thedestroyer.slavesafari-第3章

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me　a　single　sound　of　anguish　and　then　it　was　over。　James　Forsythe　Lippincott　was　spent　and　with　the　sudden　quenching　of　his　strange　and　sudden　thirst；　his　powers　of　reasoning　assumed　mand　and　he　was　suddenly　afraid。
　He　realized　now　the　girl　had　screamed　almost　as　a　duty　despite　the　great　pain。　She　was　probably　drugged。　Her　back　looked　like　raw　meat。
　What　if　someone　had　taken　pictures　of　him？　He　could　deny　them。　It　would　be　his　word　against　some　bush　nigger's。　What　if　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety　found　out　he　used　his　name　improperly？　Well；　three；　maybe　four　hundred　dollars　would　take　care　of　that。
　What　if　the　girl　died？　Twelve　thousand　dollars。　He　gave　more　than　that　each　year　to　the　Brotherhood　Union　for　Human　Dignity。
　So　why　be　afraid？
　〃Are　you　through；　Lippy？〃　the　redheaded　girl　asked　dully；　her　voice　heavy　with　drugs。　〃If　you　are；　you're　supposed　to　take　the　chains　off。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　my　name？　That's　only　used　in　my　social　circle。〃
　〃Lippy；　this　is　Busati。　Are　you　through？〃
　〃Uh；　yes；〃　he　said；　going　to　the　wall　to　get　a　better　look　at　her　face　in　the　dimly　lit　room。　She　was　about　twenty　five；　the　fine；　lean　nose　had　been　broken　days　before　and　was　swollen　and　blue　now。　There　was　a　gash　in　the　lower　lip　that　had　crusted　around　the　edges。
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Don't　ask。　Just　let　me　die；　Lippy。　We're　all　going　to　be　dead。〃
　〃I　know　you；　don't　I？　You're。。。　you're；〃　and　he　saw　the　features；　now　mangled；　that　had　once　graced　Chesapeake　Bay　society；　one　of　the　Forsythe　girls；　a　second　cousin。
　〃What　are　you　doing　here；　Cynthia？〃　he　said；　and　then；　in　horror；　remembered　and　said；　〃We　just　buried　you　in　Baltimore。〃
　〃Save　yourself；　Lippy；〃　she　groaned。
　In　his　panic；　that　was　just　what　Lippincott　intended　to　do。　He　envisioned　Cynthia　Forsythe　somehow　getting　back　to　Baltimore　and　disclosing　his　terrible　secret。　Lippincott　grabbed　the　end　of　the　whip　and　wrapped　it　around　the　girl's　neck。
　〃You're　a　fool；　Lippy；　you　always　were；〃　she　said　and　James　Forsythe　Lippincott　tightened　the　whip　and　kept　pulling　the　ends　until　the　red　swollen　face　of　the　girl　disclosed　a　tongue　and　the　eyes　bulged　and　he　kept　pulling。
　The　sergeant　downstairs　understood　why　James　Forsythe　Lippincott　did　not　wish　to　write　out　a　personal　check；　and　yes；　he　would　trust　him　to　return　to　his　hotel　and　make　arrangements　with　the　National　Bank　of　Bu…sati　to　get　cash。　〃We　do　not　worry；〃　the　sergeant　said。　〃Where　would　you　go？〃
　Lippincott　nodded；　although　he　was　not　sure　what　the　sergeant　meant。　He　understood　only　that　he　would　be　allowed　to　pay　for　what　happened　upstairs；　and　that　was　all　he　wanted　to　hear。
　When　Lippincott　returned　to　his　hotel；　Walla　was　still　missing。　He　called　for　him　several　times；　then　vowed　that　when　he　saw　Walla　again；　the　busboy　would　get　a　beating　to　carry　on　his　back　for　the　rest　of　his　life。
　The　vice…president　of　the　bank　offered　to　supply　guards　to　Lippincott　because　walking　around　Busati　with　12；000　was　not　the　wisest　of　courses。　〃This　is　not　New　York　City；〃　the　banker　explained；　apologetically　and　inaccurately。
　Lippincott　refused。　He　was　sorry　three　blocks　later。　One　of　the　many　military　patrols　stopped　him　and　as　he　reached　into　his　pocket　to　show　his　identification　and　a　ten…dollar　bill；　he　must　have　disclosed　the　bulk　of　his　cash；　for　the　officer　reached　into　his　pocket　and　took　out　the　envelope　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　hundred…dollar　bills。
　〃That　belongs　to　the　house　with　the　iron　gate；〃　said　Lippincott　hoping　the　power　the　house　seemed　to　have　would　extend　to　the　officer。　Apparently　it　didn't；　because　the　officer　simply　double…checked　Lippincott's　identification；　asked　him　again　if　he　were　indeed　James　Forsythe　Lippincott；　then　shoved　him　into　the　Land　Rover　and　personally　drove　the　vehicle　away。
　Out　of　the　capital　they　drove；　and　along　the　great　Busati　River　they　drove。　Darkness　fell　over　the　Busati　and　still　they　drove　on；　alone；　the　rest　of　the　patrol　having　been　ordered　to　stay　back　in　the　city。　They　drove　so　far　that　when　they　stopped　Lippincott　swore　the　stars　seemed　close；　as　close　and　as　clear　as　they　must　have　been　when　man　first　descended　from　the　trees。
