"You are right," Mek agreed. "That's a single engine, and it's not a
fixed wing. You can hear the rotors."
"The Pegasus helicopter!" Nicholas exclaimed bitterly.
"They are on to us again."
As they listened, the sound of the rotors faded.
Nicholas looked relieved. "They missed us. They can't have IR spotted
the Avons."
They trooped back under the cover of the acacias, and Nicholas called
again on the radio, but there was no reply from Jannie.
Twenty minutes later they heard the sound of the jet Ranger returning,
and they monitored it anxiously.
"Gone again," said Nicholas after a while, but then twenty minutes later
they heard it yet again.
"Nogo is up to something out there,'Mek said uneasily.
"What do you think it is?" Nicholas was infected by his mood. When Mek
worried, there was usually a damned good reason to worry.
"I don't know," Mek admitted. "Perhaps Nogo has spotted the Avbns and is
bringing up more men before he comes after us." He went out into the
open and listened intently, then came back to where Nicholas crouched
over the radio.
"Keep calling," he said. "I am going out to the perimeter to make
certain my men are ready to hold Nogo off if he comes., The helicopter
moved up and down the Nile at'short intervals during the next three
hours, but the lack of any further developments lulled them, and
Nicholas barely looked up from the radio each time they heard the
distant beat of the rotors. Suddenly the radio crackled, and Nicholas
started violently at the shock.
"Pharaoh! This is Big Dolly. Do you read?"
Nicholas's voice bubbled over with relief as he replied, "This is
Pharaoh. Speak sweet words to me, Big Dolly."
"ETA your position one hour thirty minutes." jannie's accent was
unmistakable.
"You will be very welcome!" Nicholas promised him fervently.
He hung up the microphone and beamed at the two women, "Jannie is on his
way, and he will-'
He broke off and his smile shrivelled to an expression of dismay. From
the direction of the river came the unmistakable rattle of AK-47 rapid
fire, followed a few seconds later by the crump of an exploding grenade.
"Oh, dammit to hell!" he groaned. "I thought it was too good to last.
Nogo has arrived."
He picked up the mike again and spoke into it expressionlessly. "Big
Dolly! The uglies have arrived on the scene. It's going to have to be a
hot extraction."
"Hang on to your crown, Pharaoh!" jannie's voice floated back. "I am on
my way."
During the next half-hour the sounds of the fighting along the river
intensified until the rattle of small-arms fire was almost continuous,
and gradually it crept closer to the far end of the airstrip. It was
clear that Mek's men, spread , out thinly along the river end of the
strip, were falling back before the thrust of Nogo's men. And every
twenty minutes or so there was'the sound of the returning helicopter, as
it ferried another stick of men to increase the pressure on Mek's scanty
defence.
Nicholas and Sapper were the only ablebodied men left in the acacia
grove, for all the others had gone out to defend the perimeter. The two
of them moved the ammunition crates to the edge of the trees, where they
could be loaded in haste once the Hercules landed.
Nicholas sorted out the cargo, reading the contents of each crate from
the notations on the lids in Royan's handwriting. The crate containing
the death -mask and the Taita ushabd would be the first to go aboard,
followed by the three crowns- the blue war crown, the Nemes crown and
the red and white crown of the united kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt.
The value of those three crates probably exceeded that of all the rest
of the treasure combined.
Once the cargo had been taken care of, Nicholas went down the row of
wounded men and spoke to each of them in turn. First, he thanked them
for their help and sacrifice, red to take them out on the Hercules to
and then offed where they could receive proper medical attention. He
mised each of them that, if they accepted the offer, he pro would see to
it . -lat once they had recovered from their wounds they could return to
Ethiopia.
Seven of them - those who were less seriously wounded and were able to
walk - refused to leave Mek Nimmur.
Their loyalty was a touching demonstration of the high regard in which
Mek was held by his men. The others reluctantly agreed to be evacuated,
but only after Tessay had intervened and added her assurances to
Nicholas's.
Then he and Sapper carried them to the point at the edge of the grove
where jannie would halt Big Dolly for the pick'up.
"What about you?" Nicholas asked Tessay. "Are you coming out with us?
You are still in pretty bad shape."
Tessay laughed. "While I can still stand on my two feet, I will never
leave Mek Nimmur."
"I can't understand what you see in that old rogue," Nicholas laughed
with her. "I have -spoken to Mek. He wants me to take his share of the
booty with me. He won't be able to carry any extra luggage at the
moment."
"Yes, I know. Mek and I discussed it. We need the money to continue the
struggle here."
She broke off and ducked involuntarily, as a stunning explosion cracked
in their eardrums and a tall column of dust leaped into the air close to
the edge of the grove.
Shrapnel whistled over their heads and twigs and leaves rained down on
them.
sweet Mary! What was that?" Tessay cried.
"Two-inch mortar,'said Nicholas. He had not moved, nor made any attempt
to take cover. "More bark than bite.
Nogo must have brought it in with his last flight."
"When will the Hercules get here?"
"I'll give jannie a call, and ask him."
As Nicholas sauntered over to the radio set Tessay whispered to Royan,
"Are you English always so cooV
"Don't Ask me - I' mostly Egyptian, and I am terrified." Royan smiled
easily and put her arm around Tessay. "I am going to miss you, Lady
Sun."
"Perhaps we will meet again in happier times." Tessay turned her head
and kissed her impulsively, and Royan hugged her hard.
"I hope so. I hope so with all my heart."
Nicholas spoke into the microphone. "Big Dolly, this is Pharaoh. "What
is your position now?"
"Pharaoh, we are twenty minutes out, and hurrying.
Did you have baked beans for dinner or is that mortar fire I hear in the
background?"
"With your wit you should have gone on the stage,'
Nicholas told him. "The uglies have control of the south end of the
strip. Make your approach from the north. The wind is wester rly at
about five knots. So any way you come in, it will be cross-wirid.
"Roger, Pharaoh. How many passengers and cargo do YOU have for me?"
"Passengers are six cas-evac plus three, Cargo is fifty-two crates,
about a quarter of a ton weight."
"Hardly worth coming all this way for so little, Pharaoh."
"Big Dolly. Be advised, there is another aircraft in the circuit. A jet
Ranger helter. Colour green and red. It 1cop is a hostile, but unarmed."
"Roger, Pharaoh. I will call again on finals."
the two women were Nicholas went back to where waiting with the wounded.
"Not long now," he told them cheerfully. He had to raise his voice to
make himself heard above the din of mortar bursts and rapid small'arms
fire.
"Just enough time for a cup of tea," he said. He pushed a few twigs into
the embers of the previous night's fire, then rummaged in his small
emergency pack for the last of his tea bags while Sapper placed the
smoke-blackened billycan back on the burgeoning flames.