It, Sean, and then tell me if he acts like a happy man. Hradsky did him

a disservice once, he just doesn't like him, Sean defended Duff. Oh,

no, it's much deeper than that. In a way Hradsky is an image of his

father. He's so broken up inside, Sean, that's why he clings to you.

You can help him Sean laughed outright. Candy, my dear, we like each

other that's all, there are no deep and dark motives in our friendship.

Don't you start getting jealous of me now Candy sat up and the blankets

slipped down to her waist. She leaned towards Sean and her breasts

swung forward, heavy, round and silver-white in the half light.

There's a strength in you, Sean, a kind of solid sureness in you that

you haven't discovered yet. Duff has recognized it and so will other

unhappy people. He needs you, he needs you very badly. Look after him

for me, help him to find what he seeks. Oh! Nonsense, Candy, Sean

muttered with embarrassIr ment.

Tromise me you'll help him. It's time you went back to your room, Sean

told her. People will start talking Promise me, Sean. All right, I

promise.

Candy slipped out of the bed. She dressed quickly. Thank you, Sean,

goodnight. For Sean, Johannesburg was poorer without Duff: the streets

were not so busy, the Rand Club was drearier and the thrills at the

Stock Exchange not so intense. However, there was work to do; his share

and Duffs as well.

It was late every evening when the conferences with Hradsky and Max

ended and he went back to the Hotel.

In the reaction from the day's tension, when His brain was numb and his

eyes burned, there was little energy to spare for regret. Yet he was

lonely. He went to the Opera House and drank champagne with the crowd

there. One of the girls did the Can-Can on the big table in the centre

of the room and when she stopped in front of Sean and Trevor Heyns, with

her forehead touching her knees and her petticoats hanging forward over

her shoulders, Sean let Trevor whip her pants down, a week before he

would have punched Trevor in the nose rather than concede the honour.

it wasn't so much fun any more. He went home early.

The following Saturday noon Curtis and Francois came into the office for

the weekly progress meeting. When they had finished and Hradsky had

left, Sean suggested, Come along with me, we'll go and have a pot or

twelve at the Grand National Bar, baptize the weekend so to speak.

Curtis and Francois fidgeted in their chairs.

We had arranged to meet some of the other boys down at the Bright

Angels, boss. That's fine, I'll come along with you, said Sean eagerly,

the prospect of being with ordinary men again was suddenly very

attractive to him. He felt sickened of the company of those who shook

his hand and smiled at him while they waited for a chance to wipe him

off the board.

It would be good to go along with these two and talk and not stocks and

shares, to laugh with men who didn't give a digginn if C. R. C. s hit

sixty shillings on Monday. He'd get a little drunk with Francois and

Curtis; later on perhaps he'd have a fight, an honest, snortmig,

stand-up fight. God, yes, it would be good to be with men who were

clean inside, even if there was dirt under their nails and the armpits

of their shirts were stained with sweat.

Curtis glanced quickly at Francois. There'll be just a crowd of

roughnecks down there, boss, all the diggers come in on a Saturday.

that's fine, said Sean Let's go. He stood up and buttoned his dove-grey

coat; the lapels were edged in black watered silk and matched the black

pearl pin in his tie. He picked up his cane from the desk.

Come on, let's get moving!

They ran into the noise from the Bright Angels a block before they

reached the building. Sean grimed and quickened his step like an old

gun dog with the scent of the bird in its nostrils again. Francois and

Curtis hurried along on either side of him. There was a big digger

standing on the bar counter. Sean recognized him as one of his men from

the Little Sister Mine the man's body was tilted back to balance the

weight of the demijohn he held to his lips and his throat jerked

regularly as he swallowed. The crowd around Ins feet were chanting:

Think it, down, down, down, down, down. The digger finished, he threw

the bottle against the far wall and belched like an air-locked geyser.

He bowed to acknowledge the applause and then he caught sight of Sean

standing in the doorway. He wiped his mouth guiltily_with the back of

his hand and jumped down off the counter. The other men in the crowd

turned and saw Sean and the noise tapered off. They spread out along

the bar in silence. Sean led Francois and Curtis into the room. He

placed a pile of sovereigns on the counter.

Set them up, barman, take the orders. Today is Saturday and it's time

to tie the dog loose. Cheers, Mr Courtney. Good luck, sirGezondheid,

Mr Courtney.

Their voices were subdued with respect.

drink up, men, there's plenty more where that came from. Sean stood

with Francois and Curtis at the bar.

