Ah King (Works of W. Somerset Maugham) Page 11

“I can’t get to Baru,” he said.

  “But you must. I insist. I order you to go to Baru.”

  The man shrugged his shoulders. He turned his back on her and slipped once more under the housing. Then Ginger Ted addressed her.

  “One of the blades of the propeller has broken off. He thinks he can get as far as that island. We shall have to stay the night there and he’ll put on a new propeller in the morning when the tide’s out.”

  “I can’t spend the night on an uninhabited island with three men,” she cried.

  “A lot of women would jump at it.”

  “I insist on going to Baru. Whatever happens we must get there tonight.”

  “Don’t get excited, old girl. We’ve got to beach the boat to put a new propeller on, and we shall be all right on the island.”

  “How dare you speak to me like that! I think you’re very insolent.”

  “You’ll be O.K. We’ve got plenty of grub and we’ll have a snack when we land. You have a drop of arak and you’ll feel like a house on fire.”

  “You’re an impertinent man. If you don’t go to Baru I’ll have you all put in prison.”

  “We’re not going to Baru. We can’t. We’re going to that island and if you don’t like it you can get out and swim.”

  “Oh, you’ll pay for this.”

  “Shut up, you old cow,” said Ginger Ted.

  Miss Jones gave a gasp of anger. But she controlled herself. Even out there, in the middle of the ocean, she had too much dignity to bandy words with that vile wretch. The launch, the engine rattling horribly, crawled on. It was pitch dark now, and she could no longer see the island they were making for. Miss Jones, deeply incensed, sat with lips tight shut and a frown on her brow; she was not used to being crossed. Then the moon rose and she could see the bulk of Ginger Ted sprawling on the top of the piled sacks of copra. The glimmer of his cigarette was strangely sinister. Now the island was vaguely outlined against the sky. They reached it and the boatman ran the launch on to the beach. Suddenly Miss Jones gave a gasp. The truth had dawned on her and her anger changed to fear. Her heart beat violently. She shook in every limb. She felt dreadfully faint. She saw it all. Was the broken propeller a put-up job or was it an accident? She could not be certain; anyhow, she knew that Ginger Ted would seize the opportunity. Ginger Ted would rape her. She knew his character. He was mad about women. That was what he had done, practically, to the girl at the mission, such a good little thing she was and an excellent sempstress; they would have prosecuted him for that and he would have been sentenced to years of imprisonment only very unfortunately the innocent child had gone back to him several times and indeed had only complained of his ill usage when he left her for somebody else. They had gone to the Controleur about it, but he had refused to take any steps, saying in that coarse way of his that even if what the girl said was true, it didn’t look very much as though it had been an altogether unpleasant experience. Ginger Ted was a scoundrel. And she was a white woman. What chance was there that he would spare her? None. She knew men. But she must pull herself together. She must keep her wits about her. She must have courage. She was determined to sell her virtue dearly, and if he killed her–well, she would rather die than yield. And if she died she would rest in the arms of Jesus. For a moment a great light blinded her eyes and she saw the mansions of her Heavenly Father. They were a grand and sumptuous mixture of a picture palace and a railway station. The mechanics and Ginger Ted jumped out of the launch and, waist-deep in water, gathered round the broken propeller. She took advantage of their preoccupation to get her case of surgical instruments out of the box. She took out the four scalpels it contained and secreted them in her clothing. If Ginger Ted touched her she would not hesitate to plunge a scalpel in his heart.

  “Now then, miss, you’d better get out,” said Ginger Ted. “You’ll be better off on the beach than in the boat.”

  She thought so too. At least here she would have freedom of action. Without a word she clambered over the copra sacks. He offered her his hand.

  “I don’t want your help,” she said coldly.

  “You can go to hell,” he answered.

  It was a little difficult to get out of the boat without showing her legs, but by the exercise of considerable ingenuity she managed it.

  “Damned lucky we’ve got something to eat. We’ll make a fire and then you’d better have a snack and a nip of arak.”

  “I want nothing. I only want to be left alone.”

  “It won’t hurt me if you go hungry.”

