Jackal's Dance (19 page)

Billy's mind wandered to something he'd been thinking about rather a lot lately. The fact that he was married to a woman he didn't love.

Thea wasn't the first female to take Billy's fancy. Far from it. A loner he might be but his libido worked the same as everyone else's. Women found him a challenge. His brooding manner, apparent lack of any need for human companionship and a track record of cutting relationships in the bud had many members of the opposite sex determined to prove that they would be the one to tame and bring to heel the elusive Billy Abbott. It would have surprised these women to know that Billy was completely unaware of the reason why he had no trouble finding female sexual partners. If he'd thought about it he probably would have concluded that all women were the same. The girls he knew were so boring. He had not, as yet, met anyone who could keep his interest in them alive for more than a couple of months.

That Thea had been the one with whom Billy tied the knot had been a matter of expediency
rather than any interference from Cupid. He'd spotted her at a party and thought her attractive. With nothing more than a pleasant dalliance in mind, Billy moved into seduction mode.

A few days earlier, he had learned, quite by accident, that the position of manager at Logans Island Lodge was up for grabs and about to be advertised. They were looking for a married couple. As much as he would have loved a job like that, Billy put the idea of applying out of his mind. Then he met Thea and, by pure coincidence, discovered that she'd just completed a hotel management diploma course in England. The idea of trying for the job in Etosha returned. He was sort of qualified, having studied business administration at the Academy. After five years of running a small firm of insurance brokers in Windhoek his life was, quite simply, boring. Dealing with policies and premiums all day drove him crazy. The more he thought about a change, the more attractive a life in the bush became.

What clinched it for Billy was when the same source who mentioned the job at Logans Island also told him that the Director responsible for employing Nature Conservation staff would be going to the lodge next week. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Billy suggested to Thea that a visit to Namibia without time spent in Etosha was unthinkable. Thea, already half under Billy's spell, readily agreed.

Logans Island Lodge was all Billy had hoped for. As soon as they drove into the grounds, he knew that managing the place was the job he'd been born to do. He
had
to have it.

As they checked in, Billy saw a middle-aged African wearing a suit poring over papers in the office behind reception. He took a calculated guess that this was the heavy from Windhoek who had to be impressed. He was right. Within ten minutes, a careful blending of praise, comments on experience and helpful hints for improvement – all delivered to staff in attendance in a friendly conversational manner, throwing in German, Afrikaans and the local African language for good measure – had the man from Nature Conservation watching Billy with speculative interest.

After that it had been easy to engineer a meeting. Billy still behaved as though he knew nothing about the manager's job. When quizzed in conversation he bent the truth, telling the Director in absolute confidence that he and Thea were much closer than they really were. Her diploma in hotel management, his business administration degree and subsequent work experience, together with a virtual assurance that they were soon to be married, did the trick. The job offer came. Thea was not the kind of girl who would settle for a living together arrangement – Billy knew that. So all he had to do was convince her to marry him.

There were no pangs of conscience on his part. It never once crossed Billy's mind that taking a lifelong partner simply to secure a job might not be the formula for marital bliss. As far as he was concerned, the work would become his life. Thea was attractive, intelligent and interested in the hospitality industry. A perfect complement.

He had the London address of her parents and so, when Thea returned to the United Kingdom, Billy was already there. The crucifix earring had been left at home. The tattoo, because it was winter, never saw the light of day. Brown corduroy jeans and jacket replaced his preferred tight black attire. It had not been difficult to win over Thea's mother and father, who soon believed the intense young man had completely lost his heart to their darling daughter and had come to England in the hope of convincing her to marry him and return to Africa. Thea's mother thought it all frightfully romantic. Her father liked the boy's candour. Thea hadn't really stood a chance.

