'Boris is not awake yet,'Tessay told them as she served their breakfast.
'Now that is a great surprise to me,' Nicholas said, without looking up
from his plate. He and Royan were still slightly awkward in each other's
presence, remembering the circumstances in which they had parted the
previous evening. However, as Nicholas slung the rifle and the pack 0
ver his shoulder and they set off up the valley, their mood changed to
one of anticipation.
They had been going for an hour when Nicholas glanced over his shoulder
and then cautioned her with a frown. 'We are being followed.'
Taking her wrist, he drew her behind a slab of sandstone. He flattened
himself against the rock and stured at her to do the same. Then he
poised himself, ge an suddenly leaped forward to seize the lanky figure
in a dirty white shamnw who was sneaking up the valley behind them. With
a howl the creature fell to his knees, and began gibbering with terror.
Nicholas hauled him to his feet. 'Tamre! What are you doing following
us? Who sent you?' he demanded in Arabic.
The boy rolled his eyes towards Royan. 'No, please, effendi, do not hurt
me. I meant no harm.'
'Leave the child, Nicky. You will precipitate another fit,' Royan
intervened. Tamre scurried behind her and clung to her hand for
protection, peering out around her shoulder at Nicholas as though his
life were in danger.
'Peace, Tamre,' Nicholas soothed him. 'I will not hurt you, unless you
lie to me. If you do, then I will thrash you until there is no skin on
your back. Who sent you to follow us?'
'I came alone. Nobody sent me,' blubbered the boy. 'I came to show you
where I saw the holy animal with the fingermarks -of the Baptist on his
skin.'
Nicholas stared at him for a moment, before he began to laugh softly.
'I'll be damned if the boy doesn't really believe he saw
great-grandfather's dik-dik.' Then he scowled ferociously. 'Remember
what will happen to you, if you are lying.'
'It is true, effendi,' Tamre sobbed, and Royan came to his defence.
Don't badger him. He is harmless. Leave the poor , A hild.'
'All right, Tamre. I will give you a chance. Take us to where you saw
the holy animal.'
Tamre would not relinquish his grip on Royan's hand.
He clung to it as he danced beside her, leading her along, and within a
hundred yards his terror had faded and he was smiling and giggling at
her shyly.
For an hour he led them away from the Dandera rier and up over the high
ground above the valley, into an area of thick scrub and up-thrust
ridges of weathered limestone.
The thorny branches of the bush were densely intertwined, and grew so
close to the ground that there seemed to be no way through them.
However, Tamre led them on to a narrow twisting path, just wide enough
for them to avoid the red-tipped hook thorns on each side of them. Then
abruptly he stopped and pulled Royan to a halt beside him.
He pointed down, almost at his own toes.
