A Time to Die - Smith Wilbur - Страница 132

It would be suicide for you to try to reach the border now. You must remain under my personal protection."

"What the hell do you want from us?" Sean demanded. "You are up to something, I can smell the stink of it from here. What is it?"

"Your lack of confidence in my motives is very distressing."

China smiled coldly. "However, the sooner the Hind gunships are destroyed, the sooner the Frelimo offensive will collapse and you and Miss Monterro will be returned to the civilized world."

"I'm listening," Sean told him.

"You are the only one, you and Captain Job, who understand the Stinger. In this our interests coincide. I want you to train a select contingent of my men to handle the Stingers."

"That's all you want?" Sean stared into his face. "We train your men to use the Stinger, then you let us go?"

"Exactly.

"How do I know you won't move the goalposts again?"

"You pain me, Colonel."

"Not nearly as much as I'd like to."

"It Is agreed, then. You will train my men, and in exchange I will have you escorted across the border at the very first opportunity."

"What option do we have?"

"I'm so pleased that you are being reasonable, Colonel. It makes life much easier for all of us." His voice became crisp and businesslike. "We must begin immediately."

"You'll have to let your staff sober up a little," Sean told him.

"I'll begin first thing tomorrow, and I'll train the Shanganes; under Alphonso and Ferdinand, if Alphonso makes it through the Frelimo offensive intact."

"How long will it take you?" China wanted to know. "From on every hour will be vital to our survival."

now "They are bright lads and willing. I should be able to do something with them in a week."

"You will not have that long."

"I'll have the Stinizers; in action just as soon as I possibly can," i Sean retorted irritablfy-"Please believe me, General, I don't want to hang around herea minute longer than I have to. Now we'll bid you goodnight." H& took Claudia's arm as he turned away.

"Oh, Sean," she whispered. "I have a terrible premonition that we are caught up in something from which we are never going to escape."

Sean squeezed her upper arm to make her stop. "Look up there," he ordered softly, and she raised her face.

"The stars?" she asked. "Is that what you want me to look at?"

"Yes, the stars." They daubed the night as though a gigantic firefly had been crushed to death and its luminous essence smeared across the vault of heaven.

"They calm the soul," Sean explained gently.

She breathed softly and deeply. "Yes, you're right, my darling.

Tonight we have our love. Let's exploit it to the full and let tomorrow take care of itself."

She felt safe and invulnerable under the tented mosquito netting.

The lumpy grass-filled mattress had taken on the shape of their bodies, and she did not notice the harsh touch of the canvas covering against her skin.

"If we made love ten thousand times, it still would not take the edge off my need for you," she whispered as she slipped over the edge of sleep.

She woke suddenly, feeling the tension in his body against hers.

Instantly he touched her lips to caution her to silence. She lay frozen in the darkness, not daring to move or breathe, and then she heard it: a soft scraping at the entrance of the dugout as the netting curtain was pushed aside and an animal passed through.

Her heart raced, and she bit her lip to stop herself gasping aloud as she heard the thing crossing the earth floor toward the bed. Its paws were almost soundless, just the faintest tick of grit compressed by the stealthy weight. Then she smelled it, the wild gamey smell of a meat-eating animal, and she wanted to cry out.

Beside her Sean moved suddenly. Fast as a striking adder, he lunged through the mosquito net. There was a quick scuffle and squeal, and she tried to crawl over Sean's back to escape w was.

it "Got you, you little bugger," Sean said grimly. "You don't sneak up on me twice and get away with it. Now tell me I'm getting old and I'll wring your neck!"

"You'll be young and beautiful forever, my Bwana," Matatu giggled, and wriggled like a puppy caught by the scruff of the neck.

"Where have you been, Matatu?" Sean demanded sternly.

"What took you so long? Did you meet a pretty girl along the wayT, Matatu giggled again. He loved to be accused by Sean of dalHance and amatory exploits. "I found the roosting place of the hen shaw he boasted. "The same way I find where the bees have their hive. I watched their flight against the sun and followed them to their secret place."

Sean drew him closer to the bed and shook his arm gently. "Tell me," he ordered. In the darkness Matatu squatted down, tucked his loincloth between his legs, and made little self-important throat-clearing and humming sounds.