The three of them turned the final bend in the course of the wadi and came upon a scene of utter pandemonium.
The ravine was filled solidly with those who had escaped the Italian fire struggling to load their possessions, their tents and bedding, their chickens and children, on to the panicky bellowing camels and the skittering braying mules and donkeys.
Already hundreds of riders were galloping away, climbing the sides of the wadi or disappearing into the labyrinth of broken ground. New widows wailed in the uproar and their grief was catching, the children shrieked, and whimpered in sympathy, and over it all hung a blue miasma of smoke from the cooking fires and dust from the trampling hooves and milling feet.
The four cars stood in their solid orderly rank, aloof from the masses of humanity, gleaming in their coats of white paint with the vivid red crosses emblazoned upon their sides.
Jake pushed a way through for them, towering head and shoulders above the throng, and when they reached the nearest car Jake grasped Vicky about the waist and swung her easily up into the sponson. For a moment his expression softened.
"You don't have to come," he said. "I guess I went a little mad then, you don't have to drive Gareth and I will take one car." Her face was deathly pale also, and there were deep bruised smears under her eyes from a night without sleep and the horrors of the slaughter. Her tears had dried, leaving dirty smears down her cheeks, but she shook her head fiercely.
"I'm coming," she said. "I'll drive for you."
"Good girl," said Jake. "Help Gregorius top up. We will need full fuel tanks. I'll get the Vickers." He turned away, shouting to Gregorius. "We'll use Miss Wobbly and Tenastelin Vicky will help you refuel." A detail from the Ras's personal bodyguard were already bringing the wooden cases of weapons and munitions out of the storage cave as Jake arrived. Each case was carried between four straining troopers to where the camels knelt.
It was then lifted into the pannier on each side of the hump and hastily lashed down.
"Hey, you lot." Jake came up with a group carrying a crated Vickers.
"Bring that along this way." They paused in understanding until Jake made unmistakable signs, but at that moment a captain of the guard hurried up to intervene. After one shouted exchange Jake realized that the language barrier was insurmountable. The man was obstinate and time was wasting.
"Sorry, friend," he apologized. "But I am in a bit of a hurry," and he hit him a roundhouse clout that ended the argument conclusively and sent the man flying backwards into the outstretched arms of two of his men.
"Come along." Jake pushed the guards with the crate towards where the cars stood. The thought of Sara lying out there in the valley was driving him frantic. He imagined her bleeding slowly to death, her bright young blood draining away into the sandy soil and he hustled the two men forward through the press of animals and human beings.
As he came up, Gregorius was swinging the crank handle on Miss Wobbly and the engine caught and ran smoothly as Vicky eased back the ignition.
"Where is Gareth? "Jake shouted.
"Can't find him," answered Gregorius. "We'll have to go in one car," and then both of them swung round at the familiar bantering laugh.
Gareth Swales was leaning nonchalantly against the side of the car, looking as unruffled and calm as ever, his hair neatly combed and the tweed suit as immaculate as if it had just come from his tailor.
"say," smiled Gareth, crinkling his eyes against the drift of blue smoke from the cheroot between his lips. "Big Jake Barton and his two eager ducklings about to take on the entire Italian army." Vicky's head appeared in the driver's hatch.
"We've been looking for you," she shouted furiously.
"Ah," quoth Gareth lightly. "We will now hear from the Girl Guides Association."
"Sara is out there." Gregorius ran to Gareth. "We are going to fetch her. You and I will take the one car, Vicky and Jake the other."
"Nobody is going anywhere." Gareth shook his head, and Gregorius seized the lapels of his suit and shook them urgently. "Sara. You don't understand she's out there! We have to fetch her." say, old lad, would you mind unhanding me, "murmured Gareth and removed Gregorius" hands from his lapel. "Yes.
We know about Sara, but--2 Vicky yelled from the driver's hatch.
"Leave, him, Gregorius. We don't need anyone who is afraid-" and Gareth straightened up abruptly, his expression grim and his eyes snapping.
"I have been called many things in my life, my dear young lady. Some of them justified, but nobody has ever called me a coward."
"Well, there is always a first time, buster," shouted Vicky, her face crimson with anger and streaked with dirt, her blonde hair ruffled and hanging into her eyes and she pointed one quivering finger at Gareth, "and for you this is that first time!" They stared at each other for a moment longer before Lij Mikhael strode between them, his dark face set but commanding.
"Major Swales is acting on my express orders, Miss Camberwell. I have ordered that the cars and all my father's troops will fall back immediately."
"Good God, man." Vicky transferred her anger from Gareth to the Prince. "That's your daughter lying out there."
"Yes," said the Prince softly. "My daughter on the one hand my country on the other.
There is no doubt which I must choose."
"You're not making sense, "Jake interposed roughly.
"I think I am." The Prince turned to him and Jake saw the dark torment in the man's eyes. "I cannot make a hostile move, it's what the Italians are seeking. An excuse to attack in full strength. We must turn the other cheek now, and use this atrocity to win world support."
"But Sara," Vicky interrupted. "We could pick her up in a minute."
"No." The Prince lifted his chin. "I cannot show the , enemy these new weapons of ours. They must remain hidden until the time is right to strike."
"Sara, cried Gregorius. "What of Sara?" "When these machines and the new guns are safely on their way back to the Sardi Gorge, I shall ride out myself to fetch her body," said the Prince with a simple dignity.
"But until then my duty must come first."
"One car," pleaded Gregorius. "For Sara's sake."
"No, I cannot use even one car," said the Prince.
"Well, I can," snapped Vicky and her tousled golden head disappeared into the driver's hatch, the engine roared and Miss Wobbly shot forward scattering men and animals before her, and swung in a tight sliding right-hand turn towards the course of the wadi.
Unarmed and alone, Vicky Camberwell was going out to face the machine guns and the mortars, and only one man amongst them acted swiftly enough.
Jake shouldered the Prince aside and sprinted across the circle of the car's turn, coming alongside a moment before it plunged into the narrow ravine. He got a grip on one of the welded brackets abaft the engine cowling, and although his shoulder joint was almost wrenched from its socket, he swung himself up and fell belly down across the sponson.
Clinging grimly on to the leaping, jouncing vehicle, he dragged himself forward until he could peer down the driver's hatch.
"Are you crazy?" he bellowed, and Vicky looked up and gave him a fleeting but angelic grin.
"Yes. How about you?"A heavier impact came up through the chassis of the car and momentarily drove Jake's breath from him so he could not answer. Instead, he clawed his way up the side of the turret, almost losing four fingers as the loose hatch cover slammed closed at another leap of the car.