Someone Wishes to Speak to You

by Jeremy Mallinson

  Mathew had been interested to read that in 1855, Dr David Livingstone, the missionary, physician and explorer, was the first European to witness the magnificence of Victoria Falls, which he then named after his sovereign. The natives had called the dramatic phenomenon ‘the smoke that thunders’, whereas Livingstone had written in his diary ‘. . . seems so lovely, must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’.

  As the drive down to Livingstone from Lusaka was expected to take Lucienne in the region of six and a half hours, her chauffeur-driven embassy car was not expected to arrive at the hotel much before 2 p.m. For this reason, after Mathew had eaten an early breakfast he took the opportunity to walk down to the Devil’s Cataract, on the western side of the falls. Here, he saw the bronze statue of Dr Livingstone gazing over the savage splendour of the cataract to the magnificence of the main falls, as they crashed down roughly a hundred metres into the roaring cauldron beneath. He walked along a network of paths running parallel to the falls that, at intervals, led to vantage points at the edge of the gorge. In the majority of cases, there were no safety barriers to prevent a slip into the abyss beneath. During his walk to the famous railway bridge that spanned the ravine, linking Southern Rhodesia with Zambia, he encountered small family groups of warthogs, vervet monkeys, chacma baboons and various species of butterflies, which all appeared to be enjoying the coolness of the fine spray. The unspoilt tropical environment greatly helped Mathew to become as relaxed as possible before his reunion with Lucienne; but he still could not help thinking of their dramatic and tearful parting five years previously in Atlanta.

  Mathew was interested to see a plaque at the side of the pedestrian pathway which recorded that the bridge had taken fourteen months to construct in 1905 and that it was the brainchild of Cecil Rhodes, a part of his dream for a Cape to Cairo railway. The plaque also stated that this outstanding example of Victorian manufacturing had been forged in England by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company and, in 1904, was shipped to Beira, then transported on the newly constructed railway to Salisbury, via Bulawayo, to Victoria Falls. Rhodes was reported to have instructed the engineers ‘to build the bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the falls’.

  Mathew passed through both the heavily fortified border posts without any undue delay, although the weapons loosely carried by the Zambian soldiers had looked particularly threatening. However, after having found a friendly taxi driver to take him to the hotel where he was to meet Lucienne and her two children, the driver soon dispelled any feelings of hostility and apprehension that he may have had by telling him how very much he welcomed him as a tourist to his country, especially during such troubled times.

  On the previous evening Mathew had read how in 1911, the British South Africa Company had made the township of Livingstone the capital of the new British colony of Northern Rhodesia. He could see how much Cecil Rhodes’ realisation of his dream of a Cape to Cairo railway had made this part of southern central Africa, what the European explorers had initially referred to as ‘Darkest Africa’, accessible and open to trade with the outside world.

  On arrival at the Royal Livingstone Hotel, Mathew tipped the driver with an over-generous amount of US $ notes, and asked him to return to the hotel by 5 p.m. He had only been able to obtain a one-day visa to Zambia and had to be back at the border crossing half an hour before sunset, prior to the border being closed for the night.

  Lucienne arranged for their meeting to take place at a time when Daniel had to return to Washington DC to report to his superiors at the African Section of the States Department, on the increase of the cross-border raids by Rhodesia’s security forces into Zambia. Such territorial incursions had greatly increased as a result of ZIPRA’s downing of the Viscount in the Zambezi Escarpment, in which 38 were killed in the crash and ten survivors were subsequently massacred.

  Apparently Daniel was delighted that while he was in Washington, she was taking the opportunity to visit the falls with their two children and to meet up with one of her old Emory University friends. It was very much due to his pressure of work at the embassy that he had been unable to take his family to see Victoria Falls, acknowledged to be one of the ‘Wonders of the World’.

