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Lobengula had notknown was that Rhodes’s Royal Charter Company intended to begin a colony farther north in Mashonaland. Rogan, however, was not particularly sympathetic to Lobengula because the chieftain, though a cousin of the Zulus, had invaded land that was not his—the land of the Shona tribe—and enslaved them all.
    â€œThen perhaps Julien is right,” Anthony said. “The Kimberly Black Diamond is there on the Matopos.”
    The Kimberly Black Diamond. Buried along with Lobengula in his burial cave?
Rogan felt the intense gaze of his father-in-law. Rogan looked up from the letter to find Anthony frowning. Just what was Anthony’s emotional involvement in finding the Black Diamond?
    â€œThis spells real trouble with the Ndebele,” Rogan said. “If Julien believes the diamond is there, he’ll attempt to send an expedition.” But could Julien locate the chieftain’s burial site when the Ndebele wished to keep it secret?
    Anthony shook his head. “He’ll search, all right; you know that as well as I. My adoptive father’s been plagued by that stone since he was a young man.” He looked at Rogan sharply. “I’m not one who believes in mumbo jumbo, mind you, but there are times when I can almost think there’s a curse on the Black Diamond.”
    Rogan lifted a brow. “I’ve wondered too … not about mumbo jumbo, as you aptly put it, but where it first came from. How it ever got into Julien’s possession.” Rogan had his own idea about that, but he wondered how much Anthony knew about the diamond’s mysterious history.
    Anthony was thoughtful and looked troubled. “First I heard of it was when I was a boy at Brewster House. Grandfather spoke of it, of Julien and Carl van Buren forming a partnership in a diamond hole they were digging at Kimberly.”
    Carl—Evy’s grandfather. He’d been killed in an explosion in that diamond hole.
    â€œWas there a witness to Carl’s death in that mining accident?” Rogan asked tonelessly.
    Anthony’s eyes shot to his. “I don’t know. Afterward, Julien says Carl lived long enough to entrust Katie to his guardianship.”
    â€œAnd evidently the Black Diamond. Although Henry, when he was alive, claimed the diamond was discovered by neither Carl nor Julien.”
    â€œHenry claimed many things,” Anthony said wearily. “Including the
mystical
gold deposit on his old Mashonaland map.”
    Rogan didn’t want to discuss the map he’d inherited. He ignored the dismissal in Anthony’s voice. The gold he discovered on the Zambezi hadn’t developed into the boon he’d hoped for. The mine was another problem facing him. He must go there to discuss things with Derwent and Mornay, but how could he leave Evy at Rookswood?
    â€œI once heard Henry claim the Kimberly Diamond was actually discovered by his father, your grandfather,” Anthony suggested.
    Rogan had heard such rumors, but when he’d asked his father, Sir Lyle, he’d scoffed at the idea.
    â€œMy father agrees with you that Henry claimed some wild and woolly things,” Rogan admitted. “I never placed much confidence in that idea myself, but I have often wondered if Julien or Carl might not have stolen the diamond from one of the Zulu
ngangas.
”
    â€œThe witch doctors, eh? Interesting notion, Rogan. What makes you think so?”
    â€œI don’t have much to go on, except Dumaka. He came to work for Julien at Cape House. I found out Dumaka is an induna. To work for Julien would be a loathsome thing. Yet he came of his own free will. Though Heyden stole the diamond from Henry that night in the stables, Heyden claims Dumaka took the diamond from him and escaped with it. Just days later the British fought the Zulu in the war. The Zulus were defeated and Cetshwayo exiled. I’ve thought Dumaka took the diamond before the British arrived