Sweat gleamed on his shoulders and chest, as though he had been
oiled.
'Don't even bother to stop,' Jake said softly. 'Just keep straight on
down the road, friend.' Gareth grinned at him engagingly and from the
seat beside him he lifted a large silver champagne bucket,
frosted with dew, and tinkling with ice. Over the edge of the bucket
showed the necks of a dozen bottles of Tusker beer.
'Peace offering, old chap,' said Gareth, and Jake's throat contracted
so violently with thirst that he couldn't speak for a moment.
'A free gift with no strings attached, what?' Even in this cloying
humid heat, Jake Barton had been so completely absorbed by his task
that he had taken little liquid in three days, and none of it was pale
golden, bubbling and iced. His eyes began to water with the strength
of his desire.
Gareth dismounted from the ricksha and came forward with the champagne
bucket under one arm.
'Swales,' he said. 'Major Gareth Swales,' and held out his hand.
'Barton. Jake.' Jake took the hand, but his eyes were still fixed on
the bucket.
Twenty minutes later, Jake sat waist-deep in a steaming galvanized iron
bath, set out alfresco under the mahogany trees. The bottle of
Tusker stood close at hand and he whistled happily as he worked up a
foaming lather in his armpits and across the dark hairy plain of his
chest.
'Trouble was, we got off on the wrong foot,' explained Gareth, and
sipped at the neck of a Tusker bottle. He made it seem he was taking
Dam Nrignon from a crystal flute. He was lying back in Jake's single
canvas camp chair under the shade flap of the old sun-faded tent.
'Friend, you nearly got a wrong foot right up your backside.' But
Jake's threat was without fire, marinated in Tusker.
I understand how you felt,' said Gareth. 'But then 'I surely
understood you did tell me you weren't bidding. If only you had told
me the truth, we could have worked out an arrangement.' Jake reached
out with a soap-frothed hand and lifted the Tusker bottle to his lips.
He swallowed twice, sighed and belched softly.
'Bless you,' said Gareth, and then went on. 'As soon as I 'Ble
realized that you were bidding seriously, I backed out. I knew that
you and I could make a mutually beneficial deal later. And so here I
am now, drinking beer with you and talking a deal.'
'You are talking I'm just listening, 'Jake pointed out.
'Rite so.' Gareth took out his cheroot case, carefully selected one
and leaned forward to place it tenderly between
Jake's willing lips. He struck a match off the sole of his boot and
cupped the match for Jake.
'It seems clear to me that you have a buyer for the cars, right?'
'I'm still listening.' Jake exhaled a long feather of cheroot smoke
with evident pleasure.
'You must have a price already set, and I am prepared to better that
price.' Jake took the cheroot out of his mouth and for the first time
