'Been out to Theuniskraal to visit your sister-in-law yet?'
There was a sly expression in Ronny's face as he asked.
'No.
of course you wouldn't,' Ronny nodded understandingly and managed to
convey that the scandal, though old, was by no means dead.
Sean felt a repugnance that made him shift in his chair. The little
ginger moustache heightened Ronny's resemblance to a bush rat.
Now Sean wanted to end the business and get out into the fresh air
again.
'Listen, Ronny. I've searched title on Lion Kop. You own it,' he
began abruptly.
'Lion Kop? ' The previous morning the clerk from the Registry had
hurried down to Mr. Pye with the news that earned him a sovereign.
There had been many others calling with the news that Sean had visited
the ranch every day for a month. But now Ronny had to search his
memory to place the name. 'Lion Kop? Ah, yes! The old Erasmus
place.
Yes, I do believe we picked it up from the estate. Paid too much for
it, I'm afraid. ' Here he sighed with resignation. 'But we can hold
on to it for another ten years or so and get our money back. No hurry
to sell.
'I want it. ' Sean cut short the preliminaries and Ronny laughed
easily.
'You're in good company. Half the farmers in Natal want it but not
enough to meet our price.
'How much?
The established price of grazing land in the Ladyburg area was one
shilling and sixpence an acre. minutes before Ronny had set himself to
ask two shillings. But now he was looking into Sean's eyes and
remembering a fist crushing his nose and the taste of his own blood.
He heard again Sean's arrogant laughter rejecting his overtures of
friendship. No, he thought with hatred. No, you big cocky bastard,
now you pay for those.
'Three shillings,' he said.
Sean nodded thoughtfully. He understood. Then suddenly he grinned.
'My God, Ronny, I heard you were a pretty sharp business man.
But I must have heard wrong. If you paid three shillings for Lion Kop
they really caught you with your skirts up. ' And Ronny flushed.
Sean had probed deep into his pride.
'I paid nine-pence, ' he snapped. 'I'm selling for three shillings.
'Make out the deed of sale for 2,250. pounds. I'll take it.
Damn it! Damn it to hell! Ronny swore silently. He would have paid
five.
'That's for the land only. An extra 1,000 pounds for the
improvements.
'Anything else?' Sean enquired.
'No. ' Sean calculated quickly, with transfer tax he could meet the
price with a few hundred spare.
'I'll still take it. ' Ronny stared at him while his brain wriggled
like a snake. I didn't realize he wanted it that badly-I could have
