He opened his arms wide and folded Nicholas into a bear hug.
'Nicholas! Nicholas!' He kissed him once on each cheek. Then he held him
at arm's length and looked at the two women, who were standing amazed.
'He saved my life,' he explained to them.
'You make me blush, Mek.' Mek kissed him again' 'He saved my life
twice.'
'Once,' Nicholas contradicted him. 'The second time was a mistake. I
should have let them shoot you.'
Mek laughed delightedly. 'How long ago was it, Nicholas?'
'It doesn't bear thinking about.'
'Fifteen years ago at least,'.Mek said. 'Are you still in the British
army? What is your rank? You must be a general by now!'
'Reserves only,' Nicholas shook his head. 'I have been back in civvy
street a long time now.'
Still hugging Nicholas, Mek Nimmur looked at the women with interest.
'Nicholas taught me most of what I know about soldiering,' he told them.
His eyes flicked from Royan to Tessay, and then stayed on the Ethiopian
girl's dark and lovely face.
'I know you,' he said. 'I saw you in Addis, years ago.
You were a young girl then. Your father was Alto Zemen, a great and good
man. He was murdered by the tyrant Mengistu.'
'I know you also, Alto Mek. My father held you in high esteem. There are
many of us who believe that you should be the president of this Ethiopia
of ours, in place of that other one.' She dropped him a graceful little
curtsey, hanging her head in a shy but appealing gesture of respect.
'I am flattered by your opinion of me.' He took her hand and lifted her
to her full height. Then he turned back to Nicholas, 'I am sorry for the
rough welcome, Some of my men are over-enthusiastic. I knew that there
were ferengi asking questions at the monastery. But enough, you are with
friends here. I bid you welcome.'
Mek Nimmur led them to his shelter, where one of his men brought a
soot-blackened kettle from the fire and poured viscous black coffee into
mugs for them.
He and Nicholas plunged into reminiscences of the days prior to the
Falklands war when they had fought side by side, Nicholas as a covert
military adviser, and Mek as a young freedom fighter opposing the
tyranny of Mengistu.
'But the war is over now, Mek, Nicholas remonstrated at last. 'The
battle is won. Why are you still out in the bush with your men? Why
aren't you getting rich and fat in Addis, like all the others?'
'In the interim government in Addis there are enemies Of mine, men like
Mengistu. When we have got rid of them, then I will come out of the
bush.'
He and Nicholas embarked into a spirited discussion of African politics,
so deep and complicated that Royan knew very few of the personalities
whom they were discussing. Nor could she follow the nuances and the
subtlety of religious and tribal prejudices and intolerance that had
persisted for a thousand years. She was, however, impressed by
Nicholas's knowledge and understanding of the situation, and the way in