Billy wooed her with charm, persistence and soft words. He drew pictures of life together in the African bush. To be fair, by the time Thea said yes, Billy had even convinced himself that he was in love. Of all the girls he'd known in the past, she was by far the most interesting. She'd demonstrated a mind of her own, making her more independent than most – a good thing as far as Billy was concerned. He returned to Namibia, resigned from his job in Windhoek and cleared up any outstanding personal bits and pieces – including a girl he'd been seeing before meeting Thea – and flew back to England. Time was on his side. The lodge had shut down for its annual three months closure and their presence was not required until the beginning of February. Their honeymoon, a week's skiing in France, had been idyllic. Billy had been attentive and affectionate. Both, however,
welcomed the contrasting heat back in Windhoek, spending time with Billy's parents while they went shopping for things needed to start their new life together. The two of them arrived at Logans Island Lodge a picture of wedded bliss.

Within a couple of months, however, Billy began to notice the telltale signs that he was losing interest in Thea. This time he couldn't dispassionately end the affair. This time was for keeps. And it finally dawned on him that he had made a terrible mistake. He hadn't anticipated that a wife would demand so much of his time.

Growing up an only child, Billy was used to his own company. Seeking out others had always been something he'd done when
he
wanted to, not when
they
wanted it. Perhaps if he really did love Thea, he could have made the necessary adjustment. However, the thought of spending the rest of his life in her company filled him with dread. It was not that there was anything wrong with her – he could see how good she was at her job, how popular she'd become with the others. She was a really nice person. He just didn't love her.

His main problem was that Thea loved him with all her heart. He was responsible for her happiness and the burden of that was too much. Billy didn't want her reliance on him. He felt cornered by it. The softness in her eyes whenever they rested on his face only served to remind him that he couldn't reciprocate. He tried, but it was no good. He just couldn't do it. When Thea accused him of not making love to her any more, Billy knew
exactly what she was saying. The increasing weight of guilt over his young wife's deepening unhappiness had him wishing a miracle would happen, that he'd really fall in love with her. But he understood himself well enough to know that the problem would not get better, only worse. And he didn't know what he was going to do about it.

These thoughts weighed heavily as he drove along looking for Professor Kruger and the students. When the elephant trumpeted and charged, Billy got the fright of his life. The rogue had been the last thing on his mind. And there was no doubting that it was she. Tuskless, obviously outraged by the sight of his vehicle, her shuffling run had very nearly caught him. Luckily, the road wasn't far off. Once on it, he was able to put a good distance between himself and the enraged animal. As he drove back through the lodge gates, Billy decided he'd have to send an armed ranger to bring the professor's group in.

As it happened, he didn't need to. The professor and his students arrived on their own accord less than two hours later.

A family of warthog captured Felicity Honeywell's attention and she pulled over to watch them. She'd been inside the game reserve for over an hour, stopping once at Okaukuejo rest camp to top up on fuel. Now she was following the concrete markers to Logans Island. As ever, her mind was rhyming words, on this occasion to go with warthog.

There once was a naughty wartie
. . .

Another vehicle stopped behind. It was the man she'd nearly backed into. She waved and he returned the gesture. Felicity then watched the warthog antics.

The boar was closest to the road, walking forward on his front knees, digging for roots and tubers. A sow followed, doing the same. Two piglets kept close to their mother. Felicity was of the firm opinion that warthog were frustrated thespians, overacting being one of their specialties. There was no way the big tusk-sporting male could have been unaware of the two vehicles but, quite suddenly, his legs straightened and he shied nervously, as if he'd only just noticed them, snorted, turned to face Felicity's vehicle, then skittered sideways back and forth a dozen times or more before cantering away, until only his tail, held erect like a periscope, was visible in the dry grass. The rest of his family followed.

‘Are you going to Logans Island?'

Felicity hadn't heard him approach and jumped at the sound of his voice. ‘Oh! Yes I am.'

He shouldn't have been out of his car. ‘Know the way?'

‘Sort of. I'm just following the signs.'

‘I've been there before. Follow me if you like . . .'

The screaming trumpet was so close and so loud it shocked both of them. Philip Meyer looked back down the road and turned cold. Ears spread, trunk tucked in, the elephant was about a hundred metres away and closing fast.

