Let Soldiers Lust [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE It ' The cloud was tall, yet compact and symmetrical, and black; but its beauty and its menace stirred neither delight nor alarm in the onlookers. Those on the roof of the airport terminal were glad of the relief from the vertical arrows of the sun, and here and there a woman fluttered a plastic mackintosh. If there was any threat in the scene, it was in the divisions among that group of watchers. The Europeans, and those who thought of themselves as Europeans, huddled at one end of the railings, then there was a gap, then the Asians and Africans were strung along the remainder of the space; but even the Asians stood aloof from the black men. There was also a small cluster of people of all colours, obviously banded together by their profession. One of these, woolly-haired and dark-skinned, detached himself from his companions as a man climbed out of the stairway and walked towards the European group. The newcomer wore an open-necked khaki shirt; and the silver ft stag's head badge, common to regiments of the Highland Brigade, i; - gleamed from his bonnet. His kilt was of red and yellow tartan. He walked forward slowly, reading a letter, obviously not for the :f i first time, his shoulders stooped, his forehead deeply creased. The African stepped in front of him. 'Major Mackintosh?' l' Mackintosh looked up with a start, straightened his shoulders, ^ folded the letter and put it in his sporran, sighing as he seemed to drag his mind from some unhappy preoccupation. The man in his path was dressed in a thin, almost transparent nylon shirt and cheap, cream-coloured cotton trousers, and had the hair, lips and very brown eyes of the negro; yet his nose was thin and his ^T forehead was high. There was no humility in his manner. Mack-intosh glanced at his watch. He said coldly: '"l 'I'm afraid I'm busy just now.' He stepped aside and started to move on. The black man moved with him. 'But, man, the first plane isn't due for another half-hour!' He spoke with a sing-song accent, not quite American, not t