Wilbur Smith - Shout At The Devil

by Shout At The Devil(Lit)

  The low Wooden railing caught him behind the knees and he toppled slowly into the flower-beds below the stoep.

  "You've killed him, , wailed Rosa, and picked up the heavy china tea-pot.

  "I hope so," said Flynn, and ducked as the pot flew towards his head, passed over it and burst against the wall of the stoep, spraying tea and steam.

  There was an ominous stirring among the flowers.

  presently Sebastian's head emerged with blue hydrangea petals festively strewn in his hair and the skin around both eyes fast swelling and chameleoning to a creditable match with the petals. "I say, Flynn. That wasn't fair," he announced.

  "He wasn't looking," Rosa accused. "You hit him before he was ready."

  "Well, he's looking now," roared Flynn and went down the veranda stairs like a charging hippopotamus. From the hydrangeas, Sebastian rose to meet him and took up the classic stance of the ring fighter. "Marquis of Queensberry rules? he cautioned as Flynn closed in.

  Flynn signified his rejection of the Marquis's code by kicking Sebastian on the shin. Sebastian yelped and hopped one-legged out of the flower-bed, while Flynn pursued him with a further series of lusty kicks. Placing his boot twice in succession into Sebastian's posterior, the third kick, however, missed and the force behind it was sufficient to throw Flynn on to his back. He sprawled on the lawn, and the pause while he scrambled to his knees gave Sebastian respite to ready himself for the next round.

  Both his eyes had puffed and he was experiencing discomfort from his rear end; nevertheless, he stood once again with his left arm extended and the right crossed over his chest. Glancing beyond Flynn, Sebastian saw his fiancee descending from the veranda. She was armed with a bread knife

  "Rosa!" Sebastian was alarmed. It was clear that Rosa would not stop at patricide to protect her love. "Rosa! What are you doing with that knife?"

  "I'm going to stick him with it!"

  "You'll do no such thing," said Sebastian, but Flynn did not have the same faith in his daughter's restraint. Very hurriedly, he moved into a defensive position behind Sebastian. It took a a full minute for Sebastian to persuade Rosa that her assistance was not necessary and that he was capable of handling the situation on his own. Reluctantly, Rosa retreated to the veranda.

  "Thanks, Bassie," said Flynn, and kicked him in his already bruised behind. It was extremely painful.

  Very few people had ever seen Sebastian Oldsmith lose his temper. The last time it had happened was eight years previously; the two sixth-formers who had invoked it by forcing Sebastian's head into a toilet bowl and flushing the cistern, were both hospitalized for a short period.

  This time there were more witnesses. Attracted by the cries and crash of breaking crockery, Flynn's entire following, including Mohammed and his Askari, had arrived from the compound and were assembled at the top of the lawn.

  They watched in breathless wonder.

  From the grandstand of the veranda, Rosa, her eyes sparkling with the strange feminine ferocity that arises in even the mildest women when their man fights for them, exhorted Sebastian to even greater violence.

  Like all great storms, it did not last long, and when it was over the silence was appalling. Flynn lay stretched full length on the lawn. His eyes closed, his breathing snored softly in his throat, bursting from his nose in a froth of red bubbles.

  Mohammed and five of his men carried him towards the bungalow. He lay massive on their shoulders with the bulge of his belly rising and falling softly, and an expression of unuSUal peace on his bloody face.

  Standing alone on the lawn, Sebastian's features were contorted with savagery and his whole body shook as though he was in high fever. Then, watching them carry the huge, inert body, suddenly Sebastian's mood was past. His expression changed first to concern, and then to gentle dismay. "I say..." his voice was husky and he took a pace after them. "You shouldn't have kicked me." His hands opened helplessly, and he lifted them in a gesture of appeal.

  "You shouldn't have done it."

  Rosa came down from the veranda and walked slowly towards him. She stopped and looked up at him, half in awe, half in glowing pride. "You were magnificent," she whispered. "Like a lion." She reached up with both arms around his neck, and before she kissed him she spoke again.

  "I love you, "she said.

  Sebastian had very little luggage to take with him. He was wearing everything he possessed. Rosa on the other hand had boxes of it, enough to give full employment to the dozen bearers that were assembled on the lawn in front of the bungalow.

  "Well," murmured Sebastian, "I suppose we should start moving."

  "Yes," whispered Rosa, and looked at the gardens of Lalapanzi. Although she had suggested this departure, now that the time had come she was uncertain. This place had been her home since childhood. Here she had spun a cocoon that had shielded and protected her, and now that the time had come to emerge from it, she was afraid. She took Sebastian's arm, drawing strength from him.

  "Don't you want to say good-bye to your father?" Sebastian looked down at her with the tender protectiveness that was such a new and delightful sensation for him.

  Rosa hesitated a moment, and then realized that it would take very little to weaken her resolve. Her dutiful affection for Flynn, which at the moment was submerged beneath the tide of anger and resentment, could easily re-emerge should Flynn employ a little of his celebrated blarney. "No,"

  she said.