‘Get in!' Felicity grabbed the gear lever and pulled it into D for drive. ‘Quickly.'

Philip didn't wait to be asked twice. The tuskless female wasn't stopping. If ever he'd seen a determined charge, this was it. He dived into the back seat as Felicity powered away. The enraged animal reached his abandoned vehicle. Flapping its ears in a threatening display, screaming and trumpeting in infuriated frustration, Philip saw the elephant stop and turn on his transport with awesome ferocity. Seemingly oblivious of pain, she rammed her solid bone-filled head into the driver's door before repeatedly beating down onto the bonnet and roof with her trunk.

‘Avis
will
be pleased. I hope you've got collision cover?' Felicity commented, her eyes on the rear-vision mirror.

Philip climbed into the front passenger seat. ‘My name's Meyer. Philip Meyer.'

‘Felicity Honeywell.' They shook hands. ‘Please tell me you don't want to go back for your car.'

He let out a shaky breath. ‘No. I think our friend back there is into premeditated murder. She'd probably take it personally if I tried a rescue.'

‘Something tells me you've got that right.' She glanced over at him. ‘What on earth made you get out?'

‘Crass stupidity,' Philip replied wryly.

She grinned, appreciating his unselfconscious candour. ‘Lucky I was there.'

He smiled back. ‘Yeah.'

‘Does this make up for the near miss in Windhoek? I'm truly sorry. I just didn't see you.'

‘No harm done. The adrenalin rush was just what I needed after a long flight.'

Felicity pulled a face. ‘Is that what you stopped to tell me?'

‘What else? It had nothing to do with the fact that I'm addicted to warthog.'

‘They are kind of cute, aren't they?'

‘Cute! They're as ugly as sin.'

‘True. But don't you just love those tails?'

Philip wound down the window. A warm wind brought with it the distinctive odour of dust, animal droppings and Africa. He breathed it in deeply.

They drove in silence for several minutes, each content to enjoy the scenery, until Felicity slowed the car and pointed. ‘More ellie over there.' The herd was making stately, single-file progress towards the road. ‘They seem calm enough.'

The leading matriarch looked neither left nor right. ‘If we stop,' Philip said, ‘they'll pass right in front of us. Damn it!'

His exclamation took her by surprise. ‘What's wrong?' Felicity stopped but kept the car in gear.

‘Look at the clouds, the backdrop, the light, the colour of the grass, the white calcrete. It's a David Shepherd painting. A perfect Kodak moment and my camera is back there.'

‘No problem.' She produced hers, a not so new Pentax fitted with an 80/200 variable lens. ‘If these turn out okay I'll send you copies.'

The herd passed within fifty metres. Felicity
leaned out her window and managed to take seven photographs before the last of them disappeared. The elephants paid no attention to their car, behaving as if it wasn't there.

‘Wonder what got up the first one's nose?' Felicity said, driving slowly past where the breeding herd had crossed the road.

‘God knows,' Philip replied. ‘With a nose like that, anything's possible.'

Felicity laughed, ran a hand across her short hair, and pointed ahead. ‘Here come the cavalry.'

Two park vehicles were obviously exceeding the speed limit. The driver of the first indicated with a hand signal that Felicity should stop. She did. ‘Good afternoon.' A young man with long blond hair greeted her. ‘Are you booked into Logans Island?'

‘Yes.'

‘My name's Sean. I'm one of the rangers. Have you, by any chance, spotted a tuskless elephant along this road?'

Felicity jerked a thumb over her shoulder. ‘About two k's back. Currently beating a Toyota Land Cruiser to death.'

Sean's eyes widened. ‘Anyone in it?'

‘It's mine.' Philip leaned forward to speak past Felicity. ‘I got out to talk to this lady.'

‘Okay.' Sean turned off his engine. ‘Keys still in it? If there's anything left we'll bring it back with us.' He climbed out and went to consult with the driver of the second vehicle.