  Mathew arrived at the Royal Livingstone just after midday, with plenty of time to spare before Lucienne was due to arrive, and chose a table in a corner of the shaded veranda with a good view of the drive leading up to the main entrance. After ordering a pint of Castle lager and a light snack, he couldn’t help reflecting on some of the traumatic times he had experienced during his last few weeks with Lucienne in Atlanta. He had never been able to rid himself of his feeling of guilt after having abandoned her to undergo an abortion in San Diego. Also, for the thousandth time, he tried to reconcile why they had both separately come to accept that due to their very different ethnic and social backgrounds, their intimate relationship could never have developed into a marriage that would be sustainable in the long term.

  Almost on the dot of 2 p.m. Mathew saw a smart, black limousine come slowly down the drive and park under the shaded portals of the hotel’s entrance. A uniformed African chauffeur and a plain-clothed US Embassy security man were sitting in the front. As soon as the car stopped, the security man got out and opened the rear door, out of which stepped Lucienne holding the hands of her two excitable young children. Mathew had asked the reception to direct an American lady with her two children as soon as they had arrived to where he would be waiting for them on the veranda. Lucienne was wearing an elegant navy and white outfit, and as they walked towards each other, he recognised her customary broad smile and eyes that appeared to shine like treasured jewels.

  ‘Mathew – you don’t look a day older! So good to see you again,’ said Lucienne as she gave Mathew a friendly but reserved embrace. ‘These are my children, Marcus and Polly.’

  ‘It’s lovely to meet you, Marcus and Polly,’ said Mathew, smiling at the confident-looking and handsome young boy and the coy but most attractive little girl who stood on either side of their mother.

  As they exchanged mutual enthusiasms and Mathew ordered some iced lime juice for them all, Lucienne’s face radiated happiness. ‘Children, this is the gentleman I told you about who spends most of his time looking at monkeys. We’ve seen baboons and vervet monkeys crossing the road on our journey down from Lusaka, haven’t we? Lots of them!’

  ‘My daddy is a very important man, who works in the US Embassy in Lusaka, in Africa,’ said Marcus, unprompted, causing Mathew and Lucienne to laugh at this fine appraisal of his father. ‘I’m sure he is, young man,’ replied Mathew. ‘That sounds very much more important than looking at monkeys, if not as much fun.’

  ‘I promised Daniel we would only travel during daylight hours, so I’ve booked into the hotel for the night. I suppose you need to return to Rhodesia by sunset?’

  ‘I do – how about to make the most of our time, we walk to the banks of the Zambezi? I’ve been reading up on Victoria Falls so I can share the benefit of my wisdom with the children. We may even see some animals on the way.’

  ‘Yes, let’s do that. I must warn you that the armed security man has strict instructions to keep us in his sight at all times. It’s not as bad as it sounds, we’re quite used to it. He won’t be intrusive.’

  During their walk along an earthen path toward the Zambezi, under the shade of groups of acacia trees, they could hear the massive roar of the waterfall and see the clouds of spray erupting from the top of the eastern cataract and far beyond. When talking to each other, Mathew and Lucienne were careful not to say anything that could be misconstrued as something other than memories of university life, should it be picked up by either of the children and subsequently repeated to their father. Although when they talked about Adrien Deschryver and the eastern lowland gorillas of Kahuzi-Biega, and their mutual friendships with Osman and Yvonne Hill, they managed to convey a great deal to each other through their eyes. At one stage Mathew s
aw Lucienne become tearful but she quickly wiped them away, telling her children that she sometimes had an allergy to some of the local vegetation.

  When they reached the eastern bank of the Zambezi, just above the waterfall’s eastern cataract, Lucienne was surprised by the way Marcus quickly released her hand and took Mathew’s, as if wishing for his protection from the thunderous noise of the water as it plunged over the rapids into the cauldron below. While Polly hid behind her mother in awe of what was in front of her, Lucienne could see how tightly Marcus held Mathew’s hand as he had gazed at the magnificence of the spectacle. Marcus’ contact with her former lover almost appeared to represent the start of a natural bonding between son and father.

  ‘Down there at the bottom, children – all that angry water churning around – it’s known as the “Boiling Pot”. You wouldn’t want to go for a swim in there, would you?’

