something to think about, but in the meantime, well, must get on Godders, so I'll let you go for now. But as your options shrink, consider immeasurable wealth as an alternative.'
It was worse than I'd imagined - tourism as a front for fencing loot. She would control the village and she'd run her foundation from Faria. She poured herself another drink.
I jumped to my feet. 'Listen to yourself Daphne. How could you imagine, even for one moment, I'd ever descend to working for the likes of you? That I could place the lives of all these people in jeopardy? You're deranged. You need help. What's happened to you, Daphne? What's happened?'
She became still. Adrian twitched. There was silence. Then she let out this wild, animal howl that echoed off the water. She spun round. The lips were pale and thin. She snarled and yelled, 'Listen to me yourself, you miserable toad. I've changed my mind. You either disappear or you disappear. Get my meaning? I couldn't care less one way or the other. It's up to you. You've become an unbelievable irritant yourself; 'like a mosquito', which, I believe, is your current simile. Oh yes, Mercouri told me all about your childish rant. Have you any idea how much is at stake, my dear uncharismatic ex? Looting is an old, long-established activity but looters these days have better technology and better networks than anyone. The loot is always disposable because it is almost always sold to order. Simple! Everything, and I mean every single disposable piece, passes through the Kaliantikos Foundation. I am a multi-billion dollar organisation. What in the world allows you to think I would let you stop me, you snivelling little cretin?' She was out of control, trembling,
'Listen, Daphne, you...'
She exploded, hurling her martini glass with all her might into the deck. Splinters flew through the air. She was raving. 'Listen? Listen? How dare you! No! You listen to me little man, and choose. I'll be away for two days and if you're still here when I get back, I swear you'll be diving with Adrian. Understand?' She was insane. To think I was naive enough to believe I could even begin to make her see sense. Shaking with anger, she stamped over to where I sat and pushed her face to within inches of my own and sneered, 'Just because you didn't know your mother is no reason for being gutless.'
She marched away.
I wasn't even scared anymore, I was numb. I don't remember climbing down into the courtesy boat in the harbour but before her goons pushed away, Daphne reappeared at the gangplank with one more thing to say, 'Before you go running round in circles with your Greek girlfriend and your pathetic little gang in your precious Sophia, let me ask you a question. You're fond of your aunt, aren't you?'
I stared at her.
'Do you know where she is at this very moment?'
'What do you mean?'
'Nothing, yet. But you know what Greek drivers are like, don't you?'
'She's with friends.'
'Or so you think. I have contacts in Stephanos town who tell me she's visiting her arty-farty lesbian friend down there. But let me say this, if you play this stupid game any longer, well they can't be held responsible if another crazy old lady wanders out in front of a speeding car, now can they? Think about it. And don't try to contact her, we see everything.' Then, checking herself in her hand mirror, she wiped more paint off her teeth with a tissue, 'Now run along, my darling ex. I'll get that place if it kills you.'