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.Eduardo slept well.He rose with renewed vigour the next morning, showered and put on a fresh suit.The four days were turning out to be well worth while and a single stone might yet kill two birds.By eight-forty-five, he was waiting impatiently for the previously punctual colonel.The colonel did not show up at eight-forty-five and had still not appeared when the clock on his mantelpiece struck nine.De Silveira sent his private secretary off to find out where he was while he paced angrily backwards and forwards through the hotel suite.His secre43A Quiver of Arrowstary returned a few minutes later in a panic with the information that the hotel was surrounded by armed guards.Eduardo did not panic.He had been through eight coupe in his life from which he had learnt one golden rule: the new regime never kills visiting foreigners as it needs their money every bit as much as the last government.Eduardo picked up the telephone but no one answered him so he switched on the radio.A tape recording was playing:"This is Radio Nigeria, this is Radio Nigeria.There has been a coup.General Mohammed has been overthrown and Lieutenant Colonel Dimka has assumed leadership of the new revolutionary government.Do not be afraid; remain at home and everything will be back to normal in a few hours.This is Radio Nigeria, this is Radio Nigeria.There has been a."Eduardo switched off the radio as two thoughts flashed through his mind.Coups always held up everything and caused chaos, so undoubtedly he had wasted the four days.But worse, would it now be possible for him even to get out of Nigeria and carry on his normal business with the rest of the world?By lunchtime, the radio was playing martial music interspersed with the tape recorded message he now knew offby heart.Eduardo detailed all his staff to find out anything they could and to report back to him direct.They all returned with the same story; that it was impossible to get past the soldiers surrounding the hotel so no new information could be unearthed.Eduardo swore for the first time in months.To add to his inconvenience, the hotel manager rang through to say that regretfully Mr.de Silveira would have to eat in the main dining room as there would be no room service until further notice.Eduardo went down to the dining room somewhat reluctantly only to discover that the head waiter showed no interest in who he was and placed him unceremoniously at a small table already occupied by three Italians.Manuel Rodrigues was seated only two tables away: Eduardo stiffened at the thought of the other man enjoying his447~ condiscomfiture and then remembered it was that morning he was supposed to have seen the Minister of Ports.He ate his meal quickly despite being served slowly and when the Italians tried to make conversation with him he waved them away with his hand, feigning lack of understanding, despite the fact that he spoke their language fluently.As soon as he had finished the second course he returned to his room.His staffhad only gossip to pass on and they had been unable to make contact with the Brazilian Embassy to lodge an of ficial protest."A lot of good an official protest will do us," said Eduardo, slumping down in his chair."Who do you send it to, the new regime or the old one?"He sat alone in his room for the rest ofthe day, interrupted only by what he thought was the sound of gunfire in the distance.He read the New Federal Capital project proposal and his advisers' reports for a third time.The next morning Eduardo, dressed in the same suit as he had worn on the day of his arrival, was greeted by his secretary with the news that the coup had been crushed; after fierce street fighting, he informed his unusually attentive chairman, the old regime had regained power but not without losses; among those killed in the uprising had been General Mohammed, the Head of State.The secretary's news was officially confirmed on Radio Nigeria later that morning.The ringleader of the abortive coup had been one Lieutenant Colonel Dimka: Dimka, along with one or two junior officers, had escaped, and the government had ordered a dusk to dawn curfew until the evil criminals were apprehended.Pull offa coup and you're a national hero, fail and you're an evil criminal; in business it's the same difference between bankruptcy and making a fortune, considered Eduardo as he listened to the news report.He was beginning to form plans in his mind for an early departure from Nigeria when the newscaster made an announcement that chilled him to the very marrow."While Lieutenant Colonel Dimka and his accomplices 45A Quiver Full of Arrowsremain on the run, airports throughout the country will be closed until further notice."When the newscaster had finished his report, martial music was played in memory of the late General Mohammed.Eduardo went downstairs in a flaming temper.The hotel was still surrounded by armed guards.He stared at the Beet of six empty Mercedes which was parked only ten yards beyond the soldiers' rifles.He marched back into the foyer, irritated by the babble of different tongues coming at him from every direction.Eduardo looked around him: it was obvious that many people had been stranded in the hotel overnight and had ended up sleeping in the lounge or the bar [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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