  She did not answer. She walked, with head erect, along the beach. She held the largest scalpel in her closed fist. The moon allowed her to see where she was going. She looked for a place to hide. The thick forest came down to the very edge of the beach; but, afraid of its darkness (after all, she was but a woman), she dared not plunge into its depth. She did not know what animals lurked there or what dangerous snakes. Besides, her instinct told her that it was better to keep those three bad men in sight; then if they came towards her she would be prepared. Presently she found a little hollow. She looked round. They seemed to be occupied with their own efforts and they could not see her. She slipped in. There was a rock between them and her so that she was hidden from them and yet could watch them. She saw them go to and from the boat carrying things. She saw them build a fire. It lit them luridly and she saw them sit around it and eat, and she saw the jar of arak passed from one to the other. They were all going to get drunk. What would happen to her then? It might be that she could cope with Ginger Ted, though his strength terrified her, but against three she would be powerless. A mad idea came to her to go to Ginger Ted and fall on her knees before him and beg him to spare her. He must have some spark of decent feeling in him and she had always been so convinced that there was good even in the worst of men. He must have had a mother. Perhaps he had a sister. Ah, but how could you appeal to a man blinded with lust and drunk with arak? She began to feel terribly weak. She was afraid she was going to cry. That would never do. She needed all her self-control. She bit her lip. She watched them, like a tiger watching his prey; no, not like that, like a lamb watching three hungry wolves. She saw them put more wood on the fire, and Ginger Ted, in his sarong, silhouetted by the flames. Perhaps after he had had his will of her he would pass her on to the others. How could she go back to her brother when such a thing had happened to her? Of course he would be sympathetic, but would he ever feel quite the same to her again? It would break his heart. And perhaps he would think that she ought to have resisted more.

  For his sake perhaps it would be better if she said nothing about it. Naturally the men would say nothing. It would mean twenty years in prison for them. But then supposing she had a baby. Miss Jones instinctively clenched her hands with horror and nearly cut herself with the scalpel. Of course it would only infuriate them if she resisted.

  “What shall I do?” she cried. “What have I done to deserve this?”

  She flung herself down on her knees and prayed to God to save her. She prayed long and earnestly. She reminded God that she was a virgin and just mentioned, in case it had slipped the divine memory, how much St Paul had valued that excellent state. And then she peeped round the rock again. The three men appeared to be smoking and the fire was dying down. Now was the time that Ginger Ted’s lewd thoughts might be expected to turn to the woman who was at his mercy. She smothered a cry, for suddenly he got up and walked in her direction. She felt all her muscles grow taut, and though her heart was beating furiously she clenched the scalpel firmly in her hand. But it was for another purpose that Ginger Ted had got up. Miss Jones blushed and looked away. He strolled slowly back to the others and sitting down again raised the jar of arak to his lips. Miss Jones, crouching behind the rock, watched with straining eyes. The conversation round the fire grew less and presently she divined, rather than saw, that the two natives wrapped themselves in blankets and composed themselves to slumber. She understood. This was the moment Ginger Ted had been waiting f
or. When they were fast asleep he would get up cautiously and without a sound, in order not to wake the others, creep stealthily towards her. Was it that he was unwilling to share her with them or did he know that his deed was so dastardly that he did not wish them to know of it? After all, he was a white man and she was a white woman. He could not have sunk so low as to allow her to suffer the violence of natives. But his plan, which was so obvious to her, had given her an idea; when she saw him coming she would scream, she would scream so loudly that it would wake the two mechanics. She remembered now that the elder, though he had only one eye, had a kind face. But Ginger Ted did not move. She was feeling terribly tired. She began to fear that she would not have the strength now to resist him. She had gone through too much. She closed her eyes for a minute.

  When she opened them it was broad daylight. She must have fallen asleep and, so shattered was she by emotion, have slept till long after dawn. It gave her quite a turn. She sought to rise, but something caught in her legs. She looked and found that she was covered with two empty copra sacks. Someone had come in the night and put them over her. Ginger Ted! She gave a little scream. The horrible thought flashed through her mind that he had outraged her in her sleep. No. It was impossible. And yet he had had her at his mercy. Defenceless. And he had spared her. She blushed furiously. She raised herself to her feet, feeling a little stiff, and arranged her disordered dress. The scalpel had fallen from her hand and she picked it up. She took the two copra sacks and emerged from her hiding-place. She walked towards the boat. It was floating in the shallow water of the lagoon.

