wishes to terrify a man. And zombies will do that,’ he added, with a wolfish smile. ‘But when Ibrought them into the room and the
buckra
turned to flee, this one’—the flick of a hand towards Rodrigo—‘sprang upon him and stabbed him. The man fell dead, and Rodrigo then
ordered
me’—his tone of voice made it clear what he thought of anyone ordering him to do anything—‘to make my zombies feed upon him. And I did,’ he ended abruptly.
Grey swung round to Captain Accompong, who had sat silently through this testimony.
‘And then you paid this … this—’
‘Houngan,’
Ishmael put in helpfully.
‘—to do
that
?!’ He pointed at Rodrigo, and his voice shook with outraged horror.
‘Justice,’ said Accompong, with simple dignity. ‘Don’t you think so?’
Grey found himself temporarily bereft of speech. While he groped for something possible to say, the headman turned to a lieutenant and said, ‘Bring the other one.’
‘The
other
—’ Grey began, but before he could speak further, there was another stir among the crowd, and from one of the huts a maroon emerged, leading another man by a rope around his neck. The man was wild-eyed and filthy, his hands bound behind him, but his clothes had originally been very fine. Grey shook his head, trying to dispel the remnants of horror that clung to his mind.
‘Captain Cresswell, I presume?’ he said.
‘Save me!’ the man panted, and collapsed on his knees at Grey’s feet. ‘I beg you, sir—whoever you are—save me!’
Grey rubbed a hand wearily over his face and looked down at the erstwhile superintendent, then at Accompong.
‘Does he need saving?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want to—I know what he’s done—but it
is
my duty.’
Accompong pursed his lips, thinking.
‘You know what he is, you say. If I give him to you, what would you do with him?’
At least there was an answer to that one.
‘Charge him with his crimes and send him to England for trial. If he is convicted, he would be imprisoned—or possibly hanged. What would happen to him here?’ he asked curiously.
Accompong turned his head, looking thoughtfully at the
houngan
, who grinned unpleasantly.
‘No!’ gasped Cresswell. ‘No, please! Don’t let him take me! I can’t—I can’t—oh, GOD!’ He glanced, appalled, at the stiff figure of Rodrigo, then fell face-first onto the ground at Grey’s feet, weeping convulsively.
Numbed with shock, Grey thought for an instant that it
would
probably resolve the rebellion … but no. Cresswell couldn’t countenance the possibility of being handed over toIshmael, and neither could Grey
‘Right,’ said Grey, and swallowed before turning to Accompong. ‘He
is
an Englishman, and, as I said, it’s my duty to see that he’s subject to English laws. I must therefore ask that you give him into my custody and take my word that I will see he receives justice. Our sort of justice,’ he added, giving the evil look back to the
houngan
.
‘And if I don’t?’ Accompong asked, blinking genially at him.
‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to fight you for him,’ Grey said. ‘But I’m bloody tired and I really don’t want to.’ Accompong laughed at this, and Grey followed swiftly up with ‘I will, of course, appoint a new superintendent—and, given the importance of the office, I will bring the new superintendent here so that you may meet him and approve of him.’
‘If I don’t approve?’
‘There are a bloody lot of Englishmen on Jamaica,’ Grey said, impatient. ‘You’re bound to like
one
of them.’
Accompong laughed out loud, his little round belly jiggling under his coat.
‘I like you, Colonel,’ he said. ‘You want to be superintendent?’
Grey suppressed the natural answer to this and instead said, ‘Alas, I have a duty to the army which prevents my accepting the offer, amazingly generous though it is.’ He coughed. ‘You have my word that I will find you a suitable candidate, though.’
The tall
buckra
turned to flee, this one’—the flick of a hand towards Rodrigo—‘sprang upon him and stabbed him. The man fell dead, and Rodrigo then
ordered
me’—his tone of voice made it clear what he thought of anyone ordering him to do anything—‘to make my zombies feed upon him. And I did,’ he ended abruptly.
Grey swung round to Captain Accompong, who had sat silently through this testimony.
‘And then you paid this … this—’
‘Houngan,’
Ishmael put in helpfully.
‘—to do
that
?!’ He pointed at Rodrigo, and his voice shook with outraged horror.
‘Justice,’ said Accompong, with simple dignity. ‘Don’t you think so?’
Grey found himself temporarily bereft of speech. While he groped for something possible to say, the headman turned to a lieutenant and said, ‘Bring the other one.’
‘The
other
—’ Grey began, but before he could speak further, there was another stir among the crowd, and from one of the huts a maroon emerged, leading another man by a rope around his neck. The man was wild-eyed and filthy, his hands bound behind him, but his clothes had originally been very fine. Grey shook his head, trying to dispel the remnants of horror that clung to his mind.
‘Captain Cresswell, I presume?’ he said.
‘Save me!’ the man panted, and collapsed on his knees at Grey’s feet. ‘I beg you, sir—whoever you are—save me!’
Grey rubbed a hand wearily over his face and looked down at the erstwhile superintendent, then at Accompong.
‘Does he need saving?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want to—I know what he’s done—but it
is
my duty.’
Accompong pursed his lips, thinking.
‘You know what he is, you say. If I give him to you, what would you do with him?’
At least there was an answer to that one.
‘Charge him with his crimes and send him to England for trial. If he is convicted, he would be imprisoned—or possibly hanged. What would happen to him here?’ he asked curiously.
Accompong turned his head, looking thoughtfully at the
houngan
, who grinned unpleasantly.
‘No!’ gasped Cresswell. ‘No, please! Don’t let him take me! I can’t—I can’t—oh, GOD!’ He glanced, appalled, at the stiff figure of Rodrigo, then fell face-first onto the ground at Grey’s feet, weeping convulsively.
Numbed with shock, Grey thought for an instant that it
would
probably resolve the rebellion … but no. Cresswell couldn’t countenance the possibility of being handed over toIshmael, and neither could Grey
‘Right,’ said Grey, and swallowed before turning to Accompong. ‘He
is
an Englishman, and, as I said, it’s my duty to see that he’s subject to English laws. I must therefore ask that you give him into my custody and take my word that I will see he receives justice. Our sort of justice,’ he added, giving the evil look back to the
houngan
.
‘And if I don’t?’ Accompong asked, blinking genially at him.
‘Well, I suppose I’ll have to fight you for him,’ Grey said. ‘But I’m bloody tired and I really don’t want to.’ Accompong laughed at this, and Grey followed swiftly up with ‘I will, of course, appoint a new superintendent—and, given the importance of the office, I will bring the new superintendent here so that you may meet him and approve of him.’
‘If I don’t approve?’
‘There are a bloody lot of Englishmen on Jamaica,’ Grey said, impatient. ‘You’re bound to like
one
of them.’
Accompong laughed out loud, his little round belly jiggling under his coat.
‘I like you, Colonel,’ he said. ‘You want to be superintendent?’
Grey suppressed the natural answer to this and instead said, ‘Alas, I have a duty to the army which prevents my accepting the offer, amazingly generous though it is.’ He coughed. ‘You have my word that I will find you a suitable candidate, though.’
The tall
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