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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