  “Come on, Miss Jones,” said Ginger Ted. “We’ve finished. I was just going to wake you up.”

  She could not look at him, but she felt herself as red as a turkey cock.

  “Have a banana?” he said.

  Without a word she took it. She was very hungry, and ate it with relish.

  “Step on this rock and you’ll be able to get in without wetting your feet.”

  Miss Jones felt as though she could sink into the ground with shame, but she did as he told her. He took hold of her arm-good heavens his hand was like an iron vice, never, never could she have struggled with him-and helped her into the launch. The mechanic started the engine and they slid out of the lagoon. In three hours they were at Baru.

  That evening, having been officially released, Ginger Ted went to the Controleur’s house. He wore no longer the prison uniform but the ragged singlet and the khaki shorts in which he had been arrested. He had had his hair cut and it fitted his head now like a little curly red cap. He was thinner. He had lost his bloated flabbiness and looked younger and better. Mr Gruyter, a friendly grin on his round face, shook hands with him and asked him to sit down. The boy brought two bottles of beer.

  “I’m glad to see you hadn’t forgotten my invitation, Ginger,” said the Controleur.

  “Not likely. I’ve been looking forward to this for six months.”

  “Here’s luck, Ginger Ted.”

  “Same to you, Controleur.”

  They emptied their glasses and the Controleur clapped his hands. The boy brought two more bottles.

  “Well, you don’t bear me any malice for the sentence I gave you, I hope.”

  “No bloody fear. I was mad for a minute, but I got over it. I didn’t have half a bad time, you know. Nice lot of girls on that island, Controleur. You ought to give “em a look over one of these days.”

  “You’re a bad lot, Ginger.”

  “Terrible.”

  “Good beer, isn’t it?”

  “Fine.”

  “Let’s have some more.”

  Ginger Ted’s remittance had been arriving every month and the Controleur now had fifty pounds for him. When the damage he had done to the Chinaman’s shop was paid for there would still be over thirty.

  “That’s quite a lot of money, Ginger. You ought to do something useful with it.”

  “I mean to,” answered Ginger. “Spend it.”

  The Controleur sighed.

  “Well, that’s what money’s for, I guess.”

  The Controleur gave his guest the news. Not much had happened during the last six months. Time on the Alas Islands did not matter very much and the rest of the world did not matter at all.

  “Any wars anywhere?” asked Ginger Ted.

  “No. Not that I’ve noticed. Harry Jervis found a pretty big pearl. He says he’s going to ask a thousand quid for it.”

  “I hope he gets it.”

  “And Charlie McCormack’s married.”

  “He always was a bit soft.”

  Suddenly the boy appeared and said Mr Jones wished to know if he might come in. Before the Controleur could give an answer Mr Jones walked in.

  “I won’t detain you long,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get hold of this good man all day and when I heard he was here I thought you wouldn’t mind my coming.”

  “How is Miss Jones?” asked the Controleur politely. “None the worse for her night in the open, I trust.”

  “She’s naturally a bit shaken. She had a temperature and I’ve insisted on her going to bed, but I don’t think it’s serious.”

  The two men had got up on the missionary’s entrance, and now the missionary went up to Ginger Ted and held out his hand.

  “I want to thank you. You did a great and noble thing. My sister is right, one should always look for the good in their fellow-men; I am afraid I misjudged you in the past; I beg your pardon.”

  He spoke very solemnly. Ginger Ted looked at him with amazement. He had not been able to prevent the missionary taking his hand. He still held it.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “You had my sister at your mercy and you spared her. I thought you were all evil and I am ashamed. She was defenceless. She was in your power. You had pity on her. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Neither my sister nor I will ever forget. God bless and guard you always.”

  Mr Jones’s voice shook a little and he turned his head away. He released Ginger Ted’s hand and strode quickly to the door. Ginger Ted watched him with a blank face.

