A Spear of Summer Grass - By Deanna Raybourn Page 0,134

put them into my hands and I thanked him, holding them up to the paraffin lantern to make out the words.

The first was from Quentin, assuring me that the lieutenant governor did indeed have the power to revoke my permission and have me chucked out. He promised to get on to one of his influential friends to sort it out, but that could take weeks, and by then I would have been bundled onto a steamer out of Mombasa. He also agreed to a proposition I had made him, and I felt my spirits rising as I tore into the next telegram, the one from Edgar. I read it over twice then three times before crumpling it up in my fist.

“Let’s go, Moses. There’s no reason to stay.”

I didn’t dare the drive all the way back to Fairlight in the dark. I stopped a little distance outside Nairobi and Moses and I slept in the truck. Hyenas kept up a racket during the night, and long before the sun was fully up we were on our way. We arrived back at Fairlight by lunchtime. The place looked sad and tattered and a little embarrassed as the acrid smell of smoke still hung in the air.

“Nothing hard work and some paint can’t fix.” Ryder emerged from the house as we arrived.

“Sorry I took your truck without asking.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t need it.”

“I went to Nairobi,” I started, but he held up a hand.

“First things first. I need to take Moses home.”

“Moses has gotten himself to and from his village a hundred times without help,” I snapped. I was tired and cross and all I wanted was a stiff drink and a proper sleep.

“Not this time,” Ryder told me. He motioned to Moses and they set off. I threw up my hands and followed them. We struck out on the path that we always took, but even before we reached the village, I knew something had changed. There was no gentle droning buzz of activity, no smell of woodsmoke and milling cattle. The village was empty of life, and the gates all stood open to the savanna beyond.

“What happened?”

Ryder turned to me. “The Masai will leave a place when they feel it’s time. His village has moved on, and I know where they’ve gone. His babu asked me to bring him when I could.”

He headed us into the bush and I felt my anger growing with each step. Half an hour’s walk past where the village had been, the Masai were building a new settlement. The women had staked out new homes and were busy plastering fresh mud on the walls while the men constructed sturdy bomas to hold the stock. I stopped at a distance and nodded to Moses, telling him to go on. He waved at me and I turned back to the path, walking as fast as I could.

Ryder stayed to chat with the babu a moment, but caught up to me quickly.

“You don’t have a weapon,” he said lightly. “Did you forget everything I taught you?”

“Shut up,” I told him. “Just shut up. I don’t want to talk.”

“Fine. I won’t tell you you’re about to step in an ant-bear hole.”

I dodged it and dashed my hand across my eyes. Ryder caught at my hand but I shook him off.

“Leave me alone before you catch it,” I muttered, but his hearing was good.

“Catch what?”

“Whatever damned curse it is that’s following me around.” I strode off again, and Ryder followed more slowly, walking behind me until we reached the ruined garden at Fairlight. He took my arm, hard this time so I couldn’t pull loose.

“Want to explain that now?”

“No,” I said, but he didn’t move, and I realised he was prepared to stand there all night, holding my arm.

“Everything is ruined. Everything I’ve done since I came here is wrecked. Everyone I cared about has been damaged.”

“That is quite a curse,” he said solemnly.

“Don’t you dare laugh,” I warned him. “I will slap you so hard your grandchildren will be looking for your teeth.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said, but his lips still twitched.

I raised my hand, and he took it, pressing it close to his chest. I could feel his heart beating, slow and steady, and I shook my head. “Don’t. Don’t be nice either. It’s just too hard.”

“What is?”

“Saying goodbye to you. To this, to Africa.”

“So don’t go.”

“I have to,” I told him. “Fraser is rescinding my permission. I have to leave within a fortnight. He’s booking my