Read Rift for Free Online Page B

Ulima said some people believed the vanished foreigners had been kidnapped by soldiers from over there – that country where terrible, terrible things are happening, just to think of it is enough to make a man lie shivering in his bed.
    Suddenly Ella wanted to run back to the room with Joe, the only person who could say whether Charly’s absence was anything to do with his own. She couldn’t believe they weren’t connected, after seeing that photo of them all in the camp. What’ll I do if Joe doesn’t remember? The inspector said the others probably went off for some reason, had an accident, and Charly maybe went looking for them. But alone? Charly? She never took risks that weren’t calculated. Charly leaving without warning? Telling no one? Not a single message?
    The sun burned. She could feel it pulsate like a live thing on her shoulders, scorching bare skin at her neck. Sweat trickled below her shirt. She was badly prepared for this, dry-mouthed already. She backed towards the doorway, into shade narrowing with the sharpening angle of the rays.
    She was still clutching her sister’s letters and emails. She’d told the inspector she had them and he’d asked to see them. But when would he get here? Half past eight at the latest, he’d promised – twenty minutes to go. Then I’ll make him help me get to Chomlaya. Today. Now.
    For perhaps the hundredth time since she’d left London, she unfolded the bundle of papers and lost herself in her sister’s words.
    From: [email protected]
    To: [email protected]
    Sent: Tuesday, 14 February, 2006 16:40
    Subject: Notes from Chomlaya
    Hi Elly! Amazed to get this? Made some good friends in the archaeology camp at Burukanda – offered me use of their internet connection through Ulima Uni. They see me worrying about Little Sister! So, get to use their computer at Burukanda, put stuff on disk – gets emailed from Ulima when they go for supplies. I’ll try and write something every few days or so –letters will be slower – I posted one the day before yesterday.
    EMAIL BACK, ELLY, SO I KNOW EVERYTHING’S OK?
    Here’s the game plan: this first week, mainly getting acclimatised (the heat’s ferocious). Some trips along the ridge of Chomlaya + to see the archaeology at Burukanda. Over next 2 weeks there’ll be overnight expeditions further afield, and to where we’ll be staying to do the labouring work in the 2nd half of the trip. Tomis (he’s a ranger here) has been filling me in on the background to it all. Apparently there’s serious conflict between herders + their goats and cattle on one hand, and wild animals on the other. They’re in competition for the plains – antelope, zebra, buffalo, giraffe etc munch up all-too precious grass, predators threaten people and livestock. So the whole touristy thing with wild animals isn’t too popular for people who make a living in the areas (+ Big Money to be made in poaching). Enticing prospect when you’re regularly going hungry, as people do here, particularly if the rains fail again. Kasinga (where we’re going) is one of the places trying to find an answer. Local community runs tourist things itself for itself, earns income from it, has a stake in conserving animals. That’s how it’s SUPPOSED to work. In Kasinga they’veearned enough to build a small secondary school (two classrooms and an office – there’s already a primary school), sink wells, dam part of the river, put in irrigation to nearby fields. Which is where we come in – helping dig foundations for the school and the wells.
    Most of the kids are keen, though a few are expending enough energy to sink 10 wells arguing that not everyone should do it + impressively imaginative on alternatives – like a spell on the coast ‘researching’, no doubt by the sea under palm trees.
    So, we’ll be spending 10 days hard labour in Kasinga later on, beginning of March (don’t know if I’ll be able to email from there). Then back at Chomlaya for the final