Dark Memory

by Jonathan Latimer

  “Don’t forget the beer,” Jay told him.

  All day he and Mr. Palmer worked on the camp. They put up another tent and sent porters out for firewood and set others to work enlarging the clearing. Later they filled the storage tent with supplies. The heat made the work exhausting and they were tired at dinner. Afterwards they sat with Cable and Eve behind the netting in the dining tent. Cable had been with Eve all day and he was in a good humor. He described how they would secure their okapi specimens.

  “We’ll use a zemu” he announced.

  “What on earth is a zemu?” Eve asked.

  “It’s a pit. We’ll have the pygmies dig a dozen. The okapis fall in them.”

  Mr. Palmer looked surprised. “We’re taking them alive?”

  “Why not?”

  “Thought you were to anatomize ’em.”

  “We are to, eventually.”

  “Then why not shoot them?”

  “I’ve decided it’s easier to use the pits.”

  Jay glanced at Eve, but her eyes were on Cable. “We just sit around camp?” he asked Cable.

  “There’ll be plenty to do.”

  “But no search for Salles?” Mr. Palmer asked.

  “We’ll see.” Cable kept his eyes away from Eve. “Our first duty is to the museum, you know.”

  “Quite,” Mr. Palmer said.

  Eve did not say anything. Her face had no expression at all. A vein in her neck moved with the beat of her heart. This is how Cable was putting on the pressure, Jay thought. It was going to be swell to watch. But what could he do? He felt angry and helpless.

  “Can keep an eye open for him, though,” Mr. Palmer added. “Might find a trace.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Palmer,” Eve said.

  “Take you along tomorrow,” Mr. Palmer volunteered. “Have to get a spot of meat.”

  “Oh, could I go?”

  “We’ll both go,” Cable said.

  Some of the excitement died in Eve’s face.

  “Start at daybreak,” Mr. Palmer said. “Try for a buff.”

  “Isn’t that awfully early?”

  “Buffaloes sleep during the heat of the day,” Cable said.

  “You’ve been reading travel books again,” Jay said.

  Lew Cable ignored him. “You’d better turn in, Eve.”

  “Yes.” Eve stood up. Jay noticed her sweater was tight over her breasts. “Daybreak’s so awfully early,” she said.

  Mr. Palmer left the dining tent with Eve. Lew Cable came over to Jay. He stood looking down at him. “Keep your tongue off me, Boy Scout,” he said.

  “All right.”

  “And keep away from Eve.”

  “I won’t use her husband to get her into bed,” Jay said, “if that’s what you mean.”

  He wondered if Cable would hit him. It would be too bad if he did. He certainly looked enormous. He was a little thick through the middle, but his chest and shoulders were powerful. “I should punch you for that,” Cable said.

  Jay wanted to get up, but he didn’t dare. He was afraid Cable would hit him.

  “I will punch you when we finish the expedition,” Cable said.

  “All right.”

  “You don’t think I can?”

  “Sure you can.”

  “I can, but I won’t,” Cable said. “Not now. I don’t want the expedition to crack up.”

  “That’s very commendable.” Jay got to his feet. He felt better on his feet. He could kick Cable’s bad knee if trouble started.

  “Save your sarcasm,” Cable said. “It’s childish.”

  “All right.”

  “But remember, you’ll go back on a stretcher if you don’t leave Eve alone.”

  “I have a wonderful memory.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Jay went to his tent and undressed and got in bed. He was shaking a little. He felt lonely without Bill. He had not been very heroic in his conversation with Cable. A brave man would have hit him. There were several reasons why he had not hit Cable. The first, and most important, was that he was afraid. He knew Cable could lick him. He had a weight advantage of thirty-five pounds and he had done a lot of boxing. He had won a lot of fights, too. These did not mean very much, but they meant something, especially to an opponent who had not boxed at all. He had been afraid, but truthfully he could say he would have hit Cable if he had had an adequate reason. He would take a certain amount, but he would not take anything. Another reason was he had not made up his mind about Eve. He did not know if she wanted help. He did not even know how she felt about Lew Cable. He would not take a beating and then find she liked Cable. He would look a fine romantic bastard if it turned out that way. He would have the beating and Cable would have the woman. Still, Cable was getting very nasty. He had to fight or take what Cable wanted to give him. But he would avoid fighting as long as possible. But he would fight.

