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Page 83
''Damn!" Peter exploded, then said contritely, "I'm sorry."
"That's all right, dear," Mrs. Bates said. "Now, what were you going to say?"
"I was going to say I'd be damned if I spent the next two weeks trying to match the schedules of the British, French, and Italian railways, not to mention making those connect right with a Greek shipping line."
"But darling, you don't have to. Linda will do all that. Won't you, Linda?"
"Of course, I will, Mrs. Bates. I'm sure I can manage it, but if I could make a suggestion. . .?"
"Please do."
"I'd better ask a question first. Will you be in a great hurry to arrive in Corfu? I mean, must you be there by a particular date?"
"I can't see why the general or Harriet or I should be in any hurry. Donald, Rose-Anne, and Peter have their work to consider, of course."
"Then perhaps there is no need to match schedules with split-second accuracy. Perhaps we could take the night boat train to Paris, stay a day or two, take the train to Florence, stay again, and then move on to whichever port city we need to catch the boat. Then"
"You're as batty as a bedbug!" Peter stated with devastating deliberateness.
"Why?" Linda asked, surprised, just as Mrs. Bates said, "What in the world does that mean, Peter?"
"It means she's crazy, that's what it means. And I'll tell you why, Linda. You've never trav-

 
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