Elizabeth dragged herself towards the car, leaving Doug to see to her luggage. Twice she stopped to take a gulp from her dwindling water supplies. Arriving with her luggage, Doug flung open all the car doors and signalled towards the tree under which the car was standing.

“You’d best stay outside for a few minutes, give the car a chance to cool down. It gets pretty hot in there, even in the shade.”

Elizabeth leant against one of several mango trees, affording shade to the otherwise exposed car park and watched Doug put her luggage into the car and push the front passenger seat back as far as possible to accommodate her tall frame. Judging from her appearance she’d just poured the remaining water over her head. She looked a sorry sight, standing under the tree, gasping for breath in her dark business suit whilst white robed men and kaleidoscopic women strode past without as much as a glance towards her. A few times she fingered the buttons of her jacket, before finally deciding to undo them.

A few minutes later three men strode up to the car and placed a number of large packages into the boot. A fourth man, official looking and wearing what might be taken for a uniform began an animated discussion with Doug. The packages were opened and the official emitted a few clicking sounds before shaking his head and picking up what looked to Elizabeth like a small CD player which had been sitting on top of one of the packages. The man gave a smile as Doug shrugged his shoulders, signed the customs papers and slammed the boot shut. Doug paid off the carriers with a few small coins each. The official received a plain white envelope. He gave a slight bow in return.

Doug signalled to Elizabeth and a few minutes later they were heading out of the airport into the vast desert expanse before them. Elizabeth gradually became aware of the faint buzzing sound of the air-conditioning and the cool air visibly revived her. Soon she started to take an interest in her surroundings but now, all there was to see was the narrow sliver of black snaking its way through the drab, coppery landscape, punctuated by the occasional village in the distance. Her fingers again went to the buttons of her jacket.

“You’re not cold, are you?” The inquiry went without reply.

“You know, you don’t have to wear that jacket. You’re not in head office now.” This remark, at least achieved a wry smile in reply.

After some twenty minutes, Elizabeth noticed the bleak desert expanse beginning to merge into the more familiar steppe of the photos she had seen back at the office. A line of trees appeared on the horizon and soon they were turning onto the dirt track leading into town.

“Fasten your seat-belt,” said Doug with a grin. She soon understood why as the uneven track pushed the limits of the car’s suspension.

“I bet you didn’t have any air turbulence as bad as this,” as the car swerved to avoid a somewhat larger hole. “Hope you don’t get travel-sick too easily.”

But Elizabeth was staring out of the window taking in the multitude of new impressions as the empty void of the desert gave way to the bustle of the town.

“Welcome to Arruhan! The resting-place! Though I fear there’s not much resting to be done here these days. That’s what it used to be called before the colonial powers decided to make it into its capital. Right by the river, you see. Very strategic for transport.”

Elizabeth again unbuttoned her jacket. She reached to open her window in order to take in all the town had to offer: sights, sounds, smells – life.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you; not just because of the air-conditioning. It’s not exactly safe. Last week one of our secretaries had her glasses pinched from right off her nose as she slowed down at a junction. Got them back the next day on the market. Had to pay quite a price, though.”

They drove on past a large poster on the side of the road sporting a smiling black face announcing to the world: “My life has changed, now it’s your turn!”

Elizabeth turned to Doug and spoke for the first time.

“It really does look impressive. You did a good job there.”

“So you recognised it. I wondered whether you would.”

Elizabeth buttoned up her jacket. Fail to recognise the poster? How could she? She’d spent months with Doug working on the campaign. Moving into a third-world country was akin to passing through a minefield. True, there was a crock of gold at the end of it, but only if they managed to negotiate unseen obstacles which threatened daily to explode in their face.

____

Purchase The Red Book to read “Discovery” in its entirety.  Official release is 1st December – pre-release orders taken as of 24th November.