The Mysterious Ambassador (9 page)

When their greeting was over and Diana's feet once more touched the ground, the Phantom met the others while she clung dizzily to his arm. He complimented Luaga on his election and the doctors on their work in ending the epidemic. They all stared at this masked man with astonishment. In this remote place, he seemed to know everything that had happened to them and to everyone else in the jungle and out of the jungle. The jungle folk have an old saying—the Phantom's eyes and ears are everywhere.

There was another surprise. The two pilots, Lanston and Osborne, came out of the cave and introduced themselves. And in a hut near the cave, Luaga was shown the four soldiers, now prisoners, who had shot down the helicopter. Then the recent arrivals sat in the sun on the ground before the skull throne to dry out. A feast was placed before them—fruit and nuts and berries from the woods, smoked meats, spring water and fruit juice. The pilots had already learned, to their annoyance, that no alcoholic drinks were served here.

As they ate, they talked and exchanged experiences. The pilots had also had the mad raft ride down the mountain stream. They told how they had been shot down, how they'd met the masked man in the woods, and how he had handled Bababu's gun crew. The medical team answered the Phantom's questions about their work in the village, and Luaga and the delegation spoke of Bababu and the civil war. And among the questions and answers, all noticed that the masked man said not one word about himself, nor did he offer any explanation about this place. After several hours of talking and feasting with him, though he was pleasant and friendly, he remained as unknown as the first moment they'd seen him.

What was to be done now? Word had come via radio that a second rescue team had arrived in Mawitaan and would come for the delegation.

"They must not come," said the Phantom. "Bababu will shoot them down as he did the first team."

All agreed on this. But then how would they get out of this dangerous jungle swarming with guerillas? Not only guerillas, the Phantom told them. Now, heavily armed companies of Bababu's army were entering the jungle to search for Luaga. What should be done? Luaga was anxious to return to Mawitaan to lead his people; the team was in a hurry to return to New York, and then to the Caribbean where another epidemic crisis awaited them.

Before any decisions were reached, a pygmy sentry ran to the Phantom and whispered to him.

"Excuse me now," he said. "The Council of Chiefs is arriving. You will all want to rest after your exhausting journey."

The team members and the delegation were led to huts where clean straw pallets awaited their tired bodies. Luaga wanted to join the conference, since it concerned him. But the Phantom asked him to stay out of sight. He wanted Luaga's presence here to remain unknown. Luaga went inside the Skull Cave, to the shadows where he could not be seen, and listened. Diana forced herself to stay awake and peered from her hut window to watch the arrival of the chiefs. They were an impressive group of men with their jewels, furs, crowns, and scepters. Each had come with his armed escort of tall warriors. But the escorts were not permitted to enter the
Deep Woods,
and waited outside, beyond the waterfall. The chiefs sat on the ground in a circle with their masked host.

What were the jungle folk to do? Bababu's men were |

not mere ruffians like the deserters. They came with heavy weapons and with tanks. Could they be fought with snares and spears and arrows? No, the army would massacre them. The army was searching for I ,uaga, whom some of the chiefs knew about, but only vaguely. Some said this was not their fight. It was a matter between the city people.

"It
is
our fight," said the Phantom. "This Bababu is nn usurper—he has replaced the legitimate chief, Luaga, and intends to rule city and jungle as well."

"But how can we fight this army?" asked Llionto, high chief of the Llongo.

"We cannot," replied the Phantom, and all nodded iigreement. "My advice is this. Greet the army of Bababu with flowers, food, and wine."

"Flowers, food, and wine?" said the chief, Surprised.

"Yes, and with songs and dancing," said the Phantom. "Let them search wherever they wish. They will not find Luaga."

"Where is this Luaga?" asked Wambato, high chief of Wambesi.

"It is best that no one knows. Then no one can tell, nor be forced to tell," said the Phantom.

And so it was agreed. The chiefs were pleased by the wisdom of their decision. Then they ate and drank— non-alcoholic liquids, to their disappointment—exchanged gifts and left the
Deep Woods
with their tall warrior escorts.

The Phantom led Luaga deeper into the Skull Cave. Luaga had only a quick glance at the rocky chambers on either side of the long natural corridor. Burning torches set in the walls lighted the way. He saw one chamber containing chests brimming with glittering stones and metal that might have been (and were) precious jewels and gold. Another chamber with large ancient folio volumes on shelves (The Phantom Chronicles—the written records of the Phanton line for four centuries); another chamber like a museum with many strange unknown objects that had an air of great antiquity. He couldn't guess that among them were the diamond drinking cup of Alexander the Great, and Ex- calibur called Cal-ed-voch, the sword of King Arthur. Then, beyond the rooms, they came to a small cave with a modern radio transmitter. Here the Phantom kept in touch with the outside world.

The news from the capital was grim. Bababu had declared martial law, and his control over the city was almost complete. Some sporadic fighting continued on the outskirts by people loyal to Luaga. Bababu had also called back the congress for reasons that were not made clear in the controlled broadcasts. The delegation puzzled over this.

"Is it possible he'll reinstate the legislature?" asked the lawyer, Onata Omu.

"It's a trap," suggested the second delegate. "Once in the hall, he'll execute them all."

Luaga shook his head.

"Bababu yearns for legitimacy. He'll ask them to vote him into the presidency."

As the Phantom listened on his skull throne, the others discussed and argued.

"What does he care about being legitimate? He's taken power. He holds it," said the lawyer.

"Do you recall those foreign loans we were negotiating?" said Luaga. "The World Bank might withhold them for a country divided in civil war. He knows that. He wants the money."

