thedestroyer.slavesafari-第7部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　people　doing　little　jobs　and　not　knowing　the　overall　picture。
　〃I　see　you're　interested　in　the　envelope。　Your　tickets　to　Busati　and　your　passports　are　in　here　along　with　an　article　under　your　byline。　You　should　read　it。　You　wrote　it。〃
　〃I　read　it；〃　said　Remo。
　〃It　hasn't　been　published　yet。〃
　〃Some　clown　who　works　for　Lippincott　showed　it　to　me。　They　offered　to　hire　me。〃
　〃Excellent。　Beyond　my　fondest　hopes。　Perfect。　We　had　planned　to　get　you　into　Busati　as　a　journalist；　let　the　blame　fall　on　the　magazine。　But　working　for　Lippincott　is　even　better。　For　the　first　time；　Remo；　I　see　operations　proceeding　even　better　than　planned；　which　is　unusual　for　you。〃
　〃I　won't　be　working　for　Lippincott；〃　Remo　said。　〃I　sort　of　explained　to　him　that　I　couldn't。〃
　〃You　met　Laurence　Butler　Lippincott？〃　asked　Smith；　with　a　tinge　of　reverence　in　his　voice　that　Remo　resented。
　〃Yeah。　I　met　Lippincott。　I　threw　a　few　of　his　employees　at　him。〃
　〃You　what？〃
　〃I　told　him　I　didn't　want　to　work　for　him。〃
　〃But　he'd　make　an　excellent　cover。　We　need　someone　to　take　the　heat　if　you　get　messy　in　Busati。〃
　Remo　shrugged。
　〃You　haven't　even　been　mitted　yet；〃　Smith　groused；　〃and　you've　already　created　your　first　foul…up。〃
　〃So；　don't　mit　me；〃　said　Remo　and　left　the　sun…porch　for　the　refrigerator　where　he　grabbed　the　carcass　of　a　cold　duck　and　a　bowl　of　cold　rice　and；　against　previous　warnings　by　Chiun；　ate　even　though　his　mind　was　not　at　peace。　Smith　had　followed　him　into　the　kitchen。
　Remo　tore　off　a　greasy　drumstick　and　began　to　chew　the　mouthful　into　liquid。　The　problem；　Smith　explained；　was　not　just　that　James　Forsythe　Lippincott　was　missing　in　the　Africa　bush。　Those　things　happened。　CURE　wouldn't　bother　to　get　involved　for　that；　not　even　for　a　Lippincott。　No；　a　dangerous　pattern　was　emerging。　Very　dangerous。
　Remo　took　a　little　ball　of　rice　between　his　fingertips　and　placed　it　into　his　mouth。　How　he　would　love　a　hamburger；　he　thought。
　〃A　pattern　that　could　undermine　the　American　people's　faith　in　the　ability　of　its　government　to　protect　them；〃　Smith　said。
　Perhaps　if　he　mixed　the　rice　and　duck　together　in　his　mouth；　thought　Remo；　it　might　taste　better。
　〃The　basis　of　any　government　is　the　protection　it　gives　its　citizens；〃　Smith　said。
　Remo　tried　mixing　a　sliver　of　duck　with　a　few　grains　of　rice。
　〃We　don't　have　final　proof；　but　we　believe　that　someone　is　raiding　America　for　slaves。〃
　Perhaps　if　Remo　washed　down　the　duck　and　the　rice　with　warm　water。　Maybe　that　would　improve　it。
　〃In　the　last　year；　several　wealthy　young　girls　from　branches　of　the　Lippincott　family　have　met　violent　deaths。　Or　at　least　we　thought　they　had。　But　now　we　have　found　out　that　the　girls　did　not　really　die。　In　their　coffins　there　were　other　bodies。　We　believe　someone　is　somehow　smuggling　these　girls　out　of　the　country　to　Africa；　as　slaves。　Sort　of　a　reverse　slavery。〃
　Remo　turned　the　water　faucet　on　hot　and　filled　a　glass。　He　sipped　it　and　that　didn't　help　either。
　〃Reverse　slavery？〃　he　asked。
　〃Yes；〃　Smith　said。　〃Blacks　taking　whites。〃
　〃Doesn't　sound　reverse　to　me；〃　said　Remo。　〃It's　slavery。〃
　〃Correct；〃　Smith　said。　〃It's　just　that　historically；　whites　took　blacks。〃
　〃Only　an　idiot　lives　in　history；〃　said　Remo　repeating　something　Chiun　had　once　told　him　and　which　he　had　never　understood。
　〃Right；〃　Smith　said。　〃It's　really　a　rather　simple　sort　of　operation。　Get　into　Busati；　find　out　what　happened　to　the　missing　Lippincott；　free　the　girls；　and　get　out。〃
