'The man's name?' asked the Count, but the agent would not be
hurried.
'It will be your duty to meet with this Chief, and to synchronize your
efforts. You will also make the promised payment in gold coin.'
'Yes.'
'The man is an hereditary Ras by rank. He is presently commanding part
of the army that opposes you at Sardi.
However, that will change-' said the agent, and produced a thick
envelope from the briefcase beside his chair. It was sealed with the
wax tablet and the embossed eagles of the Department of Colonial
Affairs. 'Here are your written orders. You will sign for them,
please.' He inspected the Count's signature suspiciously, then, at
last satisfied, went on in the same dry disinterested voice.
'One other matter. We have identified one of the white mercenaries
fighting with the Ethiopians those mentioned by you as being reported
by the three of your men captured by the enemy and subsequently
released.' The agent paused and drew on his almost dead cigar, puffing
up the tip to a bright healthy glow.
'The woman is a notorious agent provocateur, a Bolshevik with radical
and revolutionary sympathies. She poses as a journalist,
employed by an American newspaper whose sentiments have always been
strongly anti-Empire. Already some of this woman's biased
inflammatory, writings have reached the outside world. They have been
a severe embarrassment to us at the Department-' He drew again on the
cigar, and spoke again through the billowing cloud of smoke.
'If she is taken, and I hope that you will place priority on her
capture, she is to be handed over immediately to the new Ethiopian
Emperor-designate, you understand? You are not to be involved, but you
will not interfere with the Ras's execution of the woman.'
'I see.' The
Count was becoming bored. This political nitpicking was not the type
of thing which would hold his attention. He wanted to show the young
lady hostesses at the Casino the great cross which now hung around his
neck and thumped on his chest each time he moved.
'As for the white man, the Englishman, the one responsible for the
brutal shooting of an Italian prisoner of war in front of witnesses, he
has been declared a murderer and a Political terrorist. When you
capture him, he is to be shot out of hand. That order goes for all
other foreigners serving under arms with the enemy troops. This type
of thing must be put down sternly.'
'You can rely on me,' said the Count. 'There will be no quarter for
the terrorists.'
General Pietro Badoglic, moved forward to Ambo Aradam, there were some
minor brushes. while the Italian General deployed his men for the
major stroke. At Abi Addi and Tembien he received advance warning of
the fighting qualities of his enemy, barefoot and armed with spear and
muzzle-loading gun. As he wrote himself, 'They have fought with
courage and determination.
Against our attacks, methodically carried out and covered by heavy
