cc.vixen03-第20章

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　his　wish　to　dig　the　mon　grave　and　fill　it　himself。　The　burial　services　were　long　over　and　his　friends　and　neighbors　had　departed；　leaving　him　to　his　grievous　task。
　At　last　he　patted　smooth　the　last　shovelful；　stood　back；　and　looked　down。　The　headstone　had　not　arrived　yet；　and　the　mound　seemed　stark　and　forlorn　among　the　older　grave　sites　that　had　been　blanketed　by　grass　and　edged　with　rows　of　neatly　kept　flowers。　He　fell　to　his　knees　and　reached　into　a　pocket　of　his　discarded　coat。　His　hand　came　out　with　a　fistful　of　bougainvillea　petals。　These　he　sprinkled　over　the　damp　earth。
　Fawkes　let　the　grief　flow。　He　wept　until　after　the　sun　dipped　below　the　horizon。　He　wept　until　his　eyes　could　no　longer　produce　tears。
　His　mind　traveled　back　twelve　years　and　ran　off　images　like　a　movie　projector。　He　saw　Myrna　and　the　kids　in　the　little　cottage　near　Aberdeen　on　the　North　Sea。　He　saw　the　looks　of　surprise　and　happiness　in　their　faces　when　he　told　them　they　were　all　packing　up　and　heading　to　Natal　to　start　a　farm。　He　saw　how　sickly　white　skinned　Jenny　and　Pat　Junior　were　beside　the　other　schoolchildren　of　Umkono；　and　how　quickly　they　became　tanned　and　robust。　He　saw　Myrna　begrudgingly　leaving　Scot…land　to　alter　her　life…style　totally；　and　then　ing　to　love　Africa　even　more　than　he。
　〃You'll　never　make　a　good　farmer　until　you　flush　the　salt　water　out　of　your　veins；〃　she　used　to　tell　him。
　Her　voice　seemed　so　clear　to　him　that　he　could　not　accept　the　fact　that　she　lay　beneath　the　ground　he　knelt　on；　never　to　see　the　daylight　again。　He　was　alone　now　and　the　thought　left　him　lost。　When　a　woman　loses　a　man；　he　recalled　hearing　somewhere；　she　picks　up　her　life　as　before　and　perseveres。　But　when　a　man　loses　a　woman；　he　dies　by　half。
　He　forced　the　once…happy　scenes　from　his　mind　and　tried　to　conjure　the　shadowy　figure　of　a　man。　The　face　had　no　distinct　features；　because　it　was　the　face　of　a　man　Fawkes　had　never　seen：　the　face　of　Hiram　Lusana。
　Fawkes's　grief　was　suddenly　engulfed　by　a　tidal　surge　of　cold　hatred。　He　balled　his　fists　and　beat　them　against　the　wet　ground　until　his　emotions　finally　drained　away。　Then　he　gave　a　great　sigh　and　neatly　arranged　the　bougainvillea　petals　so　that　they　spelled　out　Myrna's　and　the　children's　names。
　Then　he　rose　unsteadily　to　his　feet；　and　he　knew　what　he　had　to　do。
　
　19
　
　Lusana　sat　at　the　head　of　an　oval　conference　table；　his　eyes　pensive；　his　hands　toying　with　a　ball…point　pen。　He　looked　at　the　ever…smiling　Colonel　Due　Phon　Lo；　chief　military　adviser　to　the　AAR；　then　at　the　officers　sitting　in　tense　formation　in　the　chairs　beside　him。
　〃Some　bloodthirsty　idiot　takes　it　into　his　head　to　knock　over　the　farm　of　the　most　respected　citizen　of　Natal；　and　you　all　sit　here　looking　as　innocent　as　Zulu　virgins。〃　He　paused　a　moment；　searching　their　faces。　〃e；　e；　gentlemen。　Let's　stop　playing　games。　Who　was　behind　it？〃
　Lo　bowed　his　head　and　spread　his　hands　on　the　table。　His　almond　eyes　and　closely　cropped　straight　hair　made　him　seem　out　of　place　among　the　others。　He　spoke　slowly　and　enunciated　each　word　precisely。
　〃You　have　my　word；　General；　no　one　under　your　mand　was　responsible。　I　have　studied　the　exact　placement　of　every　section　during　the　time　of　the　attack。　None　of　them；　except　for　the　one　Somala　led；　was　within　two　hundred　kilometers　of　Umkono。〃
　〃Then　how　do　you　explain　it？〃
　〃I　cannot。〃
　Lusana's　gaze　lingered　on　Lo；　appraising　the　Asian's　expression。　Satisfied　that　he　saw　nothing　devious　in　the　permanently　etched　smile；　he　turned　and　surveyed　the　other　men　at　the　table。
　To　his　right　sat　Major　Thomas　Machita；　his　chief　intelligence　analyst。　Next　to　him　was　Colonel　Randolph　Jumana；　his　second…in…mand。　Opposite　them　were　Lo　and　Colonel　Oliver　Makeir；　coordinator　of　A　AR　propaganda　programs。
　〃Any　theories　on　the　subject？〃　Lusana　asked。
　Jumana　straightened　a　sheaf　of　papers　for　the　tenth　time　and　avoided　Lusana's　gaze。　〃What　if　Somala　imagined　the　Fawkes　raid？　Perhaps　he　saw　it　during　a　fit　of　delirium；　or；　then　again；　perhaps　he　made　it　up。〃
