Taffari and make him and BOSS look good; that's what he told me.
Right? A little bit more complicated than that, Mike. Don't I know it!
Complications you haven't dreamed of yet . He drew Daniel away to a deserted corner of the lawn, out of earshot of the other guests. But first of all, what do you think of Taffari? I wouldn't buy a second-hand country from him without checking the tyres. Check the engine as well, while you're about it, Michael smiled. The indications are that he's going to make Idi Amin look like Mother Theresa. I saw him giving you fifty lyrical words on his plan for peace and prosperity in the land.
Rather more than fifty, Daniel corrected him. What it actually amounts to is peace for the Hita, prosperity for Ephrem Taffari, and screw the Uhah. My pals at MI6 tell me that he already has his numbered bank accounts in Switzerland and the Channel Islands all set up, and nice little sums tucked away in them. American foreign aid.
That shouldn't surprise you. Everybody's doing it, aren't they?
Par for the course; got to admit it. But he is being rather naughty to the Uhali. Chopped old Victor Omeru, who was rather a decent sort, and now he's kicking the manure out of the rest of the Uhali tribe.
Some nasty rumours flying about, dark deeds. We don't really approve.
Even the PM is a bit browned off with him already, which reminds me, got some news of a pal of yours. A pal of mine? The Lucky Dragon.
Rings a bell, doesn't it? And you'll never guess who they're sending out to run the operation here. Ning Cheng Gong, Daniel said quietly.
It had to be. That was the reason he was here in Ubomo. He had sensed it all along. This was where he would meet Cheng again. You've been reading my mail, Michael accused. Wing Cheng Gong is right. He arrives next week. Taffari is giving another party to welcome him.
Any excuse for a party with our Ephrem, even you. He broke off and stared at Daniel. You all right, dear boy? Taking your anti-malarial, are you?
Gone as white as a sheet. I'm fine. But Daniel's voice was hoarse and scratchy. He had a terrible mental image of the bedroom of the cottage at Chiwewe, and of the desecrated bodies of Mavis Nzou and her daughters. it left him feeling sick and shaken. He wanted to think of something else, anything but Ning Cheng Gong. Tell me everything about Taffari and Ubomo that I need to know, he demanded of Michael Hargreave.
Tall order, dear boy. Can only give you the headlines now, but if you drop in at the embassy, I'll give you a full briefing, and a peep at some of the files. Your eyes only, of course. Even got a couple of bottles of genuine Chivas tucked away. Daniel shook his head. We're going up the lakesbore tomorrow to start filming. Taffari has put the entire navy at our disposal. One clapped-out World War Two gunboat.
But I could drop in at the embassy tomorrow evening. When it was time to go, Daniel looked around for Bonny Mahon but could not find her. He saw Captain Kajo with a group of other officers at the bar and went across to him.
I'm leaving now, Captain Kajo. That's all right, Doctor. President Taffari has left already.
You are free to go. You could only tell that Kajo was drunk by his eyes.
They had that coffee-coloured haze over the whites. In a white man they would have been bloodshot. We will meet tomorrow morning, Captain? What time?
six O'clock at the guest house, Doctor. I will pick you up.
We must not be late. The navy will be waiting for us. Have you seen Miss Mahon? Daniel asked. One of the other Hita officers sniggered drunkenly and Kajo grinned. No, Doctor.
She was here earlier on. But I haven't seen her in the last hour.
She must have left. Yes, come to think of it now, I did see her leave.
He turned away, and Daniel tried not to scowl and look abandoned as he went out to the Landrover in the carpark.
The government guest house was in darkness when he drove up and parked under the verandah. She might be in bed, already asleep with the light out. Despite his altered opinion of her, he felt a stab of disappointment when he switched on the bedroom light and saw that the servants had turned down the beds and rigged the mosquito nets. She had given him the excuse to end it, why was he not more pleased that it was over?
He had drunk just enough of the local gin to have a headache.
He picked up Bonny's bag from the foot of the bed and carried it through to the second bedroom. Then he went into the bathroom and swept her toiletries and cosmetics into her sponge bag and dumped them in the washbasin of the second bathroom down the passage. Then he held his head under the cold tap and took three Anadin tablets. He dropped his clothes on the floor and climbed naked under the mosquito net.
He woke with headlights sweeping the front of the guest house and shining through the curtains on to the wall above his bed. Tyres crunched on the gravel drive. There were voices, and then a car door slammed and the vehicle pulled away. He heard her come up the verandah steps and open the front door.
A minute later the bedroom door opened stealthily and she crept into the room.
He switched on the bedside light and she froze in the middle of the floor. She carried her shoes in one hand and her bag in the other.
Her hair was in a wild tangle, sparkling like copper wire in the light, and her lipstick was smeared over her chin.
She giggled and he realised she was drunk. Have you any idea of the risk you're taking, you silly bitch? he asked bitterly. This is Africa. What you'll get is a four-letter word and it's not the one you're thinking of, sweetheart. It's spell A I D S. Tud Tut! jealous, are we? How do you know what I've been doing, darling? It's no big secret.
Everybody at the party knew.
You've been doing what any good little whore does. She took a wild round-arm swing at his head. He ducked under the blow, and the momentum carried her on to the bed.
She pulled the mosquito net down on top of herself and fell in a tangle of long legs. The mini-skirt pulled up almost as high as her waist, her buttocks were bare and white as ostrich eggs. By the way, he said, you've left your knickers with Ephrem. She crawled up on to her knees and pulled down the green skirt. They are in my handbag, ducky. She got unsteadily to her feet. Where the hell are my things?
