The Tantalus Redemption by Yudhi Raman

Author:Yudhi Raman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

That was when Magan first met Champion, nearly five years ago. They were at Mon General’s palace in the uplands when Champion strode into the old colonial building, flanked by three Pettilous on either side.

‘Asseyez vous, sil vous plait!’ Mon General motioned to Champion.

Champion waved the Pettilous behind the suite of chairs and splayed himself imperiously on a leopard skin sofa buttressed with black ebony wood.

‘Monsignor Champion, allow me to graciously present to you our new friend from India, Monsieur Magan,’ Mon General continued. ‘Monsieur Magan is the proprietor of the largest mobile phone company in India. Monsieur Magan, may I present Monsignor Champion, my second-in-command. His Pettilous are the most feared fighters in the Congo. Our little wolves who stalk in the night.’

There was a silence as Magan acknowledged the introduction. He was just about to speak when two of the Pettilous standing behind him said something to each other.

‘Silence!’ Mon General thundered at them in irritation. Though they fell quiet instantly, instead of deferring to the general, they held his eye and then shifted their gaze to Champion, as if awaiting his instructions.

Champion looked back at them and slowly shifted his head in a soft circular shrug, signalling that they were to step back and obey.

Magan was quick to notice that the Pettilous only accepted Champion’s authority. As he watched the Pettilous step back, he also saw in the periphery of his vision the look of near disdain that Champion gave the general. He had already heard from his sources that Champion had his eye on the general’s palace.

‘Monsieur Magan, please. Continuez, s’il vous plait,’ the general commanded.

‘Mon General, Monsignor Champion. There are over one billion people in India and someday all of them will have mobile phones. Already today, India connects more new mobile users every month than any other country on the planet. And each of these phones uses a little bit of tantalum. My companies’ phones alone use as much tantalum in a month as your whole district produces. I want to propose a business deal.’

The General nodded and motioned for Magan to continue.

‘Today, you sell your tantalum ore to traders. They take it to Goma and sell it to bigger traders who then truck it across the border to Rwanda. The Rwandans label it as their produce and sell it to the Chinese smelters at twice the price. The smelters then sell it to the phone manufacturers and then some it finally ends up in my phones. At every step of the way, someone is taking a bite of profit.’

Magan reached into his pocket and took out a dollar bill pinched between his thumb and forefinger. He flicked out a cigarette lighter with his other hand and set alight one end of the dollar bill.

‘For every dollar the smelter owner sells the tantalum for, here is what your share is, Mon General.’

Magan held his hand at eye level and moved it in a half circle. The dollar bill burned down until there was only a narrow strip less than an inch wide pinched between his fingers.

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