BLORE. You'd be surprised, Miss Claythorne, what some husbands would do. (ROGERS enters from the dining room. He is dead white and speaks to VERA like an automaton.) ROGERS. Excuse me, Miss, Im getting on with breakfast. Im not much of a hand as a cook, Im afraid. Its lunch thats worrying me. Would cold tongue and gelatine be satisfactory? And I could manage some fried potatoes. And then there's tinned fruit and cheese and biscuits. VERA. That will be fine, Rogers. 56 AND THEN THERE WERE NONE BLORE. Lunch? Lunch? We shant be here for lunch! And when the hells that boat coming? EMILY. Mr. Blore! BLORE. What? ROGERS. (Fatalistically.) You'll pardon me, sir, but the boat won't be coming. BLORE. What? ROGERS. Fred Narracotts always here before eight. (Pause.) Is there anything else you require, Miss?

VERA. No, thank you, Rogers. (ROGERS exits to the dining room.) BLORE. And its not Rogers! His wife lying dead upstairs and there hes cooking breakfast and calmly talking about lunch! Now he says the boat won't be coming. How the ell does he know? EMILY. Mr. Blore! BLORE. What? VERA. Oh, dont you see? Hes dazed. Hes just carrying on automatically as a good servant would. Its its pathetic, really. BLORE. He's pulling a fast one, if you ask me. WARGRAVE. The really significant thing is the failure of the boat to arrive. It means that we are being deliberately cut off from help. MACKENZIE. Thats very little time very little time. BLORE. What's that, General? MACKENZIE. Very little time. We mustnt waste it talking about things that dont matter. (MACKENZIE rises and turns to the window. They all look at him dubiously before resuming.) LOMBARD. Why do you think Narracott hasnt turned up? WARGRAVE. I think the ubiquitous Mr. Owen has given orders.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE 57 LOMBARD. You mean, told him its a practical joke or something of that kind? BLORE. He'd never fall for that, would he? LOMBARD. Why not? Soldier Islands got a reputation for people having crazy parties. This is just one more crazy idea, thats all. Narracott knows there's plenty of food and drink in the island. Probably thinks its all a huge joke. VERA. Couldnt we light a bonfire up on the top of the island? So that they'd see it? LOMBARD. Thats probably been provided against. All signals are to be ignored. We're cut off all right. VERA. (Impatiently.) But cant we do something? LOMBARD. Oh, yes, we can do something. We can find the funny gentleman whos staged this little joke, Mr. Unknown Owen. Ill bet anything you like hes somewhere on the island, and the sooner we get hold of him the better. Because, in my opinion, hes mad as a hatter. And as dangerous as a rattlesnake.

WARGRAVE. Hardly a very good simile, Captain Lombard. The rattlesnake at least gives warning of its approach. LOMBARD. Warning? My God, yes! (LOMBARD indicates the nursery rhyme then reads.) Thats our warning. Ten little soldier boys There were ten of us after Narracott went, werent there? Ten little soldier boys going out to dine; One went and choked himself... Marston choked himself, didnt he? And then Nine little soldier boys sat up very late. One overslept himself... Overslept himself the last part fits Mrs. Rogers rather well, doesnt it? VERA. You don't think -? Do you mean that he wants to kill us all? 58 AND THEN THERE WERE NONE LOMBARD. Yes, I think he does. VERA. And each one fits with the rhyme! ARMSTRONG. No, no, its impossible. Its coincidence. It must be coincidence. LOMBARD. Only eight little soldier boys here. I suppose thats coincidence too. What do you think, Blore? BLORE. I dont like it.