'I see.'
Iced melons were served.
'You are after big game, Miss Desmond?'
'Yes. We were on our way to Wannock Game Reserve when saw this wonderful house and I felt I had to see more of it. I do hope you don't think I was presumptuous.'
'Not at all. If I didn't wish you to be here, Tak would have sent you away. No, it is a pleasure to have such unexpected guests.'
'You are certainly out in the wilds . . . don't you find it lonely?' she asked.
'When one is as busy as I am, one hasn't time to feel lonely. It surprises me that you are a photographer.' Kahlenberg looked directly at her. 'I should have thought by the way you walk and by your appearance that you would have been a model.'
'I have done modelling, but I find photography more interesting.'
'I too am interested in photography in an amateurish sort of way. I suppose you work entirely in colour?'
Gaye who had only the haziest knowledge of photography, realized they were getting on to dangerous ground.
'Yes, I work in colour.'
'Tell me, Miss Desmond . . .' Kahlenberg began when the second course of blue trout was served.
Gaye immediately began to enthuse about the fish, hoping to change the subject.
'It's my favourite fish,' she told him.
'How fortunate, but I was . . .'
Garry too had seen the red light and he tried to steer the conversation into another channel.
'Mr. Kahlenberg, I took a walk in your wonderful garden and came across a Zulu in full war dress . . . at least, I think it is war dress from what I've seen on the movies . . . a magnificent specimen.'
'Yes, I have over a hundred of these men,' Kahlenberg said. 'I like them to dress in their traditional costume. They are great hunters of beasts . . . and of men. They are the guardians of my estate. No one approaches here without being seen and turned back. They patrol the surrounding jungle day and night in shifts.'
'Not the garden?' Garry asked casually as he could as he removed the back bone of the fish.
There was such a long pause that he glanced up to find Kahlenberg's eyes on him. The amused contempt in those eyes made Garry look quickly down at his fish.
'No, Mr. Edwards, they don't patrol the garden at night, but I have a few of them in the garden during the day when there are strangers here.'
'Well, they are certainly impressive,' Garry said, laying down his knife and fork. 'That was excellent.'
'Yes,' Kahlenberg absently reached out his hand and began to stroke Hindenberg's rough fur. The cheetah began to purr.
'What a marvellous sound,' Gaye exclaimed. 'Have you had him long?'
'A little over three years. We are inseparable.' Kahlenberg looked over at Garry. 'He is a magnificent watch- dog or I suppose I should say watch-cat. I had good proof of this a few months ago. One of my servants went mad and tried to attack me. He came into my office with a knife, but before he could even reach me, Hindenberg had literally torn him to pieces. The cheetah is the fastest moving animal on earth. Did you know that, Mr. Edwards?'
Garry eyed the cheetah and shook his head.
'He looks as if he could give a good account of himself.'
'He can.'
One of the waiters presented the main course which was a chicken browned in a casserole, the rib cage removed and the bird stuffed with diced lobster in a cream sauce, coloured by the coral of the lobster.
'Ah! This is something out of the ordinary,' Kahlenberg said. 'I got the recipe from one of the great Paris chefs. I think you will find it excellent.'