They laughed at his jokes. His voice was loud with good fellowship and

his face flushed with happiness. He bought more drinks. After a while

his bladder started making its presence felt and he went through the

back door into the washrooms. There were men talking in there; he

stopped before he rounded the edge of the screen into the room.

. . . what's he want to come here for, hey? This isn't the mucking

Rand Club. Shh! He'll hear you, man, do YOU Want to lose your job? I

don't give a tilmn. Who does he think he is, "Drink up, boys, there's

plenty more where that came from, I'm the boss, boys, do as you're told,

boys, kiss my arse, boys! Sean stood paralyzed. Pipe down, Frank,

he'll go just nowThe sooner the better, say I, the big dandy bastard

with his ten-guinea boots and gold cane. Let him go back where he

belongsYou're drunk, man, don't talk so loudSure I'm drunk, drunk enough

to go in there and tell him to his face. .

Sean backed out through the door and walked slowly across the bar to

Francois and Curtis. I hope you'll excuse me; I've just remembered

there's something I've got to do this afternoon That's too bad, boss.

Curtis looked relieved. Perhaps some other time, hey? Yes, perhaps some

other time. They were pleased to see him when he went up to the Rand

Club. Three men nearly fought one another to buy him a drink.

He had dinner with Candy that night and over the liqueurs he told her

about it. She listened without interruption until he finished. They

didn't want me there, I don't see what I've done to them that they

should dislike me that way And it worries you? she asked. Yes, it

worries me. I've never had people feel like that towards me before. I'm

glad it worries you. She smiled gently at him. one day you're going to

grow into quite a nice person. But why do they hate me? Sean followed

his original line of thought.

They're jealous of you, you say this man said, "tenguinea boots and gold

cane", that is what's behind it.

YOU are different from them now, you're rich. You can't expect them to

accept that. But I've never done anything to them, he protested. You

don't have to. One thing I've found in this life for everything you get

you have to pay a price. This is part of the payment you have to make

for success Hell, I wish Duff was here, said Sean.

Then Duff would explain to you that it doesn't matter, wouldn't he? said

Candy. "Who gives a damn for them, laddie, the unwashed herd? We can

do without them, " she mimicked. Sean scratched the side of his nose

and looked down at the table. Please, Sean, don't ever let DUff teach

you that people don't matter. He doesn't believe it himself, but he's

so convincing. People are important. They are more important than gold

or places or, or anything Sean looked up at her. I realized that once;

when I was trapped in the Candy Deep. I saw it very clearly then in the

darkness and the mud. I made a resolution. He grinned sheepishly.

I told myself I'd never hurt anyone again if I could help it. I really

meant it, Candy. I felt it so strongly at the time, but, but. . Yes,

I think I understand. That's a big resolution to make and a much bigger

one to keep. I don't think any single experience is enough to change a

person's way of thinking. It's like building a wall brick by brick. You

add to it a little at a time until at last it's finished. I've told you

before, Sean, that you have a strength in you. I think one day you'll

finish building your wall, and when you do, it will have no weak spots.

The next Tuesday Sean rode up to Xanadu for the first time since Duff

had left. Johnson and four of the clerks from the office were at work

in the ballroom, packing and labelling the presents. Nearly finished,

Johnson? Just about, Mr Courtney, I'll send a couple of wagons up

tomorrow morning to fetch this lot. Yes, do that. I don't want them

lying around here any longer. He went up the marble staircase and stood

on the top landing. The house had a dead feeling to it: was new and was

waiting for people to come into it and bring it to life. He went down

the corridor, stopping to look at all the paintings that Candy had

chosen. They were oils in soft pastels, woman's colours.

We can do without these, I'll get some with fire in them, scarlets and

blacks and bright blues. He pushed open the door to his own bedroom.

This was better. vivid Persian rugs on the floor, walls panelled in

dark satiny wood and a bed like a polo field. He lay on the bed and

looked up at the scrolled ornate plaster ceiling. I wish Duff were

back, we can do some real living in this house. He went downstairs

again.

Johnson was waiting at the foot of the stairs. All finished, sir. Good

man! Off you go, then. He went through into the study and walked

across to the gun rack. He took down a Purdey shotgun, carried it to

the french windows and looked at it in the light. His nostrils flared a

little at the nostalgic smell of gun oil. He brought the gun up to his

shoulder, felt the true exciting balance of it and enjoyed it. He swung

the barrels in an arc across the room, following the flight of an