4 'That's the course of the Blue Nile.' A denser grove of thorn trees
formed a dark line far ahead. 'And there is the smokestack of the
derelict sugar'mill on the river bank.
Mek Nimmur says that the airstrip is about three miles from the mill.'
'Well, if it is, it's not shown, on the chart,' Jannie grumbled. 'One
minute before we are on the coordinates.'
The minute ticked off slowly on the stopwatch.
'Still nothing-' Fred broke off as a red flare shot up from the earth
directly ahead and flashed past Big Dolly's JI nose. Everyone in the
cockpit smiled and relaxed with relief.
'Right on the nose.' Nicholas patted Jannie's shoulder in
congratulations. 'Couldn't have done better myself.'
Fred climbed a few hundred feet and came round in a one-eighty turn. Now
there were two signa I fires burning out there on the plain - one with
black smoke,, the other sending a column of white straight up into the
still evening sky. It was only when they were a kilometer out that they
were able to make out the faint outline of the overgrown and
long'disused landing strip. Roseires airstrip had been built twenty
years before by a company that tried to grow sugar cane under irrigation
from the Blue Nile. But Africa had won again and the company had passed
into oblivion, leaving this feeble scrape mark on the plain as its
epitaph.
Mek Nimmur had chosen this remote and deserted place for the rendezvous.
'No sign of a reception committee,' Jannie grunted.
'What do you want me to do?'
'Continue your approach,' Nicholas told him. 'There should be another
flare - ah, there it is!' The ball of fire shot up from a clump of thorn
trees at the far end -of the runway, and for the first time they were
able to make out human figures in the bleak landscape. They had stayed
hidden until the very last moment.
'That's Mek, all right! Go ahead and land.'
As Big Dolly finished her roll-out and the end of the rough and pitted
runway came up ahead, a figure in camouflage fatigues popped up ahead of
them. With a pair of paddles it signalled them to taxi into the space
between two of the tallest thorn trees.
Jannie cut the engines and grinned at them over his shoulder. 'Well,
boys and girls, looks like we pulled off another lucky one!'
Then from the height of Big Dolly's-cockpit there was no mistaking the
commanding figure of Mek Nimmur as he emerged from the cover of the
clump of acacia trees. Only now did they realize that the trees had been
shrouded with camouflage netting; this was why they had not been able to
spot any sign of human presence from the air. As soon as the loading
ramp was lowered, Mek Nimmur came striding up it.
'Nicholas! They embraced and, after Mek had kissed him noisily on each
cheek, he held Nicholas at arm's was proce Wolrlc, length and studied
his face, delighted to see him again. 'So I was right! You are up to
your old tricks. Not simply a dikdik shoot, was it?'
'How can I lie to an old friend?'Nicholas shrugged.
Hell' 'It always came easy to you,' Mek laughed, 'but I am lad we are
going to have some fun together. Life has been very boring recently.'
