Moslem nor the-"
"I am well aware of that, Mek. But that is not Ethiopia.
It's not your war."
"They are Christians, and they suffer injustice. I am a soldier and a
Christian. Of course it is my war." Tessay had ty to every word that Mek
spoke, and been listening avid now she nodded her head in agreement, her
eyes dark and solemn with hero worship.
"Alto Mek is a crusader for Christ and the rights of the common
man,'Tessa told Nicholas in awed tones.
"And he dearly loves a good fight," Nicholas laughed, punching his
shoulder affectionately. It was a familiar gesture which could easily
have given offence, but Mek accepted it readily and laughed back at him.
"What are you doing here yourself, Nicholas, if you are no longer a
soldier? There was a time when you also loved a good fight."
"I am completely reformed. No more fighting. I have come to the Abbay
gorge to hunt dik-dik."
"Dik-dik?l Mek Nimmur stared at him with disbelief, and then he roared
with laughter. "I don't believe it. Not you. Not dik-dik. You are up to
something."
"It is the truth."
"You are lying, Nicholas. You never could lie to me. I know you too
well. You are up to something. You will tell me about it when you need
my help."
"And you will still give me your help?"
"Of course. You saved my life twice."
"Once,'said Nicholas.
"Even once is enough," said Mek Nimmur.
while they talked, the sun slanted down the sky.
"You are my guests for tonight," Mek Nimmur told them formally. "In the
morning I will escort you back to your camp at the monastery of St..
Frumentius.
That is also my destination. My men and I are going to the monastery to
celebrate the festival of Timkat- The abbot, Jali Hora, is a friend and
an ally."
"And the monastery is probably your deep cover base.
You use it and the monks for resupply and intelligence.
Am I right?"
"You know me too well, Nicholas."Mek Nimmur shook his head ruefully.
"You taught me much of what I know, so why should you not be able to
guess my strategy? The monastery makes a perfect base of operations.
It's close enough to the border-' he broke off, smiling. "But there is
no need to explain it to you, of all people."
Mek had his men build a night shelter for Nicholas and Royan, and cut a
mattress of grass to cushion their sleep. They lay close together under
the flimsy roof. The night was sultry, and they did not miss their
blankets.
Nicholas had a tube of insect repellent in his pack to keep the
mosquitoes at bay After they had settled down on the grass mattress,
their heads were close enough together to allow them to converse in
quiet tones. When he turned his head Nicholas could see the dark
silhouettes of Mek Nimmur and Tessay still sitting close together by the
fire.
"Ethiopian girls are different from the Arabs, and from most other
African women." Royan too was watching the other couple. "No Arab girl
would dare be alone with a man like that. Especially if she were a
married woman."
"Any way you cut it, they make a damned fine pair," he gave his opinion.
"Good luck to them. Tessay hasn't had much of that lately - she is
overdue."
He turned his head and looked into her face, "What about you, Royan,
what are you? Are you a decorous, submissive Arab, or an independent,
assertive Western girl?"
"It's both a little early and much too late for intimate questions of
that nature," she told him, and turned over, presenting him with her
back.
"Ah, we are standing on ceremony this evening!
Goodnight, Woizero Royan."
"Goodnight, Alto Nicholas," she replied, keeping her face turned away
from him so that he could not see her smile.
The gorilla column moved out before dawn the next morning. They marched
in full battle order, with scouts moving ahead and flankers covering
each side of the path.
"The army come down here into the gorge very seldom, but we are always
ready for them when they do come," Mek Nimmur explained. "We try to give
them a hearty welcome."
Tessay was watching Mek Nimmur as he spoke; indeed, she had seldom taken
her eyes off him that morning. Now she murmured to Royan, "He is a truly
great man, a man who could unite our land, perhaps for the first time in
a thousand years. I feel humble in his presence, and yet I also feel
like a young girl again, filled with joy and hope."
The march back to the monastery took the entire morning. When they came
in sight of the Dandera. river, Mek Nimmur drew his men back off the
path into thick bush, while sending only one scout forward. After an
hour's wait, a party of acolytes came up from the monastery, each
carrying a large bundle balanced upon his head.
They greeted Mek with deep reverence, and handed over their bundles to
his men before returning down the pathway into the gorge of the Abbay.
The bundles contained priestly shammas, headcloths and sandals. Mek's
men changed out of their camouflage fatigues into these garments, all of
which were well worn and unwashed for the sake of authenticity. They
wore only their sidearms under the robes. All their other weapons and
equipment they cached in one of the caves in the limestone Cliffs, and
left a detachment to guard them.
Now as a party of monks they covered the last few miles to the
monastery, to be welcomed joyously by the community there. Here Nicholas
and the women left Mek, and climbed the steep path up into the grove of
wild fig trees. Boris was waiting for them, pacing about the camp, angry
and frustrated.
"Where the hell have you been, woman?" he snarled at Tessay. "Been
whoring around all night, have you?"
"We lost our way yesterday evening." Nicholas fed him the cover story
that they had agreed with Mek Nimmur, to maintain his security. Boris
was hardly the man to trust.
"And we were picked up by a party of monks from the monastery this
morning. They brought us back."
"You are the big hunter and tracker, are you?" Boris sneered at him.
"You didn't need me to guide you, hey? You got yourself lost, did you,
English? I see now why you want only to shoot dik-dik." He guffawed
without humour, and looked at Tessay with those pale dead eyes. "I will
talk to you later, woman. Go and see to the food."
Despite the heat, both Nicholas and Royan were hungry. In short order,
Tessay was able to serve a tasty cold lunch under the shady branches of
the fig trees. Nicholas refused the wine that Boris offered him.
want to go out hunting again this afternoon. I have lost almost a whole
day."
"You want me to hold your hand this time, English?
Make sure you don't lose yourself again?"
"Thanks, old chap, but I think I can manage without you."
While they ate Nicholas nudged Royan and told her, "Your admirer has
arrived."
He jerked his head at the lanky, ungainly figure of Tamre, who had
sneaked up quietly and was now sitting near the kitchen hut, As soon as
Royan looked at him his face split into a doting idiotic grin, and he
bobbed his head and squirmed with ecstatic shyness.
"I will not come with you this afternoon," Royan told Nicholas quietly,