Menzes came out with a map and pulled his chair up to the table, and spread the map out.
They all pored over it with the odd remark being made and finger tracing a line along the paper. A mosquito droned in the background and a moth fluttered around the bulb of the lamp. Electricity was working thankfully, so Menzes switched on a fan which only seemed to blow hot air around.
Suddenly it was dark. The night had come, which surprised many people, as to how quickly it was suddenly black all around. Stars were twinkling in the sky and the moon cast a silvery light across from them.
In hushed tones they talked, looking up whenever a noise was heard or a car slowed down.
With a big yawn, she got up and lent over the man's shoulder letting a wisp of blond hair brush his face.
"I'm bushed, and off to bed, I'll leave you two to your brandy.don't wake me, I need some beauty sleep! Something tells me this might be my last good one for some time"
Soon she was lying in cool cotton sheets under the mosquito net draped over the bed.'Not bad' she thought, better than some places they had been in'. Slowly her eyes closed and she drifted off, never hearing the door open and somebody getting into the other bed.
Dawn was just breaking across the sky, as dressed, they had both wandered out to the veranda. Life in the village was starting to wake up. Smoke from fires blew gently in the slight morning breeze. A cockerel crowed and the sound of a car horn faintly in the distance. Menzes wife had bustled through and taken their order and they breakfasted on eggs and bacon which seemed to have a faint tang of garlic, washed down with several cups of hot black coffee, they quietly discussed what was on the agenda for the day.
Menzes came out rubbing his stomach and with a loud belch greeted them.He waddled off to get a fresh brew and then came back, cigar in hand and plonked the coffee pot on the table. Refreshing their cups and pouring his he leaned forward.
"I have sent word to my informant, we will be ready to move. He will let us know when things are moving again. I don't think we will have long to wait, they must move before the rains come, otherwise the roads will be impassable or too dangerous. They will not want to destroy their cargo. It is worth too much money"
It wasn't that long before a cyclist pulled up in the front, after some conversation and arm waving he went into the shop and came out carrying a sack. Getting back onto the bike he cycled off with a wave.
"I make it look like normal shopping when I am told something " said Menzes." The two men you seek, Van Piet and his partner Patel have been seen. They have camped nearby and have employed two men for their 'safari'. The brother of the driver they chose for the journey is one of ours. Even his wife does not know he helps us. If word got out he would be a dead man.They also have taken on another man as a guide. I think it will happen in the next day or two. With the police intervening with the poaching last week, they will be very eager to leave quickly. I hear they are after a live leopard this time".
Jenny and Dave looked at each other.They did not need to speak. They both thought the same thing.
This time they would get their man.
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As you can see I have started on the tiger. It will be a gradual filling in and creating the stripes.
I think I will do the background in acrylics this time, but the tiger in pastels.
Do come back next week to follow on with the story and see how the tiger develops.
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