The Man at Mulera Read Online Free PDF

Martin Craddock. I ’ m lunching with Ross Gilmore today and thought I ’ d come down and pay my respects before going up to the house. We ’ re happy to have you with us at Chekwe, Miss Prentice. ”
    “ Thank you. May I offer you a drink? ”
    “ No, thanks, I can ’ t stay. ” His blue eyes remained appraising, pleasantly so. “ It was terribly bad luck about your cousin. Is the youngster all right? ”
    “ Yes, he ’ s playing in the sandpit. Children are adaptable, thank heaven. Would you like to see him? ”
    “ Not just now. Perhaps you ’ ll bring him over to see us. Staying here for long, Miss Prentice? ”
    “ Just a few weeks. ” She veered from the topic, said frankly, ‘ You ’ re the first District Commissioner I ’ ve ever seen. You ’ ve been away, haven ’ t you? ”
    “ I ’ m often away. The D.C. is a general dogsbody, but he wouldn ’ t change his job for any other in the world. We get shoved around, called in to settle every dispute you can think of, and sometimes have to shoot a lion in the course of a day ’ s work, but it ’ s a great life, except for wives. I don ’ t have one. My sister lives with me and she can walk out when she gets bored. ” He smiled. “ You ’ re a bit young for the responsibility that ’ s been thrust on you. ”
    “ Not so young, and I have experience of children. Are there any schools in the Chekwe district, Mr. Craddock? ”
    “ Not for white children—they ’ re too few. It ’ s one of the problems here. ”
    “ How do they get educated? ”
    He shrugged. “ Some mothers take it on up to the age of eight, and then send the children to boarding school. There are one or two prepar a tory schools in other provinces where small children are boarded, and a few parents arrange for their children to live with friends nearer the school. In return, they have their friends ’ children for the holidays. In a remote country like this there ’ s a lot of give and take. ”
    “ Yes, I suppose so. I had no idea Nyasaland was like this, ” she waved a hand towards the soft outline of the mountains, and her eyes shone. “ It ’ s so warm and rugged and beautiful. The trees are strange—where else w ould you see a fig this size? ”
    He absorbed her appreciation. “ They ’ re old and always left growing. You ’ ll see Africans gathering under them for a little social life, and loads of produce waiting in their shade to be collected. ” He hesitated, as if aware of some quality in her that he had not met for a long time. Then he asked, “ How do you get along with Ross? ”
    “ Candidly, ” she said, with a smiling grimace, “ I don ’ t . He ’ s kind and considerate, but he has the mistaken idea that a co-guardian is someone to be managed and bent to h is will. He comes here, lordly as you please, doles out orders to Ali, gives me the benign-aloof treatment and strolls back to his car. To him, Keith and I are a part of the plantation that needs to be inspected regularly. He makes me so mad that sometimes I feel that one day I ’ ll throw something at him. ”
    Martin Craddock laughed outright . “ Keith has a long way to go to eighteen. You two will have to be friends. ”
    Lou thought of something. “ As a D.C. you ’ re a sort of magistrate, aren ’ t you? ”
    “ Well, yes, ” he said warily. “ What are you thinking? ”
    “ You may be able to help me. I want to take Keith home with me but Mr. G ilmore won ’ t hear of it. Is there some way out? ”
    “ I don ’ t decide that sort of case for white people, ” he replied rather hastily but with a smile. “ In any case, I ’ d rather work to keep you with us. You say you like Nyasaland. Why not marry here? ”
    “ You can ’ t do it just like that ” she said flatly. “ Besides, I ’ m not sure I want to get married yet . ”
    “ Well, give yourself time to make sure, ” he suggested “ My A.D.C. is just pining for a long leave so that he can travel and find a