“He goes where he pleases and wants only to be left alone. Take his hand, Alec. I beg of you … je vous en prie,” he added urgently, his gaze returning to the old man.

Alec was frightened, feeling that anything might happen. He reached out for the old man’s hand.

If felt cool and, despite its size and strength, there was no pressure at all. It was almost as if he were touching a ghost. Alec wondered if he was being successful in keeping the alarm from showing in his eyes.

They returned to the large living room, leaving the old man alone. The captain put his arm around Alec’s shoulders and said warmly, “Now, we shall have our lunch and talk. We have much to discuss, oui?”

Alec looked at him. Those dark, unblinking eyes would give nothing away. And Alec found that he didn’t care about learning anything more. He wanted no answers to this mystery. His only thought now was to get away. He could no longer ignore the chill running down his spine and there was no way to stop it. The realization had come to him that there was not just one unstable man in this place, and of the two men the captain was the more dangerous.

THE PROFESSIONALS
5

Alec realized that his sudden desire to leave came as no surprise to this man. He believed that the captain had expected it all along. He found the silence of the room and the man’s cold stare more alarming than the fear within him.

Was the captain truly dangerous, as he believed, or were his suspicions brought about by this unusual house and the old man in the back room? Alec had never dreamed he could be so susceptible to moods and surroundings. It was as if his brain had become a battlefield of conflicting emotions.

The captain smiled at him, a small smile, almost a grimace but a smile nevertheless. It threw Alec completely off balance again. There might not be anything to fear from this man, he told himself. The captain was eccentric, of course, a person of many moods, but not mad.

“It is not a cheerful house,” the captain said quietly. “It was built more for shelter and protection than warmth and light. However, we can make it a little more pleasant.”

He opened the large oak door, allowing the sun’s rays to enter the room; then he opened the window shutters for still more light.

The captain’s explanation and the brightness of the day helped rid Alec of some of his apprehensions. “Who is Odin?” he asked boldly.

“My great-uncle,” the captain said quickly, as if he had anticipated the question. “He is a descendant of the Carib Indians, not the Seminoles. The Caribs were fierce warriors and knew this land long before the birth of Christ.” He added nothing more, and Alec thought it wise to remain silent.

“Now for lunch,” the captain said graciously. “If you’ll excuse me a moment and make yourself at home …” He left the room, moving with the fluid grace of an animal.

Alec went over to the fireplace and sat down in one of the high-backed chairs. He was committed and there would be no leaving until after lunch. He looked around the room, noting the bareness of it. It didn’t seem to have been occupied for very long; there were few of the personal things that make a house a home. A portable phonograph was on a table with several records beside it.