She said: "It's not clothes - it's a man..."
The man was wedged between two rocks, flung there by the tide earlier in the day.
Lombard and Vera reached it in a last scramble.
They bent down.
A purple discoloured face - a hideous drowned face...
Lombard said: "My God! It's Armstrong..."
Chapter 16
Aeons passed... worlds span and whirled... Time was motionless...
It stood still - it passed through a thousand ages...
No, it was only a minute or so...
Two people were standing looking down on a dead man... Slowly, very slowly, Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard lifted their heads and looked into each other's eyes...
II Lombard laughed.
He said: "So that's it, is it, Vera?"
Vera said: "There's no one on the island - no one at all - except us two..." Her voice was a whisper - nothing more.
Lombard said: "Precisely.
So we know where we are, don't we?"
Vera said: "How was it worked - that trick with the marble bear?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"A conjuring trick, my dear - a very good one..."
Their eyes met again.
Vera thought: "Why did I never see his face properly before.
A wolf - that's what it is - a wolf's face... Those horrible teeth..."
Lombard said, and his voice was a snarl - dangerous - menacing: "This is the end, you understand.
We've come to the truth now.
And it's the end..."
Vera said quietly: "I understand..."
She stared out to sea.
General Macarthur had stared out to sea - when - only yesterday?
Or was it the day before?
He too had said, "This is the end..." He had said it with acceptance - almost with welcome.
But to Vera the words - the thought - brought rebellion.
No, it should not be the end. She looked down at the dead man.
She said: "Poor Dr. Armstrong..."
Lombard sneered. He said: "What's this?
Womanly pity?"
Vera said: "Why not?
Haven't you any pity?"
He said: "I've no pity for you.
Don't expect it!"
Vera looked down again at the body.
She said: "We must move him.
Carry him up to the house."
"To join the other victims, I suppose?
All neat and tidy.
As far as I'm concerned he can stay where he is."
Vera said: "At any rate, let's get him out of reach of the sea."
Lombard laughed. He said: "If you like."
He bent - tugging at the body.
Vera leaned against him, helping him. She pulled and tugged with all her might.
Lombard panted: "Not such an easy job."