The jockey was at his side. He saw his eyes widen.
?Can you fill up? With unleaded??
The man nodded too eagerly. Something was not right.
He unlocked the tank, lifted the valve.
?They are looking for you,? said the jockey, his head conspiratorially close, his voice a hoarse whisper as he placed the spout in the tank.
?Who??
?Police.?
?How do you know??
?They were here. Said we must look for a Xhosa on a motorbike. A bee-em-double-you.?
?So what are you supposed to do??
?I have to phone them.?
?And will you??
?They say you?re armed and dangerous.?
He looked at the man, into his eyes. ?What are you going to do??
The attendant shrugged his shoulders, staring into the tank.
Just the noise of the fuel running in, the sweet aroma of petrol.
Eventually: ?It?s full.?
The digital figures on the pump read R77.32. Mpayipheli took out two hundred-rand notes. The attendant pulled one only from his fingers.
?I don'?t take bribes.? He took a last look at the man in the helmet, turned on his heel, and walked away.
?Masethla. NIA. I understand you need our assistance,? said the voice on the phone without friendliness or subservience.
?I appreciate your calling,? said Janina without appreciation. ?We inquired about any references to a Thobela Mpayipheli in the microfiche library and you sent a fax with a 1984 memorandum from Washington.?
?That is correct.?
?I can?t believe that this is the only reference. There must have been a response.?
?Possibly. What is it about??
?Mr. Masethla, I don'?t see the necessity to explain that. It was an urgent official request in the national interest. We are all working for the same interest. Why can?t we get the other documentation??
?There isn'?t any.?
?What??
?There isn'?t any other documentation.?
?You say this memorandum is all??
?Yes.?
?I can?t believe that.?
?You will have to.?
She pondered this for a moment. ?Mr. Masethla, is your library complete??
He was silent at the other end.
?Mr. Masethla??
?It is not my library. It was the Boers?. In the old South Africa.?
?But is it complete??
?We have reason to believe that some films were removed.?
?Which films??
?Here and there.?
?By whom??
?Whom do you think, Mrs. Mentz? Your people.?
?The PIU??
He laughed at her. ?No. The whites.?
Rage swept over her. She gripped the receiver with whitened knuckles, fighting it back, swallowing it, waiting till her voice would not betray her.
?The sender and receiver of the memorandum. I want their contact details.?
