Authors: Wilbur Smith
Rage (15 page)
âThey are happy like children,' she agreed. âAs long as they look up to you like big daddy. But just how long do you think you can keep fooling them? How long is it going to be before they look at you in your beautiful airplane flying back to parliament to make a few more laws for them to obey and say to themselves, “Hey, man! I'd like to try that also”?'
âFor three hundred years under white government the people of this land have woven a social fabric which has held us all together. It works, and I would hate to see it torn asunder without knowing what will replace it.'
âHow about democracy for a start?' she suggested. âThat's not a bad thing to replace it with â you know,
the will of the majority must prevail!'
the will of the majority must prevail!'
âYou left out the best bit,' he flashed back at her.
âThe interests of the minority must be safeguarded.
That doesn't work in Africa. The African knows and understands one principle: winner takes all â and let the minority go to the wall. That's what will happen to the white settlers in Kenya if the British capitulate to the Mau Mau killers.'
âThe interests of the minority must be safeguarded.
That doesn't work in Africa. The African knows and understands one principle: winner takes all â and let the minority go to the wall. That's what will happen to the white settlers in Kenya if the British capitulate to the Mau Mau killers.'
So they wrangled and sparred during the long hours of flying which took them over the enormous distances of the African continent. From one destination to the next, Shasa and Kitty went ahead in the Mosquito, and the helmet and oxygen mask were too large for her and made her appear even younger and more girlish. David Abrahams piloted the slower and more commodious company De Havilland Dove, the camera equipment and the crew flying with him, and even though most of Shasa's time on the ground was
spent in meetings with his managers and administrative staff there was still much time that he could devote to the seduction of Kitty Godolphin.
spent in meetings with his managers and administrative staff there was still much time that he could devote to the seduction of Kitty Godolphin.
Shasa was not accustomed to prolonged resistance from any female who warranted his concentrated attention. There might be a token flight, but always with coy glances over the shoulder, and usually they chose to hide from him in the nearest bedroom, absentmindedly forgetting to turn the key in the lock, and he expected it to go very much the same way with Kitty Godolphin.
Getting into her blue jeans was his first priority; convincing her that Africa was different from America and that they were doing the best job they could came second by a long way. At the end of the ten days he had succeeded in neither endeavour. Both Kitty's political convictions and her virtue remained intact.
Kitty's interest in him, however wide-eyed and intense, was totally impersonal and professional, and she gave the same attention to an Ovambo witchdoctor demonstrating how he cured abdominal cancer with a poultice of porcupine dung, or a muscled and tattooed white shift-boss explaining to her that a black worker should never be punched in the stomach as their spleens were always enlarged from malaria and could easily rupture â hitting them in the head was all right, he explained, because the African skull was solid bone anyway and you couldn't inflict serious damage that way.
âMary Maria!' Kitty breathed. âThat was worth the trip in itself!'
So on the eleventh day of their odyssey, they flew out of the vastness of the Kalahari Desert, from the remote H'ani Diamond Mine on its mystic and brooding range of hills, into the town of Windhoek, capital of the old German colony of South-West Africa which had been mandated to South Africa in the Treaty of Versailles. It was a quaint little town, the German influence still very obvious in the
architecture and the way of life of the inhabitants. Set in the hilly uplands above the arid littoral, the climate was pleasant, and the Kaiserhof Hotel, where Shasa kept another permanent suite, offered many of the creature comforts that they had lacked during the previous ten days.
architecture and the way of life of the inhabitants. Set in the hilly uplands above the arid littoral, the climate was pleasant, and the Kaiserhof Hotel, where Shasa kept another permanent suite, offered many of the creature comforts that they had lacked during the previous ten days.
Shasa and David spent the afternoon with their senior staff in the local office of the Courtney Company, which before its move to Johannesburg had been the head office, but which was still responsible for the logistics of the H'ani Mine. Kitty and her team, never wasting a moment, filmed the German colonial buildings and monuments and the picturesque Herero women on the streets. In 1904 this tribe of warriors had engaged the German administration in their worst colonial war which finally left eighty thousand Hereroes dead of famine and battle out of a total population of a hundred thousand. They were tall and magnificent-looking people and the women wore full-length Victorian skirts in butterfly colours and tall matching headdresses. Kitty was delighted with them, and late that afternoon came back to the hotel in ebullient mood.
