the secret arrangement

The secret arrangement

An African sunset

An excerpt

Everon pushed the accelerator down as hard as he could, as if it was his second nature. Thus the way back to Mouaka seemed a rather short journey. When they reached the hotel's parking lot, neither of them could have felt an urgent need to take leave of each other and part, the night was still young.

'Prepare yourself to your first assignment; you're buying me a drink.' Everon declared smiling his sly smile. He led Shatz to the bar's terrace, leaving the car and his attaché case, which was thrown on the rear seat behind them.                                     

'Well, you can't imagine how things are being run over here.  There are at least three captains at the helm except the authorized one with hardly any crew, and the ship is a nutshell... Funny isn't it, how poetry inspires me in this forlorn hole.' He added laughing quietly.

A waiter in a white jacket, standing at the bar's entrance saw them coming, he turned on his heels back swiftly and vanished inside the dim bar.

The barman himself, the one Shatz met at noon time of that same day, appeared in the doorway carrying a loaded tray, he welcomed them with a broad smile.

'Bon soir Mon commandant,' he greeted Everon, glad to see him so soon again.

'Bon soir Claude,' Everon smiled back to him, noticing the bottle of whisky on his platter, with a quick glance.          

'Fetch us a bottle of mineral water for our agronomist, if you please.' 

'Please don't bother Claude,' Shatz hastened to protest, using the new French expressions, which he managed to master already. 'I'll have it neat please the same way the commandant has it.'                                    

Claude unloaded his platter and laid the glasses on their table and poured their drinks, after a short exchange of hearty compliments with Shatz and with Everon in particular, Claude slipped quietly back to his counter at the bar, leaving his two customers all to themselves. He had no one else except them on the terrace that night.

'Mind you,' Everon opened up after having tasted his drink just for the love of it. 'The first thing I've already arranged for you, while you went up to your room at noon today was that delicate matter the ambassador mentioned just before we left. I've summed that matter up with Claude, discreetly and this is our deal. Whenever you'll need a "quick pressure relief", he'll be the one to provide you with that certain solution.  The expenses in case the arrangement meets your requirements, are nothing at all; about five hundred West African francs, what're five hundred francs for any of us, it's nearly one and a half percent of your monthly pay.'

Shatz straightened up in his seat coughed slightly and cleared his throat, but kept watching Everon's face with amazement.  

'You'll have to inform him the desirable hour and your room number of course, and he'll send you a sweet teenager upstairs or someone older, if that would be your choice. Anyway, they won't leave you their souvenirs, some disease I mean, and they won't strip you off your wallet, which might be worse. It’s a safe deal I can assure you.' He added supporting his offer, and made a short pause waiting for Shatz to react; wondering whether he did not stumble awkwardly, in offering Shatz such a venture.     

Shatz did not say a word yet, but sipped his drink in silence. 

'You may consider it as an emergency arrangement if that's your idea on such an issue or ignore it completely, after all we hardly know each other; we have just met, I know yet neither your views nor your tastes. Let me assure you of one thing though, in our close circle nobody heard of it except you and me of course. The reason is quite simple, the rest of our compatriots are married and don't need such arrangements; the less they'll get involved in such hazardous circumstances the better. They represent our state over here just as we do, true enough, but we need it and that's quite a difference, Now, if you think you'll get along without such a deal, have it your own way, all the best and May God be with you. But remember to do it discreetly, for there're hardly any single women around and if you haven't noticed it yet, gossip is the best entertainment over here... One ought to be cautious...' He stopped as if he had his say, and was not going to add another word, but a sudden smile fluttered on his lips.

'Who, knows it could have been a good idea if you were to seduce one of our own females at the embassy, for her sake alone; well, I'm just joking, don't take it seriously.' He added laughing aloud.                                                

'Thanks a lot!' Shatz answered laughing along. 'It suits me all right; I mean the arrangement with Claude.'

 Haim Kadman 2015 �" all rights reserved.

The 16 thrillers and novels by the author Haim Kadman, are available to read with Kindle Unlimited  in the U.S, U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Brazil, Mexico and Canada and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL) in the U.S, U.K., Germany, France, and Japan; or to download for a reasonable price.

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