Part 63 (1/2)
”That's what you two are! By G.o.d, you have dropped us in this cesspool as well, right up to the eyebrows.” Morgan Oxford had flown down from Harare as soon as he had heard that a Botswana border patrol had brought Craig and Sally-Anne in from the desert.
”Both the American amba.s.sador and the Brits have had notes from Mugabe. The Brits are hopping up and down and frothing at the mouth also. They know nothing about you, Craig, and you are a British subject. I gather that they'd like to lock you up in the tower and chop your head off.1 Morgan stood at the foot of Sally-Anne's hospital bed.
He had declined the chair that Craig offered him.
you, Missy, the amba.s.sador has asked me to As inform you that he would like to see you on the next plane back to the States.”
”He can't order me to do that.” Sally-Anne stopped his flow of bitter recriminations. ”This isn't Soviet Russia, and I'm a free citizen.” ”You won't be for long. No, by G.o.d, not if Mugabe gets his hands on you! Murder, armed insurrection and a few other charges-”
”Those are all a frame-up!”
”You and your boyfriend here left a pile of warm bodies behind you like empty beer cans at a labour-day picnic.
Mugabe has started extradition proceedings with the Botswana government-”
”We are political refugees,” Sally-Anne flared.
”Bonny and Clyde, sweetheart, that's the way the Zimbabweans are telling it.”
Sally' Anne Craig intervened mildly. ”You are not supposed to get yourself excited-”
”Excited!” cried So4yAnne. ”We've been robbed and beaten, threatenedowith rape and a firing squad and now the official representative of the United States of America, the country of which I happen to be a citizen, barges in here and calls us criminals.”
”I'm not calling you anything,” Morgan denied flatly.
”I'm just warning you to get your cute little a.s.s out of Africa and all the way home to mommy.”
”He calls us criminals, and then patronizes me with his male chauvinistic--2
”Throttle back, Sally-Anne.” Morgan Oxford held up hand wearily. ”Let's start again. You are in big trouble one we are in big trouble. We've got to work something out.”
”Now will you sit down?” Craig pushed the empty chair towards him and Morgan slumped into it and lit a Chesterfield.
”How are you, anyway?” he asked.
”I thought you'd never ask, sweetheart,” Sally' Anne snapped tersely.
”She was badly desiccated. They suspected renal failure, but they've had her on a drip and liquids for three days.
She is okay that end. They were also worried about the crack on her head but the X,rays are negative, thank G.o.d.
it was only a mild concussion. They have promised to discharge her tomorrow morning.”
”So she's fit to travel?”
”I thought your concern was too touching-” 41 _,oak, Sally' Anne this is Africa. If the Zimbabweans get hold of you, there will be nothing we can do to help.
It's for your own good. You've got to get out. The amba.s.sador-” ”Screw the amba.s.sador,” said Sally-Anne with relish, ”and screw you, Morgan Oxford.”
”I can't speak for His Excellency,” Morgan grinned for the first time, ”but for myself, when can we begin?” And even Sally-Anne laughed.