A Pride of Lions by Isobel Chace Read Free Book Online Page B

nowhere could bring them.
    In the middle of the day, when the heat shimmered over the land and even the elephants huddled together seeking the pathetic shade of the nearest thorn tree, the work came almost to a stop. Mr. Doffnang and I sat under a tree and shared our sandwiches and coffee.
    Mr. Patel, visibly wilting, confided that he was in the middle of the Moslem feast of Ramadan and could partake of nothing, not even a drop of water, until sunset. Without his turban of the night before, he looked smaller and much less impressive, if rather nicer. He wore a pair of sand-coloured shorts that I suspected he had inherited from the British Army, for they came well down to his knees. On the top part of his body he wore a bright pink shirt, the tail of which hung down over his shorts, for he refused to tuck it in, giving him an oddly doleful look. He talked, when he talked at all, of his wife and children sadly left behind in Mombasa, which was where he normally lived.
    We were still resting under the tree when Janice came up the steep path to take a look at us, her camera slung over her shoulder.
    “Johnny said I might get some good shots of Karibu up here,” she said by way of greeting.
    Mr. Doffnang leapt furiously to his feet. “No, no!” he said harshly in Dutch. “It is too much! Please tell the young lady that she is to leave us alone!”
    Janice paid him no heed at all. “It doesn’t look to me as though you are doing anything at all!” she remarked coolly. “Where is Karibu?”
    “Down by the river,” I said.
    Janice gave me a cool look. “Hugo is fond of her,” she said lightly. “I don’t think he’ll like it if you cut him out with her.”
    I laughed. “There’s not much danger of that!” I protested. “She was sorry this morning that she had given me a fright.” I stopped, puzzled. How had Janice known about that? She hadn’t been there when I had made my spectacular dash for my tent. “J-Johnny introduced us,” I added, not quite truthfully.
    “Johnny would!” she said dryly.
    “Why do you say that?” I asked.
    “He likes to think he’s more important than he is. But he hasn’t got the way with animals that Hugo has. I help him sometimes, you know, with his little private zoo. The only thing that annoys him is when they get into his flower garden and eat his precious flowers! I feel rather honoured really that he asked me to help out with them. I’m the only female he allows around his house. There aren’t many women that he likes at all. But I expect you know that?”
    “I suppose I do,” I answered as casually as I could. “Kate Freeman practically said as much.”
    Janice’s expression hardened. “And she would know?”
    I heard myself laugh. “She’d know! She and her husband know all about everyone!”
    “Really?” Janice drawled. “I don’t think I know her.”
    I let the remark lie. It was too hot to duel with hidden words and it was not a game I had ever much enjoyed. Janice shook out her fair hair and Mr. Doffnang made a sound of explosive anger and walked away from us.
    “What’s the matter with him?” Janice asked.
    I smiled faintly. “I think he finds your presence distracting,” I told her.
    She looked astonished. “Mr. Doffnang?”
    “Why not?” I said.
    “I thought he didn’t like me,” she said frankly. She wrinkled her nose thoughtfully. “Perhaps he doesn’t. It’s a bit different to be distracted by someone to liking them, don’t you think?”
    I stared at her. I couldn’t make up my mind about Janice Kemp. “I suppose it is,” I drawled.
    The colour crept into her cheeks. “Don’t pay any attention to me,” she said. “I say silly things all the time!” She laughed, biting her lip. She looked very pretty indeed. “I take the most marvellous photos, though. I’ll show them to you some time.”
    “I’d like that,” I said sincerely.
    She rose to her feet easily, stretching her long limbs. “Poor Mr. Doffnang! The language