　The　officer　told　Lippincott　to　get　out。
　〃Look；　I　can　give　you　twice　that　amount　of　money。　You　don't　have　to　kill　me；〃　said　Lippincott
　〃Get　out；〃　said　the　officer。
　〃I'm　a　personal　friend　of　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety；〃　said　Lippincott。
　〃You'll　find　him　over　there　behind　that　wide　tree；〃　said　the　officer。　〃Go。〃
　So　Lippincott；　finding　the　Africa　night　chilly　and　his　heart　even　chillier；　went　to　the　wide　tree　that　rose　like　a　little　prickly　mountain　from　the　Busati　plain。
　〃Hello？〃　he　said　but　no　one　answered。　His　elbow　brushed　up　against　something　on　the　tree。　He　looked　around。　It　。was　a　boot。　A　leg　was　in　the　boot　and　on　top　of　the　leg　was　a　body。　The　dangling　hands　were　black。　The　body　did　not　move　and　it　smelled　of　the　last　release　of　the　bowels。　The　body　was　in　an　officer's　uniform。　Lippincott　stepped　back　to　escape　the　smell　and　to　try　for　a　better　look　at　the　face。　Suddenly　a　flashlight　illuminated　the　body's　features。　It　was　the　Minister　of　Public　Safety。　A　large　spike　protruded　from　his　head。　He　had　been　nailed　to　the　tree。
　〃Hello；　Lippy；〃　said　an　American　voice。
　〃What？〃　gasped　Lippincott。
　〃Hello；　Lippy。　Squat　down　on　your　haunches。　No；　not　your　butt　on　the　ground。　On　your　haunches；　like　a　slave　waiting　for　his　master。　On　the　haunches。　That's　right。　Now；　Lippy；　before　you　die；　if　you're　very　nice；　you　may　ask　me　a　question。〃
　The　flashlight　had　gone　off　and　now　the　voice　came　out　of　the　African　dark；　and　try　as　he　might；　Lippincott　could　not　see　the　speaker。
　〃Look；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　know　who　you　are；　but　I　can　make　you　a　rich　man。　Congratulations　on　successfully　scaring　the　crap　out　of　me；　Now；　how　much？〃
　〃I've　got　what　I　want；　Lippy。〃
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Is　that　your　one　question？〃
　〃No；　my　one　question　is　what　do　you　want？〃
　〃All　right；　Lippy；　I'll　answer　that。　I　want　to　revenge　my　people。　I　want　to　be　accepted　in　my　father's　house。〃
　〃I'll　buy　your　father's　house。　How　much？〃
　〃Ah；　Lippy；　Lippy；　Lippy。　You　poor　fool。〃
　〃Look。　I　want　to　live；〃　said　Lippincott；　straining　to　keep　his　backside　just　off　his　raised　heels。　〃I'm　humbling　myself。　Now　what　can　I　give　you　for　my　life？〃
　〃Nothing。　And　I　don't　care　about　your　humbling　yourself。　I'm　not　some　Harlem　shine　who　calls　himself　Abdulla　Bulbul　Amir。　Humbling　doesn't　do　anybody　any　good。〃
　〃You're　white？　I　can't　see。〃
　〃I'm　black；　Lippy。　African。　Does　that　surprise　you？〃
　〃No。　Some　of　the　most　brilliant　men　in　the　world　are　black。〃
　〃If　you　had　any　chance　at　all；　you　just　blew　it　with　that　lie；〃　the　voice　said。　〃I　know　better。　I　know　every　one　of　you　Lippincotts　and　Forsythes。　There　isn't　one　of　you　who　isn't　a　racist。〃
　〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Lippincott。　〃What　do　you　want？〃　The　man　was　obviously　keeping　him　alive　for　something。　There　was　silence。　Far　off；　a　hyena　howled。　There　would　be　no　lions　near　here；　not　with　vehicles　and　men　having　been　around　the　area。
　〃I　can　get　you　recognition　from　America；〃　said　Lippincott。　〃My　family　can　do　that。〃
　〃Who　is　America　to　recognize　or　not　to　recognize？〃
　〃What　do　you　want？〃
　〃Some　information。〃
　〃If　you　kill　me；　you　won't　get　it。〃
　〃First　I'll　get　it　and　then　I'll　kill　you。　There　are　many　ways　to　die　and　some　aren't　so　bad。〃
　Lippincott　believed　the　man　and　like　many　people　who　find　death　too　strong　to　face；　he　told　himself　a　little　lie。　He　told　himself　he　would　be　spared　if　he　told　the　man　the　truth。
　〃The　Minister　of　Public　Safety　didn't　tell　you　about　the　house；　did　he？〃
　〃No；　he　didn't；〃　Lippincott　said；　remembering　again　the　gruesome　corpse　hanging　from　the　tree　near　his　head。　〃My　boy　Walla　did。〃
　〃Never　mind；　the　Minister　had　to　die　anyway；〃　the　voice　said。　〃Unlike　most　members　of　this　government；　he　would　not　see　things　my　way。　Now；　you've　done　research　on　slave　ships　and　the　original　slave　trade　into　the　States。　There　was　a　Butler　plantation　on　which　you　still　have　the　records；　isn't　that　so？〃
　〃Yes。　I　can　show　them　to　you。　They're　at　my　Chesapeake　Bay　estate。〃
　〃In　the　basement　storage　or　the　library？〃
　〃I　forget。　But　I　can　s