Unobtainium 1: Kate on a Hot Tin Roof

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘I shall decline,’ Charles said quickly. ‘My dancing is, at best, awful.’

  Both women knew that his dancing was, at worst, acceptable, but they were not going to force him into it. Antonia looked at Kate. ‘I… Well, I’ve no idea what to wear or what the local dances might be, but…’

  ‘Excellent!’ Meja said, beaming. ‘You will pick up the dance quickly. Do not worry.’

  ~~~

  ‘Charles is just worried he’ll be confronted by bare-breasted native women, is he not?’ Kate said as she walked beside Antonia back towards the slum that evening.

  ‘I should imagine so. Perhaps I laid it on a little too thick. In truth they wear the shuka, a robe-like garment tied at the shoulder, and beaded necklaces. Of course, tied cloth slips, but semi-nudity is generally reserved for children.’

  ‘And there was I thinking I might strip to the waist later.’

  ‘I am sure it would be appreciated, but unnecessary.’ They were both dressed in skirt and blouse. The day had been sultry and cloud had rolled in in the evening to keep in the heat; as Meja had said, it would be a warm night and retiring early a fruitless exercise. The dance had seemed an even better option than before.

  They could hear music and see the glow of firelight even before they saw the people gathered around a bonfire in the centre of the sprawl of huts. Kate listened, a slight frown on her face as they continued on. ‘The music seems… odd.’

  ‘They use a pentatonic scale, while the majority of music you will have heard utilises a heptatonic scale. It is not uncommon, but will likely sound a little strange at first.’

  ‘Mrs David! You did come.’ It was Meja, of course, striding towards them and still in shirt and jeans. ‘I did not think the promise of a dance was something you could avoid.’

  ‘You know me too well, Meja,’ Antonia replied.

  ‘And what do I call your companion this evening?’

  ‘I’m Kate,’ Kate told him. ‘Just Kate.’

  ‘Then, Just Kate, welcome to the Agikuyu.’

  There were, perhaps, fifty or sixty people sitting, standing, and dancing in the light from a fire made of scrap wood and a few branches from the forest to the north. They were a little wary of the white women at first, but Meja’s presence seemed to set people at their ease fairly quickly. There were older men there, dressed in shukas and doing their best to look quite regal while grinning a lot, but Meja seemed to command respect beyond his years.

  ‘He’s a successful businessman,’ Antonia explained when asked about it. ‘They have been businessmen since before the British came and they respect a man who can run a successful business. David and I assisted a little by brokering some investment deals for him in London, but he makes plenty of money from his guide work. He is a most sought-after man.’

  Kate noted the various young women who seemed to be watching everything Meja did and listening intently to whatever he said. ‘I believe you are correct, but he does not appear so successful.’

  ‘One of the best ways to make money is to avoid spending it. He is no miser, but he invests where others spend.’

  ‘I see. An astute man, and quite becoming. I am surprised there is no wife beside him.’ Kate took a swig from her beer, still in the bottle. It was not a beverage she was used to, but it tasted well enough, and no one was drinking from a glass.

  ‘As he said, he’s rarely at home. He will settle down eventually I’m sure, but for now he feels he could not do a woman the service she deserves, and he has never met the right one. What do you think of the dancing?’

  There seemed to be something of a mix of dancing. The men playing the instruments would switch to a more Western tune every once in a while and the dancers would suddenly slide into a waltz or somewhat haphazard tango. For the slower native melodies, there was a lot of swaying, stepping motions, while the faster songs tended to accompany some rather suggested hip movements which Kate was sure she could mimic. Her skirt might make them less visible, however.

  ‘Unusual, but I believe I understand the basic movements.’

  ‘Good. When we have finished our drinks we shall join them. I admit I need a little Dutch courage before I attempt it.’

  ‘I am sure it will be a most enjoyable experience.’

  ~~~

  ‘Your friend is something quite special.’

  Antonia turned her head as Meja sat down beside her. Kate had been dancing more or less non-stop for the past hour and seemed like she had no intention of giving up. ‘She is indeed. Her stamina is quite extraordinary.’

