A Cleft Of Stars

'I am.'

'Then you're a godsend at this moment. You see. '

Wait a moment, Nadine.'

I had no intention of accepting von Praeger's help before I knew more about him. I was deeply suspicious of his stealthy approach. My experiences with Rankin had sensitized me. Nadine, however, took him at face value, without reservation.

'We heard your plane, Doctor von Praeger, and we were worried because the engine cut. We thought you might have crashed.'

He seemed taken aback for a moment, then amused. 'Ah, yes, the plane! It is difficult flying country this, is it not?' '

You weren't in trouble then?'

There were odd nuances in his reply and I didn't care for his forced, toothy smile. 'No. I managed. . ah. . to come safely to rest.'

Nadine hurried on. 'Peter Talbot — my father's pilot — has been hurt. We think he's pretty bad.'

Again I had the feeling that events were running away from me, though I conceded that what we needed right then was principally skilled aid for the two men. I allowed necessity tc lull my suspicions; if von Praeger could achieve something with Rankin I could still get my confession. Once that was done, we could sort the rest out later.

'Where is the man?'

(Praeger seemed too keen to investigate the command post) '

Wait here — there's no light back there,' I said. 'And please do something about that hyena before I bring Talbot out.' 'I also have a torch. Two of them will give plenty of light for me to examine him by.'

I held back irresolutely, wondering if I were doing the right thing. My mental hackles bristled again at his remark. If he'd used his torch across the wadi and up the slope of K2 to the plane wreck we certainly would have spotted him.

'This is the way I want it,' I said shortly.

He gave his slightly stiffened inclination in reply. It didn't give anything away.

'Don't you carry a gun?' I asked. 'I don't want that brute to get out of hand once it comes close to blood.'

I handed the rifle to Nadine to have my hands free for Talbot but I was a fool to part with it. Immediately Praeger stepped forward and took the weapon from her. 'It is not necessary, I assure you. My words to Dika are stronger than bullets.'

The way he slipped the shell out of the breech showed he knew all about guns. He went on to take out the magazine and made play of returning the spare cartridge to the clip. The gun he laid aside. It was a smart piece of opportunism which increased my misgivings.

I still hesitated but there was nothing I could do about it. I turned, went inside, and dragged Talbot's bed out into the open. Von Praeger disregarded my instructions to stay out. He was close to the cave entrance with Nadine when I reappeared, staring about him inquisitively. I deliberately held the torch at his eyes to prevent his seeing the interior, and brought Talbot well away for the same reason.

'Here he is.'

In the flashlight's beam the pilot looked far worse than before. His face was deadly pale and blood had spread through his bandages. Praeger undid the dressings with short, competent fingers. I began to wonder how I would explain Rankin's injury when his turn came..

'Gunshot, yes?'

I didn't like the way Praeger regarded me.

'Yes, gunshot. That Mauser you unloaded just now.'

'He's lost a lot of blood. No wonder Dika picked up his trail so strongly. You must have brought him across the rocks here?'

Inwardly I cursed the hyena for revealing our hideaway. '

Yes. I carried him. His plane crashed on the hill slope where you saw the marks of fire.'

'Before or after the shot?'

'The result of.

'I see.'

'I was with him,' added Nadine. 'It happened this way. 'The story can wait,' I broke in. The first thing is to establish what must be done for him.'

Von Praeger left off for a moment and eyed us both. I could not help feeling there was some hidden triumph behind his scrutiny.

'A doctor is called upon to perform many strange tasks,' he said in a neutral, professional voice.

He sounded Talbot's heart perfunctorily by putting his ear against his chest. He turned him over, as I had done, to find where the bullet had emerged. Finally he rolled the pilot on to his back again.

'He is bad, very bad. Dying, in fact.'

Nadine caught her breath. 'Please — is there nothing you can do, Doctor? He did me a great service.'

'How did it happen?'

I resented his continued probing and said shortly, 'Is the history of how he was wounded of any importance in treating it, Doctor?'

'It might be,' he fenced. 'It's a very strange set-up here.'

'No stranger than a man having a hyena for a pet,' I retorted. 'No stranger than. I bit back my annoyance. I wasn't going to play into his hands by giving away what I knew about the dead guard and the suspicion I nursed about the impossibility of his aircraft having landed near The Hill. We glared at one another but now it wasn't the same as having a stranger at the wrong end of my gun. He was calling the shots; I was on the defensive.

Then a deep groan came from the interior of the cave. Von Praeger swung round, startled. What's that-more casualties?'

'Yes,' I replied without elaborating. 'One more'

He was about to make for the cave when I stopped him.

'Stay here. I'll bring him out to you. It's a different sort of injury, as you'll see. It was he who fired that bullet.' I indicated Talbot's wound.

I grew unhappier still about Praeger. It was nothing concrete but a matter of undercurrents, of straws in the wind. So far he'd been medically correct, if not enthusiastic, in his examination. If it had not been for the hyena sitting like an indictment at the command-post's entrance I would have had little firm ground for apprehension.

I brought out Rankin on the stretcher, he was beginning to stir. Nadine held the light for von Praeger. He gave a low whistle.

'This is a hideous blow. He's lucky still to be alive.' '

He ran into something?

'The chest cavity is smashed.' He explored cautiously round the wound. He pointed. 'A little pressure here and his heart would stop. One could do it easily with one's fingers'

Nadine shivered. 'We wanted to move them both to Messina hospital but we haven't a vehicle.'

'No vehicle! It all grows curiouser and curiouser, as your English classic says,' he remarked sardonically, 'I am the doctor and am therefore automatically implicated. That doesn't mean to say I intend to be incriminated. Either of these men could die — soon.'

By inferring that it was a police matter he'd managed to put moral right on his side too. My objective narrowed down to one thing: to have Rankin talk, and as soon as possible. And for that I needed Praeger's help.

My gorge rose at the sight of his smug little smile.

'Do what you can for them, leave the explanations to me,' I said shortly.

'Very well. The flier first. His wound is very similar to that which killed your English hero Lord Nelson. The bullet is lodged against the spine. Already he is paralysed and if he lives he will never walk again. The bullet must be removed.

First, however, I must find out exactly how deep it is and whether there are any splinters. The proper instrument would be a surgical probe.

'Would a knife do?'

'No. The blade is too broad. I need something long and thin and sharp. He won't feel a thing — he's too deeply unconscious.' I felt in my pocket and held out the diamond pencil. I looked back into the mouth of a pistol.

The barrel was unsteady and von Praeger looked as if he had seen a ghost. I should have jumped him before he brought up his other hand to steady his aim. I think, however, that what I had already been through with Rankin had punished my reflexes. Afterwards, too, I realized that the pistol must have been harmless because the quick draw from his pocket had probably snugged home to 'safe' the awkward catch of the heavy Russian war-time Tula Tokarev.