Sounds good. When will you start? My God, you are a hard taskmistress.
I haven't even finished the last one and you're on to me about the next.
Since Aaron divorced me, somebody has to keep me -in the style to which I've grown accustomed. All the duties of matrimony with none of the privileges and pleasures. He sighed dramatically. You still on about that, silly boy. You could talk me into it yet, and you might not like it. Aaron didn't. Aaron was a big prick, Daniel said.
That was part of the trouble. she chuckled, huskily sexy. He wasn't.
Then she changed the subject. By the way, what happened between you and Jock? I had a very strange phone call from him. He said you'd had a major punch-up. He implied that you had blown your mind and gone over the top, nearly got him into all sorts of trouble. He said that you and he would not be working together again. Is that right? Not to put too fine a point on it, yes, that's right. We have come to a parting of the ways. Pity. He has done some fantastic work on this "Africa Dying" series. Do you have a replacement cameraman in mind? ] don't. Do you?
She thought about it for a while. Would you have any objection to working with a female? I can't think why I should, as long as she can stand the pace.
Africa is a raw, rough country. It takes a certain resilience and toughness to cope with the physical conditions. Eina smiled. The lady I have in mind is tough enough and talented enough. You have my word on it. She's just done a piece for the BBC on. the Arctic and the Inuit Indians, Eskimos to you. It's good, very good. I'd like to see it. I'll get you a print. Eina sent the tape round to the studio the next day but Daniel was so totally involved in his own work that he dropped it into a drawer of his desk. He meant to view it that evening, but instead he let it slide.
Three days after he had finished the series, the tape was still in his desk, forgotten in the excitement of all the other things which were happening around him.
Then Michael Hargreave called from Lusaka again. Danny, I'm going to send you a bill for these calls. Costing HM Government a ruddy fortune.
I'll buy you a case of bubbly next time I see you. You must be in the chips, dear boy, but I'll accept the offer.
The good news is that your friend, Chetti Singh, is out of hospital.
Are you sure, Mike? Good as new. Remarkable recovery, so they tell me. I had our man in Lilongwe check it for me. Only one arm, but apart from that Chetti Singh is back in business. You'll have to send him another leopard for Christmas, the last one didn't work. Daniel chuckled ruefully. Did you hear anything of my other pal? The Chink?
- Sorry, not a dickie bird. Gone home to Daddy and the Lucky Dragon.
Let me know if he pitches up. I won't be able to leave London for a couple of months at least. It's all happening here.
Daniel was not exaggerating. Eina had just sold the Africa Dying series to Channel 4 for the highest price ever paid for an independent production. They were also breaking their advance planning and screening the first episode at prime time on Sunday evening six weeks from now. I'm going to throw a viewing party for you on the big night, Eina told him. Oh God, Danny, I always knew you were the, tops. It's so good to be able to prove it. I've invited people from all the Continental and North American stations to watch it.
This is going to take them by storm, believe me.
The Saturday before the party she rang Daniel at his flat. Have you had a chance to look at that tape I sent you? Which one? Which means you haven't, she groaned. The tape about the Arctic, "Arctic Dream", the one shot by that camerawoman, Bonny Mahon. Don't be obtuse, Danny.
I'm sorry, Eina, I just haven't had a chance to get Damn!
around to it. I've invited her to the party, she warned him. I'll look at it now, right away, he promised, and went to rescue the tape from his desk drawer.
He had been intending to skip-view the tape, but found that he was not able to give it such a cavalier treatment. From the opening sequence he found himself captivated.
It opened with an aerial sequence of the eternal ice of the far north, and the images-which followed were striking and unforgettable.
There was a particular sequence of a vast herd of barren ground caribou swimming across one of the open leads in the ice. The low yellow sun was behind them so that when the herd bull rose from the dark water and shook himself, he filled the air around him with a cloud of golden droplets which framed him in a precious nimbus like an animal deity from some pagan religion.
Daniel found himself enthraled to the point where his professional judgement was suspended. Only after the tape had run to its conclusion did he attempt to analyse how the camerawoman had achieved her effects.
Bonny Mahon had understood how to use the extraordinary light to endow it with a texture and mood that reminded him overpoweringly of the luminous and ethereal masterpieces of Turner.
If he were ever to work in the gloomy depths of the equatorial forests, that use of available light would be critical. There was no doubt that she had the gift of exploiting it. He looked forward to meeting her.
For the viewing party Eina Markham had hired half a dozen extra television sets, and placed them in strategic positions in her flat, including the guest toilet. She was determined that no one should have an excuse for missing the event that they had all assembled to celebrate.
As befitted the guest of honour, Daniel arrived half an hour late and had to fight his way in through the front door. Eina's parties were extremely popular, and the large drawing-room was bulging at the seams.
Fortunately it was a balmy May evening, and the guests had overflowed on to the terrace overlooking the river.
For six months Daniel had lived like a recluse. it was good to have human contact again. Of course, he knew most of those present and his reputation was such that they sought him out eagerly. He was the centre of an ever-changing circle of admirers, most of them old friends, and he was vain enough to enjoy the attention, although he knew just how ephemeral it could be. in this business, you were only as good as your last production.
Despite the gay and amusing company, Daniel felt his nerves screwing up right as the hour approached, and he found it harder to concentrate on the clever conversation and repartee that flitted and sparkled in the air around his head like a flock of humming-birds. Not even the prettiest of the many lovely ladies present could hold his attention for long.
Finally Eina clapped her hands and called them to order. People!
People! This is it! And she went from room to room, switching on the television sets, tuning them to Channel 4.
There was a noisy chatter of expectation as the opening credits began to roll and the theme music swelled and then the first sequence of Daniel's production opened with a view that was the spirit of Africa distilled to its essence.
There was a scorched sepia plain on which the scattered acacia trees stood dark green with twisted stems and flat anvil heads. A single elephant strode across the plain, an old bull, grey and wrinkled, his tusks stained with vegetable juices, thick and curved and massive. He moved with ponderous majesty, while around him fluttered a shining cloud of white egrets, their wings pearly and translucent. On the far horizon, against the aching African blue of the sky, ated the snowy pyramid of Kilimanjaro, detached from the burned ochre earth by the heat mirage. It had the same ethereal delicacy as the egrets' wings.
The tipsy laughter and chatter quietened and the crowded rooms fell silent, captivated by the timeless and eternal majesty of the vision that Daniel evoked for them.