Despite his acquittal Leon's duties do nothing to improve his falling morale and he considers quitting the army to take up elephant hunting, based on a prediction made by Lusima.

Penrod arranges for him to be placed as apprentice to professional hunter Percy Phillips in order to allow Leon to spy on movements of man and machine in German East Africa, as he suspects the Kaiser of preparing for war.

Penrod then uses his influence to arrange for Graf Otto von Meerbach, a wealthy industrialist connected to the German war effort, to hire Leon's services.

When World War I breaks out, Eva discovers that Otto plans to supply de la Rey with money and weapons transported via a large zeppelin named the Die Hummel, and passes the information onto Leon.

Leon, Manyoro and Loikot use one of Otto's planes - left over from the safari - to intercept the Assegai and jam its engines with fishing nets, forcing it to crash.

In 'The Triumph of the Sun' he was a womanising but competent military officer and spy, in 'Assegai' he is a portly general in the king's army in British East Africa and a manipulative spymaster who exercises control over his agent.