  ‘It is. And her eyes are quite extraordinary as well.’

  ‘I’m so used to them I don’t really see them anymore.’

  ‘I have seen eyes like that before. Not the same, but like them. Last time you were in Kenya, yes? Her eyes are bright with intelligence and theirs were bright with pain and hunger, but there is something of the same there.’

  ‘This is not to be put abroad.’ She waited for his nod and then went on. ‘Her father experimented upon her in ways not unlike those others were changed. Whether by intent or accident, Kate retains far more of her humanity than those beastmen did though her wits can fail her when she becomes too upset.’

  ‘She does not appear to be too upset currently.’

  Antonia grinned. ‘She does not.’ There was a tiny pause and then she looked at him, a quick glance. ‘I doubt she would notice if I were gone for a short while.’

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second, but she heard it. ‘I am quite sure she would not.’

  Without another word, Antonia rose to her feet and slipped away among the huts. Meja watched the dancing and waited for a minute or two before getting up himself and walking away, taking a slightly longer way through the ramshackle village to his own small home.

  She was naked from the waist up when he opened the door and stepped inside, facing away from him as she folded her blouse to put aside. He watched as her skirt was slipped down her legs. She wore nothing beneath it and his breath caught at the sight of her pale skin, as it always had.

  He stepped up behind her, arms encircling her waist. ‘You are quite sure you want this?’ His voice was soft. His hand, cupping her left breast as he spoke, was rough and drew a tiny moan from her throat. ‘After what has happened–’

  ‘After what has happened, sometimes I need this more than ever.’

  ‘Then we shall make it something to drive away the ghosts, my lioness.’

  29th August.

  ‘Might I ask a personal question?’ Kate asked as they walked back to the Grand. It was past midnight, the clouds had cleared and the temperature was falling, though it remained quite comfortable.

  ‘Of course,’ Antonia replied.

  ‘How was Meja?’

  The blonde woman’s cheeks coloured. ‘I… Well, I…’

  ‘You were both gone for perhaps half an hour and I could smell the sex when you re-joined the dancing. With renewed vigour I might add.’

  ‘I do not wish you thinking ill of me–’

  ‘Why would I do that? I am happy that you can find enjoyment in any manner. Have I not sat outside your room for Mister Thomas before now?’

  ‘Yes, but Meja… Meja is a black man.’

  Kate looked towards her friend. ‘Yes, I had noticed that. He is quite handsome and seemed… well endowed, which was why I asked.’

  Antonia shook her head. ‘Of course you think nothing of it. Would that more of the world saw things as you do, Kate. Suffice to say that such a liaison would be considered highly inappropriate were others to hear of it. Even here it is somewhat frowned upon, though the men seem more inclined to indulge their own desires than to accept that women may wish to try, um, dark meat.’

  Kate giggled. ‘You said that there was more freedom here.’

  ‘I did, and the men are quite willing to use that freedom. David was happy to allow me to indulge my fantasies. Indeed, he would join… No, perhaps some of our private life should remain for us. Let
us simply say that David knew of every other man I entertained, and approved of them. I would never go with someone without his approval.’

  ‘Did he have lovers?’

  Antonia’s cheeks were reddening further, though she was trying to rally. ‘We would… share.’

  They were not far from the hotel now. There were a few large buildings around them with lights on, but there were few people about with the lateness of the hour. Kate’s dark-adjusted eyes scanned about, seeing no one, and then she caught Antonia’s arm and pulled her into the shadows at the side of an overly ornate structure she had been told was some sort of hunters’ club.

  ‘What are you–’ Antonia began, stopping as she found herself in Kate’s arms, staring into her golden eyes.

