“I only hope that the natives are friendly,” Captain Bennett said, “if not, we will have to move on.”
“Friendly?” Orina asked in surprise. “Why should they be anything else?”
“In some parts of Mexico the locals still resent strangers and tourists are not in any way welcome,” he replied.
“Good gracious, I had no idea!” Orina exclaimed. “I always thought that Americans were welcomed everywhere – especially where the people are poor.”
There was a slightly sarcastic note in her voice, but then the Captain responded to her seriously,
“Money is not always as welcome as we would like to think it is and, as I say, I will make enquiries as to what sort of place this is before you go ashore, Miss Orina.”
Orina was quite certain that he was fussing unnecessarily and so she was not surprised the
