play along any more. And let me tell you now, Bucko! I don't need you
and I don't need nobody. Not Haig or you, with your fancy
too-good-to-kiss my-arse talk; when the time comes I'm
going to trim you down to size. - Remember that, Curry. And don't say I
just didn't warn you.' Hendry was leaning forward, hands on his knees,
body braced and his whole face twisting and contotted with the vehemence
of his speech.
'Let's make it now, Hendry.' Bruce wheeled away from the window,
crouching slightly, his hands stiffening into the flat hard blades of
the judo fighter.
Sergeant Major Ruffararo stood up from the Opposite bunk with surprising
grace and speed for such a big man.
He interposed his great body.
'You wanted to tell us something, boss?' Bruce straightened out of his
crouch, his hands Slowly relaxing. Irritably he brushed at the damp lock
of dark hair that had fallen on to his forehead, as if to brush Wally
Hendry out of his mind with the same movement.
'Yes,' controlling his voice with an effort, 'I wanted to discuss our
next move.' He fished the cigarette pack from his top pocket and lit
one, sucking the smoke down deep.
Then he perched on the lid of the washbasin and studied the ash on the
tip of the cigarette. When he spoke again his voice was normal.
'There is no hope of repairing this locomotive, so we have to find
alternative transport out of here. Either we can walk two hundred miles
back to Msapa junction with our friends the Baluba ready to dispute our
passage, or we can ride back in General Moses's trucks!' He paused to
let it sink in.
'You going to pinch those trucks off him?' asked Ruffy.
'That's going to take some doing, boss.'
'No, Ruffy, I don't think we have any chance of getting them out from
under his nose. What we will have to do is attack the town and wipe him
out.'
'You're bloody crazy,' exclaimed Wally. 'You're raving bloody mad.'
Bruce ignored him. (I estimate that Moses has about sixty men. With
Kanaki and nine men on the bridge, Haig and de Surrier and six others
gone, we have thirty-four men left.
Correct, Sergeant Major?'
'That's right, boss.'
'Very well,' Bruce
nodded. 'We'll have to leave at least ten men here to man that ambush in
case Moses sends a patrol after us, or in case of an attack by the
Baluba. It's not enough, I know, but we will just have to risk it.'
'Most of these civilians got arms with them, shotguns and sports
rifles,' said Ruffy.
'Yes,' agreed Bruce. 'They should be able to look after themselves. So
that leaves twenty-four men to carry out the attack, something like
three to one.'
'Those shufta will be so full of liquor, half of them won't be able to
stand up.'
'That's what I am banking on: