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"And the other purchases?"
"It was difficult especially the hat."
"But did you get it?" Fly
"It was a direct intervention of Allah." Mohammed refused to be hurried. "In the harbour was a German ship, stopped at Beira on its way north to Dares Salaam. On the boat were three German officers. I saw them walking upon the deck." Mohammed paused and cleared his throat portentously. "That night a man who is my friend rowed me out to the ship, and I visited the cabin of one of the soldiers."
"Where is it?" Fly
Mohammed stood up, went to the door of the rondavel and called to one of the bearers. He returned and set a bundle on the table in front of Fly
"Good God Almighty," breathed Fly
"Is it not beautiful?"
"Call Manali. Tell him to come here immediately."
Ten minutes later Sebastian, whom Rosa had at last reluctantly placed on the list of walking wounded, entered the rondavel, to be greeted effusively by Fly
Reluctantly, Sebastian obeyed, eyeing the covered object on the table. Fly
On the summit a golden eagle cocked its wings on the point of flight and opened its beak in a silent squawk of ineriace, the black enamel of the helmet shone with a polished gloss, and the golden chain drooped heavily under Sebastian's chin.
It was indeed a thing of beauty. A thing of such presence that it completely overwhelmed Sebastian, enveloping his head to the bridge of his nose so that his eyes were just visible below the jUtting brim.
"A few sizes too large," Fly
"What's this for?" Sebastian asked in concern from under the steel helmet.
"You'll see. Just hold on a shake." Fly
Parbhoo, the Indian tailor, had obviously laboured with dedication and enthusiasm. The task set him by Fly
Ten minutes later, Sebastian stood self-consciously in the centre of the rondavel while Fly
Below the massive helmet, which was now propped high with a wad of cloth between steel and scalp, Sebastian was dressed in the sky-blue tunic and riding breeches. The cuffs of the jacket were ringed with yellow silk a stripe of the same material ran down the outside of the breeches and the high collar was covered with embroidered metal thread.
Complete with spurs, the tall black boots pinched his toes so painfully that Sebastian stood pigeon-toed and blushed with bewilderment. "I say, Fly
"Bassie boy." Fly
"You're going to go in there and collect hut tax for..." he almost said me, but altered it quickly to.. us."
"What is hut tax?"
"Hut tax is the a
Sebastian nodded, and the helmet slid forward over his eyes. He pushed it back.
"Well, you are going to go across the river with the gun and bearers dressed as Askari. You are going to visit each of the villages before the real tax-collector gets there and pick up, the money that they owe us. Do you follow me so far?"
"Are you coming with me?"
"Now, how can I do that? Me with my leg not properly healed yet?" Fly
"What happens if the real tax-inspector has already been there?"
"They don't start collecting until September usually and then they start in the north and work down this way.
You'll have plenty of time."
Frowning below the rim of the helmet, Sebastian brought forward a series of objections each one progressively weaker than its predecessor, and, one by one, Fly
Well? "Fly
And the question was answered from an unexpected quarter in feminine, but not dulcet tones. "He is certainly not going to do it!"