  How Lucienne wished that she could have told Mathew that the hand he was holding so firmly was that of their son, the product of their one-time deep love for one another. But she had agreed with Daniel, whom she loved deeply and was so extremely happily married to, that they would only tell Marcus once he had reached his mid-teens that although she was his real mother, Daniel had adopted him when he was only a few months old, soon after they were married. Lucienne respected her husband very much for never having asked her the identity of Marcus’ real father. She had still to make up her mind whether she would ever tell Daniel, or at some time in the future reveal to Mathew that the young boy he had got on so well with when they met in Livingstone was their son.

  As they walked back to the hotel, while Marcus and Polly chatted to the security officer, Lucienne said, ‘I was very lucky that I met and fell in love with Daniel after you left Atlanta. I am very happily married, and we are fortunate to have two beautiful, healthy children. It’s funny – Marcus seems to feel very comfortable with you. Thank you for holding his hand and reassuring him when we were near the rapids.’

  ‘I’m glad it worked out well for you. I’ve never felt comfortable with my decision to leave Atlanta when I did . . .’ Mathew sensed that Lucienne did not want to talk about the time of their parting, although he could never have guessed the reasons why. ‘I do hope I get to meet Daniel one day. I know I can rely on your discretion about this, but I too have found someone I wish to marry. . . It’s a very complicated situation. She’s a South African-born Rhodesian woman, married to a considerably older husband who treats her like a war trophy. She wants to divorce him as soon as the right opportunity presents itself.’ Mathew avoided giving Lucienne any details about who Jan was, even using a false name. ‘If we have the chance to meet up again once Judy and I are married, I’m quite sure that you would approve of her.’

  ‘Mom, I like your friend very much. Can we see him again soon, with Daddy too?’ said Marcus when they were back at the hotel and Mathew was just about to get into the waiting taxi. ‘And I like you too, Marcus. And Polly. It would be lovely to see you again,’ he replied.

  ‘Mom,’ continued Marcus, ‘why does your English friend look so important, like Dad, when he only watches monkeys in the trees?’

  ‘That is a very good question,’ replied Lucienne. ‘A few lucky people are born to always look important, and my English friend is one of them.’ Mathew put his arm around both the children and gave them a light farewell hug, then kissed Lucienne with the fondest of goodbyes, telling the security man to take extra good care of them. As his taxi sped away towards the border, he found himself submerged under a deluge of reminiscences, mixed with sadness and joy.

  Later, as he tried to relax in his room, Mathew tried hard not to dwell upon the unwelcome thought that Jan had spent her short honeymoon with Paddy Bushney at the very same hotel.

  12

  A Paradox of Valour

  ‘Honestly Mathew, you wouldn’t believe how irresponsible they were,’ said Anna as she updated Mathew on all the latest news after his return to Salisbury. ‘My friend said her husband and one of his colleagues were having dinner in a restaurant, when they heard an Englishmen sitting at the next table say how he had forgotten the name he had used to book into his hotel, and asked his friend whether he could remember what it was. He was completely unguarded. He may as well have gone to the nearest police station and given himself up. My friend’s husband and his colleague went over to their table, produced their CIO credentials, and asked the two of them to come to their CIO HQ.’

  Anna’s friend’s husband had not given her any further details about what had occurred immediately after the arrest, although she was told that the two Englishmen were escorted onto a London-bound SAA flight within thirty-six hours of their arrival in Rhodesia.

  He had also mentioned that during the latter part of the previous year, the CIO had arrested three CIA agents who had been accused of undermining Bishop Muzorewa’s authority. Such an arrest was to cause the US Government considerable embarrassment, by increasing the possibility that the CIA network in southern Africa could be exposed.

  * * *

  During the early part of 1979, Mathew found his tutorials at the university to be both stimulating and exacting, and staying with the Vaughan-Joneses to be most agreeable. However, he found living in such close proximity to Jan and maintaining the pretense of being just casual friends to be increasingly difficult.

