emotional outbursts of Amharic as the Ras tried to make his view heard
above the attempts of fifty of his chieftains and captains to do
exactly the same thing.
Jake needed an interpreter and he thrust his way towards Gregorius
Maryam, grabbed him firmly by the arm and dragged him out of the cave.
It needed considerable force, for Gregorius was as intent as everybody
else in having his views and suggestions aired.
Jake was surprised to find how light it was outside the caves, and that
the night had passed so swiftly. Dawn was only minutes away, and the
dry desert air was sweet and heady after the crowded cave with its
smoking fires.
In the light of the camp fires and the pale sky, he saw the mob
streaming away down the wadi towards the wells, as happily excited as
the crowds at a fairground.
'Stop them, Greg,' he shouted. 'Come on, we've got to stop them,' and
the two of them ran forward.
'What is it, Jake?'
'We've got to stop them running into the Eyetie camp.'
'Why?'
'If somebody starts shooting, there will be a massacre.' BUt we are
not at war, Jake. They can't shoot.'
'Don't bet on it, buddy boy,' grunted Jake grimly, and his alarm was
contagious. Side by side, they caught up with the straggling rear of
the column and elbowed and kicked their way through it.
'Back, you bastards,' roared Jake. 'Get back, all of you, and made the
meaning clear with flying fists and feet.
With Gregorius beside him, Jake reached the narrow mouth of the wadi
where it debauched into the saucer shaped valley of the wells. Like
the wall of a dam the two of them linked arms and managed to hold the
flood of humanity there for a minute or so, but the pressure from those
straining forward from the rear threatened to sweep them away, while
the mood changed from high-spirited 'curiosity to angry resentment at
this check upon their efforts to join the hundreds of their comrades
who had already passed out of the wadi and were streaming out across
the open valley.
At the moment when they were swept aside, the firing began out there
upon the slopes of the valley and instantly the mob froze and their
voices died away. There was no further forward movement, and Jake
turned and scrambled up the steep side of the wadi for a better view
out into the valley.
From there he watched the slaughter that turned the va ley into a
charnel house. He watched with a sick fascination that changed slowly,
as minute after minute the guns continued their clamour. He felt it
become anger and outrage that outweighed all else, so that he was
hardly aware of the slim cold hand that sought his, and he glanced down
only for an instant at Vicky's golden head at his shoulder, before
turning his entire concentration back to the dreadful tragedy being
played out before them.
Vaguely he was aware that Vicky was sobbing beside him, and that she
had gripped his hand so tightly that the nails were driven deep into
