a disaster.’
Nenkoseni coughed, paused, and said, ‘I thought that might be the case. I detected certain tensions between you and Comrade Nozam.’
I replied, ‘You got out of it pretty quickly. The great escape, eh?’
‘I’m sorry, comrade. I didn’t know how to handle it. I thought I’d better leave it up to you.’
‘Huh! I didn’t know how to handle it, either. However, no damage done. Nozam goes his way and I go mine.’
‘Are you sure? No damage?’
‘Well, not much damage, anyway.’
There was a brief silence. Then Nenkoseni said apologetically, ‘I guess I should have checked 中古車 with you before arranging a meeting.’
‘Yes. I guess you should have.’
‘I’m sorry, comrade.’
‘Okay. You meant well.’
There was another silence. Nenkoseni said, ‘I’d like to meet with you today.’
‘Today? Man, 車　買取 I don’t know. I’m going to be really busy, what with –’
‘Come on, comrade, don’t be like that. Give me some time. Let’s meet for lunch, hey?’
We met at lunchtime. By the time I arrived, Nenkoseni was already making inroads into a second pint of ale. He grunted a greeting and said, ‘I’m sorry about that business with Nozam.’
‘Forget about it. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth but now I’m okay.’
Nenkoseni pulled a wry face. He pointed at the chair opposite and asked, ‘Are you going to stand there forever?’ I sat down and looked around for a waiter. Nenkoseni said, ‘I’ve got good news. The settlement is definitely on track.’
‘Is it? What makes you so sure?’
‘Papa Kwe’s assistant phoned the office this morning, from New York. He said they should be signing an agreement in maybe two or three days.’
‘And after that?’
Nenkoseni shrugged. ‘Six months to implement it?’ The United Nations will have to get its logistics in place. Come to think of it, they haven’t even authorized the funding yet.’
‘Do you really think that the colonialists will pull out?’
‘They will, if they want to avoid international sanctions. The world is getting tired of time-wasting and excuses. They’re getting to be an embarrassment even to their best friends. Also, the war is costing them more than they can afford.’
I was still feeling jangled. I answered Nenkoseni more fiercely than I should have. ‘Man, Nenkoseni, come on, get real! You think that they’ll pull out nice and peaceful? You think they’re going to leave everything in place, just like that for the KNF and the rest of us to take over?’
Nenkoseni looked at me in surprise. He bit his lip and put up his hands, as if to say, ‘Calm yourself, comrade, calm yourself.’ He beckoned to a waiter and asked, ‘A half– pint for you?’
‘No. Just an orange juice, thanks. ’ The waiter took the order. I said, ‘Sorry. I guess I’m still a bit wound up – you know, Nozam and everything.’
Nenkoseni said, ‘I understand.’ He gave me a slow smile. Then he said, ‘Well, comrade, I don’t know about the colonialists pulling out nice and peaceful. They’ll be up to their tricks until the last, you can be sure of that. But they aren’t going to cause major disruptions – no dismantling of facilities, no scorched earth, nothing like that.’
‘No? You reckon?’
‘No. In terms of 被リンク the settlement, they get to run the administration until the day of independence.’
‘What? You’re saying the KNF agreed to that?’
‘Not yet, comrade. But we will agree to it. It’s on the cards.’
I whistled. This was a major concession. This was news indeed.
Nenkoseni gave me a knowing grin. ‘So, you see, it won’t be to their advantage to destroy the infrastructure, scorched earth, or what-what. They’re not going to dig the ground out from under their own feet, are they? For one thing, their business interests will be secure and they won’t want to do anything to harm those.’
I sat back and thought about what Nenkoseni had said. It did sound like things really were moving at last. Maybe it was time to cast scepticism aside. I said, ‘I guess the Information Centre should think about getting someone over to New York soon.’
Nenkoseni put a finger to his lips and winked. ‘You didn’t hear it from me, comrade. If your colleagues ask you where you got it from, tell them you heard it on the talking drums.’ The waiter delivered our drinks and Nenkoseni said, ‘I’ve ordered fish and chips for us. Okay?’ I nodded. He looked at his watch and said, ‘I’ve got to be back in the office by two-thirty.’
‘Me too.’
He took a pull at his ale. ‘Ah! Like I said last night, I’m going to miss this stuff when we get back to Keretani. Maybe I really will start a Keretani