The Quest: A Novel

Getachu had drawn his own conclusions, and though he probably knew they were not completely accurate conclusions, they suited his paranoia.
    Purcell said, “We are here to report on the war. We take no sides—”
    “You have a romantic notion of the emperor and his family, and of the rasses and the ruling class.”
    Purcell thought that might be true of Mercado and maybe Vivian, and certainly of Colonel Gann, but not of him. He said, “I’m an American. We don’t like royalty.”
    “So do you like Marxists?”
    “No.”
    Getachu stared at him, then nodded. He said, “Colonel Gann has caused the death of many of my men. He has been condemned to death.”
    Purcell already guessed that, but he said, “If you spare his life and expel him, I and my colleagues promise we will write—”
    “You will write nothing. You are all guilty by association. And you are spies for the Royalists. And you will be court-martialed in the morning.”
    Purcell saw that coming, and apparently so did Vivian, because she said in a firm, even voice, “My colleague, Mr. Mercado, is an internationally known journalist who has met frequently with members of the Derg and who has interviewed General Andom who is your superior. It was General Andom who signed the safe-conduct pass—”
    “General Andom did not give Mercado—or you—permission to spy for the counterrevolutionaries.”
    Purcell tried another tack. “Look, General, you won the battle, and you’ve probably won the war. The Provisional government has invited journalists to—”
    “I have not invited you.”
    “Then we’ll leave.”
    Getachu did not reply, and Purcell had the feeling that he might be wavering. Getachu had to weigh his desire and his instinct to kill anyone he wanted to kill against the possibility that the new government did not want him to kill the three Western reporters. In any case, Colonel Gann was as good as dead.
    Purcell had found himself in similar situations, each with a happy ending, or he wouldn’t be here in
this
situation. He recalled Mercado’s advice not to look arrestable, but he was far beyond that tipping point. He wasn’t quite sure what to say or do next, so he asked, “May I have a cigarette?”
    Getachu seemed a bit taken aback, but then he slid his pack of Egyptian cigarettes toward Purcell along with a box of matches.
    Purcell lit up, then said, “If you allow me access to a typewriter, I will write an article for the International Herald Tribune and theEnglish-language newspaper in Addis, describing your victory over Prince Joshua and the Royalist forces. You may, of course, read the article, and have it delivered to my press office in Addis Ababa along with a personal note from me saying that I am traveling with General Getachu’s army at the front.”
    Getachu looked at him for a long time, then looked at Vivian, then at her camera. He asked her, “And if I have this film developed in Addis, what will I see?”
    Vivian replied, “Mostly our journey from the capital to an old Italian spa… then a few photos of Prince Joshua’s camp.”
    “Those photographs will be good to show at your court-martial, Miss”—he glanced inside her Swiss passport—“Miss Smith.”
    Vivian replied, “I am a photojournalist. I photograph—”
    “Shut up.” He leaned forward and stared at her, then said, “On the far side of this camp is a tent. In this tent are ten, perhaps twelve women—those with Royalist sympathies, including a princess—and they are there for the entertainment of my soldiers.” He pushed Vivian’s camera across the desk. “Would you like to photograph what goes on inside that tent?”
    Purcell stood. “General, your conduct—”
    Getachu pulled his pistol and aimed it at Purcell. “Sit down.”
    Purcell sat.
    Getachu holstered his pistol and said, as if nothing had happened, “And you, Miss Smith, can also photograph the Royalists that you saw hanging. And also photograph Colonel Gann’s execution. And your friend Mr. Mercado’s execution as well. Would you like that?”
    Vivian did not reply.
    Getachu stared at her, then turned his attention to Purcell and said, “Or perhaps, as Mr. Purcell suggested, he can write very good articles about the people’s struggle against their historic oppressors. And then, perhaps, there will be no court-martial and no executions.”
    Neither Purcell nor Vivian replied.
    Getachu continued, “The enemies of the people must either be liquidated or made to