African Pursuit (19 page)
Authors: David Alric
‘
… and now, after that quite extraordinary news, we go over to our special correspondents in Westminster and New York. First to Sally at Westminster:’
‘Thank you, John. As you say, today has been one of the most extraordinary days in the history of politics and, indeed, the history of this country. Earlier today Dr Grace Bonaventure was received at Buckingham Palace by His Majesty the King and invited to form a government as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Dr Bonaventure qualified in medicine in 2020 and worked for several years for the International Red Cross in trouble spots and deprived areas across the globe, receiving widespread recognition for her astonishing results in improving healthcare in remote areas lacking in infrastructure and resources. She settled in England after marrying a fellow doctor and went into what was to prove a brilliant career in politics. She was rapidly acknowledged by politicians on both sides of the house to be unsurpassed in her knowledge of matters relating to the environment and energy resources and after a brief spell as Minister for the Environment she has now, on her forty-second birthday, become the youngest Prime Minister since William Pitt in 1783 and only the
second woman Prime Minister in British history. I must leave you now, John, for the new Prime Minister has kindly agreed to spare me a few moments. I will come back to you with that interview as soon as it is over.’
‘Thank you, Sally. We look forward to hearing from you with that report. Well, for most families, having a daughter as Prime Minister would be success enough in itself but we go over now to our New York correspondent to hear the background to today’s other big news, the astonishing appointment of Dr Bonaventure’s twin sister as Director General of the United Nations.”
‘Thank you, John. Yes, here at the UN the media are in what can only be described as a feeding frenzy. There has simply never been anything like it. For the youngest-ever Secretary General to be appointed on the very same day that her identical twin is made the Prime Minister of Great Britain is nothing short of mind-blowing. Dr Bonaventure – Dr
Lucy
Bonaventure that is – first qualified as a vet in England and obtained her doctorate in the diseases of Cretaceous Period Animals at the recently established University of Prehistory in Manaus, Brazil. She then started on her brilliant career with the United Nations Organization, first out in the field and, more recently, at the central organization in New York. Her knowledge of the world’s fauna is reported to be unequalled even by leading international zoological experts and she is unquestionably the most erudite person, notwithstanding her relative youth, ever to be appointed to this prestigious position. She is, of course, the first-ever woman in the post. I must apologize for the background noise to this recording. I am standing in the main foyer of the UN and the level of excitement here exceeds anything I have ever experienced in a long career in journalism. Now back to you, John, in London.’
‘Thank you, Michael. Well, there it is: identical twin sisters appointed on the same day to two of the most influential jobs on the planet. Both are married with children. Both are interested in, and extremely knowledgeable about, the great environmental issues that now dominate our thoughts and our future.
‘Between them they wield enormous power and influence. The question now on everyone’s lips is: “How they are going to use it?” Only time will tell.’
(the suffix âkin is both singular and plural)
| animanet | animal communication network |
| arborikin | monkey |
| arborimane | baboon |
| bonobokin | pygmy chimpanzee |
| Brilliant One | the Sun |
| cacklekin | hyena |
| carrionquill | vulture |
| clovenkin | antelope, gazelle, etc. |
| common tongue | universal animal language |
| cornukin | rhinoceros |
| Dreadful One | crocodile, alligator |
| fellfang | any species of venomous snake |
| fledgibane | hawk |
| fledgiquill | any species of bird |
| fleetfang | cheetah |
| giant greypod | large herbivore: elephant, rhino |
| gilliquill | fish eagle |
| Great Flitterkin | pterodactyl |
| Great Salt | the ocean |
| Greater World | the rainforest |
| greathorn | giant unicorn (Mokèlé-Mbèmbé) |
| greatkine | buffalo |
| Hairy Tailless One | any species of great ape |
| hipposnort | hippopotamus |
| house that floats | boat |
| house that moves | any vehicle: car, lorry, etc. |
| junglekin | all the animals of the rainforest |
| Lesser World | all the world outside the rainforest |
| Little Tailless One | forest pygmy |
| malevobane | mongoose |
| Malevolent One | any species of snake |
| manefang | lion |
| mimicquill | parrot |
| raptoquill | eagle |
| scurripod | rat, mouse, vole, etc. |
| shieldkin | tortoise, turtle |
| spotfang | leopard |
| Tailless One | human being |
| The Special One | Neema |
| thunderstick | rifle |
| tuskikin | elephant |
| wolfkin | wild dog, jackal, wolf, etc. |
These notes give some information about the people and places referred to in the book, and cite the chapter or section in which their name first appears. Some of the names are real and the information given is simply factual. Many of the names, however, are fictitious, or used in a fictitious manner, and these tell you something about the character to whom they belong. Some are very obvious, others much less so; some are in Portuguese, the language of Brazil, and some in Swahili, the main language of East Africa. See how many hidden meanings or associations you spotted as you read the story.
Unusual words or abbreviations used in this section are explained in the glossary.
Alan Cutcliff
Chapter 7
This man is a curator of minerals.