  Lewis Cable, former all-American football player, 205 pounds, undefeated, versus Jay Nichols, 170 pounds, in a bare-fisted contest to the finish. Mr. Cable has won eleven fights as an amateur, all by knockouts. Mr. Cablel (Cheers.) And the challenger, Mr. Nichols. Mr. Nichols a year ago lost a brief contest with a taxi driver named Max on Fifty-second Street in New York City over a charge which the meter did not show. In 1933 he lost a contest with a lady wrestler with a black mustache in a bar across the street from Zelli’s in Paris and several years before that he put up a great fight against three members of Spuds Donovan’s South Side gang trying to steal his Christmas bicycle. The bicycle was later recovered by the police. Mr. Nichols! (Cheers.)

  Jay grinned in the dark. It was a good thing he could find something funny in the business. It was a damned good thing.

  In the morning the others had gone when Jay came out for breakfast and he ate alone and then worked with the photographic equipment. He noticed Herbert sitting by Eve’s tent in a camp chair, but he did not try to speak to him. Herbert had changed from a panama hat to a sun helmet. Otherwise he still looked like a pimp or a race-track tipster. His face was sick-looking. Jay wondered why, when he was unhappy in the forest, he did not quit. Maybe it was more than devotion to whatever salary Lucien Salles had promised to pay. Maybe he was really in love with Eve. If so he was having a very bad time.

  In the afternoon Bill arrived with the porters. Bill’s clothes were caked with mud. “What a hell of a country!” he said. Juma brought him food. He was very tired from the long walk.

  “Where’s everybody?” he asked.

  “Out after meat.”

  “Herbert, too?”

  “No. He’s in Eve’s tent.”

  Bill grinned. “He’s not what I’d call an admirer of nature.”

  It was nice to have Bill back. Jay told him of his trouble with Lew Cable. “The son of a bitch,” Bill said. He ate the rice pudding Juma brought him. He was thinking. He said, “I’m terribly worried about Eve.”

  “Why?”

  “I think I’m a little in love with her.”

  Jay did not know if he was joking.

  “I haven’t been encouraged, though,” Bill said.

  “You aren’t serious.”

  “Yes. I’m in love. But it’s completely unrequited.”

  Jay thought, poor Bill! It had been a major tragedy, then, when Eve called him a coward. If he was in love. He’d never suspected it.

  “Oh, I’ve tried it before,” Bill added. “There was Katharine Cornell. The Green Hat. You remember. And Virginia Bruce in the movie about Barnum. She was Jenny Lind. Her face was so sweet and tragic. She and Jack Gilbert had just separated. And Mary Martin, the little girl who sang ‘My Heart Belongs to Daddy.’ And others. All unrequited, too.”

  “You’re a bloody Mormon.”

  “And now Eve,” Bill said.

  The porters had piled the supplies in the center of the clearing. Bill didn’t say anything more. He began sorting out the scientific equipment and putting it in the tent with the cameras. Jay still wasn’t sure he was serious about Ev
e. The porters carried the boxes of canned goods, the piles of bananas, the bags of salt, the woven baskets of banana flour and dried beans to the supply tent. Herbert came to get Eve’s things from the pile. His face was white and there were red rims around his eyes. He had been coughing a lot.

  “Will they be returning soon?” he asked Jay.

  “You know as much about it as I do.”

  “I should have gone along.”

  “She’s safe enough.”

  “I’m not sure,” Herbert said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure at all.”

  He went away. Jay could hear him coughing in Eve’s tent. He watched the porters stack the bananas and then sat with Bill under the fly of the dining tent. There was no wind and it was very hot. Juma come over to them. He grinned at Bill, showing his pointed teeth. “Bwana, beer?” he inquired hopefully.

  “That’s a fine idea,” Bill said.

  The beer was cold. Beads of sweat came out on the bottles. Jay let the bottle cool the palms of his hands. Then he filled his mouth and let the dry, malty beer run down his throat.

