A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

Author:Anita Shreve
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Psychological, General & Literary Fiction, Fiction, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), General
ISBN: 9780349120614
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group Limited
Published: 2010-10-15T07:00:00+00:00

As soon as Patrick arrived home that evening, Margaret told him her news.

“It’s with the Tribune,” she added casually.

For the first time, she’d noticed that morning a half dozen new wrinkles around Patrick’s eyes. He was often outside for his work, and the weathering was beginning to show. She imagined he thought the same of her.

“The Kenya Morning Tribune?” he asked.

She was chewing gum from a pack she’d bought in Nairobi. She never chewed gum. She nodded.

“Really,” he said, setting his briefcase and doctor bag on the floor by the hall table.

“Really.”

“Jesus, Margaret.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Of all the publications in Kenya, you pick the most controversial?”

“It’s a good paper,” she answered. “Very respectable. It’s only photos, anyway. I could make as much as fifteen hundred shillings a week, plus more for the odd shot the editor buys without having assigned it.”

“And that editor would be Solomon Obok?”

“You know him?”

Patrick moved into the living room with his hands on his hips. Moses had set out a bouquet of pink and white lilies on the coffee table.

“Everybody knows him,” Patrick said. “Did he call you?”

Margaret laughed and inadvertently swallowed her gum. “No,” she said. “How would he possibly know me? I just showed up with my portfolio.” She was aware that her tone was a little too offhand.

“Why?” Patrick asked.

“Why?”

He paced behind the couch.

“I’m going mad here, Patrick. I need a job. You have one. I had one before I came here. I can’t dabble anymore.”

“Well, I guess I’m glad for you, then,” he said without enthusiasm.

“Mr. Obok thought the stuff from Boston routine,” she said, “but he liked the African photos.”

“Good.”

She waited.

“That’s all?” she asked. “Good?”

“I can’t say I’m thrilled, Margaret. I’ll worry for you. I can’t pretend that I won’t.”

“Why is it necessary to worry about me?”

“Have you read the paper? It’s run by Luo, and they have an agenda, and the tribe that runs the country is Kikuyu, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“There are half a dozen expats who work there and at least as many Asians.”

“And?”

“And nothing. There’s nothing nefarious about it.”

Patrick nodded slowly in the way that people do when they’re not buying any of it.

“If he asks me to do something I think is risky, I won’t do it,” Margaret said.

“We’ll see.”

It was all she was going to get, and it would have to be enough. Besides, she reminded herself, she wasn’t doing this for Patrick’s approval. Or was she?

“Oh, and there’s one other thing,” Margaret said. “I might be needing the car more now. Mr. Obok expects me to be able to drive to some of the assignments. You and I can work it out. I can take you in in the morning and use the car and then pick you up when you’re done.”

“You just be careful, Margaret,” he said.

“I’ll be making some money, so maybe we could save and go on a real vacation. To Mombasa. To a resort. Just lie in the sun and swim. We need that.”

Patrick took a deep breath and exhaled. “We sure as hell do,” he said.

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