  “What the blazes does he mean?” he asked.

  The Controleur laughed. He tried to control himself, but the more he did the more he laughed. He shook and you saw the folds of his fat belly ripple under the sarong. He leaned back in his long chair and rolled from side to side. He did not laugh only with his face, he laughed with his whole body, and even the muscles of his podgy legs shook with mirth. He held his aching ribs. Ginger Ted looked at him frowning, and because he did not understand what the joke was he grew angry. He seized one of the empty beer bottles by the neck.

  “If you don’t stop laughing, I’ll break your bloody head open,” he said.

  The Controleur mopped his face. He swallowed a mouthful of beer. He sighed and groaned because his sides were hurting him.

  “He’s thanking you for having respected the virtue of Miss Jones,” he spluttered at last.

  “Me?” cried Ginger Ted.

  The thought took quite a long time to travel through his head, but when at last he got it he flew into a violent rage. There flowed from his mouth such a stream of blasphemous obscenities as would have startled a marine.

  “That old cow,” he finished. “What does he take me for?”

  “You have the reputation of being rather hot stuff with the girls, Ginger,” giggled the little Controleur.

  “I wouldn’t touch her with the fag-end of a barge-pole. It never entered my head. The nerve. I’ll wring his blasted neck. Look here, give me my money, I’m going to get drunk.”

  “I don’t blame you,” said the Controleur.

  “That old cow,” repeated Ginger Ted. “That old cow.”

  He was shocked and outraged. The suggestion really shattered his sense of decency.

  The Controleur had the money at hand and having got Ginger Ted to sign the necessary papers gave it to him.

  “Go and get drunk, Ginger Ted,” he said, “but
I warn you, if you get into mischief it’ll be twelve months next time.”

  “I shan’t get into mischief,” said Ginger Ted sombrely. He was suffering from a sense of injury. “It’s an insult,” he shouted at the Controleur. “That’s what it is, it’s a bloody insult.”

  He lurched out of the house, and as he went he muttered to himself: “Dirty swine, dirty swine.” Ginger Ted remained drunk for a week. Mr Jones went to see the Controleur again.

  “I’m very sorry to hear that poor fellow has taken up his evil course again,” he said. “My sister and I are dreadfully disappointed. I’m afraid it wasn’t very wise to give him so much money at once.”

  “It was his own money. I had no right to keep it back.”

  “Not a legal right, perhaps, but surely a moral right.”

  He told the Controleur the story of that fearful night on the island. With her feminine instinct, Miss Jones had realized that the man, inflamed with lust, was determined to take advantage of her, and, resolved to defend herself to the last, had armed herself with a scalpel. He told the Controleur how she had prayed and wept and how she had hidden herself. Her agony was indescribable, and she knew that she could never have survived the shame. She rocked to and fro and every moment she thought he was coming. And there was no help anywhere and at last she had fallen asleep; she was tired out, poor thing, she had undergone more than any human being could stand, and then when she awoke she found that he had covered her with copra sacks. He had found her asleep, and surely it was her innocence, her very helplessness that had moved him, he hadn’t the heart to touch her; he covered her gently with two copra sacks and crept silently away.

  “It shows you that deep down in him there is something sterling. My sister feels it’s our duty to save him. We must do something for him.”

  “Well, in your place I wouldn’t try till he’s got through all his money,” said the Controleur, “and then if he’s not in jail you can do what you like.”

  But Ginger Ted didn’t want to be saved. About a fortnight after his release from prison he was sitting on a stool outside a Chinaman’s shop looking vacantly down the street when he saw Miss Jones coming along. He stared at her for a minute and once more amazement seized him. He muttered to himself and there can be little doubt that his mutterings were disrespectful. But then he noticed that Miss Jones had seen him and he quickly turned his head away; he was conscious, notwithstanding, that she was looking at him. She was walking briskly, but she sensibly diminished her pace as she approached him. He thought she was going to stop and speak to him. He got up quickly and went into the shop. He did not venture to come out for at least five minutes. Half an hour later Mr Jones himself came along and he went straight up to Ginger Ted with outstretched hand.