  "I suppose it's best! Sebastian agreed. He glanced guiltily towards the bungalow where Flynn was, presumably, still lying in state attended by the faithful Mohammed. "But do yOU think he'll be all right? I mean, I did hit him rather hard, you know."

  "He'll be all right," Rosa said without conviction, and tugged at his sleeve. Together they moved to take their places at the head of the little column of bearers.

  Kneeling on the floor of the bedroom, below the window sill, peering with one swollen eye through a slit in the curtain, Flynn saw this decisive move. "My God," he whispered in concern. "The young idiots are really leaving."

  Rosa O'Flynn was his last link with that frail little Portuguese girl. The one person in his life that Flynn had truly loved. Now that he was about to lose her also, Flynn was suddenly aware of his feeling for his daughter. The prospect of never seeing her again filled him with dismay.

  As for Sebastian Oldsmith, here no sentiment clouded his reasoning. Sebastian was a valuable business asset.

  Through him, Flynn could put into operation a number of schemes that he had shelved as involving disproportionate personal risk. In these last few years Flynn had become singly aware of the depreciation that time and large inc rea quantities of raw spirit had wrought in his eyes and legs and nerves. Sebastian Oldsmith had eyes like a fish eagle, legs like a prize fighter, and no nerves at all that Flynn could discern. Flynn needed him.

  Flynn opened his mouth and groaned. It was the throaty death rattle of an old bull buffalo. Peering through the curtain, Flynn grinned as he saw the young couple freeze, and stand tense and still in the sunlight. Their faces were turned towards the bungalow, and in spite of himself, Flynn had to admit they made a handsome pair; Sebastian tall above her with the body of a gladiator and the face of a poet; Rosa small beside him but with the full bosom and wide hips of womanhood. The slippery black cascade of her hair glowed in the sun, and her dark eyes were big with concern.

  Flynn groaned again but softly this time. A breathless, husky sound, the last breath of a dying man, and instantly Rosa and Sebastian were running towards the bungalow.

  Her skirts gathered up above her knees, long legs flying, Rosaled Sebastian up onto the veranda.

  Flynn had just sufficient time to return to his bed and compose his limbs and his face into the attitude of one fast sinking towards the abyss.

  "Daddy!" Rosaleaned over him, and Flynn opened his eyes uncertainly. For a moment he did not seem to recognize her, then he whispered, "My little girl," so faintly she hardly caught the words.

  "
Oh, Daddy, what is it?" She knelt beside him.

  "My heart." His hand crawled up like a hairy spider across his belly and clutched weakly at his hairy chest. "Like a knife. A hot knife."

  There was a terrible silence in the room, and then Flynn spoke again. "I wanted to... give you my... my blessing. I wish happiness for you... wherever you go. "The effort of speech was too mUch, and for a while he lay gasping. "Think of your old Daddy sometimes. Say a prayer for him."

  A fat, tiny tear broke from the corner of Rosa's eye and slid down her cheek.

  "Bassie, my boy." Slowly Flynn's eyes sought him, found him, and focused with difficulty. "Don't blame yourself for this. I was an old man anyway I've had my life." He panted a little and then went on painfully. "Look after her. Look after my little Rosa. You are my son now. I've never had a son."

  "I didn't know... I had no idea that your heart... Flynn, I'm dreadfully sorry. Forgive me."

  Flynn smiled, a brave little smile that just touched his lips. He lifted his hand weakly and held it out towards Sebastian. While Sebastian clasped his hand, Flynn considered offering him the money that had been the cause of the dispute as a dying man's gift but he manfully restrained himself from such extravagance. Instead he whispered, "I would like to have seen my grandson, but no matter. Good, bye, my boy."

  "You'll see him, Flynn. I promise you that. We'll stay, won't we, Rosa? We'll stay with him."

  "Yes, we'll stay, said Rosa. "We won't leave you, Daddy."

  "My children." Flynn sank back and closed his eyes.

  Thank God, he hadn't offered the money. A peaceful little smile hovered around his mouth. "You've made an old man very happy."

  Flynn made a strong come-back from the edge of death, so strong, in fact, that it aroused Rosa's suspicions. However, she let it pass for she was happy to have avoided the necessity of leaving Lalapanzi. In addition, there was another matter which was taking up a lot of her attention.

  Since she had said good-bye to Sebastian at the start of his tax tour, Rosa had been aware of the cessation of certain womanly functions of her body. She consulted Nanny who, in turn, consulted the local nungane who, in his turn, opened the belly of a chicken, and consulted its entrails.

  His findings were conclusive, and Nanny reported back to Rosa, without disclosing the source of her information, for Little Long Hair had an almost blasphemous lack of faith in the occult.

  Delighted, Rosa took Sebastian for a walk down the valley, and when they reached the waterfall where it had all begun, she stood on tip-toe, put both arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. She had to repeat herself for her voice was muffled with breathless laughter.

  "You're joking," gasped Sebastian, and then blushed bright crimson.

  "I'm not, you know."

  "Good grief," said Sebastian; and then, groping for some, thing more expressive, "Son of a gunV

  "Aren't you pleased?" Rosa pouted playfully. "I did it for you.

  "But we aren't even married."

  "That can be arranged."

