Johnny McCord looked at it, recognized it for what it was and stuck it in his pocket. "Let's go back to the office. Yell in to the cook to send some coffee over, and call Pierre. We've got some notes to check."
Mademoiselle Desage was a late riser. When she entered the office, the three Sahara Reforestation Commission officers were already at work.
She said snappishly to Johnny McCord, "Today I would like to see these destroyed pumps."
Johnny said, his eyebrows questioning, "How did you know they were destroyed?"
"It doesn't seem to be much of a secret. The story is all about the camp."
"Oh?" Johnny sighed, then drawled to Derek, "I say, Si, you better go get the hired hand, we might as well finish this up so we can get back to work."
Derek nodded and left.
Johnny McCord left the collator he'd been working with, went around behind his desk and sat down. "Take a chair, Miss Desage. I want to say a few things in the way of background to you."
She sat, but said defiantly, "I have no need of a lengthy lecture on the glories of the Sahara Reforestation Commission."
"Coffee?" Pierre Marimbert said politely.