A few minutes later, after Ruffy had prised open the lid with his
bayonet and allowed the major to inspect the seals on the caps, they
returned to the office with Ruffy carrying the case.
'Captain,' said the major as he picked up the requisition from the desk.
'I see now that I was mistaken. This is indeed signed by
Monsieur le President. It is my duty to afford you the most urgent
priority.' Bruce murmured his thanks and the major beamed at him. 'I
will give you men to help you.'
'You are too kind. It would disrupt your routine. I have my own men.'
Excellent,' agreed the major and waved a podgy hand around the
warehouse. 'Take what you need.' Again Bruce glanced at his wristwatch.
It was still twenty minutes before the curfew ended at 06.00 hours.
Until then he must fret away the time watching Wally Hendry finishing
his breakfast. This was a spectacle without much appeal, for Hendry was
a methodical but untidy eater.
'Why don't you keep your mouth closed?' snapped Bruce irritably, unable
to stand it any longer.
'Do I ask you your business?' Hendry looked up from his plate.
His jowls were covered with a ginger stubble of beard, and his eyes were
inflamed and puffy from the previous evening's debauchery. Bruce looked
away from him and checked his watch again.
The suicidal temptation to ignore the curfew and set off immediately for
the railway station was very strong. It required an effort to resist it.
The least he could expect if he followed that course was an arrest by
one of the patrols and a delay of twelve hours while he cleared himself,
the worst thing would be a shooting incident.
He poured himself another cup of coffee and sipped it slowly.
Impatience has always been one of my weaknesses, he reflected; nearly
every mistake I have ever made stems from that cause. But I have
improved a little over the years. - at twenty I wanted to live my whole
life in a week. Now I'll settle for a year.
He finished his coffee and checked the time again. Five minutes
before six, he could risk it now. It would take almost that long to get
out to the truck.
'If you are ready, gentlemen.' He pushed back his chair and picked up
his pack, slung it over his shoulder and led the way out.
Ruffy was waiting for them, sitting on a pile of stones in one of the
corrugated iron goods sheds. His men squatted round a dozen small fires
on the concrete floor cooking breakfast.
'Where's the train?'
'That's a good question, boss,' Ruffy congratulated him, and Bruce
groaned.
'It should have been here long ago,' Bruce protested, and Ruffy
shrugged.
'Should have been is a lot different from is.'
'Goddamnit! We've still got to load up. We'll be lucky if we get away
before noon,' snapped Bruce. 'I'll go up to the station master.' I
'You'd better take him a present, boss. We've still got a case left.'
'No, hell!'
