priesthood. He realized that this raid was an opportunity to reinstate
himself with the formidable little German.
The jet Ranger was standing by, the pilot at the controls, the engines
running and the rotors turning lazily, but it could not carry such a
large number of fully equipped men. It would need four round trips to
ferry them all down to the asse4bly point in the gorge. Nogo flew with
the first flight, and took Nahoot Guddabi with him. The helicopter
dropped them three miles from the monastery, in a clearing on the banks
of the Dandera river, the same drop area as they had used for the raid
on Quenton-Harper's camp.
The drop area was just far enough from the monastery for the engine
noise of the jet Ranger not to alarm the monks. Even if they did hear
it, Nogo was banking on the probability that they were by this time
thoroughly conditioned to the frequent sorties of the machine, and would
not associate it with any threat to themselves.
The men waited in the darkness, warned to silence and not even allowed
by Nogo to smoke, while the jet Ranger ferried in the remaining
troopers. When the last flight came in Nogo ordered his detachment to
fall in, and led them in single file down the path beside the river.
They were all trained bush fighters in top physical condition, and they
moved swiftly and purposefully through the night.
Only Nahoot was a soft urbanite, and within half a mile he was wheezing
and whining for a chance to rest. Nogo smiled vindictively to himself as
he listened to Nahoot's pathetic whispered pleas for mercy as he was
prodded along by the men behind him.
Nogo had timed his arrival at the monastery to coincide with the hour of
matins and lauds, the break of day. He led his contingent down the cliff
staircase at a trot.
Their weapons were at high port, all the equipment was carefully muted
so as not to clatter or creak, and their rubber-soled paratrooper boots
made little noise on the stone paving as they hurried along the deserted
cloisters to the entrance of the underground cathedral.
From the interior echoed the monotonous chanting and drumming of the
ceremony, punctuated at intervals by the higher treble descant of the
abbot leading the service.
Colonel Nogo paused outside the doors, and his men drew LA up in double
ranks behind him. There was no need for orders for his briefing had
covered every aspect of the raid.
He looked the men over for a moment, then nodded at his lieutenant.
The outer chamber of the church was empty, as the monks were gathered in
the middle chamber, the qiddist.
Nogo crossed the outer nave swiftly, with his detachment moving up close
behind him. Then he ran up the steps to the wooden doors of the qiddist,
which stood open. As he entered, his men fanned out in two files behind
him and swiftly took up their positions along the side walls of the
qiddist, their assault rifles cocked and locked, and with bayonets
fixed, ing cover the kneeling congregation.
and swiftly that it was some it was done so silently minutes before the
monks gradually became aware of this alien presence in their holy place.
The chanting and drumming died away, and the dark faces turned