　Frowning；　Lusana　shook　his　head　in　irritation。　〃You　forget；　Colonel；　I　was　the　one　who　took　Somala's　report。　He　was　a　damn　good　man。　The　best　section　leader　we　had。　He　was　not　delirious　and　he　had　no　reason　to　create　a　fairy　tale；　knowing　he　was　about　to　die。〃
　〃There　is　no　doubt　that　the　raid　took　place；〃　said　Makeir。　〃The　South　African　papers　and　television　newscasts　have　given　it　heavy　play。　Their　stories　all　check　with　what　Somala　told　the　general　here；　except　the　government　Defence　Forces　have　yet　to　e　up　with　any　reliable　witnesses　who　can　provide　a　description　of　the　attacking　troops。　We　were　fortunate　that　Somala　was　able　to　return　from　his　mission　and　describe　in　detail　what　he　saw　before　he　died。〃
　〃Did　he　see　who　shot　him？〃　asked　Jumana。
　〃He　was　hit　in　the　back　at　great　distance；〃　answered　Lusana；　〃probably　by　a　sniper。　The　poor　devil　managed　to　crawl　three　miles　to　the　area　he　assigned　the　rest　of　his　scouting　party。　They　performed　what　first　aid　they　could　and　then　beat　a　track　back　to　our　camp。〃
　Thomas　Machita　shook　his　head　in　utter　inprehension。　〃None　of　it　tallies。　I　doubt　that　other　liberation　movements　would　dress　up　and　masquerade　as　AAR　soldiers。〃
　〃On　the　other　hand；〃　said　Makeir；　〃maybe　they　staged　the　raid　to　cast　blame　on　us　and　take　the　heat　off　themselves。〃
　〃I　am　in　close　contact　with　my　countrymen　who　are　advising　your　brother　revolutionaries；〃　said　Colonel　Lo。　〃They　are　all　as　angry　as　disturbed　hornets。　No　one　gained　by　the　assault　on　the　Fawkes　farm。　If　anything；　it　has　stiffened　the　resolve　of　the　whites；　the　Indians；　the　coloreds；　and　many　blacks；　as　well；　to　stand　firm　against　outside　inter…vention。〃
　Lusana　rested　his　chin　on　clasped　hands。　〃Okay；　if　they　didn't　do　it；　and　we　know　we　didn't　do　it；　who　does　that　leave　as　a　prime　suspect？〃
　〃South　African　whites；〃　Lo　answered　simply。
　Every　eye　focused　on　the　Vietnamese　adviser。　Lusana　stared　into　the　inscrutable　eyes。　〃Perhaps　you'd　care　to　repeat　the　statement。〃
　〃I　am　merely　suggesting　that　someone　in　the　South　African　govern…ment　may　have　ordered　the　murder　of　the　Fawkes　family　and　their　field　workers。〃
　They　all　stared　at　him　wordlessly　for　several　moments。　Finally　Machita　broke　the　silence。
　〃I　fail　to　see　a　purpose。〃
　〃Nor　I；〃　Lo　said；　and　shrugged。　〃But　consider　this。　Who　else　would　have　the　resources　to　equip　a　group　of　mandos　in　arms　and　uniforms　that　are　identical　to　our　own？　Also；　and　most　important；　does　it　not　strike　you；　gentlemen；　as　odd　that　even　though　the　attacking　group　retreated　within　the　sound　of　Defence　Force　helicopters；　none　of　them　was　tracked　down。　It　is　a　fact　of　guerrilla　life　that　we　require　a　minimum　of　one　hour　to　insure　even　a　moderate　chance　of　a　successful　escape。　Less　than　ten　minutes'　head　start　on　a　force　using　helicopters　and　dogs　is　suicide。〃
　〃You　make　an　intriguing　case；〃　Lusana　said；　his　fingers　drumming　the　table。　〃I　don't　for　one　minute　accept　it　as　valid。　However；　it　won't　hurt　to　run　a　check。〃　He　turned　to　Machita。　〃Do　you　have　a　trusted　informer　in　the　Defence　Ministry？〃
　〃Someone　highly　placed；〃　answered　Machita。　〃Costs　us　a　pretty　penny；　but　his　information　is　thoroughly　reliable。　Odd　sort；　though；　he　never　appears　in　the　same　place　twice　under　the　same　guise。〃
　〃You　make　him　sound　like　some　kind　of　mystic；〃　said　Jumana。
　〃Perhaps　he　is；〃　conceded　Machita。　〃Emma　materializes　when　we　least　expect　him。〃
　〃Emma？〃
　〃His　code　name。〃
　〃Either　the　man　has　a　warped　sense　of　humor　or　he's　a　transvestite；〃　said　Lusana。
　〃I　cannot　say；　General。〃
　〃How　do　you　contact　him？〃
　〃We　don't。　He　reaches　us　only　when　he　has　useful　information　to　sell。〃
　Jumana's　face　clouded。　〃What　guarantee　have　we　that　he　isn't　feeding　us　falsified　documents？〃
　〃To　date；　everything　he　passed　us　from　the　Ministry　has　checked　out　one　hundred　percent。〃
　Lusana　looked　at　Machita。　〃You'll　see　to　it；　then？〃
　Machita　nodded。　〃I'll　fly　to　Pretoria　myself　and　await　Emma's　next　appearance。　If　anyone　can　clear　up　the　mystery；　it　will　be　him。〃
　
　20
　
　The　African　Army　of　Revolution's　camp　was　not　really　a　camp　at　all；　rather；　it　was　a　headquarters　in　what　was　once　a　small　unive