"But you're the elected president. How can he force the congress to make him president?" asked the lawyer.

"He can declare me dead. Here, I might as well be," said Luaga bitterly.

"Declare you dead?" said Diana, who was seated at the side listening. "Impossible. He can't do that. I mean, he wouldn't."

"He can. My guess is that he will," said Luaga, "and then do everything possible to make it a fact—as he is trying to do."

"But it's not right," said Diana indignantly.

"To coin a phrase, Diana, might makes right," said Luaga.

The Phantom nodded. He liked this kind of clarity. "You will make a good president, Lamanda Luaga," he said.

"A good president? How?" said Luaga bitterly. "He has the army, he has everything now. I'm a doctor with a stethoscope."

"It's not over. It has only begun," said the Phantom. "Your time will come. For now, we must ask Kirk to cancel that second rescue team before Bababu shoots them down. And we must remain here for a time until the army clears out of the jungle."

They all looked at him hopefully, inspired by his confidence.

"Our time will come? When?" asked the lawyer, Onata Omu.

"Soon. There's an old Wambesi saying—where there's life there's hope."

"Wambesi?" said Luaga, smiling.

"Universal," said the Phantom.

In Bababu's palace, the two new pilots, Davis and Fredericks, waited in the ornate reception room with Ambassador Cari. The second rescue crew had arrived at Mawitaan airport only an hour earlier.

"What's the scoop on this general?" asked Davis, a tall lean man.

Ambassador Cari shrugged and rolled his eyes to the ceiling as if he'd seen something vile.

"A reporter at the airport said he was a butcher with the manners of a hungry tiger," said Fredericks, a burly ex-marine.

"Shhsh," said Cari. "The walls have ears."

"Do the walls understand English?"

"The walls have translators."

Almost on cue, the inner door opened and Colonel Mokata stepped out. They looked at him, startled. Had lie heard? But he smiled coldly. Evidently, he hadn't.

"The general will see you now," he said.

Bababu sat back in his leather chair, his familiar cigarette holder in one hand, a beaker of beer in the other hand. He nodded to Cari and looked pleasantly at the two pilots.

"We're the new crew," said Davis. "Here to get the UN medical team out of the jungle."

Bababu nodded and belched.

"We were told we needed your personal permission to make the flight," continued Davis.

Bababu nodded again, enjoying himself.

"Do we have it?" asked Davis.

"You do," said Bababu. "Why not? Your brave doctors have helped my people, is it not true, Cari? Yours is an errand of mercy. Go, with my blessing."

"Thank you, sir," said Davis, surprised.

"I'm glad you are here, Cari," said Bababu. "I wish to apply for membership in your United Nations."

"That is not in my hands," said Cari, with no expression on his face.

"I understand you do not decide such matters. However, your recommendations would be weighty, true?" said Bababu.

Cari shrugged. "Mine would be one voice among many."

"One highly respected voice," said Bababu, determined to present himself as statesman as well as conqueror.

"Thank you," said Cari.

"Will you speak for me, for us?" said Bababu.

Cari looked at him silently for a moment.

"There is the matter of the elected congress and the elected President, Luaga," he said.

Bababu started to swell with rage, then controlled himself.

"The congress is returning," he said, ignoring the mention of Luaga. "They will make me President. It will be announced."

"How can they? The people who elected them also elected Lamanda Luaga as President," said Cari quietly.

Bababu exploded with anger. He smashed the glass beaker on his desk, beer spilling over the polished top and on his own fancy uniform.

"Are you an ambassador or an idiot?" he roared. "I told you in this very room that Luaga"—he pronounced the name through clenched teeth as though hating the sound—"that Luaga is dead. Dead, Dead, Dead!"

The pilots stared at the enraged dictator, then at the neat, calm Cari.

"So you did. You promised evidence. We have seen no evidence," he said in a quiet voice.

He knew it was an easy matter for Bababu to end the matter with a simple statement that he now ruled. But like Luaga, he also knew why Bababu wanted some show of legitimacy—the promised loans of many millions intended to establish industry in the new nation—money that Bababu would doubtless put in his own pocket, or, more likely, into a. numbered Swiss bank account.

Bababu glowered at Cari like an enraged bull. The little man met his angry stare unflinchingly. The two pilots watched Cari in admiration. Then, to bridge the moment, Mokata hurriedly mopped the beer puddle on the desk with a lace handkerchief, as his chief breathed heavily.

"Answer them, Mokata," snapped Bababu, as if disdaining the task himself. Mokata coughed and stammered, obviously taken by surprise. The pilots could barely repress a grin.

"As his excellency has said, Lamanda Luaga is dead—dead in the jungle."

"Exactly," said Bababu.

"His people have hidden his body," said Mokata, warming to the subject.

"Yes, hidden him," said Bababu.

"But our army is searching. We will find the body as we promised," said Mokata, triumphantly, as though it was an accomplished fact.

"You will see his head on this table," said Bababu grinning and slamming the desk with his palm. "As I promised."

The pilots repressed a shudder. Nothing could be as repulsive as Bababu grinning at that moment.

"And to you brave flying gentlemen, good luck."

"Thank you, sir," said Davis, and the three men gladly left the room.

Once the door was shut, Bababu's mask was gone. He pounded the desk with the massive fist.

"Find Luaga! Bring me his head!" he roared.

"An entire battalion is searching the jungle now," said Mokata.

"I know that. Tell the regiment and company commanders, I want daily reports and every village searched. I want the head of the
gukaka
pill-pusher."