Shasa had planned carefully, and had left David at the Courtney Company offices to finish the meeting. He was waiting to invite Kitty and her team through to the beer garden of the hotel where a traditional oom-pa-pa band in lederhosen and Alpine hats was belting out a medley of German drinking songs. The locally brewed Hansa Pilsner was every bit as good as the original of the Munich beerhalls, with a clear golden colour and thick creamy head. Shasa ordered the largest tankards, and Kitty drank level with her crew.
The mood turned festive until Shasa drew Kitty aside and under cover of the band told her quietly, âI don't quite know how to break this to you, Kitty, but this will be our last evening together. I had my secretary book seats on the commercial flight for you and your boys to fly back to Johannesburg tomorrow morning.'
Kitty stared at him aghast. âI don't understand. I thought we were flying down to your diamond concessions in the
Sperrgebiet.'
She pronounced it âSpear Beat' in her enchanting accent. âThat was going to be the main act.'
Sperrgebiet.'
She pronounced it âSpear Beat' in her enchanting accent. âThat was going to be the main act.'
âSperrgebiet
means “Forbidden Area”,' Shasa told her sadly. âAnd it means just that, Kitty, forbidden. Nobody goes in there without a permit from the government Inspector of Mines.'
means “Forbidden Area”,' Shasa told her sadly. âAnd it means just that, Kitty, forbidden. Nobody goes in there without a permit from the government Inspector of Mines.'
âBut I thought you had arranged a permit for us,' she protested.
âI tried. I telexed our local office to arrange it. The application was denied. The government doesn't want you in there, I'm afraid.'
âBut why not?'
âThere must be something going on in there that they don't want you to see or film.' He shrugged, and she was silent but he saw the play of fierce emotion across her innocent features and her eyes blazed green with anger and determination. He had early on discovered that the infallible means of making anything irresistibly attractive was to deny it to Kitty Godolphin. He knew that now she would lie, cheat or sell her soul to get into the
Sperrgebiet.
Sperrgebiet.
âYou could smuggle us in,' she suggested.
He shook his head. âNot worth the risk. We might get away with it, but if I were caught it could mean a fine of £100,000 or five years in the slammer.'
She laid her hand on his arm, the first time she had deliberately touched him. âPlease, Shasa. I want so badly to film it.'
He shook his head sorrowfully. âI'm sorry, Kitty, can't be done, I'm afraid,' and he stood up. âGot to go up and change for dinner. You can break it to your crew while I'm away. Your flight back to Jo'burg leaves at ten oâclock tomorrow.'
It was obvious at the dinner-table that she hadn't warned
her crew of the change of plans, for they were still jovial and garrulous with good German beer.
her crew of the change of plans, for they were still jovial and garrulous with good German beer.
For once Kitty took no part in the conversation, and she sat morosely at the end of the table, nibbling without interest at the hearty Teutonic fare and occasionally darting a sulky glance at Shasa. David skipped coffee to go and make his nightly phone call to Matty and the children, and Hank and his crew had been told of a local night spot with hot music and even hotter hostesses.
âTen days with no feminine company except the boss,' Hank complained. âMy nerves need soothing.'
âRemember where you are,' Shasa warned him. âIn this country black velvet is royal game.'
âSome of the poontang I've seen today would be worth five years' hard labour,' Hank leered.
âDid you know that we have a South African version of Russian roulette?' Shasa asked him. âWhat you do is take a coloured girl into a telephone booth. Then you phone the police Flying Squad and see who comes first.'
Kitty was the only one who didn't laugh, and Shasa stood up. âI've got some papers to go over. We'll save the farewells until breakfast.'
In his suite he shaved and showered quickly, then slipped on a silk dressing-gown. As he went through to check that there was ice in the bar, there was a light tap on the door of the suite.
Kitty stood on the threshold looking tragic.
âAm I disturbing you?'
âNo, of course not.' He held the door open and she crossed the lounge and stood staring out of the window.
