ks Jacques Le Vee into instant wakefulness. He scrambles from his camp bed, the Belgium model forgotten as he grabs his rifle and hurries outside in t

ple. Suddenly the tent flaps are violently thrown aside, and the woman is physically thrown out of the entrance. Her head strikes the ground hard e

very quickly, and putting the rifle to one side, pulls th

ave yu gone crazy,

othing to do with you, go back

nd of talk, what you are busy doing is

an instant, he understands that drugs are involved and

d kit there, while I deal with this crazy man. Monsieur, if yu wish to fi

chman picks up his rifle by the barrel and swings the butt at the lowered head of the German. The connection makes

ing to the bar area as well, lets us see what damage as been done to both of them, and what can be repair

ies. The wife looked worse than what she was, and violently rejected any mention of police involvement in the affair, while the husband ended up with a massive lump and bruising above his right

respect for your wife's wishes, I will not involve the police. But I warn yu Monsieur

not give you cause to take such drastic action as to shoot me, it was a drug I bought in Lusaka before you co

ger to yu, but to all the members of the safari. Once that is done, please everyone, return to yur tents, the night is still a pupp

arm snaking around his waist, toying with t

magnificent, and in you

in our stride. Now, talking of stride, we ave some unfinished business

ust love it when

*

et. Debi lies fast asleep in her own room; her ten-year-old arms wrapped around her guardian of the night, Bruno the Bear. On occasion, whimpers carr

to hold and comfort her, to help drive the demons away, and as she got older, the images that had been burnt into her brain started to fade. The love that the two adults had for her helped ease her back to where a ten-year-old child belonged, a

nt grunt of hippos in the river, the cough of a hunting lion, all are part of her life now, so she s

*

lights up the farm

ifferent types of fruit trees, the Maasdorp River running through the property, the high Blue Gum trees act as a backdrop behind the house; the

house, five bedrooms in the main section with another two bedrooms downstairs, a double dining room/lounge and a separate lounge, all with built in fireplaces. Then, t

up into the mountains. Between Piet's snores and the response from the gathered horses below the bedroom, one is surprised that anyone in the old farmhouse gets any

s Cradle. The sparks turn into a small fire, and suddenly the wind is driving a blazing fire through the land towards the sleeping house, the bone dry Blue Gums feeding the hungry flames as the wind increase in strength. The heat from the

geese break through Piet's sleep, and he throws the covers off, at first disorien

t problems outside, there

awake? There's a blood

ng outside to see what's going

careful, it can cut

the donkeys, the bloody animals are scared of the fir

rapped horses and donkeys spur him on as he covers his mouth and nose with his tee-shirt and makes his way towards the paddock gate. He hears the thunde

s. He tries to attract their attention to the gate when, out of the smoke, a charging gelding almost takes the burly South African off h

I bet that bloody Frenchman is having an easy time of it, sitting wit

o do but watch the destruction as the thatch falls inwards, and the cabins start to burn, lighting up the

t every new fire they can see before it can develop into something that they can't control, trying to protect the farmhouse from t

that whips around the house and then the impossible happens, the raging fire splits in two and mis

in wonder that the house is still standing. Patricia and Alex, two of the local villagers that looked after the farm for Veronica when she was at the univ

d melted in the heat from the flames. That kept Piet busy, but with the help o

rg Mountains. With rolling thunder running down the face of the mountain and enveloping the three as they st

this rain that's coming last

r us in the kitchen, guys, let's

charge my batteries is a double of the

til sunset, and then you can recha

's down, just like a woman. I

urs to go, but I tell you what: I'll slip a t

as not married to Peggy, we co

keep up with me, how do you think you could keep up

r manage to keep up with me, after all, I'm a

at a reputation is! Now, if you want to talk reputation

t, dream o

flashing across the sky, and the first huge raindrop hit the burnt earth and play