And what the hell are you doing here? If Taffari gets hold of you it will be a shooting party on the beach or a head-dress of hornets. Oh, so you're beginning to find out the truth about Ephrem Taffari, that he's not the saint and saviour you thought he was? Don't let's fight again, he pleaded. I'm still too weak to defend myself. You're as weak as a bull. Look at all that muscle.
Okay, now it's time for your shot. Lie on the bed and drop your shorts.
Hey! Can't I have it in the arm? You haven't got anything I haven't seen before. Get on the table.
Grumbling he lay face down, and lowered his shorts halfway. Nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, not bad at all, she assured him, and slid the needle home. Okay, that does it. Get dressed and come to dinner.
I've got another surprise for you.
A dinner guest, somebody you haven't seen for years. In the sunset they crossed from the clinic to Kelly's living quarters at the end of the clearing. On the way they stopped for a minute to watch the sunset turn the Mountains of the Moon to a splendour of gold and flames. I carry the memory of this beauty wherever I travel in the world, Kelly whispered. It's one of the things that draws me back. And Daniel was moved as much by her reaction to it as by the grandeur of the scene itself. To express his accord with her he wanted to take her arm and squeeze it, but he kept his distance and after a while they moved on.
There was a dinner-table laid on the verandah of Kelly's bungalow and a solitary figure seated at it, who rose as they approached. Doctor Armstrong. How good to see you again. Daniel stared at him in astonishment and then hurried forward. I heard that you were dead, Mr.
President, that you had died of a heart-attack or been shot by Taffari.
The news of my death was slightly exaggerated. Victor Omeru chuckled and took Daniel's hand.
I found a flask of whisky in my medical chest, Kelly said. Tonight seems like an auspicious occasion to administer it. She poured a little of the golden liquid into each of their glasses and offered them the toast. To Ubomo! May it soon be released from the tyrant. Dinner was a simple meat of fish from the river and vegetables from the gardens of Gondola, but there was plenty of it and the conversation at the table never slackened or palled.
Victor Omeru explained to Danny the circumstances of the revolution and his overthrow, his escape into the forest and his activities since then.
With Kelly's help, I have been able to turn Gondola into the headquarters of the resistance to Taffari's brutal dictatorship, he ended, but Kelly pressed him eagerly. Victor, tell Daniel what Taffari has done to the country and its people since he seized power. Daniel has been duped into believing that Taffari is a black Christ figure.
In fact, Daniel is here to shoot a production that was to extol Taffari's virtues. . .
No, Kelly, Daniel interrupted her. That's not the way it was. It's far more complicated than that. Originally I accepted the commission to make the film for personal and private reasons. He went on to explain the murder of Johnny Nzou and his family. He told them of Ning Cheng Gong's involvement and how he had traced the Lucky Dragon to Ubomo. He told them about Chetti Singh. I'll be frank with you both, he said at last.
I wasn't concerned with Taffari and Ubomo's real problems when I came here. I wanted my revenge and the film contract was only a means to that end. Then, after my arrival, I began to find out more about what was really going on in the country.
He told them about the atrocity at Fish Eagle Bay and the forced labour he had witnessed and filmed. Victor Omeru and Kelly exchanged glances, and then Victor nodded and turned back to Daniel. Taffari has seized at least thirty thousand of the Uhali people to work in the mines and the logging camps. They are slaves, kept in the most appalling conditions.
They are dying like flies in the camps, starved, beaten, shot. I cannot begin to describe to you the horror of it. And he is devastating the forest, Kelly cut in. He is destroying millions of acres of the rain forest. I saw the mining unit at work, Daniel said.
Actually, what he is doing there at least is in line with my own convictions on controlled use of a country's natural assets on a renewable and sustainable yield basis. Both Kelly and Victor stared at him in disbelief, and then Kelly blurted out angrily, You approve of what he is doing to the forest? Are you out of your mind? It's rape and pillage.
I was right about you the first time! You are one of the plunderers!
Hold it, Kelly. Victor held up his hands. Don't use inflammatory language. Let Daniel tell us what he saw and what he filmed. With an obvious effort Kelly brought herself under control, but she was still pale with anger and her eyes blazed. All right, Daniel Armstrong, tell us what Taffari showed you and let you film. He showed me the MOMU unit at work. . . The MOMU, Kelly interjected. MOMU singular- Kelly, please. Victor stopped her again. Let Daniel finish before you interrupt. She was breathing heavily, but she nodded and sat back as Daniel went on. Bonny and I filmed the MOMU and Taffari explained how the track of the vehicle would be replanted after it had passed.
Replanted! Kelly snapped, and Victor shrugged helplessly and let her continue. My God! Did he tell you about the chemical reagents they've started using in the past few weeks to refine the platinum as it passes through the tube mills of the MOMU. Daniel shook his head. He told us of his determination that no reagents nor catalysts were to be used during the mining process. Even though it meant a forty percent drop in the production of platinum and monazite. And you believed him?
Kelly demanded. I saw it with my own eyes, Daniel told her. He was starting to get angry. I filmed it. of course I believed him. Kelly jumped up from the table and fetched a map of Ubomo from the next room.
She spread it in front of Daniel.
Show me where you saw the MOMU in action, she ordered.
Daniel considered the map and then placed his finger on a spot just north of Sengi-Sengi. Hereabouts, he said. A few miles north of the camp.
Sucker! Kelly blazed at him. Taffari set you up. He showed you the pilot scheme. It was a little show for your benefit. The main mining operation is here. She placed her fist over an area fifty miles further north. Here at Wengu. And it's a damned sight different from what Taffari showed you. How is it different?
Daniel demanded. And by the way, I don't like being called a sucker.
You let yourself be conned. Kelly moderated her tone. But I'll tell you how the main operation is different from the pilot.
First of all, it is - Hold on, Kelly, Victor Omeru intervened gently.
Don't tell him about it. it would be much more impressive, and he'd be more likely to believe you if you showed him.
For a moment Kelly stared at Victor and then she nodded.
You're right, Victor. I'll take him up to Wengu and show him.
And while we are there, you can film just what that bastard is doing to the forest, and show it to your great pal Sir Tug Bloody Harrison, if he doesn't know already. I'm not a cameraman, Daniel objected. If you don't know how
