The Delta Read Online Free PDF Page B

big thing
in wildlife documentaries, Mister Coyote Sam Chapman, but this is
my
film and
I
call the shots here. The channel sent me because I know my stuff and I don’t need you, or some copper-bangle-wearing out-of-Africa safari guide telling me how to make this documentary. If I tell you to wear the fucking hat, then you wear the fucking hat. Understood?’
    He looked at the ground, and the stupid hat. It was all a sham anyway, so what difference did it make if they dressed him as someone he wasn’t? He might be the star of the series of six documentaries for the Wildlife World Channel, but Cheryl-Ann was right. He was the talking head, the
talent
, nothing more than a reasonably well-known face. ‘OK.’
    â€˜Excuse me?’
    â€˜OK,’ he said to her, louder, and picked up the hat.
    â€˜All right, people, we’ve got a documentary to make and a schedule to keep to. That includes, you, mister.’ She raised her voice to attract Stirling Smith’s attention.
    â€˜Yes,
ma’am
,’ Stirling drawled in a poor imitation of an American accent. ‘What can I do for you all?’
    â€˜Lions.’
    They were on foot, the open-top Land Rover game-viewing vehicle parked out of shot, and while Sam had been talking about lions as part of the script and pointing theatrically away, there were actually no big cats in the vicinity – at least none they had seen. The idea was to film him on foot and then cut to some footage of a male lion – once they saw one.
    â€˜I’ll find you a lion. Sure as nuts, don’t worry about that.’
    â€˜That’s what you said yesterday, and we still haven’t seen anything bigger than a sherbal.’
    â€˜Serval.’
    â€˜Whatever.’
    Stirling shrugged. ‘Lions have feet. They walk. I can’t tell you where they are every minute of the day, but there are three prides in our concession and we have a general idea where they are likely to be. I’ll find you some just now. One of our other guides, Metsi, is out looking for one of the prides as we speak.’
    There was an arrogance about the man, Sam thought, and it was becoming clear that he had little fondness for Americans, whichwas a shame. Stirling might be blinded by stereotypes, but in his defence, Cheryl-Ann was giving him no reason to open his eyes.
    Besides, Sam thought, Stirling ought to be grateful that they were making a documentary about the Okavango River and the delta of the same name. Wildlife World, a US-based cable TV channel that made and showed documentaries about nature and the environment, had helped raise awareness about endangered species and ecosystems around the world. Also, the lodge Stirling managed would get a few mentions, so the program would be good for business.
    â€˜Stirling, we need some water,’ Cheryl-Ann chirped.
    â€˜There’s drinking water in the cooler box, in the back of the Land Rover,’ the guide said, spitting out his grass stalk. ‘Must I fetch it for you?’
    â€˜No, Stirling, I’m talking about water to film – for the documentary.’ She left off the word ‘duh’, though Sam could clearly hear it was implied. He was glad Cheryl-Ann was picking on someone else for the moment. It gave him a chance to breathe. ‘This is supposed to be a film about the Okavango
River
and the wetlands, after all.’
    â€˜We’re a little short on H2O at the moment, I’m afraid. It’s called climate change, and politics. Perhaps you want to put that in your documentary, or is that a bit much for your audience to absorb in between commercial breaks and getting their TV dinners out of the microwave?’
    Cheryl-Ann scoffed, ‘No one eats TV dinners any more, and we don’t have commercial breaks during our programs. And, for your information, this documentary
is
going to be talking about the dam being constructed on the Okavango River.’
    â€˜You are?’ His