Mimi got the parcel and slid it across the table to O'Dowda. He picked it up and stuffed it into one of his big side pockets — and from that moment he didn't waste a second. The moment of pocketing the parcel was his deadline. As his right hand came out of the pocket he swept it forward, took the edge of the table and tipped it back at Tony, shoving it at him with all his strength.
As the table hit him Tony fired, but O'Dowda had already moved, and like a lot of big men, he moved fast. The bullet went high over him and hit the ceiling, showering plaster down. O'Dowda was round the table and, as Tony, on the floor, rolled over to shoot again, had one big arm around Mimi pulling her in front of him as a shield. Tony held his fire.
Panting a little, O'Dowda said, 'Now, you bastard, push that gun over here or I'll break your wife's neck.' He raised his free hand and grabbed the nape of Mimi's neck, screwing it round so that she gave a cry of pain.
Tony, lying on the floor, was lost. The game had gone against him and he had no idea of his next play.
'Tell him, Carver, that I'll do it,' said O'Dowda.
I said, 'He'll do it, Tony — and make it legal afterwards. Just kiss your five thousand goodbye. Do it, and don't be a fool.'
Tony looked from me to Mimi. Gabriel began to yell in the carry-cot. Tony slid the gun along the ground to O'Dowda. O'Dowda tipped Mimi over like a truss of hay and recovered the gun with bis free hand. Straightening up, he gave a big smile.
'Well, now we can really do business.' He forced Mimi across the room to the open door of the cattle lodge. He shoved her in and then closed the door and shot the bolt across. Tony made a move to rise but O'Dowda waved him down with the gun and came back slowly to him.
He said, 'I'm a bit stiff from that drive, but I'm beginning to loosen up. All right, after business, pleasure; that's the order. Up you get.'
He put the gun in his pocket and stood back from Tony. Tony must have thought he was mad to give him the chance. I could have told him better. He came up fast at O'Dowda but before he was off his knees O'Dowda drove his foot into his chest and sent him sprawling and the shock whipped Tony's glasses from his face. O'Dowda followed him up, grabbed him by the shirt front as he rose, jerked him to his feet and smashed a fat fist into his face, slamming him back against the wall.
It wasn't pretty to watch. Without glasses Tony was half blind anyway. O'Dowda just used him as a punch bag. He held him in the corner of the room and beat him until he couldn't stand on his legs, and then he held him up and beat him some more, and all the time Mimi was screaming like a banshee from the other room, the baby was crying as though he had a fit, and I felt a murderous rage running through me. Tony was not only getting what he had asked for, he was getting far more.
I shouted, 'Lay off, O'Dowda. You'll kill him.'
O'Dowda, holding Tony, turned and looked at me.
'Not me, Mr Bloody Carver. I know the exact limit.'
He turned and slammed another blow at Tony and then let him drop to the ground. Tony lay there, groaning faintly.
O'Dowda brushed off his hands, examined his knuckles and then, the baby still crying, he went to the carry-cot and gently patted its cheeks. 'Hush now, me darlin', your daddy will be with you soon, though I doubt you'll recognize him.'
He came over to me and pulled a penknife from his trouser pockets.
'Stand up and turn round.'
I sat where I was. Just at that moment I was enjoying myself. I wanted him. I wanted to take him more than anything else in the world, and the thought was doing things to my glands. Everything had gone into full production again inside me. The bastard had come in here, barehanded, and with just his mother-wit and the knowledge that he could get away with anything, and it had worked for him, as it had worked before. I just wanted to prove to him that for once it wouldn't always work.
'Stubborn, eh?' He smacked me across the face and the chair almost went over. 'And you think I believe his story about outsmarting you? It would take a better man than him to do that. No, it was a bright idea, boyo, right out of the old joke book. You two got together. He shakes me down — then you split, and you're still a hard-working but unsuccessful agent of mine entitled to full fees. You think I fall for that? Stand up, or I'll knock your bloody head off.'
He hit me again and I stood up because I still needed my head. I needed it badly. I knew what he was going to do. He was going to free me and then he was going to play the same game with me that he had played with Tony. And I had an idea that, while it might take him a little longer, he could do it. He was all warmed up and ready to go, looking forward to the fun.
I said, 'You've had enough exercise for one morning, O'Dowda.'
'Don't believe it. All he brought out in me was a light sweat. You got to do better. Think you can?'
'You want to bet?'
'Why not?'
'Five thousand — dollars?'
He laughed. 'You're on, you cocky bastard. Now turn round.'
Slowly I turned round so that he could get at my wrists, and I knew that from the moment he cut the cords I would have about four seconds in which to save myself. Four seconds. It doesn't sound much. In fact it's quite a long time, particularly against a man so full of self-confidence as O'Dowda was at that moment. In four seconds I had to finish him or he would finish me. I might be endangering my pay from him, plus five thousand dollars, but I was prepared to worry about that later.
He stood up against me at my back and sawed impatiently away at the cords and I kept the strain on them so that I would know the moment I was free. He was eager and impatient to be at me. I liked that. He was looking forward sadistically to his fun and an easy five-thousand purse, his mind full of it. That meant it didn't have room for too much caution. My only hope was to surprise and finish him in four seconds.
The cords went and I brought my arms round fast in front of me and, before he knew what I was doing, I had the back of the chair in front of me in my hands. I swung around, slamming the chair at him hard as I went. I got him full on the side of the head. He went over sideways and crashed against the floor. For once lady luck wasn't with him. Having seen him well and happily on his way, maybe she'd gone out for a drink. His head hit the stone-flagged floor with a crash and he just lay there, knocked out. I threw the broken chair from me and bent down by him. He was breathing. I took the parcel and the gun from him, and I didn't waste any time. He had a head like an ivory ball and he wouldn't be out long.
I let Mimi out, and said, 'Get out of here quickly, before he comes round. Come on.'
She didn't need urging. I helped her haul Tony to the car. Then I went back and collected the baby and my dollars. I put twenty per cent of the purse in the carry-cot with the baby, and dumped it in the car. Mimi drove off fast, sobbing to herself. I took O'Dowda's ignition key and then turned my car and sat, window down, watching the door of the house. A few minutes later he came staggering out, holding his head.
I called to him, 'Great fight. I've taken my winnings. When your head's better maybe we'll have a chat about things.'
I drove off and dropped his keys overboard a mile down the road.
I went north as fast as I could and by five o'clock I was at Talloires, which is a small place on the east side of Lake Annecy. I got a room at the Abbaye which overlooks the lake, and where I had stayed before. I put a call through to Wilkins and caught her just before she left the office. It was a long-winded conversation. She was fussing like an old hen because she hadn't been able to get me at Ansermoz's number.
She had no information, other than was public knowledge, about General Seyfu Gonwalla or Mrs Falia Makse; that is that he was head of his government and she was the wife of the Minister for Agriculture. She could find no information at all about any Miss Panda Bubakar. But our city contact had come across with the fact that O'Dowda's United Africa company set-up had been on the verge of obtaining monopolistic mineral rights and mining concessions from the previous government to Gonwalla's. However, a military coup d'état had brought Gonwalla in and negotiations for the concession had been broken off. I could see how annoying that must have been for a man like O'Dowda. That he would take such a setback lying down didn't strike me as likely. I had an idea that the oiled-paper parcel on my dressing table would prove it.