uncomplicated. Kirstie realised that
Francis did not have to work to create this impression of well-being. His capacity to be
at ease with his surroundings and himself was a wholeness of personality she had not
expected of him, and was another piece of the jigsaw about him that did not fit.
She scowled her incomprehension and he, perhaps deliberately, misread it. 'Never mind,
you're nearly done with it. Er—is one of them for my supper as well, or must I try to
catch my own?'
She looked down at the fish. She hadn't had to catch two. She didn't have to share, and
he certainly did not expect it of her. They weren't even socially obliged to sit down
together at mealtimes. Her scowl deepened.
'Well, I can't eat them both,' she grumbled, 'and it's too late to throw one of them back
now.'
Francis smiled. 'While you're busy at that, I'll go see what else we've got for supper.
Would you like a salad?'
She was as crazy as he was, to be going along with these courtesies. She sighed and said,
'Might as well.'
The bizarre homeliness lasted through the short meal. Afterwards Francis cleared away
the plates and made two cups of instant coffee, adding to hers a dollop of milk without
having to ask. He brought it to her as she stared broodingly at the salt- and pepper-
shakers, chin propped on hands.
He curled his long body neatly into the chair opposite hers. Then he asked, 'Is your
objection confined to me, or does it actually spread to all the employees at Amalgamated
Trust?'
That brought her out of her trance. 'Don't be silly,' she exclaimed involuntarily. 'Why
would I have anything against them?'
'But you understand that, as executive director, I am responsible for not only them but
the thousands of independent investors in Amalgamated.' Francis didn't look at her. His
head was bent as he lounged back in the kitchen chair. He had removed the gauze strips
and seemed to be studying the spot in his hand where the splinter had been.
Kirstie could sense a logistical trap coming and grew correspondingly wary. 'Go on.'
His eyes flashed to her. 'There will be chaos and panic tomorrow, if I don't show up at
the office. If the news of my disappearance leaks to the Press, the damage will be
incalculable. Stock prices will plummet, several vital international deals will be
disrupted. A lot of other people's money would be lost. Need I go on?'
Kirstie had whitened as Francis spoke. She shook her head, her mouth tight.
He sighed. It rocked her heart. Again, where was the monster? This was simply a
careworn man, troubled by his responsibilities. 'How had you expected to avert all this,
then?' he asked her quietly. 'How does this fit into your system of values?'
Kirstie was silent for a long moment, her mind whirling. This was what she had failed to
plan for. This was where the whole lunatic idea, born of an emotionally charged
midnight and planned in haste, fell apart. This was where he caught and held her by
logic and common decency. This was where he demanded that she take him back, and
she would be unable to refuse him.
Kirstie looked Francis in the eye and unflinchingly turned the blade of her honesty on to
herself. 'It doesn't fit,' she said.
He didn't smile in triumph; he didn't home in for the kill. Instead, Francis looked away.
'So you agree that our argument is entirely private?'
That threw her. What was he trying to get at now? She wanted to shout her confusion at
him: I get the point, you don't have to use a sledgehammer! But instead she heard herself
say, 'Yes.'
'Then,' he said delicately, staring at his hand again, 'I think you should let me use that
helicopter radio, so that I can leave a message at the office. As long as they know to
cover for me, the associate directors can act in my place until I get back.'
'Let you use the radio?' she exclaimed incredulously.
That brought his head up with a snap. He said in a hard voice, his eyes completely
shuttered, 'Yes. You'll have to take my
Francis did not have to work to create this impression of well-being. His capacity to be
at ease with his surroundings and himself was a wholeness of personality she had not
expected of him, and was another piece of the jigsaw about him that did not fit.
She scowled her incomprehension and he, perhaps deliberately, misread it. 'Never mind,
you're nearly done with it. Er—is one of them for my supper as well, or must I try to
catch my own?'
She looked down at the fish. She hadn't had to catch two. She didn't have to share, and
he certainly did not expect it of her. They weren't even socially obliged to sit down
together at mealtimes. Her scowl deepened.
'Well, I can't eat them both,' she grumbled, 'and it's too late to throw one of them back
now.'
Francis smiled. 'While you're busy at that, I'll go see what else we've got for supper.
Would you like a salad?'
She was as crazy as he was, to be going along with these courtesies. She sighed and said,
'Might as well.'
The bizarre homeliness lasted through the short meal. Afterwards Francis cleared away
the plates and made two cups of instant coffee, adding to hers a dollop of milk without
having to ask. He brought it to her as she stared broodingly at the salt- and pepper-
shakers, chin propped on hands.
He curled his long body neatly into the chair opposite hers. Then he asked, 'Is your
objection confined to me, or does it actually spread to all the employees at Amalgamated
Trust?'
That brought her out of her trance. 'Don't be silly,' she exclaimed involuntarily. 'Why
would I have anything against them?'
'But you understand that, as executive director, I am responsible for not only them but
the thousands of independent investors in Amalgamated.' Francis didn't look at her. His
head was bent as he lounged back in the kitchen chair. He had removed the gauze strips
and seemed to be studying the spot in his hand where the splinter had been.
Kirstie could sense a logistical trap coming and grew correspondingly wary. 'Go on.'
His eyes flashed to her. 'There will be chaos and panic tomorrow, if I don't show up at
the office. If the news of my disappearance leaks to the Press, the damage will be
incalculable. Stock prices will plummet, several vital international deals will be
disrupted. A lot of other people's money would be lost. Need I go on?'
Kirstie had whitened as Francis spoke. She shook her head, her mouth tight.
He sighed. It rocked her heart. Again, where was the monster? This was simply a
careworn man, troubled by his responsibilities. 'How had you expected to avert all this,
then?' he asked her quietly. 'How does this fit into your system of values?'
Kirstie was silent for a long moment, her mind whirling. This was what she had failed to
plan for. This was where the whole lunatic idea, born of an emotionally charged
midnight and planned in haste, fell apart. This was where he caught and held her by
logic and common decency. This was where he demanded that she take him back, and
she would be unable to refuse him.
Kirstie looked Francis in the eye and unflinchingly turned the blade of her honesty on to
herself. 'It doesn't fit,' she said.
He didn't smile in triumph; he didn't home in for the kill. Instead, Francis looked away.
'So you agree that our argument is entirely private?'
That threw her. What was he trying to get at now? She wanted to shout her confusion at
him: I get the point, you don't have to use a sledgehammer! But instead she heard herself
say, 'Yes.'
'Then,' he said delicately, staring at his hand again, 'I think you should let me use that
helicopter radio, so that I can leave a message at the office. As long as they know to
cover for me, the associate directors can act in my place until I get back.'
'Let you use the radio?' she exclaimed incredulously.
That brought his head up with a snap. He said in a hard voice, his eyes completely
shuttered, 'Yes. You'll have to take my
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