The golden valley Page 11

  CHAPTER XI

  SALLY was allowed to visit Netta just before she left the hospital. Netta was still in bed, looking very gay, wearing a new cream silk dressing-jacket. Her hair was elaborately piled up on her head, her eyes shining. "Sally, darling," she cried in an affectionate voice, "I owe so much to you." Sally sat down close to the bed, smiling ruefully. Netta had no idea how close to death she might have been. "You seem to like hospital life," Sally commented, and thought how dull it sounded. But she felt dull, and miserable. She had wept most of the night, for she had known that she had seen Jonathan for the last time. Now she could hand in her resignation and leave as soon as Mr. White could spare her, she had thought. An ironical thought, she had told herself, for now that Malcolm White had been accepted as an anthropologist and writer, he no longer needed Sally. Within a few days, she would probably be back in England, being welcomed with warm hugs from Aunt Gabby and the children, and she would know that she had left her heart behind and would never love anyone again. "I absolutely adore it, darling," Netta mimicked an affected accent again. "I have so many visitors I don't know what to do. Look!" She waved her hand towards the vases full of flowers, deep yellow, bright blue, sheer dazzling white and dark red, that filled every available space. "Ouma is being wonderful. We're going to stay in a city and buy some clothes and then we're going to 162 THE GOLDEN VALLEY Switzerland, Greece, England, France . . ." Netta marked them off on her fingers. "And anywhere I want to go. In the end we're all going to America." Sally smiled. "You'll love that." Netta looked dreamy. "I'm go.ing to have a white wedding. Sally. Will you fly over and be a brides maid?" "I'd love to be, but . . ." Netta wasn't listening as she went on, "Just think if only they'd had a photograph of me to put in the papers, I might have been given an audition and I could be a film star." Her eyes shone. "I still might, at that. Perhaps I can talk Jonathan into taking me to Los Angeles where all the big noises are." Sally smiled. "You'd love that too." Netta, with one of her usual swift changes of mood, looked at Sally's wrist. "Is it very painful? I'm sorry I was so silly. Sally, but I really was scared. Dr. Maude was saying I mustn't think that every man wants to kill me. He said if we all went round killing everyone we met, soon there'd be no one left to talk to and it would be a lonely life." The door opened and the nurse appeared. "They've come for you. Miss Hardwick." "Just five minutes more, please . . . please!" Netta pleaded, clinging to Sally's hand. The nurse smiled sympathetically and vanished. "Come closer. Sally," Netta whispered. "I've got another secret to tell you." Rather reluctantly, for Sally was beginning to distrust Netta's secrets and wondering how often they were in vented just for the fun of shocking people, she leaned closer. Netta whispered rapidly in her ear. "The biggest joke of all," she giggled, "is this. You know the treasure buried under the tokoloshe's tree? Well, it isn't real treasure. I heard Ouma tell Jonathan 164 THE GOLDEN VALLEY that. I hid on the stairs and they didn't see me. The real treasure was dug up years and years ago and this is just a family Bible! It's treasure to us, for it's got our births and deaths in it and the family tree, but I'd love to see Mr. White's face when he opens the lead-lined trunk." So would I, Sally was thinking, ten minutes later, as she sat in the Land Rover by the side of a surly, irritable stranger. Even as Netta had told her the incredible secret, the door had opened and the nurse had appeared apologetically. "I'm awfully sorry, Netta, honest I am, but the man is so bad-tempered he refuses to wait, and says if Miss Hardwick isn't out there in two shakes, he'll leave without her." Malcolm White must be in a rage. Sally had thought anxiously, as she hastily said goodbye to Netta and almost ran out to the Land Rover, her suitcase in her hand. But it wasn't Malcolm White. It was a strange man, big, bulky, with a red face, narrowed eyes and thick black hair. "Hop in," he said curtly. "I haven't got all night." He had not even helped her with her suitcase and it had been quite difficult with one hand to put it in the Land Rover and climb in herself. He sat staring at her, his khaki shorts and shirt rumpled and dusty, his face hard and unfriendly. He drove fast and in silence. Sally did not like to ask him who he was or why he had been sent to fetch her. She closed her eyes, holding on to the side of the Land Rover as it bounced and jolted. Netta came up with some queer stories. Sally thought, but if this one of the Bible being the "treasure" was not true, why had she bothered to tell her? Or did Netta, like Jonathan, think Sally was in league with Malcolm White and hope that by telling her this, she would pass THE GOLDEN