The Akimbo Adventures. Alexander McCall Smith

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      Once in the village, he went straight to Mato’s house. Mato lived with his aunt. She was a nurse and ran the small clinic at the edge of the village. Mato was surprised to see Akimbo, but pleased, and took him in for a cup of water in the kitchen.

      ‘I need your help,’ said Akimbo to his friend. ‘I want to find somebody who will buy some ivory from me.’

      Mato’s eyes opened wide with surprise.

      ‘But where did you get it?’ he stuttered. ‘Did you steal it?’

      Akimbo shook his head. Then, swearing his friend to secrecy, he told him his plan. Mato thought for a while and then he gave him his opinion.

      ‘It won’t work,’ he said flatly. ‘You’ll just get into trouble. That’s all that will happen.’

      Akimbo shook his head.

      ‘I’m ready to take that risk.’

      So Mato, rather reluctantly, told Akimbo about a man in the village whom everyone thought was dishonest.

      ‘If I had something stolen which I wanted to sell,’ he said, ‘I’d go to him. He’s called Matimba, and I can show you where he lives. But I’m not going into his house. You’ll have to go in on your own.’

      Matimba was not there the first time that Akimbo went to the house. When he called an hour later, though, he was told to wait at the back door. After ten minutes or so the door opened and a stout man with a beard looked out.

      ‘Yes,’ he said, his voice curt and suspicious.

      ‘I would like to speak to you,’ Akimbo said politely.

      ‘Then speak,’ snapped Matimba.

      Akimbo looked over his shoulder.

      ‘I have something to sell. I thought you might like it.’

      Matimba laughed. ‘You sell something to me?’

      Akimbo ignored the laughter.

      ‘Yes. Here it is.’

      When he saw the ivory tusk sticking out of the top of Akimbo’s sack, Matimba stopped laughing.

      ‘Come inside. And bring that with you.’

      Inside the house, Akimbo was told to sit on a chair while Matimba examined the tusk. He looked at it under the light, sniffed it, and rubbed at it with his forefinger. Then he laid it down on a table and stared at Akimbo.

      ‘Where did you get this?’ he asked.

      ‘I found it,’ said Akimbo. ‘I found a whole lot of tusks. And some rhino horns.’

      At the mention of rhino horns, Matimba narrowed his eyes. These horns were much in demand among smugglers, and could fetch very high prices on the coast. If this boy has really got some, Matimba thought, I could get them off him for next to nothing.

      ‘Where did you find them?’

      ‘In a hiding place near a river. I think they must have been hidden there by a poacher who got caught and couldn’t come back for them.’

      Matimba nodded. This sort of thing did happen, and now this innocent boy had stumbled across a fortune. He looked at the tusk again. He would give him some money on the spot and promise him more if he took him to the rest.

      ‘You did well to come to me. I can buy these things from you.’

      Akimbo drew in his breath. Now was the time for him to make his demand.

      ‘You can have them. I don’t want money for them.’

      Matimba was astonished. He looked again at the boy and wondered whether there was something wrong with him.

      ‘All I want is to become an elephant hunter. If you let me go off with some poachers – to learn how they do it – I’ll show you where I have hidden the tusks and horns.’

      Matimba was silent. He stared at Akimbo for some time, wondering whether to trust him. Then his greed got the better of his caution. He granted Akimbo’s wish. After all, boys thought poaching was exciting. Well, let him learn.

      ‘You may go with my men,’ he said.

      Akimbo felt a great surge of excitement. Matimba had said ‘my men’. He had found the head of a gang of poachers. His plan had worked – so far. The next stage was the really dangerous part.

The hunt