The Rose of Tibet Read Online Free PDF Page B

examining her more clearly in the light he wondered why he had never met her. He had met most of the people Hugh worked with. He asked her about it.
    ‘Oh, well,’ she said. ‘I’m not a girl who likes to compete.’
    ‘Who would you be competing with?’
    ‘Sheila, wouldn’t you say?’
    ‘Sheila?’
    ‘Sheila Wolferston.’ She glanced at him. ‘You know about her.’
    He could dimly remember a Sheila at a party, but he didn’t know what there was, particularly, to know about her.
    He said, ‘You mean they’re very friendly?’
    ‘That’s what I mean.’
    ‘Does she work at the office?’
    ‘Yes. Well. Not just now. She’s out there with the unit – the broken leg. Didn’t you really know?’ she asked, looking at him curiously.
    ‘No,’ Houston said lightly; but he was oddly disturbed. He wondered why Hugh hadn’t mentioned the girl.
    But he enjoyed the evening; and he thought he liked her better than most of Hugh’s friends. He took her home, to Maida Vale, and loitered for a while in the hall of the block of flats.
    ‘Perhaps we’ll see a bit more of each other now,’ she said.
    ‘Yes. I’d like that.’
    ‘The only thing is, my life is a tiny bit complicated at the moment.’
    ‘Mine, too.’
    They looked at each other, smiling.
    Houston leaned over and kissed her. He expected a cool and light-hearted response; and got rather more.
    ‘Perhaps we’d better start uncomplicating,’ she said after a moment.
    ‘Perhaps we’d better.’
    She had told him that a reception was being held for the unit if it returned, as expected, on the Saturday, and they agreed to meet there.
    ‘Back to your complication, then, wonder boy,’ she said lightly. ‘I expect I’ll ring you on Thursday.’
    But she rang before that.
    She rang on the Wednesday, and she asked if he could call that afternoon to see Stahl.
    He said, ‘I don’t know. I suppose so,’ confused for the moment. ‘Do you know what it’s about?’
    ‘I think he’d better tell you himself. Would three o’clock be all right?’
    ‘Yes. Yes. All right.’
        
    He saw by her face that the news was not good, but asked no questions. She showed him in immediately to see Stahl.
    He had not met him before, and was surprised by what he saw. Despite the authority of his voice, the director was a small man, almost a midget; a little spare bag of bones. He had a beaky nose with a red ridge across it, and a curious condition of the eyes that kept them moving ceaselessly behind their gold-rimmed spectacles. He came round the large desk to shake Houston’s hand.
    ‘Sit down. Cigarette. I have some disappointing news for you, I’m afraid,’ he said directly.
    Houston took the cigarette without speaking, and tried to keep it still as Stahl lit it for him with a big desk lighter.
    ‘There’s been a slight hold-up. Your brother won’t be coming back this week.’
    Houston stared at him, licking his lips. He said, ‘He’s not ill, or injured or anything… .’
    ‘Oh, no. On the contrary. He’s staying to look after the ones who are. Mr Radkewicz, our director, was in a hurry to move on. The passes out there start getting snowed up early, and he had bulky equipment to shift. He felt it would take another two or three weeks for the casualties to mend satisfactorily, so they’re remaining till they do. Your brother opted to remain with them.’
    ‘I see,’ Houston said. He found himself considerably disconcerted by the restless eyes. ‘I wonder why he should do that?’
    Stahl smiled fractionally. ‘I guess because he’s a good- natured boy,’ he said. ‘There isn’t any danger, if that’s worrying you. They’ll have adequate transport and guides and so forth and the passes are negotiable for ordinary purposes for most of the year. He thought they would appreciate a friendly face and someone who could speak English – although a few people in the monastery do speak a little, apparently.’
    ‘Monastery,’ Houston said.