tell him, and
tell him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He stripped off, down to his breeches. No sense in getting all his clothes wet.
He slipped into the water. It was cold, even at this time of the year. A couple of deep breaths and he duck-dived under the water. Swimming down for the bottom he forced himself to open his eyes. He might as well have kept them closed. Well, up was dimly lighter. His hands touched ooze. He felt around and realized this was not going to be an easy job after all. The water-door was plainly where the embassy threw out its garbage. He went up, breaking water with relief.
Katerina was a dark figure against the lights. “Did you find it?” she hissed anxiously.
Benito shook his head. “No.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “It must be there. It must.” There was more than a hint of desperation in her voice.
“Yeah, maybe,” he agreed hastily. “But look, there is lots of rubbish on the bottom. You got something heavy I can use to keep myself down there?”
She had the rock in a rope bag that did the poor-man’s
He slipped into the water. It was cold, even at this time of the year. A couple of deep breaths and he duck-dived under the water. Swimming down for the bottom he forced himself to open his eyes. He might as well have kept them closed. Well, up was dimly lighter. His hands touched ooze. He felt around and realized this was not going to be an easy job after all. The water-door was plainly where the embassy threw out its garbage. He went up, breaking water with relief.
Katerina was a dark figure against the lights. “Did you find it?” she hissed anxiously.
Benito shook his head. “No.”
He heard her sharp intake of breath. “It must be there. It must.” There was more than a hint of desperation in her voice.
“Yeah, maybe,” he agreed hastily. “But look, there is lots of rubbish on the bottom. You got something heavy I can use to keep myself down there?”
She had the rock in a rope bag that did the poor-man’s