  ‘More freedom here,’ Kate whispered. Her mouth covered Antonia’s. There was no resistance, just the interplay of lips and tongues.

  ~~~

  Kate’s eyes opened as Antonia slipped from the bed. ‘I must return to my room. It’s almost dawn.’ She paused, sighed, and added, ‘No one must know. You do understand that?’

  ‘No,’ Kate replied, ‘but I accept that it must be so. You are my friend and nothing has changed between us. Has it?’

  Now there was a smile. ‘No, my dear, it has not, though I am glad to hear you say it for some find the act transforms a relationship. I believe they may be right, for my wedding night was something of a transformative experience.’

  ‘And one day I hope I may meet someone who does that for me. For now we will continue as we have always done, as friends and confidantes.’

  ‘But not if I am seen leaving your room at this hour.’ Antonia grabbed her skirt and stepped into it. ‘Dear Kate, you are the most beautiful creature, both inside and out, that God in his wisdom has ever seen fit to put on this Earth. Let none tell you otherwise.’

  ‘I shall endeavour not to.’

  ~~~

  The airfield where they had landed was right on the edge of town and consisted of an expanse of open ground, a couple of tin huts, and a mast which allowed the field personnel to communicate with incoming ships via radio. When Charles said that he would go out to get the ship refuelled, Kate decided that he should not be unescorted, so she would go with him while Antonia stayed at the hotel in case Meja found anything.

  ‘You do realise that it is generally the man escorting the lady?’ Charles asked as they walked. The hotel had offered to provide a carriage, but they had both decided a good walk would be pleasant.

  ‘I am aware, but I am taller, stronger, and faster than you.’

  Charles laughed. ‘Please besmirch my manhood further.’

  ‘I cannot, however, fly an airship or tell anyone how an Unobtainium reactor works.’

  ‘You piloted the ship perfectly adequately while I took a rest.’

  ‘Because it was straight flying in calm weather. If anything had gone wrong… I might even have failed to notice it until it was a serious issue. What makes us effective as a team is that we each have our specialities. Mine are physical, yours are mental.’

  ‘Then I shall content myself with–’ He stopped as Kate held up her hand and, as she did so, he heard the rumble off to their left. As he looked, he beheld a pair of brown eyes watching him from the brush and then the lion who owned them as the animal got to his feet.

  ‘Keep still and remain behind me,’ Kate said, her voice low.

  ‘There have been cases of lions attacking the railway workers.’

  ‘Perhaps, but he is not hungry.’ She lowered herself down to one knee, bringing her head level with the beast’s, but the tension in her muscles was obvious. ‘We disturbed his nap.’

  ‘You’re sure he is not wondering about seconds?’ As if he understood what Charles had said, the lion rumbled, more of a snarl this time.

  Kate answered him, a low, growling rumble that started in her chest and worked its way out through her throat, and the lion seemed to look at her with new eyes. ‘There is easier prey to find, is there not, my friend?’ With another growl, the lion turned and slipped away into the undergrowth.

  ‘And now we know why you are escorting me,’ Charles said after a few seconds when they were sure that the lion was gone and Kate had regained her feet.

  ‘He was young. You saw the pale mane? Antonia said they get darker as they age. Oftentimes they are ejected from their pride at two or three years and forced to roam as nomads.’

  ‘Indeed, but then the females do much of the hunting, as I recall. Perhaps he has heard that the female of the species is often deadlier than the male and chose not to test the veracity of the saying.’

