9C, heavy O/C. Mix of rain and sun yesterday. We did get the coring done and the cores disposed of at the club yesterday. Good turnout.
Got the pod mounted on the car.

  The Colonel turned on his stool and surreptitiously wiped at his eyes. “Damn young fool, damn young fool, he muttered again.

Half an hour later the small convoy headed back down the track to the coast.

EPILOGUE

   Colonel Bromely stepped out of the army sedan and said to the driver, “You can go get yourself a tea, Corporal, but be back in hour.”

  The driver saluted, “Yes sir one hour sir.” He got back into the sedan and pulled out from the curb.

  The Colonel turned and entered the gate behind him and walked up the three stairs and rang the door buzzer. A moment later Jean Pearce threw open the door and cried, “Oh Colonel Bromely, I knew you’d come! Please do come in.”

  The Colonel removed his hat and stepped through the door, “You are looking very well my dear. Of course I have come and I am looking forward to meeting your young man.”

  She led him through into a sitting room, “Take a seat please, I’ll go and fetch us a cup of tea.”

  She turned quickly and went down the hall to where he knew the kitchen was located.  He had been coming here for three years now. In the beginning only a couple of times the first year, but since being reassigned to Aldershot the visits had become quite frequent and although the subject had never been broached, Jean had become the child he never had.

  In a few moments Jean returned with a tray with not only their tea but some squares that he knew from experience she had made herself.

  As she set down the tray she said over her shoulder, “Has there been anything any word?”

  This was the same question she asked every time in the first few minutes of every visit he had made in the last three years. His usual answer was “No sorry my girl nothing but those early raids.” This time he hesitated and when she looked up and stared straight into his eyes, he harrumphed, hesitated then said, “Well we have had some intelligence that there is a band of men who are showing up after many of the raids on villages and then sometime later there appears to be retaliation meted out. These instances are not confined to Somalia but have been in Kenya and lately as far away as the Congo.” He paused.

  “Yes go on, what has that to do with John?”

  “Well this band is made up of men from several of the territories which is quite unusual and, there is a rumour they are led by a white man.”

  Jean gasped and grabbed his arm, “It’s John! It is John, isn’t it?”

  “Now, now, we don’t know not even an idea that it might be him and we only have this rumour ----.”

  Jean broke in, “It is him, it’s what he would do, seek out other’s who would punish those who are evil.”

  The Colonel wasn’t sure what to say. As he was searching for a suitable response, the doorbell rang and he was given a respite as Jean went to answer the bell. In a few moments she came back with a young man similar to her age.

  She quickly introduced the two men, the newcomer, Jeffrey Marshall, was the young man she had written to the Colonel about and the reason for his current visit.

  As soon as the introductions were complete, Jean turned to Jeffrey, “Colonel Bromely may have found John.”