Wormwood 1 - Rosewater by Tade Thompson

Author:Tade Thompson [Thompson, Tade]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2021-07-07T14:00:00+00:00

I hollow out a gigantic King James Bible and seal the tablet in it. I go to a courier service and send it to myself at Rosewater.

I am ready to be captured now. I take a taxi to the Bar Beach, buy some suya, and sit eating on a small sand dune until I hear footsteps.

I go quietly.

I have never been to any of S45’s Lagos Field Offices. This is where I videoconference with Eurohen. I am treated well. I have a Diet Coke and shortbread biscuits on the table beside me. I enquire after the men I “burned” and am told they are well, but shaken. I send them apologies by proxy. The boss keeps me waiting for twenty-one minutes before the plasma field springs to life.

‘Kaaro! It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.’ Eurohen’s voice is effeminate, but enthusiastic.

‘Unfortunately, I cannot say the same.’

‘Ahh, I see. Loyalty to Alaagomeji. Good. Excellent. I like that.’

I swear the guy has blond highlights in his hair.

‘You like history, Kaaro?’

‘Not particularly.’

‘I do. July 11th, 1943. The Gulf of Gela, Sicily. A friendly fire incident leads to the shooting down of twenty-three C47 aircrafts. One hundred and fifty-seven service men lose their lives, and over two hundred were wounded. Do you know this story?’

‘No.’

‘It doesn’t matter. What you need to learn, the takeaway message is that a lack of coordination of resources costs lives.’

This meeting runs with a filigree of irritation. I stay silent.

‘From now on, coordination. Laser focus. All parts working together. Agencies, arms of government, parties —’

‘Excuse me,’ I say. ‘Sir, I am miles away from my home base. I’d like to go home tonight. What are you saying, exactly?’

‘I want you to trust me —’

‘Then meet me in a room with contiguous air.’

‘Oh, I intend to. I have nothing to hide.’

That’s new. Stops me in my tracks.

‘I have a whole new focus for you, for sensitives. Mrs. Alaagomeji was … competent, but she lacked vision.’

‘I have a focus, sir, an interrogation.’

‘That’s not focus. It’s an assignment. What I want is for you to join a church.’

‘What?’

‘Do you not feel the love of our Lord and Saviour?’ He smiles.

‘Get to the fucking point,’ I say.

‘Calm down, agent. You still work for me.’ He did not seem annoyed. I wish I had time to read the file they had on me before this meeting.

‘I’m sorry, sir.’

‘Think nothing of it. In fact, think to yourself, what would Jesus do?’

‘He’d say “get thee behind me, Satan” under these circumstances. Sir.’

Eurohen laughs. ‘I want you to join a church, a big one with a congregation of millions. I want you to gain their trust using your abilities and, when the time comes, I will instruct you on how to use that trust.’

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