which would soon follow.
Although the river was lapping the top course of gabions "s dam, and was
roaring through the bypass that of Sapper he had cut into the side
valley, he was still holding it at bay. His Buffaloes were packing more
baskets with aggregate, using up the last of the steel mesh from the
stores in the quarry. As soon as each of these was filled and wired
closed, Sapper picked it up in the front bucket of the tractor and drove
it down the bank of the Dandera. He reinforced all the weak spots in the
dam wall, and then he began raising it another course. Sapper was fully
aware of the overturning effect that the river would exert once it began
to pour over the top of the wall. Nothing would be able to withstand its
power once this happened. It would carry away a rock-filled gabion as if
it were the branch of a baobab tree. it needed only a single breach in
the wall to bring the entire structure tumbling and rolling down. He had
no illusions as to just how swiftly the river could do its fatal work.
He knew that he dared not wait for the first breach to develop in the
wall before he warned Nicholas and Royan in the chasm downstream. The
river could easily outrun any messenger he sent, and once the wall began
to go it would already be too late. It would be a matter of fine
judgement, and he slitted his eyes against another gust of slanting rain
that blew into his face. His instinct was to call them out of the chasm
now - there was already less than twelve inches of free-board at the top
of the wall.
However, he knew that Nicholas would be furious if he was made to
evacuate the workings prematurely, and in so doing aborted all their
efforts. Sapper was fully aware of the extreme risks that Nicholas had
taken and of the crippling expenditure he had made to reach this stage.
Before they had left England, he had hinted to Sapper of the straitened
circumstances in which he found himself.
Although Sapper did not understand the intricacies or the
responsibilities of being a "Name' at Lloyd's, there had been so much
publicity in the British press that he could not but realize that, if
their venture here failed, the next stop for Nicholas would be the
bankruptcy courts - and Nicholas was his friend.
The squall of. rain blew over, and a bright hot sun burst through the
low cloud banks. The flow of the river seemed undiminished, but at least
the water level on the dam wall was no longer rising, "I'll give it
another hour," he grunted, engaging the gears of the tractor and easing
her down the bank to place another gabion in position.
Nicholas worked shoulder to shoulder with Hinsith's gang as they began
to strip the paving slabs from the floor of the lowest level of the
maze. The joints between the slabs were so tight that, even using
crowbars, they had difficulty prising them apart, In order to save time,
Nicholas made the hard choice of going into a destructive search. He put
four of the strongest men in the team to work with home-made
sledgehammers, lumps of ironstone on wooden shafts, to break UP the
slabs so that they could be more readily levered out of the floor. He
felt guilty about the damage they were causing to the site, but the work
went ahead very much faster.
The high spirits and enthusiasm of the men were at last beginning to
wane. They had worked too long in the oppressive confines of the maze,
and every one of them was the head of the fully aware of the rising
level of the river at gorge, and of the mortal threat behind those
waters. Their expressions were surly and there was little laughter' or
banter, But more worrying for Nicholas was the fact that at ported the
first the beginning of this shift Hansith had re duty.
desertions. Sixteen of his men had failed to report for They had quietly
rolled their blankets during the night, picked up whatever items of
value or utility they found lying around the camp, and crept away into
the darkness.
Nicholas knew that it was no use sending anyone after them - they had
too much of a start, and would be halfway up the escarpment already.
This was Africa, and Nicholas was certain that now that the rot had
started it would Spread very quickly.
He joked and jollied them along, not allowing them to sense his true
feelings. He worked shoulder to shoulder in the excavation in an and
sweated along with them made attempt to hold them, But he knew that,
unless they Ali under these slabs to keep their interest another
discovery and expectations alight, he might wake up tomorrow to
all find that even the monks and the faithful Hansith were gone.
He had started lifting the slabs in the angle of the corner of the maze,
and they worked out from there in both directions down the arms Of the
tunnel. His heart sank as they broke up each paving slab with the
hammers only to find beneath it the solid stratum of the country rock
with no indication of any joint or opening.
"It doesn't look very hopeful," he muttered to Royan as he took a short
break to drink from one of the water flasks.
She too was looking unhappy as she Poured water from the flask into his
cupped hands, so that he could wash the sweat and grime from his face.
"I may have got the symbols for the levels wrong," she suggested. "It is
just the kind of trick Taita would play, to work out combinations which
would both give a logical solution." She hesitated before she appealed
to him for guidance. "Do you think I should start working back the other
combination-'
Her question was interrupted by a bellow from Hansith. "In the name of
the Blessed Virgin, effendi, come quickly!'
They spun around together. In "her haste Royan dropped the flask, which
shattered at her feet. She did not seem to notice that it had drenched
her legs, but ran back to where Hansith was standing with the hammer
poised for another stroke.
What is it-' she broke off as they both saw that beneath the paving
slabs Hansith had uncovered another layer of dressed stone sills.
These were laid neatly across the floor of the tunnel from wall to wall,
recessed into the surrounding rock, with knife-edge joints between them.
Their sides were smooth and plain, without engravings or markings upon
them.
"What is it, icky?" Royan demanded.
"Either it's another layer of paving, or it)s a cover over fall an
opening in the floor,, he told her eagerly. "We won't know until we lift
one of them."
The stone sills were too thick and heavy to be cracked with the
primitive hammers, although Hansith tried his best. In the end they were
forced to dig around the first of lever it free. It took five men to
raise the end of them and it and lift it off its foundation.
"There is an opening under it." Royan went down on the space that it had
left. "Some her knees to peer into kind of open shaft!'
Once the first sill was removed it was easier to get a urchase on the
others that blocked the rectangular open I away, Nicholas shone ing.
When they had cleared them al the dark shaft that was revealed. It the
lamp down into stretched from wall to wall of the tunnel, and the head
stand up to his room was sufficient for even Nicholas full height on the
steps that led down at a forty-five degree angle.
"Surely this must be it.
"Another stairway he exulted exhausted all the false leads by now."
Even Taita must have crowding up behind them, their The workmen were
very and the ting at this fresh disco sullen mood evapora certainty of
additional bonuses in silver dollars that they had earned.
"Are we going down?" Royan asked. "I know we should be careful and check