years before by a company that tried to grow sugar cane under irrigation
from the Blue Nile. But Africa had won again and the company had passed
into oblivion, leaving this feeble scrape mark on the plain as its
epitaph.
Mek Nimmur had chosen this remote and deserted place for the rendezvous.
"No sign of a reception committee," Jannie grunted.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Continue your approach," Nicholas told him. "There should be another
flare - ah, there it is!" The ball of fire shot up from a clump of thorn
trees at the far end -of the runway, and for the first time they were
able to make out human figures in the bleak landscape. They had stayed
hidden until the very last moment.
"That's Mek, all right! Go ahead and land."
As Big Dolly finished her roll-out and the end of the rough and pitted
runway came up ahead, a figure in camouflage fatigues popped up ahead of
them. With a pair of paddles it signalled them to taxi into the space
between two of the tallest thorn trees.
Jannie cut the engines and grinned at them over his shoulder. "Well,
boys and girls, looks like we pulled off another lucky one!'
Then from the height of Big Dolly's-cockpit there was no mistaking the
commanding figure of Mek Nimmur as he emerged from the cover of the
clump of acacia trees. Only now did they realize that the trees had been
shrouded with camouflage netting; this was why they had not been able to
spot any sign of human presence from the air. As soon as the loading
ramp was lowered, Mek Nimmur came striding up it.
"Nicholas! They embraced and, after Mek had kissed him noisily on each
cheek, he held Nicholas at arm's was proce Wolrlc, length and studied
his face, delighted to see him again. "So I was right! You are up to
your old tricks. Not simply a dikdik shoot, was it?"
"How can I lie to an old friend?"Nicholas shrugged.
Hell' "It always came easy to you," Mek laughed, "but I am lad we are
going to have some fun together. Life has been very boring recently."
"I bet!'Nicholas punched his shoulder affectionately.
A slim, graceful figure followed Mek up the ramp. In the olive-green
fatigues Nicholas hardly recognized Tessay until she spoke. She wore
canvas para boots and a cloth cap that made her look like a boy.
"Nicholas! Royan! Welcome back!" Tessay cried. The two women embraced as
enthusiastically as the men had done.
"Come on, you Ous!" Jannie protested. "This isn't Woodstock. I have to
get back to Malta tonight. I want to take off before dark."
Swiftly Mek took charge of the offloading. His men swarmed aboard and
manhandled the pallets forward on the rollers, while Sapper started up
his beloved front-end loader and used it to run the cargo down the ramp
and stack it in the acacia grove under the camouflage netting.
With so many hands to help it went swiftly, and Big Dolly's hold was
emptied just as the sun settled wearily on to the horizon, and the short
African twilight bled all colour from the landscape.
Jannie and Nicholas had one last hurried discussion in the cockpit while
Fred completed his flight checks. They went over the plans and radio
procedures one last time.
Four days from today," Jannie agreed, as they shook hands briefly.
"Let the man go, Nicholas," Mek bellowed from below.
"We must get across the border before dawn."
They watched Big Dolly taxi down to the end of the strip and swing
around. The engine beat crescendoed as she came tearing back in a long
rolling shroud of dust and lifted off over their heads. Jannie waggled
his wings in farewell and, without navigation lights showing, the great
aircraft blended like a black bat into the darkening sky and disappeared
almost immediately.
"Come here." Nicholas led Royan to a seat under the acacia. "I don't
want that knee to play up again." He pushed her culottes halfway up. her
thigh and strapped the knee wit han elastic bandage, trying not to make
his pleasure in this task too apparent. He was pleased to see that the
bruising had almost faded and there was no longer any swelling.
He palpated it gently. Her skin was velvety and the flesh beneath it
firm and warm to the touch. He looked up, and from the expression on her
face realized that she was enjoying this intimacy as much'as he was. As
he caught her eye she flushed slightly, and quickly smoothed down her
culottes.
She jumped up and said, "Tessay and I have a lot of catching up to do,'
and hurried across to join her.
I am leaving a full combat platoon to guard your stores here," Mek
explained to Nicholas as Tessay led Royan away. "We will travel in a
very small party as far as the border. I don't expect any trouble. There
is very little enemy activity this sector at the moment. Lots of
fighting in the south, but we are quiet here. That is why I chose this
rendezvous."
"How far to the Ethiopian border?"Nicholas wanted to know.
"Five hours' march," Mek told him. "We will slip through one of our
pipelines after the moon has set. The rest of my men are waiting in the
entrance to the Abbay gorge. We should rendezvous with them before dawn
tomorrow."
"And from there to the monastery?"
"Another two days' march," Mek replied. "We will be there just in time
to receive the drop from your fat friend in the fat plane."
He turned away and gave his last orders to the platoon commander who
would remain at Roseires to guard the stores. Then he assembled the
party of six men who would form their escort across the border. Mek
divided up the loads between them. The most important single item was
the radio, a modern military lightweight model which Nicholas carried
himself.
"Those bags of yours are too difficult to carry. You will have to repack
them," Mek told Nicholas and Royan. So they emptied their bags and
stuffed the contents into the two canvas haversacks that Mek had ready
for them. Two of his men slung the haversacks over their shoulders and
disappeared into the darkness.
"He is not taking thatV Mek stared aghast at the bulky legs of the
theodolite that Sapper had retrieved from one of the pallets. Sapper
spoke no Arabic, so Nicholas had to translate.
"Sapper says that it is a delicate instrument. He cannot allow it to be
dropped from the aircraft. He says that if it is damaged he will not be
able to do the work he was hired for."
"Who is going to carry it?" Mek demanded. "My men will mutiny if I try
to make them do it."
"Tell the cantankerous bugger that I will carry it myself." Sapper drew
himself up with dignity. "I wouldn't let one of his great clumsy oafs
lay a finger on it." He picked up the bundle, placed it over his
shoulder and stalked away with "a stiff back.
Mek let the advance guard have a five-minute start, and then he nodded.
"We can go now."
Thirty minutes after Big Dolly had taken off, they left the airfield and
set out across the dark and silent plain, headed into the east. Mek set
a hard pace. He and Nicholas seemed to have the eyes of a pair of cats,
Royan thought, as she followed close behind them. They could see in the
darkness, and only a whispered warning from one of them prevented her
falling into a hole or tripping over a pile of rocks in the darkness.