Alan
comes from the Breton name meaning “little rock” and
Cutcliff
is an appropriate name for one who obtains stones from cliffs.
Angstrom
Chapter 5
The angstrom is a unit of length equivalent to 0.1 nanometre. It is used to express wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum and is a very appropriate name for a scientist researching the physics of light.
Biggles
Chapter 8
Biggles happens to have the same name as the famous fictional pilot hero who appears in the books by W E Johns. Major James Bigglesworth, known always as
Biggles,
was a fighter ace who featured in numerous flying adventures.
Bonaventure
Preface
Bonaventure is Lucy’s surname. Saint Bonaventure (1221–74) was a mystic and philosopher who was the author of
‘Life of St. Francis.’
Saint Francis, like Lucy, was said to be able to communicate with animals.
Boyoma Falls
Chapter 11
Formerly known as the Stanley Falls, the Boyoma Falls are a series of seven cataracts that extend for 60 miles (100 kilometres) along the Lualaba River between Ubundu and Kisangani. Below the seventh cataract the river becomes the Congo River.
Chakula
Chapter 4
Chakula means food in Swahili and is a good name for Neema’s cook.
Colarinho
Chapter 5
Captain Colarinho is one of the Brazilian policemen.
Colarinho
is a Portuguese word for a person who catches someone.
Ferret
Chapter 21
Ferret is an investigative journalist with a very suitable name (see glossary).
Fossfinder
Preface
Helen and Julian Fossfinder are palaeontologists who look for
fossils.
Haggard
Chapter 21
Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856–1925) was a writer of adventure stories, mostly set in Africa.
King Solomon’s Mines
is one of his most famous books.
(see Solomon)
Hakimu
Chapter 3
This is a Swahili word meaning chief. It is a suitable name for the chief ranger at the reserve!
Hans
Chapter 8
Hans is a variant of Johannes, the German name equivalent to John in English.
Hogwarts
Chapter 13
Hogwarts is the school of witchcraft and wizardry in J K Rowling’s best-selling
Harry Potter
series. The mail is delivered to and from Hogwarts by owls and Sarah thinks this is similar to the use of hawks and eagles for the same purpose by Lucy.
Jambo
Chapter 3
Jambo means “hello” in Swahili and is the name of the first bonobo to greet Neema in the forest.
Jangili
Chapter 9
As you might have guessed,
Jangili
is a Swahili word meaning poacher or rogue.
Johannes
Chapter 21 see Hans.
Kasai Craton
Chapter 7
A famous diamond-bearing seam that extends from Angola into Kasai in the DCR.
Kilimanjaro
Chapter 6
Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano in north-eastern Tanzania. It is 5892 metres high (19,331 feet), and is the highest point in Africa.
King Solomon
Chapter 21 see Solomon
Kinshasa
Chapter 3
Kinshasa, formerly known as Léopoldville, is the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a population of approximately 10 million people it is the third largest city on the African continent and the second largest Francophone city in the world, after Paris.
Kongamato
Chapter 4
This is a cryptid (
qv
) that has been the subject of numerous sightings over the last hundred years in Zambia and the DCR, including a report from a British Museum expedition in 1932. It is supposedly a living species of pterodactyl.
Kuficha
Chapter 10
This is a Swahili word meaning to hide or conceal. It is a suitable name for someone with an invisibility robe!
Kukamata
Chapter 10
This is a Swahili word meaning to detain or restrain and is an appropriate name for an anti-poaching officer.
Littleporkton
Chapter 24
A seaside town which must be somewhere similar to Little
ham
pton.
Livingstone
Chapter 13
Dr David Livingstone(1813–73) was a Scottish missionary doctor who was one of the greatest European explorers of Africa. He publicised the horrors of the slave trade. He died on an expedition to expose further information about slavery and to discover the source of the Nile.
Loch Ness Monster
Chapter 4
A cryptid, also called ‘Nessie’ (Scottish Gaelic:
Niseag
). Its (disputed) scientific name is
Nessiteras rhombopteryx,
meaning
The wonder of Ness with the diamond-shaped fin.
The name was given by the late Sir Peter Scott and sceptics point out that this ‘scientific’ name is an anagram of
‘monster hoax by Sir Peter S.’
Loch Ness is the largest body of fresh water in Britain (by volume) and the monster is claimed to be one of a colony of lake creatures similar in appearance to the (long-extinct) plesiosaurs. The first reported sighting of the creature was said to have been by St. Colomba on 22 August 565 AD.
Lucinda
Prologue
The name Lucinda means ‘bringer of light’, an appropriate name for this scientist. The Roman goddess of childbirth, Lucine, gave first light to the newborn.
Lucius
Chapter 7
The name Lucius comes from the Latin word,
lux,
meaning light.
Lukwata
Chapter 22
A cryptid water monster that has been the subject of several reported sightings in the swamps of eastern and central Africa.
Luz
Chapter 9
This is the Portuguese word for light, the subject studied by the professor.
