Not Zaire or South Africa. Those are two countries where I do not have an effective Organization.
Zambia and Tanzania and Kenya have very little ivory remaining. We are left with Botswana, where there is no large-scale culling, or finally Zimbabwe. Good, Cheng nodded with satisfaction.
The ivory is accumulated in the game department ware houses at Wankie and Harare and Chiwewe until is being undertaken the hi-annual auction.
We would acquire the merchandise from one of those centres. Which one? The warehouse in Harare is too well guarded. Chetti Singh held up three fingers of his one hand and, having discarded Harare, he folded one down, leaving two fingers raised. Wankie is the largest National Park.
However, it is far from the Zambian border. He folded down another finger. Which leaves Chiwewe. I have trustworthy agents on the Park's staff there. They tell me that the warehouse is almost full of registered ivory at the present time, and the Park headquarters are less than thirty miles from the Zambezi River and the Zambian border.
One of my teams could cross the river and be there in a day's march, never mind!
You intend to rob the warehouse? Cheng leaned forward over his desk.
Without the shade or fraction of a doubt. Chetti Singh lowered his raised finger and looked surprised. Was that not also your intention all along? Perhaps, Cheng replied carefully. But is it feasible?
Chiwewe is in a remote and isolated area of the country, but it lies on the river, which is an international boundary. I would send in a raiding party of twenty men armed absolutely with automatic weapons and led by one of my best and most reliable hunters. In darkness they cross the river from Zambia in canoes and in a day's hard marching they reach the Park's headquarters and fall upon it. They dispose of all witnesses . . . Cheng coughed nervously and Chetti Singh paused and looked at him questioningly. These would not amount to more than four or five persons. The permanent rangers are in my pay. The visitors camp will be closed against the rainy season and the bulk of the staff will have returned to their villages on leave. The only remaining personnel will be the Park warden and two or three other skeleton staff. Still, is there no way that we can avoid disposing of them? It was not a matter of scruples that made Cheng hesitate. It was prudent not to take unnecessary risks, if they could be avoided. if -you can be suggesting alternatives, I would be pleased to cast my mind over them, Chetti Singh told him, and after a moment's thought Cheng shook his head.
No, not at the moment, but please go on. Let me hear the rest of your plan. Very well. My men dispose of all witnesses and burn down the ivory warehouse and then immediately retreat across the river. The Sikh stopped speaking, but he watched Cheng s face with ill-concealed glee, anticipating his next question. It annoyed Cheng that he must ask it, for it sounded naive even to his own ears. But what about the ivory?
Chetti Singh smirked mysteriously, forcing him to ask again. Will your poachers take the ivory? You say they will be a small party.
Surely they will not be able to carry that much, will they? That is the absolute beauty of my plan. The raid is a dead herring for the Zimbabwe police. And this time Cheng smiled at the solecism. We want them to believe that the poachers have taken the ivory. Then they will not think to look for it inside their own country, will they? Now, as he sat on his verandah in the midday heat, Cheng nodded grudgingly.
Chetti Singh's plan was ingenious, except, of course, that it did not take into account the presence of Armstrong and his television crew.
In fairness, however, none of them could have foreseen that.
Once again he considered delaying or cancelling the operation entirely, but almost immediately rejected the idea. By this time, Chetti Singh's men would be across the river and marching on the camp.
There was no way he could reach them, and warn them to turn back. They were far past the point of no return. If Armstrong and his camera man were still here when Chetti Singh's men arrived, then they would have to be disposed of along with the warden and his family and staff.
Cheng's train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone at the far end of the verandah. The VIP cottage was the only one in the visitors camp equipped with a telephone. He jumped up and went to it quickly. He had been expecting the call. It had been prearranged and was part of Chetti Singh's plan.
Ambassador Ning, he said, and Johnny Nzou answered. Sorry to trouble you, Your Excellency, but there is a call from your embassy in Harare.
A gentleman calling himself Mr. Huang. He says he is your charge.
Will you take the call? Thank you, Warden. I will speak to Mr.
Huang. He knew that it was a party line that crossed a hundred and fifty miles of wild bush from the district telephone exchange at the little village of Karoi, and the voice of his charge relayed from Harare was a whisper that seemed to come from some far corner of the galaxy. The message was the one he had expected, and afterwards Cheng cranked the handle of the antiquated telephone and Johnny Nzou came on the line again. Warden, my presence is required in Harare urgently.
It is most unfortunate; I was looking forward to a few more days of relaxation. I also regret that you are forced to leave. My wife and I would have liked you to have dinner with us. Perhaps some other time.
The refrigerator trucks are taking the elephant meat up to Karoi this evening. It might be best if you travelled in convoy with them. Your Mercedes does not have four-wheel drive, and it looks as though it might rain at any time. That also was part of Chetti Singh's plan.
The raid had been timed to coincide with the elephant cull and the departure of the refrigerator trucks. However, Cheng hesitated deliberately before he asked, When are the trucks leaving? One of them has engine trouble. Gomo the ranger had sabotaged the alternator. The object was to delay the departure of the convoy until the arrival of the raiding party. However, the driver tells me that they should be ready to leave around six o'clock this evening. Johnny Nzou's voice changed as a thought struck him. Of course, Doctor Armstrong is leaving almost immediately, you could drive in convoy with him. No.
No! Cheng cut in quickly. I cannot leave that soon. I will wait for the trucks. As you wish. Johnny sounded puzzled.
However, I cannot guarantee when the convoy will be ready to leave and I am sure Doctor Armstrong would agree to delay an hour or so. No, Cheng told him firmly. I will not inconvenience or delay Doctor Armstrong. I will travel with your convoy Thank you, Warden. To end the conversation and forestall any further discussion, he hung up the receiver. He frowned. Armstrong's presence was becoming increasingly troublesome. The sooner he disappeared the happier Cheng would be.