  “I wonder what Herbert’s afraid of,” Bill said, “the animals or Lew Cable and Mr. Palmer?”

  “He’s a queer one.”

  “I’ll give you two to one he’s in love with Eve.”

  “Sure.”

  Bill grinned at him. “That’s me and Cable and Herbert.”

  “Last night,” Jay said, “Mr. Palmer wished he was twenty years younger.”

  “Wonderful!” Grinning made crow’s-feet at the corner of Bill’s good eye. “We’re beginning to look like a little gathering out of Krarft-Ebing. You haven’t fallen, have you?”

  “I noticed she had breasts at dinner,” Jay said.

  The others got back after sundown. With them were a dozen new pygmies. Mulu and the pygmies were carrying meat. Mr. Palmer told the Totos to bring cups, whisky and lemon squash to the dining tent, and then went to clean up. Lew Cable went to his tent, too, but Eve came to the dining tent.

  “I simply must have a drink,” she said.

  Bill fixed her one in a paper cup. She took a long drink. “How was the forest?” Jay asked.

  “You should see it,” Eve said. “Very weird. Never were so many trees. I couldn’t see a thing. Nothing but trees and undergrowth and mud. I never saw Mr. Palmer’s buff until he shot it.”

  “No okapi?”

  “Tracks. It was very exciting. And we found Lucien’s trail.”

  “Oh!” Bill said. “Why, that’s swell.”

  “Are you going to follow it?” Jay asked.

  Her face changed. “It’s up to Lew Cable.”

  “He’ll let you,” Bill said.

  “Yes,” she said. “I suppose he will.”

  She finished her drink and stood up. Her body looked trim in her jodhpurs. She passed Lew Cable and Mr. Palmer going out of the tent. They watched her cross the clearing. Herbert was waiting for her. He smiled when she spoke to him and went for bath water. It was the first time Jay had ever seen him smile.

  “Notice the pygmies?” Mr. Palmer asked Jay.

  “Yes.”

  “They’re to give us a dance.”

  “Tonight?”

  “No. Tomorrow. Entire village coming. Met ’em on the trail.”

  “The shooting any good?” Jay asked.

  “Fair. Try again tomorrow.”

  “The forest is lousy with game,” said Lew Cable. “Tracks everywhere, but you can’t see anything.”

  “Must find a water hole,” Mr. Palmer said. “Only place.”

  “When are you going to follow up Salles’ trail?” Bill asked Cable.

  “I don’t know. Maybe in a few days.”

  Jay touched Bill’s foot. He looked at Jay, his face angry, but he didn’t say anything. He went with Jay to the tent to wash.

  “It’s no use getting mad,” Jay said.

  “The lousy bastard!” Bill said. “What tough luck Eve should run into a guy like that.” He was very angry. “I’m going to tell him off.”

  “It won’t do any good.”

  “Tell him anyway.” Bill looked at Jay. “You’re not afraid of him, are you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Old Jay.” Bill stared at him. “I never thought you’d turn yellow.”

  “No?” Jay said. “Come on. Let’s wash. Dinner’s ready.”

  CHAPTER 20

  THE PYGMIES were very shy of the white people. They camped at the edge of the forest across the clearing. They had been coming all morning, bringing food and banana beer and spears and bows and arrows and drums made of hollow stumps. Their bodies were painted red and white. The women and children came with them. They were all excited. They had danced for white people before and they knew there would be salt and tobacco. They were excited about the dance, too. By noon there were almost a hundred pygmies on the far side of the clearing, and more were coming. The forest drums were calling them. The dance was to start at sundown.

  Just before lunch Bill and Mr. Palmer came back to camp. Mr. Palmer had shot another buffalo. He had left Mulu with the animal. He called Juma and told him in Swahili to take porters and bring in the meat.

  “Yes, bwana,” Mulu said.

  Bill had an armful of forest plants and a dozen red-and-lavender orchids. “Where’s Eve?” he asked Jay.

  Lew Cable said, “In her tent.”

  “I’ve got some orchids for her.”

  “I’ll take them to her,” Cable said.

  “No, you won’t.”

  Cable looked at him. “I’m going to her tent.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll give them to her at lunch.”

