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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