The Fabulous Valley by Dennis Wheatley

Author:Dennis Wheatley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 1953-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

17

Kalahari Picnic

Henry Long could not hear what Patricia and Michael were saying but he could see from their flushed faces and low, angry voices that a first-class quarrel was in progress. He watched it with considerable pleasure. Three nights before, his daughter had accused Philbeach and himself of sending the telegram which had side-tracked the others to Postmasburg. When he admitted it she had given vent to such an extraordinary outburst that it had even shocked him out of his cold impassivity for the moment. She had been brought up in the belief that God delegated a portion of His inscrutable wisdom to all parents. He had never even considered explaining any of his actions to her and was exceedingly annoyed that she should suddenly not only demand full details of his motives, but charge him with dishonesty into the bargain. He had refused to discuss the matter with her and told her that he was not prepared to explain his actions to his own daughter; moreover, that he had never wanted her to come on this expedition and it would obviously be better if she packed up and went home immediately. Patricia had grown sulky then and had continued so all through the trek back from Upington. He was quite indifferent to her moods but furious that after all these years she should suddenly question his integrity. Guessing that her interest in Michael had been the mainspring of her revolt, he was heartily glad to see them quarrelling now.

As Patricia ran up the steps, leaving his nephew openmouthed at the bottom of the path, Henry followed her into the hotel. He had seen the Bennetts standing in the street and had no desire to face an open altercation.

Michael’s anger at the way Patricia had just spoken to him swamped all his more tender feelings.

When he had discovered that Wisdon and Philbeach were the same man, his first thought had been to warn the girl he loved not to venture into the wastes of the Kalahari with such a character.

Even if she had tricked him over the telegram and some story of a girl called Orkney—he had not allowed his hurt feelings to interfere with his desire to protect her. Either one loved or one didn’t, and nothing could prevent him doing his best to serve her whatever she did.

Patricia’s own perverseness and her harsh words to him seemed to have finally ended their friendship.

With a rueful shrug he turned away, but as he approached the group in the street he suddenly began to wonder what Patricia could have meant by saying that it was Sandy’s wife, under the name of Miss Aileen Orkney, who had sent them off to King George’s Falls.

‘Mrs. McDiamid,’ he said hesitantly, as he joined the others, ‘did you meet the Longs when they were here a few days ago?’

Sarie was quick to sense the danger. ‘No,’ she lied glibly. ‘Did the girl you were talking to think she knew me? In the distance she

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