VALLEY the knowledge on, and Malcolm White give up the whole idea? Sally smiled ruefully. Malcolm had spent so much money on the project that nothing but the evidence of his own eyes could make him go back without the treasure. She opened her eyes, trying to distract her thoughts, for she was not looking forward to seeing Malcolm White if he was in a temper, and looked at the scenery. Far, far below them she could see a valley in which the river was a tiny stream curling between huge rocks. The mountains round them were blue in the distance, wave after wave of them. The hazy sunlight seemed to make every tree stand outlined against the cloudless sky, and their leaves drooped miserably as if tired of waiting for the rain. She wouldn't be here when the rains came. Sally realised. She closed her eyes again. The jolting was making her hand and body ache. She looked forward to a hot bath and perhaps lunch in bed. But when they reached M'Lita, her companion still not having said a word, Malcolm came out to meet her. "Thanks, Jeff," he said curtly. He looked at Sally. "Welcome home," he said sarcastically, and then, surprisingly, smiled, his hand tugging at his beard. "I'm sorry I had to send Jeff to meet you. Sally, he's a surly brute, but we were rather caught up. Come in and relax. It must have been quite a shock." Sally followed him on to the wide verandah, wishing she could escape to her bedroom and, after a shower, get into bed. She ached all over. "Where's Kay?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light. Malcolm White poured out two drinks and gave her one. THE GOLDEN VALLEY "She flew back to England this morning," he said casually. Sally caught her breath, her hand unsteady as she held the glass. "To to England?" He nodded, twirling the liquid in his glass round. "Yes, she was getting impossible. Talking too much and breaking her heart over that vacuous ape Douglas." Sally swallowed nervously. "I didn't know she loved him." Malcolm looked at her, his eyes cold. "I don't think she did, but she thought he was in love with you, and Kay takes after me. We always want what the other fellow's got." His smile was thin and without amusement. "Anyhow, she was in the way out here." He sipped his drink and there was a silence that seemed to stretch out indefinitely. Sally wanted to ask about Douglas, but something warned her not to do so. Malcolm, in the end, spoke first. "I also got rid of that con man, Douglas Monterey. I only took him on to keep Kay busy and ... he was just useless." Sally's mouth was suddenly dry. So she was alone with Malcolm White, Piet McSeveney and this new unfriendly stranger, Jeff. Malcolm coughed suddenly, an affected little cough, and Jeff, coming out to lean against the doorway, took a glass of beer for himself from the table. "A friend of yours rang up just now. Sally," Malcolm went on lightly, but there was a note in his voice that frightened Sally. "A friend of mine?" she asked, her mouth dry again. He looked at her. "Cynthia Maddox," he said, and waited. Sally's hand jerked with the shock and she spilled some of her shandy. "What . . . what did she want?" she managed to ask. Malcolm tugged at his beard. "To say goodbye." THE GOLDEN VALLEY His words fell into a silence that seemed almost physical in its violence. Sally was aware that Jeff was looking at her and that Malcolm was deliberately baiting her. "A bit premature," Sally remarked, trying to hide the fear that was flooding her. "That's what I thought," Malcolm said dryly. "It seems odd that the employer should be the last to know when an employee is leaving. She was very upset at having let the cat out of the bag. She said you'd asked her to keep it a secret." Sally's cheeks were hot. "I wanted to speak to you first, Mr. White." "The proper procedure," he said coldly. "Well, now you can speak to me." "I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry you heard it this way, Mr. White," Sally said, struggling for the right words. "I ... I only decided yesterday." "And the reason? I th
ought it was understood a gentleman's agreement, perhaps that you would stay with me until the book was finished," he said with an ominous quietness. Sally swallowed. "I'm afraid I'm not much good to you," she said ruefully, lifting her strapped wrist. "I can't drive or type. I'm . . ." she managed a weak smile, "I'm a liability. I thought you'd be glad to see me go so that you could employ another girl to do the work." Malcolm coughed again, the same affected cough that had called Jeff out to the verandah. This time the cough was also answered as a second man ambled out to the other end of the verandah. He also was a big man with rough features, short dark hair, and wore crumpled dirty khaki shorts and shirt. "This is another assistant of mine," said Malcolm. "Sally, meet Noel." He grinned, lifting a hand and going to lean against THE GOLDEN VALLEY the wall at the other end of the verandah. "Pleased to meet you." Sally