  Cable went away. Jay saw he was angry. Bill grinned.

  “What’s been decided about Salles?” Jay asked Mr. Palmer.

  “Cable hasn’t said.”

  “And he won’t.” Bill suddenly became serious. “Not until he has Eve.”

  Mr. Palmer was silent.

  “We’re a fine bunch of men,” Bill said. “We’re all afraid of him.”

  “Come on, Bill,” Jay said.

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Wouldn’t say that,” said Mr. Palmer.

  “If we weren’t, we’d look for Salles, Cable or no Cable.”

  “I’d like to look for Salles, laddybucks,” Mr. Palmer said quietly.

  “Well, why don’t you?”

  “Job is to do what Cable wants. Hired for that.”

  “Then you’re afraid.”

  “Come on, Bill,” Jay said.

  “He’s afraid if he lets Cable force Eve.”

  “It’s his job,” Jay said.

  “He’s not a damned pimp, is he?”

  “Careful, laddybucks,” said Mr. Palmer.

  “You’d better have a drink, Bill.”

  “It’s up to the lady,” said Mr. Palmer. “Can always go back, you know. Her choice, absolutely. Feel very sorry. Shan’t interfere, though, short of rape.”

  “That’s about it,” Jay said.

  “Need a drink myself,” Mr. Palmer said.

  Bill did not say anything. He was angry, but he was thinking. One of the boys brought them the whisky and the lemon squash. Jay thought Mr. Palmer had behaved very well. He watched him mix the drinks. He had not lost any of his respect for him because he had not gotten angry at Bill. It made him stronger, if anything.

  Mr. Palmer grinned at him. “Wonderful thing, whisky.”

  Eve and Cable came to the dining tent. “I hear you’ve a corsage for me,” Eve said to Bill.

  “What? Oh. Yes. Here.”

  Bill gave her the orchids. “Aren’t they lovely!” she said.

  “You can wear them to the pygmy dance,” Jay said.

  Eve was smiling. She looked very beautiful with the orchids against her shoulder. Her eyes almost matched the lavender in them. She thanked Bill.

  Cable said, “How about lunch?”

  They pulled the camp chairs to the table. There was sliced ham and cheese and stewed toma
toes and French bread. The cook had also opened a jar of sweet pickles. Mr. Palmer sat by Bill. “I’m sorry,” Bill told him.

  “For what?” Cable asked.

  “Something I said to Mr. Palmer.”

  “It’s all right.” Mr. Palmer put his hand on Bill’s shoulder. “No importance at all.”

  “We mustn’t get edgy,” Cable said.

  “Really nothing,” said Mr. Palmer.

  Cable looked across the table at Eve. “We should all try to be sensible,” he said.

  The ham was salmon pink and very thin and it tasted faintly of clove. Jay and Mr. Palmer ate enormously. They split one of the big bottles of beer. No one else cared for any. Bill was not hungry. Cable kept looking across the table at Eve, half smiling at her. Her face was a little sad. She wore Bill’s orchids on her shoulder. Before lunch was over she thanked Bill again and left the tent. Cable followed her.

  “Did you see the guy?” Bill asked Jay.

  “See him what?”

  “Watching her.”

  “Can’t blame him,” Mr. Palmer said.

  She was damn beautiful, Jay thought. That was the trouble. He wondered if he was becoming interested in her himself. At first he had sympathized with her because he did not like Cable. Now he did not know.

  “Anyone care to talk to the pygmies?” Mr. Palmer asked.

  “I’d like to.”

  “Bill?”

  “I have to press some Goddamn flowers.”

  Mr. Palmer got Mulu, who had just come back with the dead buffalo, and the leader of the porters, and they went to the pygmy encampment. Mr. Palmer was to speak to Mulu, who would translate for the leader, who would translate for the pygmies. As they crossed the clearing the women and children and about half the men fled into the forest. The other pygmies looked scared, their eyes big and startled. They were ready to run, too. The chief and a few others timidly lined up in front of the whites. The pygmies were all about four feet tall and they wore purple bark drawn up between their legs and fastened at the corners like diapers. Their hair was black and clung to their heads in tight curls. The chief wore a wig of monkey fur.