Free Tefuga by Peter Dickinson Page B

other women had brought him, so he didn’t notice at once that it was all over. I’d put my paints and brushes away and turned to say thank you to the child who was still kneeling beside me, whisking the flies off. Then I saw that she was a Bakiti. Do you know, from the moment I’d had my fright just before I came into the courtyard, right through till now, I hadn’t even tried to look for Elongo’s sister. There’d been too much else—that scare, and then the horror of finding what it must be like for them in the harem, and then of course the painting. Anyway, I do know how to say thank you in Kiti, so I said it. She looked surprised for a moment, and then she smiled. Such a smile! I told her my name and she was starting to wish me a strong spirit before she told me hers (it’s all terrifically formal among the Kitawa when strangers meet) but just then horrible KB came barging up and interrupted. He stared popeyed at the girl as tho’ he was going to eat her and she lost her smile and got down on the ground and grovelled. I showed him the pictures and he was pleased—tho’ of course he thought I’d been painting for him—but I wouldn’t let him keep them. I told him, very firmly, that I’d got more work to do on them and he could have them when I’d finished. Now I suppose I’ll have to do copies for him. I’m certainly not going to let him have the real ones, those women as they were made to be in their beauty and their pride. He doesn’t own them like that!
    I was almost dropping with exhaustion and hunger but KB insisted on dragging me off to show me his bed. It is huge. Brass knobs. From Birmingham, I should think. On the way out I was stupid enough to look properly at the black board he’d banged to call the women out. I thought the carvings might be interesting. Such a fool. Revolting, of course. The usual thing. KB pretended to be shocked that I’d looked but he was amused, really. And inquisitive. And then so rude all of a sudden. He just took me to the first of the entrance rooms and told one of the eunuchs to see me out and went scurrying back to his women. Or his meal, I suppose. I hope so. Poor things.
    Lukar was waiting for me in the palace courtyard. Ted had sent him to find out where I’d got to. Believe it or not I’d been four and a quarter hours in the harem! When I looked at my watch and saw I suddenly felt so done in that I could hardly walk as far as the Town gate. Elongo was there, patient as ever, looking after Salaki and my turkey. He had to lift me into the saddle—Lukar didn’t think of helping—but E.’s stronger than you’d think. Then he took the reins and led me home. Poor Ted was furious with me for overdoing things in the heat of the day, just after a fever, and I was too tired to explain. We were having our first proper quarrel—at least he was—when I fell asleep in the middle of it! He picked me up and put me to bed and I didn’t wake up till supper.
    He was being terribly apologetic about losing his rag and I was saying it was all my fault and he was quite right except that it just happened, and then I noticed he was eating with only his left hand. Poor man, something frightful has happened to his right arm, and he hadn’t even told me! He’s a saint about things like that. It’s called a guinea worm. He wouldn’t think of sending for a doctor all the way from Soko, so we dealt with it after supper. I was v. nearly sick several times. It’s just a swelling like a boil, but you have to lance it and then there’s this thready thing inside and you get hold of the end and you take a match-stick (really!) and wrap the end round and begin to wind it out. You wind a little each day and then strap the match down again. It’s absolutely vital not to break the worm ’cos then it dies and goes bad inside you. Poor Ted. The only good thing was he