thedestroyer.slavesafari-第3部分

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　seemed　close；　as　close　and　as　clear　as　they　must　have　been　when　man　first　descended　from　the　trees。
　The　officer　told　Lippincott　to　get　out。
　〃Look；　I　can　give　you　twice　that　amount　of　money。　You　don't　have　to　kill　me；〃　said　Lippincott
　〃Get　out；〃　said　the　officer。
　〃I'm　a　personal　friend　of　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety；〃　said　Lippincott。
　〃You'll　find　him　over　there　behind　that　wide　tree；〃　said　the　officer。　〃Go。〃
　So　Lippincott；　finding　the　Africa　night　chilly　and　his　heart　even　chillier；　went　to　the　wide　tree　that　rose　like　a　little　prickly　mountain　from　the　Busati　plain。
　〃Hello？〃　he　said　but　no　one　answered。　His　elbow　brushed　up　against　something　on　the　tree。　He　looked　around。　It　。was　a　boot。　A　leg　was　in　the　boot　and　on　top　of　the　leg　was　a　body。　The　dangling　hands　were　black。　The　body　did　not　move　and　it　smelled　of　the　last　release　of　the　bowels。　The　body　was　in　an　officer's　uniform。　Lippincott　stepped　back　to　escape　the　smell　and　to　try　for　a　better　look　at　the　face。　Suddenly　a　flashlight　illuminated　the　body's　features。　It　was　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety。　A　large　spike　protruded　from　his　head。　He　had　been　nailed　to　the　tree。
　〃Hello；　Lippy；〃　said　an　American　voice。
　〃What？〃　gasped　Lippincott。
　〃Hello；　Lippy。　Squat　down　on　your　haunches。　No；　not　your　butt　on　the　ground。　On　your　haunches；　like　a　slave　waiting　for　his　master。　On　the　haunches。　That's　right。　Now；　Lippy；　before　you　die；　if　you're　very　nice；　you　may　ask　me　a　question。〃
　The　flashlight　had　gone　off　and　now　the　voice　came　out　of　the　African　dark；　and　try　as　he　might；　Lippincott　could　not　see　the　speaker。
　〃Look；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　who　you　are；　but　I　can　make　you　a　rich　man。　Congratulations　on　successfully　scaring　the　crap　out　of　me；　Now；　how　much？〃
　〃I've　got　what　I　want；　Lippy。〃
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Is　that　your　one　question？〃
　〃No；　my　one　question　is　what　do　you　want？〃
　〃All　right；　Lippy；　I'll　answer　that。　I　want　to　revenge　my　people。　I　want　to　be　accepted　in　my　father's　house。〃
　〃I'll　buy　your　father's　house。　How　much？〃
　〃Ah；　Lippy；　Lippy；　Lippy。　You　poor　fool。〃
　〃Look。　I　want　to　live；〃　said　Lippincott；　straining　to　keep　his　backside　just　off　his　raised　heels。　〃I'm　humbling　myself。　Now　what　can　I　give　you　for　my　life？〃
　〃Nothing。　And　I　don't　care　about　your　humbling　yourself。　I'm　not　some　Harlem　shine　who　calls　himself　Abdulla　Bulbul　Amir。　Humbling　doesn't　do　anybody　any　good。〃
　〃You're　white？　I　can't　see。〃
　〃I'm　black；　Lippy。　African。　Does　that　surprise　you？〃
　〃No。　Some　of　the　most　brilliant　men　in　the　world　are　black。〃
　〃If　you　had　any　chance　at　all；　you　just　blew　it　with　that　lie；〃　the　voice　said。　〃I　know　better。　I　know　every　one　of　you　Lippincotts　and　Forsythes。　There　isn't　one　of　you　who　isn't　a　racist。〃
　〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Lippincott。　〃What　do　you　want？〃　The　man　was　obviously　keeping　him　alive　for　something。　There　was　silence。　Far　off；　a　hyena　howled。　There　would　be　no　lions　near　here；　not　with　vehicles　and　men　having　been　around　the　area。
　〃I　can　get　you　recognition　from　America；〃　said　Lippincott。　〃My　family　can　do　that。〃
　〃Who　is　America　to　recognize　or　not　to　recognize？〃
　〃What　do　you　want？〃
　〃Some　information。〃
　〃If　you　kill　me；　you　won't　get　it。〃
　〃First　I'll　get　it　and　then　I'll　kill　you。　There　are　many　ways　to　die　and　some　aren't　so　bad。〃
