The medium had already drawn the cards and given her verdict on Isadora's future and was analyzing what the decks told her about Shantaya. She was meditating and doubting the meaning of what she saw lying on the table.
"Well, what do you see?" Shantaya´s tone of urgency brought Saraphina out of her trance.
"It's ... confusing." The medium did not dare to give a firm opinion.
“But tell me something!”
“You're going to be in unpleasant and even dangerous situations... you are going to go through a period of uncertainty ... but you will be able to get around it if you move with cunning, not letting yourself be carried away by your emotions ... and in the end ...”
"In the end what?"
"In the end you'll get a great pleasure ... the biggest you've ever had.”
Shantaya stopped breastfeeding her sleeping baby, adjusted her bodice, and sat down. No doubt the prediction of the medium was cautious but auspicious and satisfying. She turned her body and from a dresser behind her took a picture and placed it on the table.
"And what about her?"
Saraphina recognized the woman's face.
"If it is a friend of yours you must congratulate her."
"Why?" The Madame answered with suspicion.
"Because she's finally got pregnant."
Narcisse Decoudreau felt the buzz of his cell phone and pulled it out of his jacket pocket.
“Hello.”
"I'm Shantaya.”
“How are you?”
"Did you get passage to Nairobi?" The woman did not even bother answering the assassin´s rhetorical question.
“Yes. We're leaving in two days. I'm going with two of my men you know, Martin ...”
"I do not care who you're going with. I want them to be efficient." The hard answer made it clear that the woman was in a bad mood.
"You owe me the money."
"I'll transfer it to you this afternoon. Listen, I am changing my previous orders.”
"What do you order now?"
"Kill them both!"
Kitwana listened pleasantly to Zahra's meticulous description of what had happened under the waterfall. When the girl told him how she had to turn aside the other women who had been eyeing her husband, the shaman burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at? He was about to go with other girls instead of fulfilling his marital duties.”
"It's not the man's fault. The entire dance and the scene are armed to seduce the male.”
"But I already know Federico and his attraction for black women.”
"Do not say I did not warn you." Then Kitwana returned to his complicit gesture.
"Tell me, did it work?" He winked. "You know.
Zahra blushed but answered without hesitation.
"Yes, from the point of view of our activities in the waterfall. I do not know if I will achieve what I seek ... you know.”
“It's the most effective for women who want to get pregnant. There are very eloquent stories.”
Narcisse and his two thugs searched for clues in certain circles in Nairobi and then toured the hotels where the couple they were looking for might have been accommodated. Two days later he called Shantaya.
"We hit the ball. I know where they stayed and we are trying to find out where they went.”
Shantaya nodded absently almost without paying attention, which surprised the killer, who had spoken to her a couple of days earlier when the woman burst into fury and ordered to kill the people who had somehow irritated her. Narcisse shrugged, he already knew the volubility of women and of Shantaya in particular. The issue did not affect him because he had already received the payment requested for the dirty work he was to perform.
Shantaya had something else in mind. She had asked her secretary to hire a man to carry out the night surveillance of the building where the agency had its offices, since the one they had until then had retired. Mira knew her boss's tastes well and on this occasion had found a young man who fulfilled all her expectations. Agnar Sigurdsson was nineteen years old and had come to New York alone traveling from Iceland, where his family had remained. Although he spoke little English he had the illusion of making his way in the Big Apple. With very white skin, blond hair and clear eyes, he complied with the demanding requirements of the owner of the agency, who had seen him from the window when he arrived. Shantaya called Mira and said.
"I want to meet the new employee." Take him to the second floor and wait for me there.
Mira knew immediately what would happen. Shantaya would dress in her usual uniform and test the newcomer in all his sexual capacity to determine if he accepted and managed to satisfy her unusual demands and whims. As Mira loved her boss she was actually a bit jealous of the boy she'd just hired, but she knew it was best to keep Shantaya satisfied to allow her to share her body at a time when she needed a woman, that would surely come. In addition, the continuity of her job was at stake.
Shantaya put on the entire dominatrix outfit and as she was to go down the elevator she put a coat of natural skins on top. A sixth sense told her that the boy whom she had glimpsed from the window would accept her mastery and his appearance gave her a pleasant warmth in her gut, anticipating what would come immediately. Zahra and Federico were momentarily erased her fickle mind.