Daniel ordered dessert and coffee, and Kelly had still not exhausted the subject. The other area of my research is even more important than growth hormones and receptors. The Bambuti have a marvelous knowledge of plants and their properties, particularly medicinal properties. I estimate that there are well over half a million different species of plants growing in the rain forests, hundreds of them with already proven properties beneficial to man. I believe that the cure for most of our ills and diseases might be locked up in those plants, a cure for cancer, and for AIDS. I've had promising indications in all those directions.
Science fiction, Bonny scoffed, and filled her mouth with chocolate ice cream. Do shut up, Bonny, Daniel snapped at her. This is fascinating.
How advanced is your research? Kelly pulled a face. Not as far as I'd like. I have the old women of the Barnbuti helping me gather the leaves and barks and roots. They describe their properties and I try to catalogue and test them and isolate the active ingredient, but my laboratory is a thatched hut, and I am fresh out of money and friends.
.
. Still I'd like to see it. You will, she promised, and she was so carried away by Daniel's interest in her work that she laid her hand on his arm.
You'll come to Gondola where I live? Bonny was watching the other girl's hand on Daniel's tanned and muscular forearm. It was a small hand, like the rest of her body, neat and graceful. Sir Peter would be interested in the formula for curing AIDS, Bonny said, still staring at the hand.
BOSS could market it through their pharmaceutical company. It would be worth a billion--2BOSS? Sir Peter? Kelly jerked her hand off Daniel's arm and stared at Bonny. Sir Peter who? Which Sir Peter?
Tug Harrison, ducky, Bonny told her with relish. Tug is bank-rolling the production that Daniel is going to shoot in Ubomo. The idea is that Danny and I are going to show the world what a hell of a job BOSS are doing. They are going to call it "Ubomo, High Road to the African Future". Isn't that a cute title? It's going to be Danny's masterpiece Kelly didn't wait for her to finish. She leapt to her feet and knocked over her cup. Spilled coffee spread across the tablecloth and cascaded into Daniel's lap. You!
Kelly stared down at him. You and that monster Harrison! How could you? She whirled and ran from the restaurant, shoving her way through a pack of American tourists who were blocking the aisle.
Daniel was on his feet mopping the coffee that had soaked his trousers.
What the hell did you do that for? he snarled at Bonny. You and the tree doctor were getting just a mite too chummy for my taste. Damn you, Daniel flared. You've screwed up a chance to film something unique I'll talk to you later. He strode angrily after Kelly Kinnear.
She was not in the hotel lobby. Daniel headed for the front entrance and called the doorman. Did you see a woman- He broke off as he spotted Kelly on the far side of the road. She was astride a dusty cc Honda motor cycle, and at that moment she jumped on the kick-starter and the engine shrilled to life. She swung the handlebars hard over, banking the cycle into a tight turn, the engine whining and popping jets of oily blue exhaust smoke. Kelly!
Daniel shouted. "Wait! Give me a chance. I can explain. She wrenched the throttle grip fully open and the cycle reared up on its back wheel as it accelerated. She turned her face to him as she flew past where he stood. Her expression was at once angry and stricken and he could have sworn that there were tears on her cheeks. Hired gun!
she cried at him.
Judas!
And then the motor cycle howled away. She banked it sharply, the steel foot-rest raised a shower of sparks as it grazed the tarmac, and she weaved into the traffic in Kimathi Avenue.
Daniel ran down to the corner. He caught one more glimpse of her two hundred yards down the avenue, leaning over the handlebars like a jockey, her braid standing out stiffly from the back of her head in the wind.
He looked around for a taxi to follow her, and then realised the futility of even trying. With the lead she Had, and the Honda's manoeuvrability no car could hope to catch her.
He turned on his heel and marched back towards the hotel, intent on finding Bonny Mahon. Before he reached the entrance he realised the danger of confronting herein his present mood. It could only lead to bloody battle, and probably the break-up of their relationship. That did not worry him too much, but what restrained him was the danger of losing a cameraman. It might take weeks to find a replacement, and that could lead to a cancellation of his contract with BOSS, the end of his quest to follow the Lucky Dragon, and Ning Cheng Gong, into Ubomo.
He checked his stride and thought about it. It wasn't worth the pleasure of pinning back Bonny Mahon's ears.
I'd better go and cool off somewhere. He chose the Jambo, Bar, one of the notorious bars down near the station.
It was full of black soldiers in camouflage, and mate tourists and bar girls. Some of the girls were spectacular, Samburu and Kikuyu and Masai, in tight shiny skirts with beads and bright ribbons braided into their hair.
Daniel found a bar stool in the corner, and the antics of the middle-aged European tourists on the dance floor helped to alleviate his foul mood. A recent survey of the Nairobi bar girls had determined that ninety-eight percent of them were HIV positive. You had to have a death wish to enjoy fully all that these ladies had to offer.
An hour and two double whiskies later, Daniel's anger Had cooled sufficiently, and he headed back to the Norfolk Hotel.
He let himself into the cottage suite and saw Bonny's khaki slacks and panties in the centre of the sitting-room floor where she had dropped them. This evening her untidiness irritated him even more than usual.
The bedroom was in darkness, but the lights in the courtyard shone through the curtains sufficiently for him to make out Bonny's form under the sheet on her side of the bed. He knew, she was feigning sleep. He undressed in the darkness, slipped naked into his side of the bed, and lay still.
Neither of them moved or spoke for fully five minutes and then Bonny whispered, Is Daddy cross with his little girl? She used her simpering childish voice. His little girl was very naughty. . She touched him.
Her fingers were warm and silky down his flank. She wants to show him how sorry she is. He caught her wrist, but it was too late. She was cunning and quick and soon he didn't want her to stop. Damn it, Bonny, he protested. You screwed up a chance Shh! Don't talk, Bonny whispered. Little girl will make it better for Daddy. Bonny. . . His voice trailed away, and he released her wrist.
In the morning when Daniel checked the hotel bill before paying it, he noticed an item for 120 Kenya shillings. International telephone calls.
He taxed Bonny with it. Did you make an overseas call last night? I called my old mum to let her know I'm all right. I know how stingy you are, but you don't grudge me that, do you? Something in her defiant manner troubled him. When she went ahead to see her video equipment safely packed into the taxi, Daniel lingered in the suite. As soon as she was gone he called the telephone exchange and asked the operator for the overseas number that was on his bill. London 727 6464, sir.
Please get it for me again now. It's ringing, sir.
A voice answered on the third ring. Good morning, may I help you?
What number is that? Daniel asked, but the speaker was guarded. Who did you want, please? Daniel thought he recognized the voice, the strong African accent. He took a chance.
Is that you, Selibi? he asked in Swahili. Yes, this is Selibi. Do you want to speak to the Bwana Mkubwa? Who shall I say is calling?