〃Do you really？〃 She smiled faintly； whether amused by me or pleased at what I'd said I couldn't guess。 〃Do you like all the others； too？〃
〃Do I…I'm sorry。〃
〃Don't you find something odd； something very strange about the people ； about the atmosphere they create〃；〃
I was on safer ground here。 I said frankly： 〃I'd have to have been born deaf and blind not to notice it。 One is warding off barely expressed hostilities； elbowing aside tensions； wading through undercurrents the whole of the livelong day； and at the same time； if you'll forgive the mixing of the metaphors； trying to shield one's eyes from the constant shower of sparks given off by everyone trying to grind their own axes at the same time。 Everyone is so frighteningly friendly to everyone else until the moment es； of course； that everyone else is so misguided as to turn his or her back。 Our esteemed employer； Otto Gerran； cannot speak too highly of his fellow directors； Heissman； Stryker； Goin； and his dear daughter； all of whom he vilifies most fearfully the moment they are out of earshot； all of which would be wholly unforgivable were it not for the fact that Heissman； Goin； Stryker； and his dear daughter each behave in the same fashion to Otto and their co…directors。 You get the same petty jealousies； the same patently false sincerities； the same smilers with the knives beneath the cloaks on the lower film unit crew level…not that they and probably rightly； would regard themselves as being any lower than Otto and his chums…I use the word 〃chums；〃 you understand； without regard to the strict meaning of the word。 And； just to plicate matters； we have this charming interplay between the first and second divisions。
The Duke； Eddie Harbottle； Halliday； the stills man； Hendriks； and Sandy all cordially detest what we might call the management； a sentiment that is strongly reciprocated by the management themselves。 And everybody seems to have a down on the unfortunate director； Neal Divine。 Sure； I've noticed all of this； I'd have to be a zombie not to have； but I disregard ninety…odd percent and just put it down to the normally healthy backbiting bitchery inseparable from the cinema world。 You get fakes； cheats； liars； mountebanks； sycophants； hypocrites the world over； it's just that the movie…making milieu appears to act as a grossly distorting magnifying glass that selects and high…lights all the more undesirable qualities while ignoring or at best diminishing the more desirable ones…one has to assume that there are some。〃
〃You don't think a great deal of us； do you？〃
〃Whatever gave you that impression？〃
She ignored that。 〃And we're all bad？〃
〃Not all。 Not you。 Not the other Mary or young Allen…but maybe that's because they're too young yet or too new in this business to have e to terms with the standard norms of behaviour。 And I'm pretty sure that Charles Conrad is on the side of the angels。〃
Again the little smile。 〃You mean he thinks along the same lines as you
〃Yes。 Do you know him at all…
〃We say good morning。〃
〃You should get to know him better。 He'd like to know you better。 He likes you…he said so。 And； no； we weren't discussing you…your name cropped up among a dozen others。〃
〃Flatterer。〃 Her tone was neutral； I didn't know whether she was referring with pleasure to Conrad or with irony to myself。 〃So you agree with me？ There is something very strange in the atmosphere here？〃
〃BY normal standards； Yes。〃
y any standards。〃 There was a curious certainty about her。 〃Distrust； suspicion； jealousy； one looks to find those things in our unpleasant little world； but one does not look to find them on the scale that we have here。
Do not forget that I know about those things。 I was born in a munist country； I was brought up in a munist country。 You understand？〃
〃Yes。 When did you pet away？〃
〃Two years ago。 just two years。〃
〃How？〃
〃Please。 Others may wish to use the same way。〃
〃And I'm in the pay of the Kremlin。 As you wish。〃
〃You are offended？〃 I shook my head。 〃Distrust； suspicion； jealousy； Dr。 Marlowe。 But there is more here； much more。 There is hate and there is fear。 I…I can smell it。 Can't you？'
〃You have a point to make〃； dear； and you're leading up to it in a very tortuous fashion。 I wish you would e to it。〃 I looked at my watch。
I do not wish to be rude to you but neither do I wish to be rude to the person who is waiting to see me。〃
〃If people hate and fear each other enough； terrible things can happen 。〃 This didn't seem to require even an affirmative； so I kept silent and she went on： 〃You say that those illnesses； those deaths； are the result of accidental food poisoning。 Are they； Dr。 Marlowe？ Are they？〃
