SUSANNA

25| HER MIND IS GOING

The Commander mulled over the report on his desk. He hit the table a couple of times while he read, got up and paced the room, snorting and swearing. When Abraham appeared in the doorway he was in a spitting rage. Abraham caught sight of Angela's visit to the one-ear slave.

'He will come back for her. It is a matter of time. And patience. He tried once. He will do so again.' He tugged at his beard, his eyes two slits buried in his creased brow. 'We wait. She is our only hope to bring him in.'

'Commander, the slave had been in solitary for more than a year. If we hope to get any value out of her, get her back to work. From what I gather her mind is going.'

'She will remain in solitary until I decide otherwise.'

'We sacrifice two soldiers to guard one convict slave. A woman. We need every available soldier in the Colony. We can come under attack any day or night. Send her to the island. That is where she belongs. With the other convicts. A public announcement in the square that is imprisoned there will spread the word.'

'She stays. That Batavian Hottentot must know pain. He must suffer.'

The fiscus held a different view. 'Put a huge bounty on his head. Send bounty hunters to bring him in. Dead or alive.'

'Abraham, that slave is his Achilles heel. He is suffering. Believe me, he is. We put a bounty on his head when I say so. What is important now, is that is that Eva is back. From what I hear the Cochoqua is open to negotiate a peace that will benefit the Caapmen.'

'Maybe they will trade him for the one-ear slave. As part of the peace deal.'

'Abraham. Abraham, Abraham. You have much to learn. Never underestimate these people. Nommoa is one of them. They have no need for that slave. The only one who has any interest in her is that wounded Hottentoo. I will be satisfied with nothing less than Nommoa's body broken on the wheel.'

Abraham steered the conversation in another direction. 'Commander, you are familiarised with the freemen affair?'

'How could these freemen help him escape? Those traitors must be dealt with.'

'Nommoa, it appears, is not as stupid as we thought. He knew that if he formed liaisons with the freemen who were not happy with the placcaats...

'How did he, a Khoe outsider, know that?

'It is no secret that freemen, Harman, and Hans had been conducting business with them for a while. He exploited their greed to make money and they aided his escape when he was wounded. With promises of more cattle from the interior captains,' said Abraham.

'They are freeman! How could they allow themselves to be used by the enemy!'

'Profit and a search for higher station drive the actions of many freemen in the Colony. The position of freemen is a steppingstone. They want more.'

'They are traitors. What angers is that this treachery was allowed to continue without detection. Right under our noses'

'It is difficult to enforce the ban on the freemen... they are desperate entrepreneurs. Willing to go to any lengths for business.'

'Conniving with the enemy for selfish gain? No. That is unthinkable. Set up a meeting of the Council of Justice. Charged them. Today. They must stand trial as traitors. Their deeds will not go unpunished.'