　〃Why　not　do　it　through　the　government？〃
　〃We　can't；〃　Smith　said。　〃Our　sources　indicate　that　General　Obode；　the　President　of　Busati；　is　somehow　behind　this。　If　we　try　to　approach　him　directly；　he'll　just　kill　the　girls。　No。　We've　got　to　get　them　freed　first。　Then　our　government　can　deal　with　Obode；　and　he　can't　lie　his　way　out。〃
　〃Can　I　kill　Obode？〃
　Smith　shook　his　head。　〃Too　risky。　He's　a　nut；　but　he's　our　nut。　Killing　him　might　cause　us　real　problems　in　that　part　of　the　world。〃
　〃You　say　your　sources　say　that　Obode's　in　it。　How　good　are　your　sources？〃　Remo　said。
　〃Impeccable；〃　Smith　said。　〃CIA　type　sources。〃
　〃Do　your　sources　know　where　the　girls　are？〃
　〃No。　All　we've　heard　is　that　there's　a　white　house　with　an　iron　gate　in　the　capital　city　of　Busati。〃
　〃You　don't　know　though；　right？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃And　you　don't　know　how　the　girls　are　being　kidnapped；　right？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃And　you　were　trying　to　get　me　fixed　up　with　Lippincott；　but　you　didn't　tell　me　you　were　doing　it；　right？〃
　〃Right；〃　said　Smith。
　Remo　returned　the　duck　and　the　rice　to　the　refrigerator。　Nothing　would　improve　its　taste。
　〃You　know；　Smitty；〃　he　said；　〃nothing　works　right　in　America　anymore。　Nothing。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　FTVE　
　President　General　Dada　〃Big　Daddy〃　Obode　would　see　no　one　that　morning。　The　stars　were　wrong。　Hadn't　a　jackal　made　its　way　into　the　palace　grounds　the　night　before　and　howled　three　times；　yet　no　one　saw　the　jackal？　Where　was　the　jackal？　This　he　demanded　out　loud　on　the　balcony　of　his　sitting　room；　once　the　sitting　room　of　the　former　British　governor…whom　Big　Daddy　had　served　as　a　sergeant　major　in　Her　Majesty's　Kenya　Rifles。
　〃Where　is　the　jackal？〃　he　yelled。　And　had　not　the　elephants　at　the　Busati　Army　pound　been　seen　wandering；　even　before　the　dry　season？　Why　were　they　wandering？　Who　were　they　looking　for？　And　what　of　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety　who　had　been　found　nailed　to　a　tree？
　General　Obode　asked　these　questions　of　himself　and　there　was　no　answer。　His　wise　men　were　not　wise；　his　generals　were　not　courageous；　his　counselors　lacked　counsel。
　He　walked　before　a　large　ornate　mirror；　and　looked　at　his　massive　frame　and　his　thick　dark　features。　A　Hausa　among　Hausa　he　was。
　〃Dada；　I　ask　you　to　search　your　heart　with　honesty　and　truth；〃　he　said　to　his　image　in　the　mirror。　〃Is　it　possible　that　you　are　the　cause　of　your　own　problems？　Be　honest　now；　because　I　will　brook　no　deceit；　especially　from　you；　you。。。　sergeant　major。〃
　General　Obode　furrowed　his　brows　and　thought。　He　thought　a　very　long　time。　He　looked　at　his　gold　watch。　Fifteen　seconds。　Enough　thought　He　had　the　answer。
　〃It　is　not　your　fault；　General　Obode。　You　are　a　good　leader。　It　is　the　fault　of　your　enemies。　Destroy　your　enemies　and　you　will　destroy　he　who　was　responsible　for　the　jackal。〃
　With　that　he　clapped　his　hands　for　his　clothes；　changed　his　mind　and　decided　he　would　hold　his　morning　audience。　There　was　a　full　schedule　today。　The　Ambassador　from　Libya…that　was　important　because　of　the　money；　the　representative　of　the　Third　World　Liberation　Organization…that　was　unimportant　because　all　they　did　was　talk　and　there　were　a　lot　of　yellow　men。　He　did　not　trust　yellow　men　any　more　than　he　trusted　Indians　or　white　men；　at　least　those　white　men　who　were　not　English　officers。
