car was waiting. Nicholas recognized this as a mark of special favour.
'If there is anything I can do for you, anything that need, please do
not hesitate to call upon me. It has you been a great pleasure meeting
you, Dr Al Simma. You must come back to Ethiopia and visit us again
soon.'
'Despite our little misadventure, I have thoroughly enjoyed your
beautiful country' she told him sweetly. 'You may see us again sooner
than you expect.'
'What a charming man,' she remarked, as they settled into the back seat
of Sir Oliver's Rolls. 'I really like him.'
'It would seem to be mutual,'said Nicholas.
yan's words were prophetic. There were idenical envelopes addressed to
each of them lying at their places on the dining-room table the next
morning when they came down to breakfast.
Nicholas opened his as he ordered coffee from the waiter in his
ankle-length shamnia, and his expression changed as he read the note.
'Hello!' he exclaimed. 'We made an even bigger impression on the boys in
blue than we realized. General Obeid wants to see me again.'He read
aloud from the note, 'You are ordered to present yourself at police
headquarters at or before noon.'' Nicholas whistled softly. 'Strong
language. No please or thank you.'
'Mine is identical.' Royan glanced at the note on an official police
letterhead. 'What on earth do you suppose it means?'
'We will find out soon enough,' Nicholas promised her. 'But it sounds a
little ominous. Methinks the love affair is over.'
This morning, when they arrived at police head, quarters, there was no
reception committee to welcome them. The guard at the private entrance
sent them around to the general charge office, where they were involved
in a long, confused discussion with the desk officer, who had only a
rudimentary knowledge of English. From previous experience in Africa
Nicholas knew better than to lose his temper, or even to let his
irritation show. Finally the desk officer held a long whispered
telephone conversation with some unknown person, at the end of which he
waved them airily towards a hard wooden bench against the far wall.
'You wait. Man come soon.' fill For the next forty minutes they shared
their seat with a colourful selection of other supplicants, applicants,
complainants and petty criminals. One or two of them were bleeding
copiously from assault by persons unknown, and yet others were in
manacles.
'It seems our star is on the wane,' Nicholas remarked as he held a
handkerchief to his nose. It was obvious that some of his neighbours had
not had a close acquaintance with soap and water for some time. 'No more
VIP treatment.' At the end of forty minutes Inspector Galla, he who so
deferentially the day before, looked had treated them over the partition
and beckoned to them in a high-handed fashion.
He ignored Nicholas's outstretched right hand and led them through to
one of the back rooms. There he did not offer them a seat but addressed
Nicholas coldly. 'You are responsible for the loss of a firearm that was
in your possession.'
'That is correct. As I explained to you in my statement yesterday-'
