The Seventh Scroll - Smith Wilbur - Страница 86

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"Please help us."

There were startled cries and the sounds of running men. Nicholas sank

down slowly into the fine highland grass and let Royan slide off his

back. Dark figures gathered around them, chattering in Amharic, and

friendly hands seized them and half-carried, half-dragged them towards

the lights. Then a torch was shone into Nicholas's face and a very

English voice said, "Hello, Nicky. Nice surprise. I came down from Addis

to look for your corpse. Heard you were dead. Bit premature, what?"

"Hello, Geoffrey. Good of you to take the trouble."

"I dare say you could use a cup of tea. You look a bit done in," said

Geoffrey Tennant. "Never realized that your beard had ginger and grey

bits in it. Designer stubble.

Fashionable. Suits you actually."

Nicholas realized what a picture he must present, ragged and unshaven,

filthy and haggard with exhaustion.

"You remember Dr Al Simma? She has a bit of a dicky knee. Wonder if you

would mind taking care of her?"

Then his legs gave way under him, and Geoffrey Tennant caught him before

he fell.

"Steady on, old boy." He led him to a canvas-backed camp chair, and

seated him solicitously. Another chair was brought for Royan.

"Letta chai hqPa!" Geoffrey gave the universal call of an Englishman in

Africa, and minutes later thrust mugs of steaming over-sweetened tea

into their hands.

Nicholas saluted Royan with his mug. "Here's to us.

There's none like us!'

They both drank deeply, scalding their tongues, but the caffeine and

sugar hit their bloodstreams like a charge of electricity.

"Now I know I am going to live,'Nicholas sighed.

"Don't want to be pushy, Nicky, but do you mind telling me what the hell

is going on here?" Geoffrey asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Nicholas countered. He needed time to evaluate

the situation. What did Geoffrey know and who had told him? Geoffrey

obliged immediately.

"First thing we heard was that white hunter chappie of yours, Boris, had

been fished out of the river near the Sudanese border, absolutely

riddled with bullet holes. The crocs and catfish had snacked on his

face, so the border police identified him by the documents in his money

belt."

Nicholas glanced across at Royan and cautioned her with a frown.

"Last time we saw him, he went off on a scouting expedition onhis own,'

Nicholas explained. "He probably ran into the same bunch of shufta who

raided our camp four nights ago."

"Yes, we heard about that too. Colonel Nogo here radioed in a report to

Addis."

Neither of them had recognized Nogo in the crowd of men. It was only

when he stepped forward into the light of the camp lanterns that Royan

stiffened, and such an expression of loathing flashed across her face

that Nicholas reached across surreptitiously and took her hand to

restrain her from any indiscretion. After a moment she relaxed and

composed her features.

"I am very relieved to see you, Sir Quenton-Harper.

You have given us all a very worrying few days," said Nogo.

"I do apologize," said Nicholas smoothly.

Please, sir, I meant no offence. It is just that we had a report from

the Pegasus Exploration Company that you and Dr Al Simma had been caught

up in a blasting accident. I was present when Mr Helm of the exploration

company warned you that they were conducting blasting in the gorge."

"But you-' Royan flared bitterly, and Nicholas squeezed her hand hard to

stop her going on.

It was probably our own carelessness, as you suggest.

Nevertheless, Dr Al Simma has been injured and we are I both badly

shaken up by the accident. More important than that, however, is the

fact that a number of other people, camp'staff and monks from the

monastery have  been killed in the shufta raid and in the blasting

accident.

As soon as we get back to Addis I will make a full statement to the

authorities."

"I do hope that you don't think any blame attaches Nogo started, but

Nicholas cut him short.

"Of course not. Not your fault at all. You warned us about the danger of

shufta in the gorge. You were not present, so what could you have done

to prevent any of this? I would say that you have done your duty in the

most exemplary fashion."

Nogo looked relieved. "You are most gracious to say so, Sir

Quenton-Harper."

Nicholas studied him for a moment longer. He seemed the most amiable of

young men behind the metal-rimmed spectacles, so concerned and eager to

please. For a moment Nicholas almost believed that he had been mistaken,

and that it had been somebody else that he had seen in the jet Ranger,

hovering over the avalanche site like a vulture searching for their dead

bodies.

Nicholas forced himself to smile in his most friendly manner. "I would

be most grateful if you could do me a favour, Colonel."

"Of course,'Nogo agreed readily. "Anything at all."

"I left a bag and one of my hunting trophies in the cavern under the

Dandera waterfall. The bag contains our passports and travellers'

cheques. Very grateful if you could send one of your men down to bring

it up for me."

While giving Nogo directions on how to find his possessions, he derived

a perverse enjoyment from sending his would-be assassin on such a

trivial errand. Then he turned back to his friend so that Nogo would not

pick up the vindictive glint in his eyes. "How did you get here,

Geoffrey?"

"Light plane to Debra Maryam. There is an emergency landing field there.

Colonel Nogo met us, and brought us -the rest of the way by army jeep,"

Geoffrey explained. "The pilot and the aircraft are waiting for us at

Debra Maryam."

Geoffrey broke off and spoke to the camp staff in execrable Amharic,

before turning back to Nicholas. "I have just arranged a hot bath for

you and Dr Al Simma.

After that, a meal and a good night's sleep should work wonders.

Tomorrow we can fly back to Addis. No reason why we shouldn't be there

by tomorrow evening at the latest."

He patted Royan's shoulder, disguising his carnal interest in her behind

a benign avuncular smile. "I must say I am rather pleased not to have to

go traipsing down into the Abbay gorge looking for the pair of you. I

hear that it's a pretty beastly part of the world."

explained to chase the goats off the emergency airfield at Debra Maryam.

In the meantime Nicholas was stuffing the roll of dik-dik skin under the

rear passenger seat. One of Nogo's sergeants  you mind, Dr Al Simma, if

I sit in front?

Terribly rude of me, but I am inclined to suffer from malde air. Ha ha!"

Geoffrey Royan as they waited for three small boys to had made a night

descent of the escarpment, and had delivered both his bag and the skin

while they were breakfasting that morning.

Nogo gave them a smart salute as they taxied out in a cloud of dust.

Nicholas waved and smiled at him through the side window, murmuring,

"Screw you, Nogo, screw you very much indeed."

When at last the pilot lifted the little Cessna 260 off the rough grass

strip, the horizon over the Abbay gorge resembled a field of cosmic

mushrooms, vast thunderheads reaching up into the stratosphere. The air

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