A Cleft Of Stars

'There's only one real danger point left,' I said in a low voice. 'Those last few final steps of the climb. If they're not waiting to ambush us there, we can be pretty certain that we've broken through.'

'Let's wait until day,' she whispered back.

'No, it's better to attempt it now. It's just on dawn anyway

— the cloud cover's delaying the light. They've had nothing to alert them that we're here.'

'I'll lead then, Guy.'

'No. This is my party.'

I worked my way up and my heart pounded when my head rose to a level where I would be an easy target. I couldn't see a hand's-breadth ahead and I took it slowly, hoping that a possible ambusher would not hear my exertions. Finally I hauled myself on to the summit and when Nadine appeared we crept silently away to the underground chamber. On the summit the light was slightly better and the first signs of, day were apparent in the east through the cloud, making the out lines of objects vaguely discernible. The wind was stronger and less gusty than at ground level, with a tendency to hold steady from one direction.

We went straight to the isifuba board, of course. Immediately I switched on the flashlight I realized that we would have to work fast if we were to discover anything before it failed altogether. Nevertheless, when Nadine produced the '

King's Messenger', the bead had the power to pick up the faint light.

'Why didn't Dr Drummond clean up the board?' I asked. '

There's a lot of sand and grit here that we'll have to get rid of before we can begin to examine it properly.'

'There wasn't time and the layer wasn't thick enough to impede our first tentative look at it. Guy! Why, it can't be!'

'What, Nadine?'

'There must have been hundreds of wind storms over the years — why then isn't the dust inches deep in here? There's nothing to stop its entering. These mosaics should have been completely obliterated. And yet, look! There's some dust, but it'

s certainly not the coating of centuries.

'What are you trying to say?'

'Rankin. He kept it clean.'

'By God you're right!'

'Yes. And another piece of the jigsaw falls into place. Rankin kept it free of dust because … because he was using the isifuba board!'

She snatched up the torch to shine it more closely while I started to puff away the fine covering layer. As I did so my eyes came close to the glowing 'King's Messenger' which Nadine had put down.

'Look at this, Nadine! Here, the torch!'

I directed the beam into its heart.

'There's a chevron pattern cut inside!'

Nadine craned forward to see and her hands rested on the mosaics.

'Guy! Here's one that's loose!'

'Damn this light! It's dying on us!'

What had appeared to be an inlaid coloured circle revealed itself under Nadine's excited fingers as another bead. It was smaller than the 'King's Messenger', round and not hexagonal, and deep green in colour.

'Look, look, it's also got a pattern cut inside!'

The fast failing light showed us a different design from the '

King's Messenger': this one was a triangle etched above two lateral bars.

Then I explored with my finger-tips in the hole it had come from, and at the base I detected a stubby little shaft, smooth as ivory, with some notches in it.

'Nadine — give me the "King's Messenger"!'

I tried fitting it to the notches but all it did was to revolve loosely.

'I believe we're on to something!'

'What do you make of it, Guy?'

'I'm guessing, but the beads and notches could be some form of locking tumblers — like a primitive lock.'

'Let's try the others..

I sat bolt upright in astonishment.

Nadine looked at me. 'What is it?'

'The lay-out of the board itself. Look. There are three squares each way. It reminds me of a so-called magical square whose numbers always add up to 15 whichever way you total it.'What?. . I don't follow!'

'The ancients used to set out figures on a square in an order which was supposed to endow it with magical properties: a top line of three squares containing the numbers 4, 9 and 2; a second having 3, 5 and 7; and a third with 8, 1 and 6. Add it across, down or diagonally and the answer is always 15.'

'Where does that get us?'

'My guess is that those numbers will tally with the number and design of the slots inside the beads. If we fit them correctly into their corresponding positions on the board I believe we'll be able to move this whole slab of rock — like opening the door of a combination safe … blast!'

The flashlight had flickered and finally died.

Nadine found my hands in the dimness. I'm frightened of what we might uncover, Guy.'

I tried to revive the torch and juggled with it but with no result.

'Most of all we need light — daylight.'

'I'll slip outside and see how the sky looks,' she said.

'Right. Meanwhile I'll have another bash at this damn torch.'

The entrance was a greyish rectangle and I gave Nadine a leg up through it and continued battling with the flashlight. After a couple of minutes I was rewarded with a faint gleam and immediately went back to the mosaics, praying the light would last. It was only the last kick of the batteries, however, and I achieved nothing before it eventually fizzled out. I stood for a while longer, engrossed in the puzzle. All at once I realized that Nadine had not returned. I went to the entrance and was about to call her when I saw two figures struggling on the skyline at the top of the excavation shaft.

Koen held Nadine fast with one hand clamped round her mouth and was dragging her towards the secret stairway. I stood transfixed while a wave of cold fear and hot rage swept over me and then I reached for the only weapon I could think of: the torch, which I had dropped. As I felt for it my fingers encountered the ivory arm guard. In place of my surge of confused emotions came an icy clarity of purpose. I slipped it on and threw myself through the opening.

I leapt up the shaft and ducked behind the fortification wall running to the edge of the cliff. I saw Nadine break half free from Koen's grip: he whipped out the derringer with its flickblade and struck at her. I saw her sleeve rip and she went limp. It took all my self-control to stop myself flying at his throat. It was only when he spoke that I realized Nadine was still alive.

'You bloody little bitch! Treasure, eh? I'll teach you!'

I could not make out her choked reply 'but he laughed unpleasantly and dragged her farther towards the edge.'It's you we want alive — he'll come after you, all right. I sprinted, crouching behind the wall, until I was between him and the head of the stairway, right at the stone post overlooking the drop. I steeled myself as I heard him say, 'Wait till the Doc starts to give your boy-friend a work-out like Rankin! If he doesn't come clean, you will. You'll wish you'd torn your own tits off before the Doc's finished with you!'

I couldn't see him because of the post but I heard his shuffle on the other side. With it still between us, I threw my karate arm encased in the arm guard round his neck and trapped his head against the post and with my right I jerked his gun hand full stretch to send any shot into the ground. I felt — I could not see — Nadine fall clear.

Koen lashed out instantly at my shins but he had overlooked the post and gave a strangled grunt of pain. Then he dug his bull neck hard down and tried to rip my arm with his teeth but the ivory guard saved me.

He was tremendously strong and I soon realized that he would either break free or tear his derringer hand loose, then shoot or stab me at a range of less than a foot. I threw all my strength into trying to throttle him, at the same time attempting to kick the derringer away; but he hung on. He was a clever fighter and, once he realized I couldn't choke him, weighed up the odds with lightning speed. He managed to loosen my hold on his throat a little and swallowed a lungful of air. It seemed to give him added energy and he tore the gun half out of my grasp. Sweat poured off me as I tightened my stranglehold, jamming my face hard against the post as I sought purchase.