neck so that her father couldn't see her face. 'He offered me a job at the Johannesburg office.' 'Correction,' said Shasa.
'You telephoned David and told him that Johannesburg needed a PRO at a salary of two thousand a month plus dress allowance plus five-day week and a company car - and I believe you even stipulated the make, Porsche 911, wasn't it? David called me the minute you hung up.' 'Oh Daddy, don't be so technical.' Isabella tossed her head defiantly. 'You wouldn't want me to dress in rags and starve up there would you?' 'What I would want is for you to stay here where I can keep an eye on you.' Shasa felt the leaden weight of impending loss in his chest as he looked at her. She was the spice of his life, and she had only been back from London a month or so. Now she wanted to be off again. His instinct was to fight to keep her, but Centaine had advised, 'Let them go gently, and there is a chance they will come back to you.' 'It isn't Siberia or the Outer Hebrides, Daddy. Do be practical.
It's just up the road.' 'A thousand miles up the road,' Shasa agreed. 'And much closer' to the rugby stadium at Loftus Versveld.' 'I don't know what you mean.' It was very seldom Shasa could catch her off-balance, and vindictively he relished her agitation.
'Rugby football,' he explained. 'Great sweaty oafs beating their bony heads together.' She recovered splendidly. 'Pater, if this has anything to do with Lothar De La Rey, I would just like to point out that he is one of the greatest athletes of our time and the youngest brigadier in the history of the police force - and that he means absolutely nothing to me at all.' 'Your indifference is monumental. I am greatly relieved.' 'Does that mean I can accept David's job offer?' Shasa sighed and the loneliness descended upon him like a winter's evening. 'How can I stop you, Bella?' She let out a triumphant squeal and leaned out of the saddle to wrap those long tanned arms around his neck, and Shasa's stallion danced under him with aristocratic affront.
Isabella chattered merrily all the way back to the chfiteau.
'One thing I forgot to mention to David was a lusing allowance.
Flats are so awfully expensive in Joey's. I couldn't find anything suitable on the pittance he is paying me.' Shasa shook his head with admiration.
The grooms were waiting in the kitchen yard to take the horses, and still in their jodhpurs and riding boots they went through to the breakfast room with Isabella hanging lovingly on her father's arm.
Centaine was at the sideboard, helping herself to scrambled eggs
:: ill from the chafing dish. She was still in her gardening clothes and hid been amongst her roses since dawn. Now she looked at Isabella i quiringly - and Isabella gave her a happy wink.
'Damn it,' Shasa intercepted the exchange. 'I've been set up. It's conspiracy.' 'Of course, I told Nana first.' Isabella hugged his arm. 'I alwa start at the top.' 'When she was little I always threatened to hand her over to policeman if she was naughty,' Centaine said complacently as sl carried her plate to the breakfast table. 'I hope this policeman ca cope with her.' 'He's not a policeman,' Isabella protested. 'He's a brigadier.' Shasa ladled eggs and fried tomato on to his plate and went to hid place at the head of the table. The morning paper was folded neatly o his side plate, and he shook it open at the front page as he sat dowl The main news was the proposed meeting between the British prim minister, Harold Wilson, and Ian Smith to settle the Rhodesian issm Now he saw that the suggested venue was a British warship at se Israel and Jordan were still disputing the Hebron Valley, and closer t home the Robben Island ferry had capsized during the night with th certain loss of at least two lives, while eight others were missing.
The telephone on the sideboard rang and Centaine looked up fror buttering her toast. 'That will be Garry,' she said. 'He rang twic while you were out riding.' 'It's only eight o'clock in the morning,' Shasa protested, but hid, went to answer the telephone. 'Hello, Garry, where are you?' Garry sounded surprised. 'At the office, of course.' 'What's the problem?' 'Swimming-pools,' Garry answered. 'I have a chance to get th franchise for a new process of making cheap swimming-pools. It' called Gunite. Holly and I saw it when we were on honeymoon ir the States.' 'Good Lord, only the ver2 rich can afford private swimming.
pools,' Shasa protested.
'Everybody will buy my swimming-pools - every home in the country will have one by the time I'm finished.' Garry's enthusiasm was infectious.
'It works, Pater. I've seen it, and the figures add up perfectly.
Only trouble is I have to give an answer by noon today. Someone else is interested.' 'How much?' Shasa asked.
'Four million initially - that's for the franchise and plant. Another four million over two years for running costs, then we will be into profit.' 'All right,' Shasa said. 'Go ahead.' 'Thanks, Pater. Thanks for trusting me.' 'Well you haven't let me down yet. How is Holly?' 'She's fine. She's right here with me.' 'At the office at eight in the morning?' Shasa laughed.
'Of course.' Again Garry sounded surprised. 'We are a team. The swimming-pools were her idea.' 'Give her my love,' Shasa said and hung up.
As he went back to his seat, Centaine said, 'It's the prime minister's budget vote this afternoon. I thought I'd drop in.' 'It should be interesting,' Shasa agreed. 'I think Verwoerd is going to make a major policy speech about the country's international position. I have a committee meeting on armaments this morning, but why don't you meet me for lunch and you can listen to Doctor Henk's speech from the public gallery afterwards. I'll ask Tricia to get you a ticket.' Ticia was waiting for him anxiously when an hour later Shasa walked into his parliamentary suite.
'The minister of police wants to see you most urgently, Mr Courthey. He asked me to let him know the moment you arrived. He said he'd come to your office.' 'Very well.' Shasa glanced at his appointment book on her desk.
'Let him know I'm here and then get a ticket for my mother for the public gallery this afternoon. Is there anything else?' 'Nothing important.' Tricia picked up the in-house telephone to ring the minister of police's office and then paused. 'There has been a strange woman ringing you this morning. She called three times.
She wouldn't give her name and she asked for Squadron Leader Courtney. Funny, isn't it?' 'All right, let me know if she calls again.' Shasa was frowning as he went through to his own office. The use of his old airforce rank was strangely disquieting. He went to his desk and began work on the mail and the memoranda that Tricia had placed on his blotter, but almost immediately the buzzer rang on his intercom.
'Minister De La Rey is here, sir.' 'Ask him to come right in, Tricia.' Shasa rose and went to meet Manfred, but as they shook hands he could see that Manfred was a worried man.
'Did you read the news report about the sinking of the ferry?' Manfred did not even return his greeting but came immediately to business.
