jumped a mile!
âWhat is it?â I managed to say. In Hausa of course.
âMadam go to Kiti this morning?â
âYes.â
âMadam speak with Kama Boi?â
(Iâd better explain something. It doesnât look fair, me making myself talk proper English and E. a sort of pidgin when we were both talking in Hausa and mine isnât that hot either, but it was like that. The only Hausa he knows, almost, is about things like cleaning Tedâs boots and bringing our meals and so on, and even then he muddles in Kiti words. I made Kimjiri laugh yesterday when I used the Kiti word for âknifeâ which Iâd picked up from Elongoâit was the best joke for years, a white woman talking bush African!)
âI spoke to the Emir,â I said. I knew I ought to show him I thought it was cheek him not giving KB his proper title, but he was too serious to notice.
âMadam see the women?â
âI saw no women,â I said. Thereâd been quite a few in the market, actually, but I didnât suppose he was talking about them. He stood still. I felt he was unhappy or frightened or something. I tried to help.
âWhy do you ask?â I said.
âMy sister is in the house of Kama Boi,â he said.
âWe did not go close to the house of the Emir,â I said. He was still terribly worried, I was sure.
âWhat is the matter?â I said. âIs your sister unhappy?â
âI do not know. I do not hear my sister speak. Kama Boi takes her.â
âTakes her? Do you say he stole her?â
Of course they taught us the words for stealing almost first thing, but I donât think Elongo understood. Ted says Africans are naturally honest until we let them into our houses. Anyway, poor Elongo just gave a deep unhappy sigh and bowed and glided away, leaving me wondering what to do.
The obvious thing is to consult Ted, but I donât think I shallânot yet, anyway. From what he told me this morning Ted doesnât like hearing accusations about KB, and I really donât want him to take against Elongo, who I think is absolutely perfect, so Iâm going to keep quiet till at least I know a bit more. But I would like to do something â¦
Idea! Iâm going to go and paint KitiâIâve simply got to. Terribly exciting. Thereâs something about Africa. I mean I donât really like it, itâs so uncomfy in such a lot of ways, but my eye and my hand love it! I donât think Iâve ever painted so well as Iâve started doing now, and thereâs lots and lots of subjects at Kiti. So when I go Iâll take Elongo with me to carry things and help, and Iâll get Ted to ask KB for permish for me to paint his palace, and then I might be able to get him to send some of his women out to pose in front or something. Canât think of a way of making sure Eâs sister is one of them. I really need to find out more.
Second idea! Iâm going to get Elongo to teach me Kiti! Iâll teach him English in exchange. Give me something to do all these long hours when Tedâs working, and itâs too hot to paint. Yes, thatâs rather a good idea. The other one Iâm not sure about, but I think Iâll give it a try.
Three
âT he same spirit,â said Miss Tressider. âThatâs really nice. Things like holding my head right are easy once youâve got that. I hope thereâll be time for me to have a chat with the old billy-goat when weâve finished.â
She lolled naked on the bed of her small portable cabinâthe âwholly separate accommodationâ written into her contract. It and the three larger ones used by the unit formed a small encampment a few hundred yards downstream from the clearing in which the remains of The Warren stood. The hotel accommodation in New Kiti town had been judged for a number of reasons unsatisfactory.
The air conditioner muttered away beneath the closed