Then he felt the trembling in his thighs and the first spasm of
nausea as the reaction started.
'What's happening?' A shout floated across from the laager. Bruce
recognized Hendry's voice. 'Is everything all right?'
'We've beaten them off,' Bruce shouted back. 'Everything under control.
You can go to sleep again,' And now I have got to sit down quickly, he
told
himself.
Except for the tattoos upon his cheeks and forehead the dead
Baluba's features were little different from those of the Barnbala and
Bakuha men who made up the bulk of Bruce's command.
Bruce played the flashlight over the corpse. The arms and legs were thin
but stringy with muscle, and the belly bulged out from years of
malnutrition. It was an ugly body, gnarled and crabbed. With distaste
Bruce moved the light back to the features. The bone of the skull formed
harsh angular planes beneath the skin, the nose was flattened and the
thick lips had about them a repellent brutality.
They were drawn back slightly to reveal the teeth which had been filed
to sharp points like those of a shark.
'This is the last one, boss. I'll toss him overboard.' Ruffy spoke in
the darkness beside Bruce.
'Good.' Ruffy heaved and grunted, the corpse splashed below them and
Ruffy wiped his hands on the guard rail, then came to sit beside
Bruce.
'Goddam apes.' Ruffy's voice was full of the bitter tribal antagonism of
Africa. 'When we get shot of these U.N. people there'll be a bit of
sorting out to do. They've got a few things to learn, these bloody
Baluba.' And so it goes, thought Bruce, Jew and Gentile, Catholic and
Protestant, black and white, Bambala and
Baluba.
He checked the time, another two hours to dawn. His nervous reaction
from physical violence had abated now; the hand that held the cigarette
no longer trembled.
'They won't come again,' said Ruffy. 'You can get some sleep now if you
want. I'll keep an eye open, boss.'
'No, thanks. I'll wait with you.' His nerves had not settled down enough
for sleep.
'How's it for a beer?'
'Thanks.' Bruce sipped the beer and stared out at the watch fires round
the laager. They had burned down to puddles of red ash but Bruce knew
that Ruffy was right. The Baluba would not attack again that night.
'So how do you like freedom?'
'How's that, boss?' The question puzzled Ruffy and he turned to Bruce
questioningly.
all?
'How do you like it now the Belgians have gone?'
'It's pretty good, I reckon.'
'And if Tshombe has to give in to the Central
Government?'
'Those mad Arabs!' snarled Ruffy. 'All they want is our copper. They're