  At one of the weekends that they managed to be together at Carnock Farm, they had started to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

  ‘I’ve made up my mind,’ said Jan. ‘As soon as Rhodesia establishes a Government of National Unity, and the Bush War comes to an end, when the Selous Scouts are sure to be disbanded, I will file for a divorce. After a socially acceptable period of time, we can get married. It makes me so happy when I talk about becoming your wife; it makes it seem real. Once we’re married, we can go to England and start a new future together. There, doesn’t it sound easy?’

  Throughout their relationship, Mathew had never mentioned that his father was a baronet, that he had been brought up in a mansion or that the family had a substantial ancestral estate. He was anxious to keep his family and Hartington Hall as much as of a surprise as possible.

  Life went on relatively normally in Salisbury and Bulawayo, although the Rhodesia Herald regularly reported the brutal murder of rural people, even though the country’s security forces had been continuing to hammer ZANLA and ZIPLA operatives internally as well as in Mozambique and Zambia. However, as the RF Government came to recognise that it required at least one of the hard-line nationalists to authenticate a sustainable settlement for Rhodesia, it had for some time engaged in a love-hate relationship with Joshua Nkomo rather than the more belligerent Robert Mugabe.

  By the end of January, the campaign for the referendum on Rhodesia’s new constitution came to a climax, with eighty-two per cent of the white electorate having approved it. On 12 February, just when Rhodesians were becoming more confident that a satisfactory settlement for both the black and white communities could soon be achieved, within five months of Mathew’s flight to Victoria Falls to meet Lucienne, a second Viscount had been shot down just after it had taken off from the Falls Airport. It was already well known that the Soviet Union had supplied Zambia with SAM missiles for such attacks against Rhodesia, and soon after the downing of the Viscount, Joshua Nkomo and his ZIPRA insurgents triumphantly accepted responsibility for this act of terrorism.

  By way of retaliation, RhAF Hawker Hunters of No 1 Squadron attacked ZIPRA bases near Livingstone and, at the same time, four Canberra bombers took off from a runway on the edge of Wankie National Park, crossed Zambia on a 4,000 km round trip to Angola and successfully bombed a garrison of UNITA insurgents. Also, during the confusion caused by the ‘overfly’, the jittery ZIPRA forces had in a case of mistaken identity downed one of their own Zambian Air Force Macchi jet fighters.

  In early March, one of Mathew’s greatest fears had come to the fore again, with the return of Jeremy Hughes’ colleague. The unn
amed diplomat almost immediately made contact with Mathew to reschedule their meeting. He had reserved a table for lunch on the Saturday at Brett’s Restaurant, and on Mathew’s arrival he was directed to a secluded corner table where a smartly dressed and clean-shaven middle-aged man was waiting for him.

  ‘Dr Duncan, so pleased to meet you at last. My name is Augustus Pitt. Do take a seat.’

  Pitt ordered a bottle of South African Sauvignon and exchanged a few short pleasantries before he got straight to the crux of the matter.

  ‘I don’t want to waste your time, Dr Duncan. One of my MI6 colleagues has informed me that as a result of the second downing of a Viscount by ZIPLA, and the proven involvement of Joshua Nkomo, the Rhodesian Government have given the Selous Scouts the go-ahead to assassinate Nkomo at the earliest opportunity. As far as the British Government is concerned, it is of the utmost importance that such an assassination attempt is avoided at all costs.’ It was another verbal hand grenade, similar to that exploded by Piet Erasmus at Meikles.

  As Augustus Pitt had already been told by Hughes that Mathew was the type of person likely to be susceptible to blackmail, he was ready with the ammunition he needed to secure Mathew’s cooperation. ‘I would like to share some of the considerable amount of confidential information that MI6 has had on their files in London about you for some time. This information not only includes details of Jan Bushney’s extramarital relationship with you, which has been provided by MI6 informers working undercover at CIO’s HQ in Salisbury, but also some valuable material about your time studying in the Deep South of America.’

  ‘Where on earth did you get that?’

  ‘I contacted one of my colleagues working at the CIA Langley HQ in Washington DC to carry out an information-gathering exercise on any significant movements during your time at Emory University.’