From behind us, a drift of cold evening air came blowing over the long, smooth slopes of the Beacons.
‘Brrrrrrh!’ I went, giving a violent shudder and jumping to my feet.
Tim stared at me in consternation. ‘What’s the matter, Dad?’
‘That wind on the back of my neck. Like I said, ever since our session when the little kid died, it’s given me the jankers.’
Still the boy was watching me. ‘Dad,’ he went. ‘Are
you
dying?’
‘What a question!’ I forced myself to make a joke of it. But all I could say was, ‘I don’t know. I don’t think so. But I’m not sure. The doctors don’t know, either. I got myself a bad dose of radiation, right enough. But so far it hasn’t done the damage they expected. They’re giving me a fifty-fifty chance.’
‘Was it that medicine Jason gave you?’
‘That’s going to save me? How do I know? Maybe it’s helped.’ I picked up my day-sack and slipped it on to my back. Long, purple shadows were stretching out over the folds in the mountains. Dusk was seeping into the valleys.
Looking down at the boy, I was disconcerted to see tears in his eyes.
‘Come on,’ I said, sweeping him up in my arms and sitting him on my left hip. ‘On the way home we’re going to drop in at Tesco’s and get some things for a good fry-up, because I’m definitely not planning to snuff it today.’
‘But Dad,’ he persisted. ‘Didn’t you say the German woman was the ninth white person to die because of the spell?’
‘If you leave out the two South Africans in the Beechcraft, yes.’
‘Then I hope you’re not going to be the tenth man down.’
GLOSSARY
Basha
| Sleeping shelter
|
Bergen
| Rucksack
|
BG
| Bodyguard (noun or verb)
|
Blue-on-blue
| Accidental strike on own forces
|
Bwangi
| Hello
|
Casevac
| Casualty evacuation
|
Choka
| Piss off
|
Comms
| Communications
|
CTR
| Close target reconnaissance
|
DA
| Defence attaché
|
DOP
| Drop-off point
|
DPMs
| Disruptive pattern material camouflage garments
|
DZ
| Drop zone
|
ERV
| Emergency rendezvous
|
ETA
| Estimated time of arrival
|
Exvil
| Exfiltration
|
Fiti
| Sorcerer
|
Go-away bird
| Grey lourie
|
GPS
| Global positioning system, navigation aid
|
Gympi
| General-purpose machine gun
|
Head-shed
| Headquarters
|
ID
| Identity, identify
|
Ima!
| Stop!
|
Incoming
| Incoming fire
|
Juju
| Spell cast by witch doctor
|
Kremlin
| SAS headquarters
|
LUP
| Lying-up point
|
LZ
| Landing zone
|
Magellan
| Brand-name of GPS
|
MRE
| Meals ready to eat
|
NBC
| Nuclear, biological and chemical
|
ND
| Negligent (accidental) discharge of weapon
|
Nshima
| Maize meal
|
OP
| Observation point
|
Pinkie
| 110 Land Rover adapted for SAS
|
PNGs
| Passive night goggles
|
QRF
| Quick-reaction force
|
RTU
| Return to unit
|
Rupert
| Officer
|
Satcom
| Satellite telephone system
|
SEAL
| Sea, Air and Land – American special forces unit
|
Shamouli
| Parachute flare
|
Shreddies
| Army-issue underpants
|
Sin’ganga
| Witch doctor
|
SOP
| Standard operating procedure
|
Stag
| Sentry duty
|
U/S
| Unserviceable
|
Zikomo
| Thank you
|
319
| VHF radio
|