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.He licked his lips, staring.Theexpression on Ash s face was one of profound concentration, as though the task wasvital.Thinking of the lion, Roy wondered if perhaps it was.He closed his eyes as Ashkissed him again, softer this time. Ash, he whispered.There was no answer for a moment; then Ash sat up slowly. That was intense,Ash said unsteadily.Roy opened his eyes and sat up, sliding an arm around his lover. With you, it hasbeen from the beginning.Ash grinned at that, looking down.Roy found himself thinking about the lionfrom his dream, and Ash s sudden appearance a moment later; the lion at Thornsideand Ash s confused and bloodstained daze when Roy reached the cave.Mambokadzi sstory.Men weren t lions.Roy shifted a little, getting comfortable in the dust.Roy lookedover at Ash, his gold, tousled hair and too-old eyes.It was madness, surely; a hangoverfrom his malarial fever.Except, Roy s treacherous mind whispered, that the lion came toThornside before your malaria returned.Ash caught Roy s gaze and looked at him questioningly.The words were on the tip of Roy s tongue.But really, how would it sound? Areyou now, or have you ever been, a lion?Roy shook his head.But as they took turns dozing and keeping watch through the rest of the day, Roythought of Ash s unexpected strength, his ability to manage in the wilderness alone.That and the fact that Ash s arrival on the veldt had coincided with the appearance ofthe young gold lion who acted so strangely.And then, of course, there was the question of Thornside.The Haywood brotherswere out for blood.Lion blood.If Roy s suspicions were correct, like as not they dunknowingly take their blood relative s head as a trophy.Roy shivered despite theday s heat.Even if Ash didn t prove to be a lion and let s face facts, the little voice said, whatare the odds? Roy s own dealings with Gerald Haywood led him to believe that shouldAsh prove to be no more than a beautiful, confused young man, he faced at least asmuch danger from his family as from anything out on the veldt.Probably more.Roy looked over at Ash.He thought hard about all the things that had happenedsince the war, since he d come to Rhodesia and given his fortune over to the veldt.Hethought about that and the way Ash felt in his arms, skin against skin, his breath hotand gentle in Roy s ear; the soft, urgent sounds Ash made when Roy was moving insidehim.Roy thought about all these things and more, and told the little voice in his head togo to the devil.Even without any explanation at all, if Ash was a lion, Roy would havehim just the same and hang the consequences!* * * *At last the sun sank lower, the heat of the afternoon giving way to evening.WhenRoy woke, Ash sat watching the baobab, his back against the scrawny trunk of amopane. Should we go closer?Roy scrubbed sleep from his eyes, taking in the inadequate shelter cast by themopanes. There s no cover out there.We should stay here.Ash nodded. Can we make camp here? We could, but I don t like it.We re only an hour from my compound.I think wespend the night there.It s safer, and it s defensible. Roy stood up, shading his eyesagainst the sun and staring across the veldt. What is it? There s something out there, Roy said tightly. And whatever it is, it s comingthis way.Ash scrambled to his feet and looked out across the veldt. Lions?Roy shook his head. Bigger than that.It could be buffalo, but I don t think so.He hesitated. It looks like men. Roy swore again, louder. Looks like a party fromThornside. My uncle! Ash froze. Hunting us? It s possible.They re coming from the direction of my compound.Or maybethey ve just been out decimating the wildlife in the name of sport.Must be at least onerhino left on the veldt with a horn Big White Mas a wants for his collection. Roystruggled to keep the fear from his voice.His fears were real.Ash s family was comingfor him, whatever his form.Ash winced. He makes me ashamed to be English. He makes me ashamed to be human, Roy answered.Approaching across the veldt came a procession of six or eight natives, many ofthem carrying bundles on their heads.With them marched Gerald Haywood andanother white man. My father, Ash said in a low voice.Roy laid a reassuring hand on his arm.Ash s eyes were huge, showing every bit ofthe fear Roy had seen in him the first day he d brought him home.Roy s heart ached. He can t hurt you now.Neither of them can. Roy put every ounce of convictionhe had into the words. I promised to keep you safe.Ash nodded, swallowing hard.A few yards past the baobab tree, Haywood called a halt.Under Roy s scornfuleye, the natives put their bundles down and erected from them a pole-and-canvasshelter.One of them set to making a fire while the Haywood brothers seated themselvesbeneath the shade. His Highness takes tea, Roy spat. Ash, wait here and stay hidden.I m going toget closer and listen, all right? If necessary, I ll go in and ask what they re doing.Ash grabbed Roy s arm, squeezing. Be careful. I will, but I don t really have to be.As long as they don t see you, they have noreason to make trouble for us.Ash nodded again and stepped back into the mopanes. They won t see me.Count on that.Roy followed, guiding Ash to the back of the thicket where there was no chance ofobservation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]