was hemmed in. Before her was a wall, low but too high to scale quickly. Malcolm was close by her side, a man stationed at each end of the verandah. What was the idea? she wondered. Malcolm leisurely filled his glass and sat down. Sally was so tense that she was afraid she would scream or burst into tears. Neither tactic would help her, she knew. "Sally," Malcolm said quietly, "let's not mince matters and waste time. I want the truth. You want to leave me because you've discovered my real reason for being here." Sally stared at him, running her tongue nervously over her dry lips. "You told me you wanted to write a book." He smiled. "And you were fool enough to swallow that absurdity," he said sarcastically. "But now you know the truth." He lifted his hand. "Don't contradict," he said sharply. "I saw that you'd bought another copy of the book I took and had checked with the tapes I'd made. So you knew I'd got it out of the book. Right?" Sally swallowed. What should she do? she wondered wildly. She was hemmed in. And then she had an idea suppose, just suppose, Netta was telling the truth and the treasure was only a family Bible, once Malcolm had seen it, he'd be content and he'd leave the valley, and life here could go back to its old quiet serene routine. She drew a long deep breath. "Right, Mr. White," she said quietly. He looked startled, as if he had expected her to deny it. "So?" She sipped her shandy. "I was shocked," she said flatly. THE GOLDEN VALLEY "At least you're frank," he said. "Now . . ." His face changed, became hard and frightening. "You were friendly with the girl Netta. Did she tell you anything?" Sally looked round. "Where's Piet?" she asked. Malcolm was frowning. "He's out. Why?" "Because he could have helped you," Sally told him. "Helped? In what way?" She tried to look unconcerned. "Only that Netta showed me where the treasure was, but I'm not sure I could find the place again." There was a complete stillness and then Jeff and Noel moved forward instinctively. Malcolm looked up and lifted his hand and they returned to their places. 'You mean. Sally," Malcolm White said very softly, "that you know where the treasure is?" She looked at him. "I can't guarantee it, Mr. White. I only know what Netta told me and she's apt to invent things. But she did show me the place." Again that movement from the big man, again Malcolm's control of them. "Where is it?" he asked. "It's buried on Piet's land," Sally said, momentarily enjoying the surprise on Malcolm's face. "It's under a tree that they call the place where the tokoloshe was born." "Tokoloshe?" Malcolm echoed. Sally nodded. "It's a sort of elfin sprite, like a leprechaun, that the Xhosas fear very much. The treasure was buried under the tree because the people who buried it knew that no Xhosa would ever dare go there." "And the treasure?" Malcolm's voice was tense. Sally looked at him. "It's in a lead-lined box and it lay hidden for years. Then it was opened and the jewels or whatever was in it were removed. All that's in there now is the family Bible." He was on his feet and the two burly men moved forward. 170 THE GOLDEN VALLEY "That's a lie!" growled Malcolm. Sally stood up and looked at him. "It may be, Mr. White," she said, facing him. "I'm only telling you what Netta said. She thought it was very funy . . . that you were going to all this trouble for the family Bible." "They know?" Malcolm looked taken aback for a moment. Sally drew another deep breath. "They guess. They didn't believe you were a writer. At first they thought you were after gold, but they also knew that Piet had talked about the treasure, and so . . ." "Put two and two together," Malcolm said, and nodded. "We'll go there at once. Get a Rover, Jeff." "We'll have to walk," Sally told him. "And I'm not sure if I can find it. I'm sure Netta's right, Mr. White, and you're wasting your time. It'll only be a family Bible." "We'll see. Which way?" he asked grimly. "You'd better bring pickaxes and spades," he ordered. "Lead the way. Sally." "I'm not sure if I can find it," she said with a shrug. "You will," he said, and there was something infinitely more frightening in the quietness of his voice than if he had shouted at her. Sally led the way to the river, crossed it, startled by the fact that it was already deeper than it had been the last time she saw it. She looked up at the narrow expanse of sky that could be seen from the valley and was surprised to see it black with clouds. "The rains have started," Malcolm said curtly. "So we've no time to waste." Through the close trees, trying to find the path Netta had used. Sally stumbled, her head throbbing, and she longed to be back in the warm safety of the hospital bed. What was she doing? Betraying Jonathan? What could she do? she thought, as she stumbled along, trying to THE GOLDEN VALLEY find the pathway. Suppose she failed to find the birthplace of the tokoloshe, would they beat her up? She heard a small