　Lippincott　believed　the　man　and　like　many　people　who　find　death　too　strong　to　face；　he　told　himself　a　little　lie。　He　told　himself　he　would　be　spared　if　he　told　the　man　the　truth。
　〃The　Minister　of　Public　Safety　didn't　tell　you　about　the　house；　did　he？〃
　〃No；　he　didn't；〃　Lippincott　said；　remembering　again　the　gruesome　corpse　hanging　from　the　tree　near　his　head。　〃My　boy　Walla　did。〃
　〃Never　mind；　the　Minister　had　to　die　anyway；〃　the　voice　said。　〃Unlike　most　members　of　this　government；　he　would　not　see　things　my　way。　Now；　you've　done　research　on　slave　ships　and　the　original　slave　trade　into　the　States。　There　was　a　Butler　plantation　on　which　you　still　have　the　records；　isn't　that　so？〃
　〃Yes。　I　can　show　them　to　you。　They're　at　my　Chesapeake　Bay　estate。〃
　〃In　the　basement　storage　or　the　library？〃
　〃I　forget。　But　I　can　show　you。〃
　〃No　matter。　We'll　get　them；　now　that　we　know　which　of　your　homes　they're　in。　That's　all　I　needed。　Anything　I　can　give　you　besides　your　life？〃
　〃Nothing；〃　said　Lippincott　on　the　hope　that　if　only　his　life　would　do　for　a　favor；　his　life　he　might　get。
　〃Don't　you　want　to　know　the　answer　to　your　research　about　the　breakup　of　the　great　Loni　Empire？〃
　〃I　want　my　life。〃
　The　voice　ignored　him。　〃The　Loni　Empire；〃　it　said；　〃broke　up　because　it　put　its　faith　in　outsiders。　It　hired　people　to　do　what　it　should　have　done　itself。　And　theyg　rew　soft　and　weak；　and　finally　the　Hausa　just　pushed　them　over；　as　if　they　were　soft；　fat　children。〃
　Despite　his　predicament；　Lippincott　was　interested。　〃That's　too　simple；〃　he　said。　〃To　build　a　great　empire　takes　character。　The　Loni　must　have　had　it。　They　would　not　just　roll　over　and　play　dead。〃
　〃No；　you're　right；〃　the　voice　said。　〃They　would　have　fought。　But　something　got　in　the　way。　Your　family's　accursed　slave　trade。　So　the　best　of　the　Loni　wound　up　shipped　away　to　grow　cotton　for　you。　But　I'll　tell　you　a　story。　The　Loni　are　going　to　return　to　power　again。　I　hope　that　makes　you　feel　better。〃
　〃It　doesn't；〃　Lippincott　said；　〃but　suppose　you　tell　me　how。　Right　now；　the　whole　Loni　tribe　couldn't　build　a　shoebox。〃
　〃Simple；〃　the　voice　said。　〃I'm　going　to　lead　them　back　to　power。〃　He　paused。　〃Really　horrible　thing　you　did　to　that　girl。　Not　that　it　matters；　Lippy。　Not　that　she　matters　or　that　you　matter。　You'd　have　to　pay　a　long　time　before　the　Lippincotts　and　the　Forsythes　ever　got　even。　It　doesn't　matter。　What　matters　is　in　the　mountains。〃　't
　Lippincott　heard　the　hyena　sounds　and　smelled　the　death　smells　of　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety　and　felt　a　sudden　great　shock　to　his　back；　that　came　out　his　chest；　and　he　fell　forward　on　a　spear　that　was　through　his　body。　When　his　head　hit　the　Busati　plain；　he　was　dead；　another　small　piece　of　fertilization；　no　more　than　an　ancient　Loni　emperor　or　an　ancient　Loni　child。　Africa　took　him　as　one　of　its　own；　the　earth　as　ever　being　the　only　truly　equal　opportunity　employer　in　the　history　of　man。
　Walla；　being　more　intelligent　than　either　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety　or　Lippincott；　was　safely　up　the　Busati　River　in　his　village。　He　had　something　to　sell　of　far　greater　value　than　the　last　pieces　of　silver　engraved　with　the　old　English　〃V〃　at　the　Busati　Hotel。　He　had　information；　information　was　always　salable。
　Hadn't　the　clerk　from　the　Ministry　of　Justice　sold　a　copy　of　the　files　of　the　Busati　secret　police　for　gold…real　gold…coins　you　could　roll　in　your　hands　and　buy　fifty　wives　with　or　twenty　cattle　or　shoes　and　plows　and　shirts　and　maybe　even　a　radio　for　private　use；　instead　of　sharing　it　with　the　whole　village？
