The Nice and the Good

-'Oh!' Paula had just looked at the letters. 'There's one from Eric. He's at Suez.'

'Better read it quickly,' said Ducane. He turned away squinting into the sunlight, trying to discern the swimming children.

He noticed that it must be low tide since a bank of purple seaweed, only visible at that time, was making a darker blur in the clear greenish water, which had already receded by several feet since he and Paula had sat down. Theo's aimlessly purposeful figure diminished steadily.