So this is what has taken you all this long time to lead up to？ You think…you think it may have been deliberate； have been engineered by someone。 That's what you think；〃 I hoped it was clear to her that the idea had just occurred to me for the first time。
I don't know what to think。 But yes…yes； that's what I think。〃
'Who？
〃Who〃 She looked at me in what appeared to be genuine astonishment。 〃How should I know who？ Anybody； I suppose！'
‘You'd be a sensation as a prosecuting counsel。 Then if not who； why？〃
She hesitated； looked away； glanced briefly back at me； then looked at the deck。 I don't know why； either！'
〃So you've no basis for this incredible suggestion other than your munist…trained instincts。〃
〃I've put it very badly； haven't I'
〃You'd nothing to put； Mary。 just examine the facts and see how ridiculous your suggestion is。 Seven disparate people affected and all struck down pletely at random…or can you give me a reason why so wildly diverse a group as a film producer； a hairdresser； a camera focus assistant； a mate； a bosan； and two stewards should he the victims？
Can you tell me why some lived； why some died？ Can you tell me why two of the victims assimilated this poison from food served at the saloon table； two from food consumed in the galley and one； the Duke； who may have been poisoned in either the galley or the saloon？ Can you； Mary' She shook her head； the straw…coloured hair fell over her eyes and she let it stay there。 Maybe she didn't want to look at me； maybe she didn't want me to look at her。
〃After today；〃 I said； 〃I've been left standing； I've been widely given to understand； among the ruins of my professional reputation but I'll wager what's left of it； together with anything else you care to name； that this wholesale poisoning is pletely accidental and that no person aboard the Morning Rose wished to； hoped to； or intended to poison those seven men。〃 Which was a different thing entirely from claiming that there was no one aboard the Morning Rose who was responsible for the tragedy。 〃Not unless we have a madman aboard； and you can say what you like…you've already said it…about our highly…ah…individualistic shipboard panions； none of them is unhinged。 Not； that is； criminally unhinged。〃
She hadn't looked at me once when I was speaking and； even when I'd finished； continued to present me with a view of the crown of her head。 I rose； lurched across to the armchair where she was sitting； braced myself with one hand on the back of her chair and placed a finger of the other under her chin。 She straightened and brushed back the hair from her eyes； brown eyes large and still and full of fear。 I smiled at her and she smiled back and the smile didn't touch her eyes。 I turned and left the lounge。
I was quite ten minutes late for my appointment in the galley and as Haggerty had already made abundantly clear to me that he was a stickler for the proprieties； I expected to find him in a mood anywhere between stiff outrage and cool disapproval。 Haggerty's attention； however； was occupied with more immediate and pressing matters for as I approached the galley through the stewards〃 pantry I could hear the sound of a loud and very angry altercation。 At least； Haggerty was being loud and angry。 It wasn't so much an altercation as a monologue and it was Haggerty； his red face crimson now with anger and his periwinkle blue eyes popping ； who was conducting it： Sandy； our props man； was the unfortunate party on the other side of this very one…sided argument and his silent acceptance of the abuse that was being heaped upon him stemmed less from the want of something to say than from the want of air。 I thought at first that Haggerty had his very large red hand clamped round Sandy's scrawny neck but then realised that he had the two lapels of Sandy's jacket crushed together in one hand： the effect； however； was about the same； and as Sandy was only about half the cook's size there was very little he could do about it。 I tapped Haggerty on the shoulder。
〃You're choking this man；〃 I said mildly。 Haggerty glanced at me briefly and got back to his choking。 I went on； just as mildly： 〃This isn't a naval vessel and I'm not a master…at…arms so I can't order you about。 But I am what the courts would accept as an expert witness and I don't think they'd question my testimony when you're being sued for assault and battery。 Could cost you your life's savings； you know。〃
Haggerty looked at me again and this time he didn't look away。 Reluctantly ； he removed his hand