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.And all this because a sea had died which she had never seen&At one of the two rickety tables which, apart from chairs, constituted theentire furniture of the office, a tall thin sergeant was adding up figures ona printed form.Major Obou rapped an order at him, and from a batteredolive-green ammunition case he dug out a bottle of good French brandy and atin cup.Handing Lucy two fingersof the liquor, the major raised the bottle to his broad lips."Here's how!" he said."And do sit down!"She complied.The drink was too strong for her; after half a mouthful she setthe cup on her knees and held it with both hands to stop herself tremblingfrom fatigue.She thought of asking for water to dilute it, but decided itwouldn't be fair to involve the sergeant in that much trouble.Drinkable waterwas hard to find in Noshri.Rain, caught in buckets and tanks, was safe if youadded a purifying tablet, but the rivers were sour with defoliants from thecampaign of last summer and the invaders had filled most of the wells withcarrion as they retreated."That should put-if you forgive the remark-a little color in your cheeks,"encouraged Major Obou.She forced a smile in reply, and wondered for thelatest of many times what she should make of this handsome dark man who tooksuch pains to salt his English with bookish idioms, right or wrong.Her eyeswere very tired from the heat and dust of the day, so she closed them.Butthat was no help.Behind the lids she saw the sights she had encounteredwherever she went in this formerly flourishing town: a crossroads where amortar shell had exploded squarely on a bus, leaving a shallow pit hemmed withsmashed metal; charred roof-beams jutting over the ashes of what had beenfurniture and possibly people; trees curtailed by the wing of a crashingPage 32 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlaircraft, shot down by a patrolling fighter because it was suspected ofcarrying arms, though she had seen for herself it contained only medicalsupplies&She touched the base of her left thumbnail.Salvaging what she could from thewreckage, she had cut herself and had to have three stitches in the wound.Anerve had been severed, and there was a patch a quarter-inch on a side whereshe would never feel anything again.At least she'd been inoculated against tetanus.In one corner of the office a back-pack radio suddenly said something in thelocal language of which even yet Lucy had learned only a few words.Major Obouanswered it, and rose."Drink up, Miss Ramage.There will be a government plane in one hour and Imust be on hand.Before that I shall keep my promise to convey you home.""There's no need to-""But there is." His face was suddenly stern."I know to makes no sense to layblame at anybody's door, and the causes of our war were very complex.But thepeople here have understood one thing, that it was the greed and carelessnessof-forgive me-people like you which poisoned the Mediterranean and started thechain of events which led to our neighbors from the north invading us.So longas they were apathetic from hunger they were silent.Now that they have beenfed, one fears that they will remember what they have been taught byagitators.I am aware that you come from New Zealand, very far away, with goodmotives.But a man seething with rage because he lost his home, his wife, hischildren, would not stop to ask where you come from if he met you in theroad.""Yes." Lucy gave a nod and, nearly choking, gulped down her drink."Splendid," the major said, instantly his usual affable self, and ushered heroutside.His jeep was waiting near the door.He gestured the driver to get inback with the machine-gunner, and took the wheel himself with Lucy at hisside.Starting off with a roar, he crossed the boundary of the airstrip atnearly forty and they went bumping down the shell-pocked road to the town withall lights blazing."Ah, one day, Miss Ramage," he shouted, "when we have reconstructed thecountry, I hope I shall have a chance to entertain you more conventionally!Indeed I heard today one may again apply for leave.If you'd care to beshown-uh-more appetizing aspects of my homeland, I'd be delighted.One doesnot wish strangers to go away thinking this is the country where all the timepeople shoot each other, hm?"It dawned on Lucy, belatedly because all that kind of thing seemed to belongin another universe, that he was propositioning her.She felt brieflyastonished.At home one simply never came in social contact with black people,and seldom even with Maoris.Then she wasannoyed at her own astonishment.She hunted for a polite way to formulate heranswer, but before she managed it, when they were crossing what had been themain street of Noshri and was now an avenue of ruins, he braked abruptly."Ah, someone else realized it was a Christmas present we have received!"At the side of the road a parody of a Christmas tree had been erected:branches that must have taken hours to collect because the nearby terrain hadbeen sterilized with herbicides, tied to a pole and lit with three candles.Ona strip of white cloth, probably a bandage, someone had written VIVE LA PAIXJOYEUX NOEL."Are youChristian, Miss Ramage?" Lucy was too tired to discuss theological doubts.Shegave a nod."I also, of course." Obou accelerated around a bend in the direction of therelatively undamaged houses that had been assigned to the overseas aidworkers, UN observers, and the most senior of the government officialsPage 33 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlsupervising mopping-up operations."You know, though, it was a strange thingwhen I first went to Europe, finding so few people there attend a church.Hereit had always been for me and my family the-the right thing, the better thing.In the provinces, right here for example, it was known the people still madeidols, still believed in ghosts and juju.But the educated people you took forgranted to beMoslems or Christians.I think, though, it will now be hard forChristians in our country.Knowing it has been the greed of Christiancountries which-Ah, look! See already what a change your work has made in thissad place!"Slowing again, he waved at a group of ten or a dozen people, including acouple of women, who had lit a fire in the open air before what had once beena handsome house and were dancing in a ring, clapping their hands for music.They were all barefoot.Lucy thought one of the women must be drunk; her gaudywraparound dress had fallen from her bosom and her slack breasts shook as shestamped and swayed."Ah, they're good people," Major Obou said."Simple, perhaps, butgood-natured.I'm so glad this damned war is over.And"-with a trace ofboldness-"glad that it has brought us friends like you from outside."He stopped the jeep.They had reached her quarters, one of a cluster of housesoriginally built by one of the Paris-based companies operating here for itslower-ranking employees [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.And all this because a sea had died which she had never seen&At one of the two rickety tables which, apart from chairs, constituted theentire furniture of the office, a tall thin sergeant was adding up figures ona printed form.Major Obou rapped an order at him, and from a batteredolive-green ammunition case he dug out a bottle of good French brandy and atin cup.Handing Lucy two fingersof the liquor, the major raised the bottle to his broad lips."Here's how!" he said."And do sit down!"She complied.The drink was too strong for her; after half a mouthful she setthe cup on her knees and held it with both hands to stop herself tremblingfrom fatigue.She thought of asking for water to dilute it, but decided itwouldn't be fair to involve the sergeant in that much trouble.Drinkable waterwas hard to find in Noshri.Rain, caught in buckets and tanks, was safe if youadded a purifying tablet, but the rivers were sour with defoliants from thecampaign of last summer and the invaders had filled most of the wells withcarrion as they retreated."That should put-if you forgive the remark-a little color in your cheeks,"encouraged Major Obou.She forced a smile in reply, and wondered for thelatest of many times what she should make of this handsome dark man who tooksuch pains to salt his English with bookish idioms, right or wrong.Her eyeswere very tired from the heat and dust of the day, so she closed them.Butthat was no help.Behind the lids she saw the sights she had encounteredwherever she went in this formerly flourishing town: a crossroads where amortar shell had exploded squarely on a bus, leaving a shallow pit hemmed withsmashed metal; charred roof-beams jutting over the ashes of what had beenfurniture and possibly people; trees curtailed by the wing of a crashingPage 32 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlaircraft, shot down by a patrolling fighter because it was suspected ofcarrying arms, though she had seen for herself it contained only medicalsupplies&She touched the base of her left thumbnail.Salvaging what she could from thewreckage, she had cut herself and had to have three stitches in the wound.Anerve had been severed, and there was a patch a quarter-inch on a side whereshe would never feel anything again.At least she'd been inoculated against tetanus.In one corner of the office a back-pack radio suddenly said something in thelocal language of which even yet Lucy had learned only a few words.Major Obouanswered it, and rose."Drink up, Miss Ramage.There will be a government plane in one hour and Imust be on hand.Before that I shall keep my promise to convey you home.""There's no need to-""But there is." His face was suddenly stern."I know to makes no sense to layblame at anybody's door, and the causes of our war were very complex.But thepeople here have understood one thing, that it was the greed and carelessnessof-forgive me-people like you which poisoned the Mediterranean and started thechain of events which led to our neighbors from the north invading us.So longas they were apathetic from hunger they were silent.Now that they have beenfed, one fears that they will remember what they have been taught byagitators.I am aware that you come from New Zealand, very far away, with goodmotives.But a man seething with rage because he lost his home, his wife, hischildren, would not stop to ask where you come from if he met you in theroad.""Yes." Lucy gave a nod and, nearly choking, gulped down her drink."Splendid," the major said, instantly his usual affable self, and ushered heroutside.His jeep was waiting near the door.He gestured the driver to get inback with the machine-gunner, and took the wheel himself with Lucy at hisside.Starting off with a roar, he crossed the boundary of the airstrip atnearly forty and they went bumping down the shell-pocked road to the town withall lights blazing."Ah, one day, Miss Ramage," he shouted, "when we have reconstructed thecountry, I hope I shall have a chance to entertain you more conventionally!Indeed I heard today one may again apply for leave.If you'd care to beshown-uh-more appetizing aspects of my homeland, I'd be delighted.One doesnot wish strangers to go away thinking this is the country where all the timepeople shoot each other, hm?"It dawned on Lucy, belatedly because all that kind of thing seemed to belongin another universe, that he was propositioning her.She felt brieflyastonished.At home one simply never came in social contact with black people,and seldom even with Maoris.Then she wasannoyed at her own astonishment.She hunted for a polite way to formulate heranswer, but before she managed it, when they were crossing what had been themain street of Noshri and was now an avenue of ruins, he braked abruptly."Ah, someone else realized it was a Christmas present we have received!"At the side of the road a parody of a Christmas tree had been erected:branches that must have taken hours to collect because the nearby terrain hadbeen sterilized with herbicides, tied to a pole and lit with three candles.Ona strip of white cloth, probably a bandage, someone had written VIVE LA PAIXJOYEUX NOEL."Are youChristian, Miss Ramage?" Lucy was too tired to discuss theological doubts.Shegave a nod."I also, of course." Obou accelerated around a bend in the direction of therelatively undamaged houses that had been assigned to the overseas aidworkers, UN observers, and the most senior of the government officialsPage 33 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlsupervising mopping-up operations."You know, though, it was a strange thingwhen I first went to Europe, finding so few people there attend a church.Hereit had always been for me and my family the-the right thing, the better thing.In the provinces, right here for example, it was known the people still madeidols, still believed in ghosts and juju.But the educated people you took forgranted to beMoslems or Christians.I think, though, it will now be hard forChristians in our country.Knowing it has been the greed of Christiancountries which-Ah, look! See already what a change your work has made in thissad place!"Slowing again, he waved at a group of ten or a dozen people, including acouple of women, who had lit a fire in the open air before what had once beena handsome house and were dancing in a ring, clapping their hands for music.They were all barefoot.Lucy thought one of the women must be drunk; her gaudywraparound dress had fallen from her bosom and her slack breasts shook as shestamped and swayed."Ah, they're good people," Major Obou said."Simple, perhaps, butgood-natured.I'm so glad this damned war is over.And"-with a trace ofboldness-"glad that it has brought us friends like you from outside."He stopped the jeep.They had reached her quarters, one of a cluster of housesoriginally built by one of the Paris-based companies operating here for itslower-ranking employees [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]