Masai Mara
Chapter 9
A large park reserve in south-western Kenya, famous for its abundance of game. It is adjacent to the Serengeti reserve in neighbouring Tanzania.
Mgosa
Chapter 10
This is a Swahili word meaning “thief or “criminal.” It is a very suitable name for Sid’s henchman!
Mlezi
Chapter 2
This is a Swahili word meaning “nurse” or “children’s governess.” It is an appropriate name for Mzuri.
Mlinzi
Chapter 2
This is a Swahili word meaning “watchman” or “protector.” It is a suitable name for Mzuri’s father who is a ranger guarding the game reserve.
Mokèlé-Mbèmbé
Chapter 4
A large cryptid that has been the subject of numerous sightings along the Congo river. Some reports describe it as having a giant single horn.
Moriarty
Chapter 8
Professor James Moriarty appears in the famous fictional detective stories about Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is Holmes’s arch enemy and is commonly regarded as being the first ‘supervillain’ in literature. In the present book
Moriarty
is the maiden name of Prof. Strahlung’s mother so, appropriately, the two evil professors are presumably related.
Mzuri
Chapter 1
This is a Swahili word meaning good.
Ndoki
Chapter 4
A remote jungle area in the north of the republic of Congo, famous for its wildlife.
Ndugu shetani
Chapter 10
Ndugu is a Swahili word meaning
brother
and shetani means
devil
or
evil spirit.
Neema
Chapter 2
This is a Swahili word meaning good fortune or
grace.
Ngorongoro crater
Chapter 6
The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest unflooded volcanic caldera, having an approximate diameter of 12 miles (20 km). It is situated in a conservation area in Tanzania and contains a wide variety of wild life. It is a popular tourist attraction.
Peter Flint
Chapter 5
Lucinda’s fiancé. He is a geologist with very appropriate names.
Peter
comes from the Greek word petros meaning stone, and
Flint
is a type of rock called quartz
Photogyraspar
Chapter 5
This is not a real substance but is the name Lucinda coined for the ore discovered by Biggles.
Photo
comes from the Greek word ‘phos’ meaning light.
Gyrate
means to rotate or spiral from the Greek word ‘guros’ a circle. Spar is a transparent or translucent microcrystalline mineral. Thus
photogyraspar
is a crystalline mineral that twists or distorts light
Poirot
Chapter 5
Hercule
Poirot
is a famous Belgian detective who appears in many of the detective stories written by Agatha Christie.
Pterodactyl
Chapter 4
Meaning:
Winged finger.
Any of a large variety of flying reptiles belonging to the order
Pterosauria.
The
wings were covered in thin membranes of skin, like a bat, and the animals ranged in size from that of a small bird to monsters with a wing span of 14 metres. Pterodactyl species existed over an immense span of time: 228–65mya.
Queen of Sheba
Chapter 21 see Sheba
Rider Haggard
Chapter 21 see Haggard.
Sabedoria
Chapter 7
This is the Portuguese word for
wisdom.
A suitable name for the university.
Salonga National Park
Chapter 1
This is the largest tropical rainforest reserve in Africa. It is situated at the heart of the Congo river basin and is only accessible by water. It is home to many rare and endangered species, including the bonobo.
Schadenfreude
Chapter 8
This is a German word meaning to take pleasure in another’s misfortune.
Serengeti
Chapter 6
The Serengeti National Park is a large conservation area in Tanzania, established in 1951. It is famous for its variety and quantity of game, including all of the “big five”– lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. It is the site of immense natural migrations of wildebeeste and zebra.
Shangazi
Chapter 3
This is a Swahili word meaning paternal aunt – the relationship Shangazi bears to Mzuri.
Sheba
Chapter 21
The queen of Sheba is mentioned as visiting Solomon in the biblical book of
1Kings.
Sheba was a nation spanning parts of both Africa and Asia across the Red Sea.
Solomon
Chapter 21
King Solomon was a king of Israel. He was the son of David and mentioned in the biblical book of
1Kings.
He was
credited with great wisdom and was visited by the Queen of Sheba. Popular legend has it that he possessed fabulously wealthy mines somewhere in Africa, but this is not a proved historical fact.
(see Haggard)
Stanley
Chapter 11
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) was a famous explorer and journalist. He was asked by the New York Herald to try and find David Livingstone (qv) who had not been heard of for years since setting off in 1864 on a journey to find the origin of the Nile. After a series of adventures and misfortunes Stanley eventually found Livingstone in the village of Ujiji near the shores of Lake Victoria. He walked up to him and uttered the famous words: “Doctor Livingstone I presume?”.
Strahlung
Chapter 7 Strahlung
is the German word for radiation. The professor studies light, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
Tsavo National Park
Chapter 2
The Tsavo National Park is in Kenya. Established in 1948, it is the largest national park in Africa (22,000 sq.km.) and, despite immense losses from poaching, still contains a spectacular quantity and variety of game.
Ulindaji
Chapter 2
This is a Swahili word meaning security or protection It is a suitable name for a ranger at the reserve!