  Kate laughed. ‘In truth, had he attacked I know not who would have won. Apparently he was not sufficiently sure either to risk it. Come, let us proceed to the airfield and ensure that the ship is ready. I have enjoyed a pleasant evening and this morning has been good. I feel we may well receive important news today.’

  ~~~

  ‘The Kundelungu Plateau,’ Meja said. ‘It is part of the Katanga province, but not a part which has been explored. You must go across Lake Victoria and down to Lake Tanganyika. Near to the southern end you will see Lake Mweru to the west and the plateau lies beyond it.’

  ‘Can you tell us anything about it?’ Charles asked. They had gone out to the slum district after Meja had sent word that he had something, but not something he wished to share near other white men.

  ‘Rumours, but they are not rumours I like. Two hunting parties have gone missing in the area, one of them German. This Count von Auttenberg… His presence in the area is conjecture, but it is known that he vanished from Lubumbashi almost ten years ago, but his people still go there for supplies. They say huge airships have been seen in the sky near Lake Mweru, and people speak of foolish things in the jungle.’

  ‘Meja,’ Antonia said, ‘we have both seen “foolish” things which were not as foolish as they seemed.’

  ‘Monsters. Huge beasts which walk like men and breathe fire. They say the dead walk among the trees.’

  ‘Necromenschen,’ Kate said. ‘The Count has some means of raising men from the dead. Well, their bodies move. I’ve seen them.’

  Meja shook his head. ‘Ngai save us. I will come with you to hunt for this man.’

  ‘No,’ Antonia replied. ‘You will stay here. We travel by air and you have given us good directions. You have business to attend to, and a long life to live. And if we do not return you must go to the people in the Protectorate building and tell them where we went and why, and tell them that they must send their biggest weapons to that place.’

  Meja gave a grunt. ‘I know that look and will not argue, but you should know another thing which I have heard. They say the British are sending the Empress of the World to Mombasa and a contingent of men from there to take you back. There are people watching you. They may try to stop you if you try to leave.’

  ‘I noticed someone paying a lot of interest as you arranged for the fuelling of the airship,’ Kate said. ‘I thought nothing of it. I would imagine that airships are not especially common here.’

  ‘They are not,’ Meja agreed, ‘but that is likely one of your followers.’

  ‘Then we leave early,’ Antonia said, ‘and hope they do not follow. Meja, if they come to you asking where we have gone, tell them. I will not have you in trouble over this.’

  ‘Might they inform the Germans of our plan?’ Charles asked.

  ‘Relations across the border are not exactly friendly. If they do it will go to London, then to Berlin, and then out again, which may take days. We should be able to find the Count before anyone on that side is aware of us.’

  ‘Then I wish you luck,’ Meja said. ‘I think Ngai will smile upon this enterprise of yours, even though you are not Agikuyu.’

  30th August.

  ‘Any sign of pursuit?’ Charles asked as he walked back into the gondola’s cockpit after starting up the generator which powered the two rear fans.

  ‘As yet, none,’ Anto
nia replied. She stood at one of the forward windows with binoculars watching for evidence that anyone had noticed them sneaking out of the hotel. ‘However, Kate has better eyes than I in the dark.’

  Nodding, Charles wound a lever on the console several times and then pressed on a button. ‘Kate, do you see anything?’

  There was a short pause and then Kate’s voice crackling over the telephone device from the top deck. ‘Nothing as yet. We may be noticed leaving, however. I see lights on in town.’

  ‘That cannot be helped. Come below. I mean to make all speed away from here as soon as we have gained some height.’

  By the time Kate had negotiated the ladder from the top of the envelope and walked through to the cockpit, they were at three thousand feet, still climbing, and the airspeed indicator said they were travelling at two hundred miles per hour.

  ‘How fast can this thing go?’ Kate asked, peering over Charles’s shoulder.

  ‘She’s rated for five hundred miles per hour,’ Charles replied, ‘but that kind of speed is not especially recommended. Once we have the lake below us I shall be cutting back. We could easily reach our destination by early afternoon.’

  ‘No,’ Antonia said. ‘I believe our best course of action will be to camp in the region of Lake Tanganyika. We will overnight there and then proceed to the northern part of the plateau in the morning. We will have need of good light and we may well be required to move slowly to spot our destination.’

  Charles gave a nod. ‘A leisurely cruise then. We can drop a drag tether and sit out the night over the lake. There should be less chance of us being disturbed and we have rations.’

  Kate looked down at the leathers she was wearing; Antonia had put on trousers and a shirt to make their escape as well, given that there might have to be running. ‘I believe I will change. I suspect I will be wearing these clothes again soon, but something more civilised seems appropriate for a cruise.’

  Antonia smiled at her and turned to follow. ‘I believe I will join you. We do want to look pretty for our handsome pilot.’