'Thanks, boss.' Ruffy looked relieved. 'I'd hate like hell to die of
thirst in this hole.' The townsfolk were streaming back towards the
hotel.
The girl Shermaine walked with the Boussiers, and Bruce heard
Hendry's voice above him.
'Jesus, look what that pretty has got in her pants. What ever it is, one
thing is sure: it's round and it's in two pieces, and those pieces move
like they don't belong to each other.'
'You haven't any work to do Hendry?' Bruce asked harshly.
'What's wrong, Curry?' Hendry jeered down at him. 'You got plans
yourself? Is that it, Bucko?' 'She's married,' said Bruce, and
immediately was surprised that he had said it.
'Sure,' laughed Hendry. 'All the best ones are married; that don't mean
a thing, not a bloody thing.'
'Get on with your work,' snapped Bruce, and then to Haig, 'Are you
ready? Come with me then.'
When they reached the hotel Boussier was waiting for them on the open
verandah. He led Bruce aside and spoke quietly.
'Monsieur, I don't wish to be an alarmist but I have received some most
disturbing news. There are brigands armed with modern weapons raiding
down from the north.
The last reports state that they had sacked Senwati Mission about
three hundred kilometres north of here.'
'Yes,' Bruce nodded, 'I know about them. We heard on the radio.'
'Then you will have realized that they can be expected to arrive here
very soon.'
'I don't see them arriving before tomorrow afternoon; by then we should
be well on our way to Msapa Junction.'
'I hope you are right, Monsieur. The atrocities committed by this
General Moses at Senwati are beyond the conception of any normal mind.
He appears to bear an almost pathological hatred for all people of
European descent.' Boussier hesitated before going on. 'There were a
dozen white nuns at Senwati.
I have heard that they-'
'Yes,' Bruce interrupted him quickly; he did not want to listen to it.
'I can imagine. Try and prevent these stories circulating amongst your
people. I don't want to have them panic.'
'Of course,' Boussier nodded.
'Do you know what force this General Moses commands?' 'It is not more
than a hundred men but, as I have said, they are all armed with modern
weapons. I have even heard that they have with them a cannon of some
description, though I think this unlikely. They are travelling in a
convoy of stolen vehicles and at Senwati they captured a gasoline tanker
belonging to the commercial oil c omparues.
'I see,' mused Bruce. 'But it doesn't alter my decision to remain here
overnight. However, we must leave at first light tomorrow.'
'As you wish, Captain.'
'Now, monsieur,' Bruce changed the subject, 'I
require some form of transport. Is that car in running order?' He
pointed at a pale green Ford Ranchero station wagon parked beside the
