Setting:
Inside the Jungle Room at Madingo Golf Club. The atmosphere is tense as political and moral crises unfold.
Characters Present:
- Mayor Mossi – The cunning and manipulative mayor trying to protect his position.
- Inspector Bembe – A conflicted officer entangled in corruption and guilt.
- Justice Ian Jaden – A senior judge, outwardly respectable but morally compromised.
- Ivy – Jaden’s mistress (mentioned in conversation, not physically present).
- Ramdaye, Basdeo, Ted – Opposition leaders (mentioned, not present).
Summary:
Bembe despairs, saying they are doomed, but Mayor Mossi encourages him to stay hopeful, reminding him, “Never say die.” Bembe explains that he had arrested the teacher for disobeying authority and stealing the school generator, but her arrest caused a public uproar. Massive protests followed, and Judge Ian Jaden dismissed the charges, setting her free.
Bembe admits that the men he sent to steal the generator failed and that his superiors have now summoned him over the scandal. Mossi, however, praises him for preventing Ramdaye and his allies from meeting to discuss a vote of no confidence against the mayor. Still, Bembe warns that the opposition is regrouping and planning a massive rally at Atobold Stadium. Mossi insists they must counter the move while Bembe fears anti-corruption investigators may soon target them.
Mossi reveals he has invited Justice Jaden to assist them. When Jaden arrives, he is surprised to find both Mossi and Bembe waiting. Mossi explains that they need his cooperation to delay legal proceedings and derail opposition efforts. Jaden refuses, claiming to uphold his professional integrity.
In response, Mossi threatens to expose Jaden’s dark secret — his involvement in Prime Orchard Farm, which bred rats and rodents to destroy crops and inflate grain import profits. Through Vertebrate Pest Control, a company run by Jaden’s mistress Ivy, Jaden had manipulated court rulings to award fraudulent contracts. Mossi calls the scandal “Rodengate Affair”, revealing how opposition leaders Basdeo and Ramdaye were bribed to stay silent.
Cornered, Jaden reluctantly agrees to cooperate, promising to process arrests and cases against Ramdaye, Basdeo, and Ted swiftly. Mossi and Bembe leave satisfied, while Jaden remains behind, reflecting bitterly on how he had gotten himself into such mess.