19 Legacy of War by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2021-04-14T14:00:00+00:00

Manfred De La Rey drove his modest private car through the tradesman’s entrance to the Weltevreden Estate and up to the house, where he was greeted by Shasa.

‘We’ve got the place to ourselves,’ Shasa said. ‘The children are asleep in bed and my wife is off at one of her damn political meetings.’

‘I know,’ said De La Rey. ‘I can tell you the address of the house where she has gone and the names of the other people she is meeting.’

Shasa gave a humourless chuckle and said, ‘One day she will go too far. I know that.’

‘And you will have to deal with it, if you want to be part of our government.’

‘I know that too. But that’s not all I, or you, for that matter, have to deal with. Drink?’

‘Water is fine for me.’

‘I’ll get you a glass. Excuse me while I pour myself some Scotch.’

‘As you please, this is your house. Why did you ask me here?’

‘Because we need to make an agreement . . . as well as our other agreement.’

De La Rey fixed Shasa with his eerie, feline eyes. ‘Go on . . .’

‘You know a man called Konrad von Meerbach. You met him in Lisbon during the war when he was a senior SS officer, and then again in Lisbon when he was in exile, living under an assumed name. You helped him come here to South Africa.’

De La Rey’s eyes narrowed, making him look even more like a leopard waiting to pounce.

‘Don’t worry,’ Shasa assured him. ‘I have no intention of using that information against you. Not that it would count against you in your party. It’s riddled with Nazi sympathisers from the top down.’

‘Man, have you dragged me all the way here for a lecture about Nazism?’

‘No, I’m here to tell you that there are people hunting your man von Meerbach.’

‘I know . . . and those people include a certain Saffron Meerbach, née Saffron Courtney, who, I presume, is a family member.’

‘Then you will understand that this puts us in a delicate situation, now that we are burying the hatchet and becoming political allies. We might find ourselves on opposite sides in someone else’s private battle. That could be bad for our future relationship – and our ambitions. We are both young men, younger than the men currently leading this country. The future is ours for the taking.’

‘So why risk it now, eh? Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Got it in one. I have told my cousin and her husband that I will neither help them, nor hinder them, in their search for Konrad von Meerbach, or whatever he calls himself these days. I can tell you that at the moment they know neither his name, nor his whereabouts.’

‘He will be relieved to hear that.’

‘If you tell him. But I would rather you did not. The way I see it, we should both take a step back, so that neither of us has anything at stake in this fight. I will give you my word that I will do

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