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kinds of grief, and the irony was that they would be overthrown through the flaws in their own particular characters.
    Running a gloved hand through his rich mane of hair, Moriarty turned from the rail and began to make an unsteady progress back to his cabin on the boat deck. Spear was waiting for him.
    On most evenings after dinner – for they dined at four o’clock on board ship – Moriarty’s lieutenant would make his way up from the third-class cabins and slip, unnoticed, into his master’s quarters. He now stood waiting by the Professor’s bunk, a big heavily built man with a broken nose and features which might have passed for good looks had it not been for the scar which ran, like a lightning fork, down the right side of his face.
    â€˜I tarried over long on the promenade deck, Spear. Here, help me off with my coat. Nobody observed you?’ Moriarty’s voice was all the more commanding because of its soft, almost gentle, tone.
    â€˜Nobody ever observes me unless I wish it. You should know that, Professor. Is all well with you?’
    â€˜I cannot say that I will be sorry to get the motion of this confounded ship from under my feet.’
    Spear gave a short laugh. ‘It could be worse. The everlasting staircase can be worse, I assure you.’
    â€˜Well, you should know, Spear, you should know. I am happy to say that I have never made a close acquaintance with the treadmill.’
    â€˜No, nor likely to. If they ever did lay hands on you, it would be the morning drop and no messing.’
    Moriarty smiled thinly. ‘No doubt, and the same would go for you.’ He cast aside his coat. ‘Now, is Bridget well?’ It was like a squire asking after one of his tenants.
    â€˜The same. Sick as a cat since New York.’
    â€˜It’ll soon pass. She’s a good girl, Spear. I trust you are seeing to her.’
    â€˜I jolly her along,’ the laugh was almost callous. ‘Some days she thinks she’s dying and there’s a few more like that in the bowels of this tub. The smell down there could be sweeter. Anyhow, I’ve lined her guts with god’s juice tonight and coddled her proper.’
    â€˜Aye, my friend, there’s more to marriage than four bare legs in a bed.’
    â€˜Maybe,’ the bruising Spear sighed. ‘But when your buttocks itch, it’s good to scratch.’
    The Professor smiled indulgently. ‘You have set eyes on Lee Chow in the past two days?’ he asked, abruptly changing the course of the conversation.
    Moriarty was, himself, travelling first class under the assumed name of Carl Nicol, described in forged letters of introduction as a professor of law from some obscure university in the midwest of America. Spear and his wife journeyed third, giving the impression of having no connection with their leader. Lee Chow had been placed in the most hapless position of all, forced to sign on as a crew member for the duration of the voyage.
    Spear chuckled. ‘I seen him swabbing down the after-deck yesterday morning looking as miserable as a rat in a tar barrel. A real son of a sea cook: you’d think he was one of Mr Stevenson’s pirates. You recall reading that book to us, Professor? Well, I thought for a lark I’d put pen to paper and tip him the Black Spot …’
    â€˜I’ll have no daft games of that sort,’ Moriarty snapped. ‘There’s plenty that deserve the Black Spot, but it’s a poor joke to our own.’
    Spear looked sheepishly down at his feet. Baiting Lee Chow was almost a hobby to him. A silence flared between them for a few seconds.
    â€˜Well, this will be my last visit to you here,’ he said finally. ‘Tomorrow we’ll be safe on dry land.’
    Moriarty nodded, ‘Then others can look to their drums. Just pray that Ember got over safely and the Jacobs boys had their messages clearly given. You can get word to Lee Chow before we