  "And quickly, too," agreed Sebastian. He grabbed her wrist. "Come on!"

  "Sebastian, remember my condition."

  "Good grief, I'm sorry."

  He took her back to Lalapanzi, handing her over the rough ground with as much care as though she was a case of sweating gelignite.

  "What's the big hurry?" asked Flynn jovially at dinner that evening. "I've got a little job for Bassie first. I want him to slip across the river..

  "No, you don't," said Rosa. "We are going to see the priest at Beira."

  "It Would only take Bassie a couple of weeks. Then we could talk about it when he gets back."

  "We are going to Beira tomorrow!"

  "What's the rush?" Flynn asked again.

  "Well, the truth is, Flynn, old boy.. Wriggling in his chair, colouring up vividly, Sebastian relapsed into silence.

  "The truth is I'm going to have a baby," Rosa finished for him.

  "You're what?" Flynn stared at her in horror.

  "You said that you wanted to see your grandchild," Rosa pointed out.

  "But I didn't mean you to start work on it right away,"

  roared Flynn, and he rounded on Sebastian. "You dirty young bugger!"

  "Father, your heard" Rosa restrained him. "Anyway, don't pick on Sebastian, I did my share as well."

  "You shameless... You brazen little -."

  Rosa reached behind the seat cushion where Flynn had hidden the gin bottle. "Have a little of this it will help calm you."

  They left for Beira the following morning. Rosa was carried in a maschille with Sebastian trotting beside it in anxious attendance, ready to help ease the litter over the fords and rough places, and to curse any of the bearers who stumbled.

  When they left Lalapanzi, Flynn O'Flynn brought up the rear of the column, lying in his maschille with a square faced bottle for company, scowling and muttering darkly about fornication and sin."

  But both Rosa and Sebastian ignored him, and when they camped that night the two of them sat across the camp-fire from him, and whispered and laughed secretly together. They pitched their voices at such a tantalizing level that even by straining his ears, Flynn could not overhear their conversation. It infuriated him to such an extent that finally he made a loud remark about beating the hell out of the person who had repaid his hospitality by violating his daughter."

  Rosa said that she would give anything to see him try it again. In her opinion it would be better than a visit to the circus. And Flynn gathered his dignity and his gin bottle and stalked away to where Mohammed had laid out his bedding under ale an-to of thorn bushes.

  During the dark hours before dawn they were visited by an old lion. He came with a rush from the darkness beyond the fire-light, grunting like an angry boar, the great black bush of his mane erect, snaking with incredible speed towards the huddle of blanket-wrapped figures about the fire.

  Flynn was the only one not asleep. He had waited all night, watching Sebastian's reclining figure; just waiting for him to move across to the temporary thorn-bush shelter that gave Rosa privacy. Lying beside Flynn was his shotgun, dOUble-loaded with big loopers, lion shot, and he had every intention of using it.

  When the lion charged into the camp, Flynn sat up quickly and fired both barrels of the shotgun at point-blank range into the lion's heead and chest, killing it instantly. But the momentum of its rush bowled it forward, sent it sliding full into Sebastian, and both of them rolled into the camp-fire.

  Sebastian awoke to lion noises, and gun-fire, and the violent collision of a big body into his, and red-hot coals sticking to various parts of his anatomy. With a single bound, and a wild cry, he threw off his blanket, came to his feet, and went into such a lively song and dance routine, yodelling and high-kicking, and striking out at his imaginary assailants that Flynn was reduced to a jelly of helpless laughter.

  The laughter, and the praise and thanks showered on him by Sebastian, Rosa, and the bearers, cleared the air.

  "You saved my life, "said Sebastian soulfully.

  "Oh Daddy, you're wonderful," said Rosa. "Thank you.

  Thank you," and she hugged him.

  The mantle of the hero felt snug and comfortable on Flynn's shoulders. He became almost human and the improvement continued as each day's march brought them closer to the little Portuguese port of Beira, for Flynn greatly enjoyed his rare visits to civilization.

  The last night they camped a mile from the outskirts of the town, and after a private conference with Flynn, old Mohammed went ahead armed with a small purse of escudos to make the arrangements for Flynn's formal entry on the morrow.

  Flynn was up with the dawn, and while he shaved with care, and dressed in clean moleskin jacket and trousers, one of the bearers polished his boots with hippo fat, and two others scaled the tall bottle palm tree near the camp and cut fronds from its head.

  All things being ready, Flynn ascended his maschille and lay back elegantly on the leopard-skin rugs. On each side of
Flynn a bearer took his position, armed with a palm-frond, and began to fan him gently. Behind Flynn, in single file, followed other servants bearing tusks of ivory and the still green lion skin. Behind this, with instructions from Flynn not to draw undue Attention to themselves, followed Sebastian and Rosa and the baggage bearers.

  With a languid gesture such as might have been used by Nero to signal the start of a Roman circus, Flynn gave the order to move.

  Along the rough road through the thick coastal bush, they came at last to Beira and entered the main street in procession.

  "Good Lord," Sebastian expressed his surprise when he saw the reception that awaited them, "where did they all come from?"