noise in the dense trees. She turned suddenly and thought she saw a wisp of clothing move, but she knew it couldn't be Netta having one of her games, for the doctor had said Netta was not to go home for another week. In the same moment, she caught a glimpse of a small clearing and then found a smooth narrow pathway. "I think this. .." she began. Malcolm and the two men brushed roughly past her, and as Sally followed them, she saw that it was the right place. There was the small pool and the huge monstrously ugly tree. The same stillness in the air, the breathless heat and feeling of something, or someone, waiting ... "Is this it?" Malcolm asked gruffly, grabbing Sally's arm. She winced. "This is the tree Netta showed me." "Where is the trunk?" She looked up at him. "I don't know. She didn't know either." He turned back to the men. "We'll have to dig round the tree. It won't be in the pool, that's for sure." Sally sank down on to a boulder and rested her face in her hands as the two men dug with furious energy. The tears stung. Jonathan would never understand how weak and scared she felt or the truth that she saw this as the only solution. Netta had not been lying when she said the "treasure" was the family Bible. Sally felt sure of that. Netta had seen it as a huge joke she had been so certain that Malcolm White would find the "treasure" in the end and that he would be furious at the work and money involved to get a Bible. There was nothing to suggest that Netta was playing one of her pranks, for there was no point in it. Netta only lied to shock people or to tease them. Sally felt certain this time that Netta THE GOLDEN VALLEY had been telling the truth and that Malcolm White was going to have the shock of his life. Jeff shouted excitedly. "I've got something!" Sally lowered her hands. The three men were standinground a pit they had dug. She saw the top of a trunk. It looked old but strong, and the two men bent, lifting it out, balancing it at the side of the pool. It was padlocked, but one man had a crowbar and forced it open. Malcolm shouted: "It's diamonds!" He looked at Sally and his face was hard with anger and triumph as he growled, "You lied to me!" The men were crying out excitedly. Malcolm turned to Jeff. "You cope with the girl. We can't have her blabbing." Jeff grinned. "I ain't leaving this lolly," he shouted. In the same moment, a bird screamed shrilly. The lightning bird, Netta had called it. Sally was on her feet, suddenly realising something she should have known before. They would have to keep her quiet! She turned and ran, hearing Malcolm shout. She ran breathlessly, the long thorny branches whipping her face, tearing at her clothes as she bumped into the trees so close together, making her cry out with the pain in her arm. Somehow she stumbled to the river. It was slowly rising as she waded through and found the other path. She had one idea only, to get back to M'Lita so that she could get one of the Land Rovers ... It was her only hope. As she reached the familiar group of boulders by the river, where she and
Netta had always met, she heard a man shouting. It could only be Malcolm White or one of his men, she knew. Acting on impulse, with no preconceived idea of what she was going to do. Sally touched the boulder and it moved slightly to one side, showing THE GOLDEN VALLEY her the entrance to Netta's "weeping-place," as she always called it. Sally stumbled down into the darkness, nearly falling, bumping into the side of the cave, and as she turned, realised what she had done. She had accidentally closed the opening. It was cold and dark, the little light coming through the holes above . . . The holes above! Sally's heart seemed to skip a beat. What had she done? she asked herself, shocked and terrified, for she didn't know how to move the boulder that slightest inch that made all the difference, so that she could escape. Suddenly she heard a roar above her. In a moment, drops of water trickled through the holes in the ceiling of the small cave. Rain! Sally's legs suddenly seemed to collapse as the stupid tears ran down her cheeks. She had done exactly what Malcolm White would have liked her to do, she thought. She had what was the word used in spy stories? eliminated herself. No one knew where she was. No one at M'Lita would worry to look for her Jonathan could not care less. The rams had come! Soon this trickle of a stream would be the roaring torrent of a swollen river, the cave would be full of water and she would be ... dead! Jonathan would believe that she had betrayed their secret, and then vanished. He would never know that she had been trying to get rid of Malcolm White with his greed for other people's property. Jonathan would never know how much she loved him. The rain must be teeming down now, she thought. It was beating on the rocks above her, and slowly, but every moment faster and faster, trickled the raindrops through the small holes in the roof of the cave.