'Rugby football,' he explained. 'Great sweaty oafs beating their bony heads together." She recovered splendidly. 'Pater, if this has anything to do with Lothar De La Rey, I would just like to point out that he is one of the greatest athletes of our time and the youngest brigadier in the history of the police force - and that he means absolutely nothing to me at all." 'Your indifference is monumental. I am greatly relieved." 'Does that mean I can accept David's job offer?" Shasa sighed and the loneliness descended upon him like a winter's evening. 'How can I stop you, Bella?" She let out a triumphant squeal and leaned out of the saddle to wrap those long tanned arms around his neck, and Shasa's stallion danced under him with aristocratic affront.
Isabella chattered merrily all the way back to the chfiteau.
'One thing I forgot to mention to David was a lusing allowance.
Flats are so awfully expensive in Joey's. I couldn't find anything suitable on the pittance he is paying me." Shasa shook his head with admiration.
The grooms were waiting in the kitchen yard to take the horses, and still in their jodhpurs and riding boots they went through to the breakfast room with Isabella hanging lovingly on her father's arm.
Centaine was at the sideboard, helping herself to scrambled eggs
:: ill from the chafing dish. She was still in her gardening clothes and hid been amongst her roses since dawn. Now she looked at Isabella i quiringly - and Isabella gave her a happy wink.
'Damn it,' Shasa intercepted the exchange. 'I've been set up. It's conspiracy." 'Of course, I told Nana first." Isabella hugged his arm. 'I alwa start at the top." 'When she was little I always threatened to hand her over to policeman if she was naughty,' Centaine said complacently as sl carried her plate to the breakfast table. 'I hope this policeman ca cope with her." 'He's not a policeman,' Isabella protested. 'He's a brigadier." Shasa ladled eggs and fried tomato on to his plate and went to hid place at the head of the table. The morning paper was folded neatly o his side plate, and he shook it open at the front page as he sat dowl The main news was the proposed meeting between the British prim minister, Harold Wilson, and Ian Smith to settle the Rhodesian issm Now he saw that the suggested venue was a British warship at se Israel and Jordan were still disputing the Hebron Valley, and closer t home the Robben Island ferry had capsized during the night with th certain loss of at least two lives, while eight others were missing.
The telephone on the sideboard rang and Centaine looked up fror buttering her toast. 'That will be Garry,' she said. 'He rang twic while you were out riding." 'It's only eight o'clock in the morning,' Shasa protested, but hid, went to answer the telephone. 'Hello, Garry, where are you?" Garry sounded surprised. 'At the office, of course." 'What's the problem?" 'Swimming-pools,' Garry answered. 'I have a chance to get th franchise for a new process of making cheap swimming-pools. It' called Gunite. Holly and I saw it when we were on honeymoon ir the States." 'Good Lord, only the ver2 rich can afford private swimming.
pools,' Shasa protested.
'Everybody will buy my swimming-pools - every home in the country will have one by the time I'm finished." Garry's enthusiasm was infectious.
'It works, Pater. I've seen it, and the figures add up perfectly.
Only trouble is I have to give an answer by noon today. Someone else is interested." 'How much?" Shasa asked.
'Four million initially - that's for the franchise and plant. Another four million over two years for running costs, then we will be into profit." 'All right,' Shasa said. 'Go ahead." 'Thanks, Pater. Thanks for trusting me." 'Well you haven't let me down yet. How is Holly?" 'She's fine. She's right here with me." 'At the office at eight in the morning?" Shasa laughed.
'Of course." Again Garry sounded surprised. 'We are a team. The swimming-pools were her idea." 'Give her my love,' Shasa said and hung up.
As he went back to his seat, Centaine said, 'It's the prime minister's budget vote this afternoon. I thought I'd drop in." 'It should be interesting,' Shasa agreed. 'I think Verwoerd is going to make a major policy speech about the country's international position. I have a committee meeting on armaments this morning, but why don't you meet me for lunch and you can listen to Doctor Henk's speech from the public gallery afterwards. I'll ask Tricia to get you a ticket." Ticia was waiting for him anxiously when an hour later Shasa walked into his parliamentary suite.
'The minister of police wants to see you most urgently, Mr Courthey. He asked me to let him know the moment you arrived. He said he'd come to your office." 'Very well." Shasa glanced at his appointment book on her desk.
'Let him know I'm here and then get a ticket for my mother for the public gallery this afternoon. Is there anything else?" 'Nothing important." Tricia picked up the in-house telephone to ring the minister of police's office and then paused. 'There has been a strange woman ringing you this morning. She called three times.
She wouldn't give her name and she asked for Squadron Leader Courtney. Funny, isn't it?" 'All right, let me know if she calls again." Shasa was frowning as he went through to his own office. The use of his old airforce rank was strangely disquieting. He went to his desk and began work on the mail and the memoranda that Tricia had placed on his blotter, but almost immediately the buzzer rang on his intercom.
'Minister De La Rey is here, sir." 'Ask him to come right in, Tricia." Shasa rose and went to meet Manfred, but as they shook hands he could see that Manfred was a worried man.
'Did you read the news report about the sinking of the ferry?" Manfred did not even return his greeting but came immediately to business.
'I noticed it, but didn't read it all." 'Moses Gama was on the boat when it sank,' Manfred said.
'Good Lord." Shasa glanced involuntarily at the ivory and gold}: !!
,[
leaf altar chest which still stood against the wall of his office.
'Is hid safe?" 'He is missing,' Manfred said. 'He may have drowned, or he ma be alive. Either way we are in a very serious predicament." 'Escaped?" Shasa asked.
'One of the survivors, a prison officer, says that there were two vessels at the accident scene, a large ship without lights that collidec with the ferry and another smaller craft that arrived seconds artel the ferry capsized. In the darkness it was impossible to see any details It is a distinct possibility that Gama was spirited away." 'If he drowned, we will be accused of murdering him,' Shasa saic softly, 'with disastrous international repercussions." 'And if he is at large, we will face the possibility of a populm uprising of the blacks similar to Longa and Sharpeville." 'What are you doing about it?" Shasa asked.
'The entire police force is on full alert. One of our best men, m) own son Lothar, is flying down from the Witwatersrand in an airforce jet to take charge of the investigation. He will land within the next few minutes. Navy divers are already attempting to salvage the wreckage of the ferry." For another ten minutes they discussed all the implications of the wreck, and then Manfred moved to the door.
'I will keep you informed as we get further news." Shasa followed him into the outer office, and as they passed Tricia's desk she stood up.
'Oh, Mr Courtney, that woman called again while you were with Minister De La Rey." Manfred and Shasa both paused, and Tricia went on, 'She asked for Squadron Leader Courtney again, sir, and when I told her you were in conference, she said she had news for you about White Sword. She said you'd understand." 'White Sword!" Shasa froze and stared at her. 'Did she leave a number?" 'No, sir, but she said that )ou must meet her at the Cape Town railway station at five-thirty this afternoon. Platform four." 'How will I know who she is?" 'She says she knows you by sight. You are merely to wait on the platform, she will come to you." Shasa was so preoccupied with the message that he did not notice Manfred De La Rey's reaction to the code name 'White Sword'. All colour had drained from Manfred's craggy features, and his upper lip and jowls were covered by a sheen of perspiration. Without another word he turned and strode out into the corridor.