He went on, ' You would not think that so scattered a community as the Limurian islanders could have a language with the subtletly of expression which Creole has. It's as diverse as their brede dishes-in South Africa there is almost the same word, bredie, which means rice with things like peppers and tomatoes. There are any number of nuances for bredes: brede giraumon, with pumpkin leaves; brede martin; brede malabar--!

No wonder Peace admired the Dm-they were equally heartless.

' You feel all this is appropriate to-?' I nodded towards the swiftly disappearing patch where Peace had been fired.

He seemed amused. You yourself wanted to give him his own sort of farewell-from what I hear-but now you object to anything but formal funeral conversation about the departed hero'

Departed hero! If a sneer is all Peace could expect..

He remained smiling, and gestured with his hand. It seemed wrong, too, that he should be smoking. ' I think you've missed your moment with that cap.'

Annoyed, thrown off-balance, I went to the dodger. The mocking and ironical words followed me. I raised the cap to throw it.

The camera crews are working hard to record the last dramatic gesture of Peace's comrade-in-arms.

I looked down-into a battery of 'cameras and telephoto lenses aboard Amirante.

It would be a futile gesture, anyway,' went on the cool voice. During our cpnversation we gathered speed and I doubt if anyone could locate the spot now where they fired our hero.'

I saw the reason now for his small-talk-he had saved me from contributing one more of the kind of histrionic gestures which I had so deplored.

Thanks,' I said. Thanks very much'

The clear grey-green eyes were expressionless. He said, with an almost conspiratorial air, Come on-let's give it to them-a smart double salute from two old comrades.' He flicked the cigarette-stub into the water. There's a fag-end for friend Peace-it's all right, don't look so startled, we're not being broadcast. Now!' He jumped smartly to attention and pistoned a salute which would have been the envy of a stars-in-the-eyes midshipman. I saluted too.