Free African Pursuit by David Alric

nurses did not normally have handcuffs dangling from their belt and machine pistols resting on their knees. The professor began to analyse his situation. He was obviously recovering from some operation but why was he being guarded! And from whom? Slowly, fragmented memories began to piece themselves together as his mind attempted to reconstruct his life and situation. The most distant memories came back first and most easily. His repressive childhood in South America with his over-protective mother and his arrogant father; both had been immigrants from war-torn Europe, his father fleeing from retribution for suspected war crimes. Luke’s childhood memories were dominated by recollections of his father’s sneering comments and sardonic wit, and by the dread of incurring his wrath and the cruel and unusual punishments that would inevitably follow.
    At university Luke had excelled in his chosen subjects of physics and mathematics and he had followed an illustrious academic career, his researches into the physics of light culminating in his being appointed professor at one of the most prestigious departments in Brazil. He had, however, inherited many of his father’s unpleasant qualities and his academic progress was marked by ruthless ambition and complete disregard for the rights and concerns of his fellow workers. When eventually he was appointed Chairman of his department after the unexpected death of his principal rival under somewhat mysterious circumstances, the predominant emotions among his colleagues were those of fear and apprehension rather than respect and admiration. As his mind moved on to his time running the department more recent memories began to return. He could now vividly recall the day he first found his brilliant young researcher, Lucinda Angstrom,experimenting with an invisibility robe that she had invented using materials found only – where was it? – yes, found only in a remote crater deep in the jungle.
    Luke’s recollections were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and a nurse entering. The snoring ended abruptly. Luke was determined to continue with his thoughts, however, so he quietly closed his eyes and pretended still to be asleep. The nurse glanced at the ever-flickering monitor above the professor’s bed.
    ‘He’s improved,’ she said to the policeman in Portuguese, the principal language of Brazil. ‘I think he’ll be coming round soon.’ The policeman gave a vague grunt in reply. In the dream she had so rudely interrupted he had just been about to score the only goal in the match in the last minute of extra time to win the world cup for Brazil and he found football a great deal more interesting than nurses, especially this one.
    ‘I’m so glad you’re here,’ she continued coyly. ‘If he wakes up I’d hate to be alone. A beast like that …’
    Luke forgot all about his reminiscences. The policeman wasn’t here to guard him from others. He was obviously here to guard others from him . He listened intently as the nurse continued.
    ‘Funny that – his heart rate suddenly changed when I just spoke – he’s definitely coming round. Please don’t leave me alone with him. When I think of that poor girl – and all those others he was going to maroon to die in that remote place …’
    ‘Just a minute,’ said the guard who realised he was going to have to postpone winning the world cup until this chatterbox was silenced. ‘He hasn’t even been tried yet. For all you know he could be innocent. I’m just here to make sure he doesn’t escape before standing trial. And should you be speaking like that in front of a patient? Hemight be able to hear you.’ The nurse was affronted by this dig at her professional competence.
    ‘I think I’m better qualified than you to decide what he can and can’t hear,’ she retorted huffily. ‘And you must be the only person in Brazil who thinks he isn’t a cold-blooded murderer. Oh, and don’t think I don’t know you were