The Amulet of Power - Mike Resnick [71]
“And what made you put two and two together yesterday?” asked Omar.
“I had a coach.”
“A coach?”
“Don’t ask.”
She picked up a pack of matches from the coffee table, ripped out the reprint of the article on Eden, and set fire to the corner of the pages. She held them over a large ashtray until they were thoroughly aflame, then dropped them.
“What are you doing?” demanded Omar.
“Making sure no one else knows what I’ve read,” she said. “I’ve memorized the maps, and I’ve already burned the page with the June 3 letter from the book Ismail gave me last night. I hate the idea of destroying books, but this information is too dangerous to leave lying around. I want you to destroy the rest of the books after I’ve gone.”
“You are going somewhere?”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s no direct flight to the Seychelles from Khartoum, so I want you to book me on the first flight to Kenya, and get me a connecting flight to the Seychelles. If there’s any delay in Kenya—I seem to remember the Seychelles flight operates only two or three times a week—reserve a cottage for me at the Norfolk Hotel.”
“There are Mahdists in Kenya,” said Omar. “Hassam and I will accompany you.”
“No,” said Lara firmly. “That will just attract more attention.”
“I cannot let you spend any time there alone,” he said firmly.
“I won’t be alone,” she replied. “Once you make my reservations, get in touch with Malcolm Oliver and let him know I’m coming.”
“Who is Malcolm Oliver?”
“An old friend. He used to be a white hunter and then a safari guide, but he retired a couple of years ago. He doesn’t believe in computers, so you’ll have to send a telex or try to raise him by phone. He knows Nairobi far better than you do, and he’s as handy with a gun as I am.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. I need to change some money. I can’t use Sudanese dinars once I’m out of the country, and Kenya and the Seychelles are much stricter about passing British currency than Khartoum is. I’ll need Kenya shillings and Seychelles rupees.”
“We will go to the Mashraq Bank.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “You have a brother or a cousin working there.”
He smiled. “A half-sister.”
“You’ve got a remarkable family,” she said. Then, “Finally, I’ll need a small shoulder bag.”
“Why? You have no clothes to take.”
“I can’t wear my pistols on the plane, and I’ll never get them past security in a carry-on.”
“I will get one for you. Is there anything else?”
“No, that’s all. I don’t know the plane schedules, but I definitely want to leave today if it’s possible,” said Lara.
“I will book two seats on today’s flight,” said Omar.
“One,” she corrected him.
“What about Dr. Mason?”
“If Kevin knew about this, nothing could keep him from coming with me,” explained Lara. “And if we both leave, the Mahdists will know that the Amulet isn’t in the Sudan. If Kevin stays here, my guess is that most of them will think I’ve given up and he’s still searching.”
“He will be angry.”
“I know,” she said unhappily. “That’s why I’m letting you tell him. We’ll have breakfast together, and when it’s over I’ll suggest we go off in opposite directions and meet at some appointed spot in midafternoon. With any luck I’ll be out of the country by then.”
“And if I cannot obtain passage for you on today’s flight?”
“Then I’ll meet him where I said I would, and we’ll try again tomorrow.”
“I will begin to make arrangements right after breakfast,” said Omar.
He opened the door and walked out into the corridor. Lara went into the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, then took the ashes of the burned pages and flushed them down the toilet.
Breakfast was uneventful. Lara announced that she wanted to visit a small library in Omdurman, Mason decided to check the various churches again, and they agreed