Leopard Hunts in Darkness - Smith Wilbur - Страница 61

"As far as you know was there any particular reason that he was going to visit you that weekend?"

"Yes." Sarah's cheeks darkened, and Sally-Anne was fascinated. She had never seen a black girl blush before.

"Yes, he said he wished to speak to my rathe r. I had arranged the meeting."

"Thank you, my dear," said Joseph Petal gently.

During Mr. Petal's examination, the prosecutor's assistant had slipped back into his seat and handed Abel Khori a handwritten sheet of notes. Abel Khori was holding these in his hand as he rose to crossexamine.

"Miss Nyoni, can you tell the court the meaning of the Sindebele word, Isifebi?" Tungata Zebiwe growled softly and began to rise, but the police guard laid a hand on his shoulder to restrain him.

it means a harlot," Sarah answered quietly.

"Does it not also mean an unmarried woman who lives with a man-" "My lord!" Joseph Petal's plea was belated but outraged, and Mr. Justice Domashawa sustained it.

"Miss Nyoni," Abel Khori tried again. "Do you love the accused? Please speak up. We cannot hear you." This time Sarah's voice was firm, almost defiant. "I do."

"Would you do anything for him?"

"I

would."

"Would you lie to save him?"

"I object, your lordship. "Joseph Petal leapt to his feet.

"And I withdraw the question." Abel Khori forestalled the judge's intervention. "Let me rather put it to you, Miss Nyoni, that the accused had asked you to provide a warehouse at your school where illegal ivory and leopard skins could be stored!"

"No." Sarah shook her head. "He never would-"

"And that he had asked you to supervise the loading of those tusks into a truck, and the despatch of the truck-" "No! NoVshe cried.

"When you spoke to" him on the telephone, did he not order you to prepare a shipment of-2

"No! He is a good man, Sarah sobbed. "A great and good man. He would never have done that."

"No further questions, your lordship." Looking very pleased with himself, A441 Khori sat down and his assistant leaned over to whisp! his congratulations.

"call the accusd, the Minister Tungata Zebiwe, to the stand." That was a risky move on Mr. Petal's part. Even as a layman, Craig could see that Abel Khori had shown himself to be a hardy scrapper.

Joseph Petal began by establishing Tungata's position in the community, his services to the revolution, his frugal life-style.

"Do you own any fixed property?"

"I own a house in Harare." (Will you tell the court how much you paid for it?"

"Fourteen thousand dollars."

"That is not a great deal to pay for a house, is it?"

"It is not a great deal of house." Tungata's reply was deadpan, and even the judge smiled.

"A motor-car?"

"I have a ministerial vehicle at my disposal." "Foreign bank accounts?"

"None."

"Wives?"

"None--2 he glanced in the direction of Sarah Nyoni who sat in the back row of the gallery" yet," he finished.

"Common-law wives? Other women?"

"My elderly aunt lives in my home. She supervises my household."

"Coming now to the night in question. Can you tell the court why you were on the Karoi road?"

"I

was on my way to Tuti Mission Station."

"For what reason?"

"To visit Miss Nyoni and to speak to her father on a personal matter."

"Your visit had been arranged?"

"Yes, in a telephone conversation with Miss Nyoni."

"You have visited her before on more than one occasion?" "That is so."

"What accommodation did you use on those occasions?" "There was a thatched ffidlu set aside for my use."

"A hut? With a sleeping-mat and open fire?"

"Yes.

"You did not find such lodgings beneath you?"

"On the contrary, I enjoy the opportunity of returning to the traditional ways of my people."

"Did anyone share these lodgings with you?"

"My driver and my bodyguards."

"Miss Nyoni did she visit you in these lodgings?"