　He　liked　English　officers。　English　officers　never　bothered　anyone；　especially　during　operations　when　they　knew　they　would　muck　things　up　and　so　left　the　business　in　the　hands　of　sergeants　major　who　knew　how　to　get　things　done。　He　thought　another　ten　seconds　and　decided　he　did　not　like　Arabs　either；　even　though　he　had　been　a　Moslem　from　birth。
　〃Who　do　you　like…honestly；　General　Obode？〃　he　asked　himself。
　〃I　like　you；　big　fella；〃　he　said。　〃You're　all　right。〃　With　that　he　laughed　a　booming　laugh　and　laughed；　while　servants　put　on　his　boots　and　white　uniform　pantsa　nd　shirts　with　the　medals　and　general's　pips　on　the　shoulders。
　When　he　was　ready　for　the　day；　he　called　for　Colonel　William　Forsythe　Butler；　who　had　been　insisting　that　the　general　see　a　magazine　writer　named　Remo　Mueller；　because　Remo　Mueller　had　written　a　nice　story　about　General　Obode　and　nice　stories　were　rare　nowadays。
　〃Nice　story　today；　bad　story　tomorrow；　to　hell　with　him；〃　General　Obode　had　told　his　American…born　chief　of　staff；　who　had　all　sorts　of　mixed　blood　mucking　up　his　veins　and　who　called　himself　black。　He　was　a　clever　one　though；　this　Colonel　William　Forsythe　Butler。　A　good　man　to　have　around。　He　was　not　a　Hausa；　so　he　would　not　be　jealous　of　General　Obode's　magnificence；　he　was　not　a　Loni；　so　he　would　not　hate　General　Obode　for　no　reason　at　all。　He　was；　he　once　had　explained；　〃just　an　American　nigger；　but　I'm　working　on　that〃
　A　good　man。　General　Obode　would　humor　him。　Today；　he　would　try　to　see　this　pipsqueak　writer　with　the　funny　name　of　Remo。
　Colonel　William　Forsythe　Butler　was　the　first　to　enter。　He　appeared　thin；　but　General　Obode　knew　him　to　be　a　most　powerful　man；　the　only　one　in　Busati　to　have　wrestled　him　to　a　draw　one　afternoon；　after　Obode　threw　two　generals　and　three　sergeants　simultaneously　before　the　cheers　of　his　troops。　He　had　been　a　football　player；　this　Colonel　Butler；　Morgan　State；　and　then　the　New　York　Mammoths…or　was　it　the　New　York　Giants？　These　names　Americans　had　were　all　peculiar。
　〃Good　morning；　Colonel；〃　said　General　Obode；　sit…　。　ting　down　in　the　ornate　high…backed　governor's　chair　which　was　now　the　president's　chair。　〃Did　you　hear　the　jackal　last　night？〃
　〃I　did；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃And　what　would　you　make　of　a　jackal　in　America　if　ft　howled　at　night？　Three　times？〃
　〃We　don't　have　jackals　in　America。〃
　〃Aha；〃　said　General　Obode；　clapping　his　hands。　〃And　we　do　not　have　jackals　in　the　palace　grounds；　either。　Then　what　would　you　make　of　a　jackal　in　your　New　York　City？〃
　〃I　would　think　it　strange；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃And　so　do　I。　I　will　teach　you　another　lesson　in　governing　that　even　your　CIA　didn't　teach　you。〃
　〃It　would　be　an　honor　to　learn；　Mr。　President。〃
　General　Obode　clapped　his　hands　and　in　marched　eight　men　in　neat　Western　suits　and　neat　Western　shirts　and　neat　Western　ties。　When　they　talked；　they　talked　in　neat　British　accents。　They　were　Obode's　civilian　council　of　state　to　whom　he　gave　no　power　at　all；　preferring　to　surround　himself　hi　important　jobs　with　military　men。　Six　of　the　civilian　council　were　Hausa；　the　other　two　were　Loni；　appointed　reluctantly　by　Obode　at　Butler's　urging。　Butler　had　told　him　that　the　Western　world　would　recognize　this　as　an　act　of　greatness；　assimilating　into　his　government　the　members　of　a　once　hated　and　hunted　enemy　tribe。
　〃A　jackal　howled　three　times　last　night；〃　announced　Obode。　〃Now　to　you　Oxford　and　Cambridge　people；　it　is　nothing。　And　I'm　s