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.
They only had one mug between them. "Girls first," said Nicholas,
passing it to Royan. She took a swallow and scalded her lips.
Good!, she sighed, and then cocked her head. "This time it is definitely
Big Dolly I can hear."
Nicholas listened and then nodded. "I think you are right." He stood up
and went to the radio. "Big Dolly. You are audible."
"Five minutes to landing, Pharaoh."
From where he stood, Nicholas looked down the long strip. Mek's men were
retreating, flitting like smoke through the thorn scrub and firing back
in the direction of the river. Nogo was pushing them hard now.
"Hurry along, Jannie he murmured, and then adjusted his expression as
he turned back to the two women. "Plenty of time to finish your tea.
Don't waste it."
The rumble of Big Dolly's engines was louder than the sound of gunfire
now. Then suddenly she was in sight, coming in so low that she seemed to
brush the tops of the thorn trees. She was enormous, Her wingspan
reached from one side of the narrow overgrown strip to the other. Jannie
touched her down short, and she blew out a long rolling cloud of brown
dust behind her as he put the engines into reverse thrust.
Big Dolly went barrelling past the clump of acacia, and Jannie waved to
them from the high cockpit. The moment he had bled off enough speed, he
stood on his footbrakes and rudder bar. Big Dolly spun around in her own
length and came roaring back down the strip towards them, her loading
ramp beginning to drop open even before she reached them.
Fred was waiting in the open hatchway, and he ran down to'help Sapper
and Nicholas with the wounded men on the litters. It took only a few
minutes to carry them up the ramp, and then they started loading the
ammunition crates. Even Royan gave a hand, staggering up the ramp with
one of the lighter crates clutched to her chest.
A mortar shell exploded a hundred and fifty yards beyond the parked
Hercules, and then half a minute later a second shell fell a hundred
yards short.
"Ranging shots," Nicholas grunted, picking up a crate under each arm and