âCan I get you a night-cap?' Shasa asked.
âWhat are you drinking?' she asked.
âA Rusty Nail.'
âI'll have one also â whatever it is.'
While he mixed Drambuie and malt whisky, she said, âI
came to thank you for everything you've done for me these last ten days. It's going to be hard to say goodbye.'
came to thank you for everything you've done for me these last ten days. It's going to be hard to say goodbye.'
He carried the glasses across to where she stood in the middle of the floor, but when he reached her she took both glasses from him and placed them on the coffee table. Then she stood on tiptoe, slid both arms around his neck and turned her face up for his kiss.
Her lips were soft and sweet as warm chocolate, and slowly she pushed her tongue deeply into his mouth. When at last their mouths parted with a little wet sucking sound, he stooped and hooked an arm around the back of her knees and lifted her against his chest. She clung to him, pressing her face against his throat as he carried her through to the bedroom.
She had the lean hips and flat belly of a boy, and her buttocks were white and round and hard as a pair of ostrich eggs. Like her face, her body seemed childlike and immature except for those tight little pear-shaped breasts and the startling burst of thick dark hair at the base of her belly, but when he touched her there he found to his surprise that it was fine as silk and soft as smoke.
Her love-making was so artful as to seem totally uncontrived and spontaneous. She had the trick of telling him exactly what he was doing to her in the coarsest barnyard terms, and the obscenities on that soft innocent-looking mouth were shockingly erotic. She took him to those heights that he had seldom scaled before, and left him completely satiated.
In the dawn glow she snuggled against him and whispered, âI don't know how I am going to be able to bear being parted from you after this.'
He could see her face in the wall mirror across the room, although she was unaware of his scrutiny. âDamn it â I can't let you go,' he whispered back. âI don't care what it costs, I'm taking you down to the
Sperrgebiet
with me.'
Sperrgebiet
with me.'
In the mirror he watched her smile, a complacent and smug little smile. He had been correct, Kitty Godolphin used her sexual favours like trumps in a game of bridge.
At the airport her crew were packing their equipment into the Dove under David Abrahams' supervision when Shasa and Kitty drove up in the second company car, and Kitty jumped out and went to David.
âHow are you going to work it, Davie?' she asked, and he looked puzzled.
âI don't understand the question.'
âYou'll have to fake the flight plan, won't you?' Kitty insisted. Still mystified, David glanced at Shasa. Shasa shrugged and Kitty became exasperated.
âYou know very well what I mean. How are you going to cover the fact that we are going into the
Sperrgebiet
without permits?'
Sperrgebiet
without permits?'
âWithout permits?' David echoed, and fished a handful of documents out of the zip pocket of his leather flying-jacket. âHere are the permits. They were issued a week ago â all kosher and correct.'
Kitty wheeled and glared speechlessly at Shasa, but he refused to meet her eyes and instead ambled off to make his walk-around check of the Mosquito.
They didn't speak to each other again until Shasa had the Mosquito at twenty thousand feet, flying straight and level, then Kitty said into his earphones, âYou son of a bitch.' Her voice shook with fury.
âKitty, my darling.' He turned and smiled at her over the oxygen mask, his single eye glinting happily. âWe both got what we wanted, and had a lot of fun in the process. What are you so mad about?'
She turned her face away and stared down at the magnificent lion-coloured mountains of the Khama's Hocht-land. He left her to sulk. Some minutes later he heard an unusual stuttering sound in his headset, and he frowned and leaned forward to adjust the radio. Then, from the
corner of his eye he saw that Kitty was hunched up in the seat shaking uncontrollably and that the stuttering sound was coming from her.
corner of his eye he saw that Kitty was hunched up in the seat shaking uncontrollably and that the stuttering sound was coming from her.
He touched her shoulder and she turned her face to him, it was swollen and crimson with suppressed laughter and tears of mirth were squeezing out of the corners of her eyes with the pressure. She couldn't hold it any longer, and she let out a snort.
âYou crafty bastard,' she sobbed. âOh, you tricky monsterâ' and then she became incoherent as laughter overwhelmed her.
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