　So　Walla　told　his　brothers　he　was　leaving　the　village　and　that　his　eldest　brother　should　meet　him　over　the　border　in　Lagos；　Nigeria　in　a　month。
　〃You　are　selling　tales；　Walla？〃　asked　the　elder　brother。
　〃It　is　best　you　do　not　know　what　I　do；〃　said　Walla　wisely。　〃Governments　do　terrible　things　to　people　who　know　things。〃
　〃I　have　often　wondered　why　we　have　governments。　Tribal　chiefs　never　did　terrible　things　to　people　who　knew　things。〃
　〃It　is　the　white　man's　way。〃
　〃If　the　white　man　is　not　here　anymore；　and　if；　as　the　radio　says；　we　are　getting　rid　of　everything　white；　why　cannot　we　get　rid　of　white　governments？〃
　〃Because　the　Hausa　downriver　are　fools；〃　Walla　said。　〃They　want　to　get　rid　of　the　white　man　so　they　can　be　white　men。〃
　〃The　Hausa　have　always　been　fools；〃　said　the　elder　brother。
　In　jeeps　with　massive　supplies；　the　journey　to　Lagos　would　have　taken　a　Busati　army　patrol　a　month。　Walla；　carrying　a　knife　and　no　food；　made　the　journey　on　foot　in　sixteen　days。
　Walla　found　a　neighbor　from　his　village　and　asked　him　for　a　good　place　to　sell　information。
　〃Not　here；〃　said　the　neighbor　who　was　an　assistant　gardener　at　the　Russian　Embassy。　〃They　were　paying　good　last　year　but　this　year　is　terrible。　The　Americans　are　best　again。〃
　〃The　Chinese；　are　they　good？〃　asked　Walla。
　〃Sometimes　they　are　good；　but　often　they　think　it　is　enough　to　tell　you　funny　stories　in　exchange　for　your　information。〃
　Walla　nodded　his　head。　He　had　heard　these　things　of　the　yellow　men　back　in　Busati；　how　they　would　give　a　button　or　a　book　and　think　of　that　as　payment；　and　then　be　surprised　and　angry　when　told　that　was　not　nearly　enough。
　〃Americans　are　the　best　again；〃　said　the　gardener；　〃but　take　only　gold。　Their　paper　is　worth　less　each　day。〃
　〃I　will　take　gold　and　I　will　return　here　and　see　you。　Your　information　has　been　…of　value。〃
　〃See　the　cook　at　the　American　Embassy。　He　will　tell　you　the　price　to　ask。〃
　The　cook　at　the　American　Embassy　promptly　fed　Walla　and　listened　to　his　story；　asking　questions　so　that　Walla　would　be　well…prepared　to　negotiate。
　〃This　Lippincott　disappearing　is　a　good　thing。　Quite　valuable。　But　the　nature　of　the　house　is　even　more　valuable　possibly。　Who　are　these　white　women？〃
　Walla　shrugged。　〃I　do　not　know。〃
　〃Who　frequents　the　house？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃I　was　told　of　it　by　a　soldier。　He　said　that　Busati　soldiers　who　do　good　things　are　given　leave　to　go　to　the　house　and　do　terrible　things　to　the　women。〃
　〃Does　President　Obode　run　the　house？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃I　do　not　know。　I　think　not。　I　was　told　that　the　sergeant　who　is　at　the　house　is　a　Loni。〃
　〃A　Loni？　Are　you　sure　he　is　not　a　Hausa？　Hausa　do　those　sort　of　things。〃
　〃I　know　Hausa　from　Loni；〃　said　Walla。　〃He　is　a　Loni。〃
　〃A　Loni　who　is　a　sergeant。　That　is　very　important；〃　the　cook　said。
　〃It　is　worth　gold？〃　Walla　asked。
　The　cook　shook　his　head。　〃The　Americans　do　not　know　Loni　from　Hausa　and　could　not　care　less　that　a　Loni　has　reached　a　sergeant's　rank　in　Busati's　army。　Do　you　have　anything　on　the　women　in　the　house？〃
　〃They　never　e　out　alive。〃
　The　cook　shrugged　a　so…what　shrug。
　〃I　know　a　name。　It　was　told　to　me　by　a　fellow　of　our　village　who　worked　at　the　airport。　I　remember　it　because　it　was　like　Lippincott's　name。〃
　〃Her　name　was　Lippincott？〃　the　cook　asked。
　〃No。　Forsythe。　Lippincott　had　a　Forsyt