Free The Gobi Desert Page B

incurring prove how much importance he attaches to this enterprise. He will try to pay off these expenses as far as possible by trading in furs which we will be able to obtain on the way. Martens, sables, tarbogans, blue foxes, stoats, it’s a paradise out there for these animals. They will come into the calculation of the profit which will be due to me, if I see an advantage in this way of remuneration. However much Mr Sanders is reticent about all of this however, he has had to admit that there is a different motive for our journey. It’s the tiger which we are going to hunt, let’s not forget, a tiger which we have to bring back alive, or not at all. I don’t know any more than that. And I would add that every time that I have tried, as discreetly as I possibly could, to get some more precise details . . . .’
    â€˜It doesn’t matter! The main thing, as you said, is that whatever is due to you is guaranteed,’ said Alzire, who seemed to have been only half listening to the second part of my account.
    And with the practical sense of women who have someone else’s interests at heart, she added:
    â€˜A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, as a French friend of mine used to say. Think carefully about giving up your fixed payment in favour of a hypothetical percentage. Think very carefully!’
    She still seemed preoccupied. ‘There’s something else on my mind,’ she said suddenly. ‘Your cheque, how are you going to cash it? It’s crossed, so you will have to pay it into a bank account, and you don’t have an account, as far as I know.’
    â€˜I hadn’t thought about that, I must admit. But there must be a way of sorting it out.’
    â€˜No doubt there is. I think the easiest way would be to endorse it on the back in favour of Mme Domestici, who can do everything she wants on the spot. She will see to handling it for you straightaway. It’s a service which she owes us anyway. And after she is paid in full . . . ‘
    Less than an hour later, Alzire had returned with a bundle of banknotes which she threw on to the table.
    â€˜There you are, sir,’ she said laughing, ‘please be so kind as to count it. One thousand . . . . one thousand five hundred . . . eight hundred, nine hundred, nine hundred and fifty, one thousand nine hundred and eighty dollars . . . That works out right. I’ve taken the liberty of keeping twenty dollars as a commission. I’ll buy a souvenir for Mme Domestici, that would be nice, don’t you think?’
    â€˜Yes, of course! For the past two days she’s been absolutely wonderful towards us. But for you darling, you have had a heap of items to pay for the two of us . . . .It’s only fair . . . . ‘
    She laughed in her usual charming, nonchalant way.
    â€˜It’s nothing! If ever I need money, don’t worry, I’ll certainly ask you for some. For the time being, you mustn’t leave yourself without any, my friend.’
    It was at ten o’clock in the morning the following day that the
Bendigo
was due to weigh anchor. Alzire, who hated emotional scenes, would not have wanted me to accompany her on board. But she couldn’t overcome my obstinacy on this point. Besides, my duty was to be with my new boss, who would never have agreed to us not making one last visit to his tiger.
    â€˜Oh! But I want to see it as well!’ cried Alzire. ‘I’ve never seen such an animal! All the ones that I have seen have been dead.’
    So we all set off, dutifully making our way towards the prow of the ship, Alzire, Captain Lucas, Sanders, me, Otto Streep more withdrawn than ever, and with whom I had completely given up hope of one day making friends. It was there that the huge crate was stowed, which contained the cage where the Mikado was held. One of the sides of the crate, constructed as a sliding door, rolled slowly in its grooves, as it was manoeuvred by two