terry sighed with pleasure after each of them.
'i was out at the sander ditch with manfred on wednesday.'
'yes, i saw the photograph in the paper.' hurry engulfed his twelfth and final oyster.
'i must say i like your new general manager.' hurry laid down his fork and a little flush of anger started in his withered old cheeks.
'you mean fred plummer?'
'don't be silly, pops, i mean rodney ironsides.'
'has that cold fish of yours been briefing you?' hurry demanded.
'manfred?' she was genuinely puzzled by the question, hurry could see that. 'what's he got to do with it?'
'all right, forget it.' hurry dismissed manfred with a shake of his head. 'why do you like ironsides?'
'have you heard him speak?'
'no 'he's very good. i'm sure he must be a first-class mining man.'
'he is.' hurry nodded, watchful and non- committal.
peter whisked terry's plate away, giving her the respite she needed to gather her resources. in the previous few seconds she had realized that rodney ironsides was not, as she had believed, a certainty for the job. in fact, pops had already chosen old plum-faced plummer for the general managership. it took another moment for her to decide that she would use even the dirtiest infighting to see that rod was not overlooked.' peter laid plates of cold rock lobster in front of them, and when he had withdrawn terry looked up at hurry. she had perfected the trick of enlarging her already enormous eyes. by holding them open like this she could flood them with tears. the effect was devastating.
'do you know, pops, he reminds me so much of the photographs of daddy.'
colonel bernard hirschfeld, terry's father, had burned to death in his tank at sith rezegh. she saw hurry hirschfeld's expression crack with pain, and terry felt a sick little flutter of guilt. had it been necessary to use such a vicious weapon to achieve her ends?
hurry pushed at the rock lobster with his fork, his head was bowed so she could not see his face. she reached out to touch his hand.
'pops-' she whispered, and he looked up. there was a restrained excitement in hurry's manner.
'you know, you're bloody well right! he does look a bit like bernie.
did i ever tell you about the time when your father and i-' terry felt dizzy with relief. i didn't hurt him, she told herself, he likes the idea, he really does. with a woman's instinct she had chosen the only form of persuasion that could have moved hurry hirschfeld from his decision.
manfred steyner fastened his safety belt and lay back in the seat of the boeing 707, feeling slightly nauseated with relief.
ironsides was in, and he was safe. hurry hirschfeld had sent for him two hours before to wish him farewell and good luck with the talks.
manfred had stood before him, trying desperately to think of some way in which he could bring up the subject naturally. hurry saved him the trouble.
'by the way, i'm giving ironsides the sander ditch.
reckon it's about time we had some young blood in top management.' it was as easy as that. manfred had difficulty in persuading himself that those threats which had kept him lying awake during the past four nights were no longer of consequence. ironsides was in. he could go to paris and tell them. ironsides is in. we are ready to go.
the note of the jets changed, and the boeing began to roll forward.
manfred twisted his head against the neck rest and peered through the perspex porthole. he could not distinguish terry's figure amongst the crowd on the observation balcony of jan smuts airport. they taxied past a pan am boeing which cut off his view and manfred looked straight ahead. instantly his nostrils flared, he looked around quickly.
the passenger in the seat beside him had stripped to his shirtsleeves.
he was a big beefy individual who very obviously did not use deodorant.
almost in desperation manfred looked about. the aircraft was full, there would be little chance of changing seats and beside him the beefy individual produced a pack of cigarettes.
'you can't smoke,' cried manfred. 'the light's on.' the combination of body odour and cigarette smoke would be unbearable.
'i'm not smoking,' said the man, 'yet.' and placed a cigarette between his lips, his lighter ready in the other hand.
nearly two thousand' miles to nairobi, thought manfred, with his stomach starting to heave.
terry darling why on earth should i go all the way out to kitchenerville to watch a lot of savages prancing around?'
'as a favour to me, joy,' terry pleaded into the telephone.
'it means mucking up my whole weekend. i've got rid of the kids to their grandmother, i've got a copy of a small town in germany and i was going to have a lovely time reading and-'
'please, joy, you're my last hope.' 'what time will we be home? 'joy was weakening. terry sensed her advantage and pressed forward ruthlessly.
'you might meet a lovely man out at the mine, and he'll sweep you-' no, thanks.' joy had been divorced a little over a year ago, some people took longer than others to recover. 'i've had lovely men in big fat chunks.'
'oh, joy, you can't sit around moping for ever. come on, i'll pick you up in half an hour.' joy sighed with resignation. 'damn you, terry 'half an hour,' said terry and hung up before she could change her mind.
'i'm playing golf. it's saturday, and i'm playing golf,' said doctor daniel stander stubbornly.
'you remember when i drove all the way to bloemfontein to- rod began, and dan interrupted quickly.
'all right, all right, i remember. you don't have to bring that up again.' you owe me plenty, stander,' rod reminded him. 'all i am asking is one of your lousy saturday afternoons. is that so much?'
'i can't let the boys down. it's a long-standing date.' dan wriggled to escape.
'i've already phoned ben. it will be a pleasure for him to take your place.' there was a long gloomy silence, then dan asked, 'what's this bird like?'
'she's a beautiful, rich nymphomaniac, and she owns a brewery.'
'yeah! yeah!' said dan sarcastically. 'all right, i'll do it.
but i hereby declare all obligations and debts to you fully discharged.'
'i'll give you a written receipt,' rod agreed.
dan was still sulking when the daimler came up the drive and parked in the front of the mine club. he and rod were standing at the ladies'
bar, watching for the arrival of their guests.
dan had just ordered his third beer.
'here they come,' said rod.
'is that them?' dan's depression lifted magically as he peered through the coloured-glass windows. the chauffeur was letting the two ladies out of the daimler. they were both in floral slack suits and dark glasses.
'that's them.' 'jesus!' said dan with rare approval. 'which one is mine?'
'the blonde.'
dan grinned for the first time since their meeting.
'why the hell are we standing here?' 'why indeed?' asked rod, his stomach was tied up in knots that twisted tighter as he went down the front steps toward terry.
'mrs. steyner. i'm so glad you could come.' with a wild lift of elation he saw it was still there, he had not imagined it, it was there in her eyes and her smile.
'thank you, mr. ironsides.' she was like a schoolgirl again, uncertain of herself, flustered.
'i'd like you to meet mrs. albright. joy, this is rodney 'hello.' he smiled at her as he clasped her hand. 'it's gin time, i think.' dan was waiting at the bar for them, and rod made the introductions.
'joy is so excited at the chance of watching the dancing,' said terry as they sat down on the bar stools. 'she's been looking forward to it for days.' and for an instant joy looked stunned.
'you'll love it,' agreed dan, moving in to take up a position at joy's elbow. 'i wouldn't miss it for anything.' joy was a tall slim girl with long straight golden hair that hung to her shoulders, her eyes were cool green but her mouth when she smiled was soft and warm. she smiled now full into dan's eyes.
'nor would i,' she said, and with relief rod knew he could devote all his attention to terry steyner. joy albright would be more than adequately looked after. he ordered drinks, and all four of them promptly lost further interest in tribal dancing.
at one stage rod told terry steyner, 'i am going up to johannesburg this evening. there is no point in your unfortunate chauffeur sitting around all afternoon. let him go, and i'll take you home.'
'good,' terry agreed immediately. 'would you tell him, please?' the next time rod looked at his watch it was half past three.
'good lord!' he exclaimed. 'if we don't hurry, it will be all over.'
reluctantly joy and dan, who had their heads close together, drew apart.
the overflow from the amphitheatre pressed about them, a merry jostling throng, all inhibitions long since
