It was a curt dismissal but I wasn't sorry to get it. I joined Sadiq and we drove back to our lines. I passed the word for everyone to remain clear of the bridge and to let the army through, once the rig was safely on the other side and uncoupled from its umbilicus. Everyone was bursting with curiosity and the tension caused by the rig's river passage had noticeably increased, which wasn't surprising. But I had little to tell them and presently everyone fell silent, just watching and waiting.
Seventeen minutes later the rig was clear of the bridge and safe on firm land again. Things are comparative, and after the bridge even the most friable and potholed road would seem like a doddle, at least for a time. The airlift truck was uncoupled, its hoses stowed, and it was moved back from the bridge approach. The Colonel came towards us in his staff car.
'Thank you,' he said abruptly. Graciousness was not a quality often found out here and this was the nearest we'd get to it. He spoke into the mike and his leading motorcycles roared off across the bridge.
I said, 'Mind a bit of advice, Colonel?'
He speared me with dark eyes. 'Well?'
That bridge really isn't too safe: it's been cheaply made. I'd space out my tanks crossing it, if I were you.'
He nodded shortly. Thank you, Mister Mannix.'
'My pleasure.'
He peered at me uncertainly and then signed to his driver to go ahead. As he drove off already talking into his microphone, I sighed for the days of the mythical bush telegraph. The battalion that followed was mostly armour, tanks and a battery of self-propelling guns, with a few truckloads of infantry for close defence work. Even as small a unit as a battalion takes up an awful lot of road space and it was twenty dusty minutes before the rearguard had crossed. I watched them climb the hill on the other side of the river and then said, 'Right, you guys. Let's go and join Mister Kemp, shall we?'
As the convoy started I turned to Sadiq. 'And then, Captain, perhaps you'll be good enough to find out from your driver, and then tell me, what the hell is going on. I know you'll have had him radio-eavesdropping right from the beginning.'
And then for some reason we both glanced quickly skywards.
CHAPTER 7
Both Kemp and Hammond looked shaken. I couldn't blame them; nobody likes being at the wrong end of a big gun. Hammond, as could be expected, was belligerent about it. 'This wasn't allowed for in any contract, Mannix. What are you going to do about it?'
'It's hardly Neil's fault,' said Kemp.
'I am going to do something about it,' I said. 'Something I should have done before this. I'm going to put you two properly in the picture.'
'Was that what you said you wanted to talk about?' Kemp asked, giving me a chance to cover myself. I nodded. 'Overdue,' I said. 'But first I want another word with Captain Sadiq. Want to come along?'
Kemp and Hammond conferred briefly, then Kemp said, 'Yes. Everyone's a bit jittery still. We shouldn't move on until we know the situation. I wish to God Geoff was here.'
'We'll try to contact him,' I said. I didn't see what he could do but if his presence was enough to calm his partners' fears it would be a big bonus. We found Sadiq, as expected, glued to his earphones in his car, and according to the usual ritual he handed them to his sergeant before joining us. I said, 'All right, Captain. What's the story?'
His voice was neutral. 'You heard Colonel Hussein. The Army is holding manoeuvres.'
I stared at him. 'Don't give us that crap. No army captain is going to threaten to shell a civilian vehicle during war games. He'd be scrubbing latrines next. And that was damn nearly more than a threat.'
Kemp said, 'You'll have to do better than that, Captain.'
I jerked my thumb towards the sergeant. 'You've been monitoring the wavebands pretty constantly. What have you heard?'
Sadiq shrugged. 'It's difficult to tell. There's a lot of traffic, mostly in code. There seems to be much troop movement. Also a lot of aircraft activity.'
'Like those jets this morning.' I had plenty of ideas about that but I wanted his version. 'What do you think is happening?'
'I don't know. I wish I did,' he said.
'What does Radio Nyala have to say?'
'Nothing unusual. Much music.' Kemp and I glanced at one another. 'There was a little about us, news of the new power plant at Bir Oassa. And other talk as well…'
He was getting closer to the real thing. His voice had become very careful. I said nothing but waited, out- silencing him. He went on at last, 'There was other news from Bir Oassa. The new airfield was opened today, with a ceremony.'
I gaped at him. 'But it isn't meant to be ready for a couple of months at least. Who opened it?'
The Air Chief Marshall.'
My first irrelevant thought was that I'd guessed his title right after all. Then I said, 'Semangala. Right?'
'Yes, sir.'
Kemp said, 'Isn't he the chap who was in France when we left Port Luard? The only military bigwig who couldn't attend?'
'Yes,' I said grimly. 'And what's more, he's meant to be in Switzerland right now. He left two days ago with his family. I saw him at the airport when I left for Lasulu. He got all the usual military sendoff, except that he was in civvies. Are you sure, Sadiq?'
'Yes, sir.' His eyes were sad now. 'He made a speech.'
'Who exactly is Semangala?' asked Hammond. 'Is he that important?'
'He's the Air Force boss and right now he's the most important man in Nyala. Wouldn't you say so, Sadiq?'
I was pushing him and he hated it. 'I don't know what you mean, sir.'
'Oh yes, you do. You're not stupid, Sadiq, and remember, neither am I. I know the score as well as you or anyone else in your army. Listen, you two; I'm going to have to make this short and sharp. This country is on the verge of civil breakdown and military takeover, and if you didn't guess that it's only because you're- new here and you've had your hands full with that giant of yours. The Army is split; half supports the Government and half wants a military junta to take over. It's complex but don't worry about the reasons for now. Both sides need the Air Force to give them a victory, and up to now Semangala has been playing one side against the other. Am I right so far, Sadiq?'
'I am not a politician,' he said.
I smiled. 'Just a simple soldier, eh? That's an old chestnut, my friend. Now, Semangala has been in France, probably buying planes or missiles. He comes back and decides he needs a holiday: a funny time to choose but he's his own boss. He flies out openly with his wife and kids, but he's back the next day. He probably had a plane on standby in Zurich. My guess is that he's made up his mind and has parked his family out of the way. Now he's bulldozed through the opening of the Bir Oassa airfield, which means that it's squarely in his hands instead of being run by the civil aviation authority. The only question that needs answering is, which side did he come down on?'
Hammond and Kemp were listening carefully. Hammond said, 'I'll be damned. Usually I just read about this stuff in the press.'
Kemp asked, 'Just how much does it matter to us which side he's on? Either way they'll still want the power plant.'
'Don't be naive. Of course they do, but that doesn't mean we can go on trundling through the country with a shield of invincibility around us. This is going to be a shooting war.'
Sadiq nodded. 'Very bad for you. I do not know how to protect you.'
He meant that he didn't know which side to protect us from.
I said, 'If there's a war, whoever wins will want us. But they have to win first. Meantime we're going to be up
