information I asked for."
"Stop it, Nicky, or I will tear my bodice and scream and cause a
scandal. Tell me!'
He rustled the pages, and then read. "Pegasus Exploration is registered
on the Sydney Stock Exchange in Australia with a share capital of twenty
million-'
"Don't go through all the details," she pleaded. "Just name the man."
"Sixty-five percent of the shares in Pe asus are owned by Valhalla
Mining Company," he continued imperturbably, "and the remaining
thirty-five percent are owned by Anaconda Metals of Austria."
She had given up pleading with him and sat forward in her chair,
watching him with a fixed gaze.
"Both Valhalla and Anaconda are fully-owned subsidiaries of HMI, Hamburg
Manufacturing Industries. All the shares in HMI are owned by the von
Schiller family trust, the sole trustees of which are Gotthold Ernst von
Schiller and his wife, Ingemar."
"Von Schiller," she repeated softly, still staring at him.
"Duraid had him on his list of possible sponsors. He must have read the
Wilbur Smith book - I know it has been translated into German. He
probably contacted Duraid just the way that you did. But he was not put
off as easily as you were by Duraid's denials."
"That's the way I read it also, Nicholas nodded. "It would have been
easy to sniff around the Cairo museum, and find that Duraid and you were
working on something big. The rest of it we know only too well."
"But how did he move Pegasus into Ethiopia so quickly?"she demanded.
"That must have been a stroke of luck on von Schiller's side - the luck
of the devil. Geoffrey tells me that Pegasus obtained a concession to
prospect for copper from President Mengistu five years ago, just before
he was ousted. Von Schiller was already in place, even before he heard
about the scrolls. All it involved was moving the base camp down from
the north where they were working and relocating it on the escarpment of
the Abbay gorge, to be ready to take advantage of any fresh
developments. We will probably find his dirty tricks that Jake Helm is
one of his heavies, specialist that he sends to any of his trouble spots
around the world. It's apparent that he has Nogo in his pocket.
We waltzed right into their arms."
Royan looked thoughtful. "It all makes sense. As soon as Helm reported
our arrival to his master, von Schiller must have ordered him to set up
the shufta raid on our camp. Oh, sweet heaven, I hate him. I have never
laid eyes on him, but I hate him more than I thought I was capable of
hating anything or anybody."
"Well, at least we know now who we are dealing with."
"Not altogether," she demurred. "Von Schiller must have had a man in
Cairo. Somebody on the inside there."
"What is the name of your minister?" Nicholas wanted to know.
"No," she denied it instantly. "Not Atalan Abou Sin. I have known him
all my life. He is a tower of integrity."
"It's amazing what effect a bribe of a hundred thousand dollars or so
can have on the foundations of even the best constructed tower,"
Nicholas observed quietly, and she looked stricken.
They were the only two at breakfast. Sir Oliver had left for his office
an hour earlier, and Lady Bradford had not yet risen to greet the clear,
cool highland morning, "I hardly slept last night, thinking about
Atalan. Oh, Nicky, I can't bear even the suspicion that he might be
involved in Duraid's murder."
"Sorry if I gave you a rough night, but we have to consider all the
angles," he tried to soothe her, and then changed the subject. "We have
wasted enough time here.
Pegasus have got a clear run of the field at the moment. I want to get
back home, and start putting together our own expeditionary force for
the return."
"Would you like me to get on to the airline and make our reservations?"
She stood up immediately. "I will go off and find a phone."
"Finish your breakfast first."
"I have had all I want." She made for the door, and he called after her.
"No wonder you are so skinny- They tell me anorexia nervosa is a rotten
way to go." And he helped himself to another slice of toast and
marmalade.
She was back within fifteen minutes. "Tomorrow afternoon at
three-thirty. Kenya Airways to Nairobi, connecting the same evening with
British Airways to Heathrow."
"Well done." He wiped his mouth on his napkin, and stood up. "Our car is
waiting to take us down to police headquarters to speak to your new
admirer, General Obeid.
Let's go."
There was a police officer waiting to meet them and usher them into the
headquarters building, through the private entrance. He introduced
himself as Inspector Galla and treated them with the greatest deference
as he led them through to the Commissioner's suite.
General Obeid rose to his feet as soon as they entered his office, and
came around his desk to greet them. He was charming and affable, fussing
over Royan as he led them through to his private sitting room. Once they
were seated, Inspector Galla poured the inevitable tiny bowls of bitter
black coffee.
After a polite interval of small talk the general came directly to the
business in hand. "As I promised, I won't detain you longer than is
absolutely necessary. Inspector Galla here will be recording your
statements. Firstly I would like to deal with the disappearance and
death of Major Brusilov. I presume you are aware that he was formerly an
officer in the Russian KGB?"
The interview lasted much longer than they had expected. General Obeid
was thorough, but unfailingly polite. Finally he had their statements
typed out by a police stenographer, and after they had read and signed
them, the general walked with them as far as the entrance where their
car was waiting. Nicholas recognized this as a mark of special favour.
"If there is anything I can do for you, anything that need, please do
not hesitate to call upon me. It has you been a great pleasure meeting
you, Dr Al Simma. You must come back to Ethiopia and visit us again
soon."
"Despite our little misadventure, I have thoroughly enjoyed your
beautiful country" she told him sweetly. "You may see us again sooner
than you expect."
"What a charming man," she remarked, as they settled into the back seat
of Sir Oliver's Rolls. "I really like him."
"It would seem to be mutual,'said Nicholas.
yan's words were prophetic. There were idenical envelopes addressed to
each of them lying at their places on the dining-room table the next
morning when they came down to breakfast.
Nicholas opened his as he ordered coffee from the waiter in his
ankle-length shamnia, and his expression changed as he read the note.
"Hello!" he exclaimed. "We made an even bigger impression on the boys in
blue than we realized. General Obeid wants to see me again."He read
aloud from the note, "You are ordered to present yourself at police
headquarters at or before noon."' Nicholas whistled softly. "Strong
language. No please or thank you."
"Mine is identical." Royan glanced at the note on an official police
letterhead. "What on earth do you suppose it means?"
"We will find out soon enough," Nicholas promised her. "But it sounds a