The Seventh Scroll - Smith Wilbur - Страница 89

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Atalan. Oh, Nicky, I can't bear even the suspicion that he might be

involved in Duraid's murder."

"Sorry if I gave you a rough night, but we have to consider all the

angles," he tried to soothe her, and then changed the subject. "We have

wasted enough time here.

Pegasus have got a clear run of the field at the moment. I want to get

back home, and start putting together our own expeditionary force for

the return."

"Would you like me to get on to the airline and make our reservations?"

She stood up immediately. "I will go off and find a phone."

"Finish your breakfast first."

"I have had all I want." She made for the door, and he called after her.

"No wonder you are so skinny- They tell me anorexia nervosa is a rotten

way to go." And he helped himself to another slice of toast and

marmalade.

She was back within fifteen minutes. "Tomorrow afternoon at

three-thirty. Kenya Airways to Nairobi, connecting the same evening with

British Airways to Heathrow."

"Well done." He wiped his mouth on his napkin, and stood up. "Our car is

waiting to take us down to police headquarters to speak to your new

admirer, General Obeid.

Let's go."

There was a police officer waiting to meet them and usher them into the

headquarters building, through the private entrance. He introduced

himself as Inspector Galla and treated them with the greatest deference

as he led them through to the Commissioner's suite.

General Obeid rose to his feet as soon as they entered his office, and

came around his desk to greet them. He was charming and affable, fussing

over Royan as he led them through to his private sitting room. Once they

were seated, Inspector Galla poured the inevitable tiny bowls of bitter

black coffee.

After a polite interval of small talk the general came directly to the

business in hand. "As I promised, I won't detain you longer than is

absolutely necessary. Inspector Galla here will be recording your

statements. Firstly I would like to deal with the disappearance and

death of Major Brusilov. I presume you are aware that he was formerly an

officer in the Russian KGB?"

The interview lasted much longer than they had expected. General Obeid

was thorough, but unfailingly polite. Finally he had their statements

typed out by a police stenographer, and after they had read and signed

them, the general walked with them as far as the entrance where their

car was waiting. Nicholas recognized this as a mark of special favour.

"If there is anything I can do for you, anything that need, please do

not hesitate to call upon me. It has you been a great pleasure meeting

you, Dr Al Simma. You must come back to Ethiopia and visit us again

soon."

"Despite our little misadventure, I have thoroughly enjoyed your

beautiful country" she told him sweetly. "You may see us again sooner

than you expect."

"What a charming man," she remarked, as they settled into the back seat

of Sir Oliver's Rolls. "I really like him."

"It would seem to be mutual,'said Nicholas.

yan's words were prophetic. There were idenical envelopes addressed to

each of them lying at their places on the dining-room table the next

morning when they came down to breakfast.

Nicholas opened his as he ordered coffee from the waiter in his

ankle-length shamnia, and his expression changed as he read the note.

"Hello!" he exclaimed. "We made an even bigger impression on the boys in

blue than we realized. General Obeid wants to see me again."He read

aloud from the note, "You are ordered to present yourself at police

headquarters at or before noon."' Nicholas whistled softly. "Strong

language. No please or thank you."

"Mine is identical." Royan glanced at the note on an official police

letterhead. "What on earth do you suppose it means?"

"We will find out soon enough," Nicholas promised her. "But it sounds a

little ominous. Methinks the love affair is over."

This morning, when they arrived at police head, quarters, there was no

reception committee to welcome them. The guard at the private entrance

sent them around to the general charge office, where they were involved

in a long, confused discussion with the desk officer, who had only a

rudimentary knowledge of English. From previous experience in Africa

Nicholas knew better than to lose his temper, or even to let his

irritation show. Finally the desk officer held a long whispered

telephone conversation with some unknown person, at the end of which he

waved them airily towards a hard wooden bench against the far wall.

"You wait. Man come soon." fill For the next forty minutes they shared

their seat with a colourful selection of other supplicants, applicants,

complainants and petty criminals. One or two of them were bleeding

copiously from assault by persons unknown, and yet others were in

manacles.

"It seems our star is on the wane," Nicholas remarked as he held a

handkerchief to his nose. It was obvious that some of his neighbours had

not had a close acquaintance with soap and water for some time. "No more

VIP treatment." At the end of forty minutes Inspector Galla, he who so

deferentially the day before, looked had treated them over the partition

and beckoned to them in a high-handed fashion.

He ignored Nicholas's outstretched right hand and led them through to

one of the back rooms. There he did not offer them a seat but addressed

Nicholas coldly. "You are responsible for the loss of a firearm that was

in your possession."

"That is correct. As I explained to you in my statement yesterday-'

Inspector Galla cut him off. "The loss of a firearm due to negligence is

a very serious offence," he said severely.

"There was no negligence on my part," Nicholas denied.

"You left the firearm unguarded. You made no attempt to lock it in a

steel safe. That is negligence."

"With respect,- Inspector, there is a notable dearth of steel safes in

the Abbay gorge."

"Negligence," Galla repeated. "Criminal negligence.

How are we to know that the weapon has not fallen into the hands of

elements opposed to the government?"

"You mean some unknown person may overthrow the government with a 275

Rigby?"Nicholas smiled.

Inspector Galla ignored the sally, and produced two documents from the

drawer of his desk. "It is my duty to ation orders on both you and Dr Al

serve these deport Simma. You have twenty-four hours to leave Ethiopia,

and thereafter you will be considered to be prohibited immigrants, both

of you."

"Dr Al Simma has not lost any weapons," Nicholas pointed out mildly. "In

fact as far as I am aware, she has never been even mildly negligent in

her entire life." And again his comment was ignored.

"Please sign here to acknowledge that you have received and understood

the orders."

"I would like to speak to General Obeid, the Commissioner of Police,'

said Nicholas.

"General Obeid left this morning for an inspection tour of the northern

frontier districts. He will not return to Addis Ababa for some weeks."

"By which time we will be safely back in England?"

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