dressed in faded velvet robes, with the infant in her arms.
Mai Metemma gave them his sanction to store the rafts in the shrine, and
they stacked them against a side wall.
When the porters had left, Nicholas showed Royan how to operate the
quick-release handles on the packs, and the CO, cylinders which would
inflate the rafts within minutes.
He wrapped the radio case and his small emergency pack in a sheet of
plastic and stowed them in one of the boat packs, where he could lay his
hands on them again in a hurry.
'You do intend coming along on this joy ride?' she asked anxiously. 'You
aren't planning on sending me down on my ownsome?'
'It is best that you know how it all works,' he told her.
if things start to get a little hairy when the time comes to leave here,
I may need your help in launching the rafts.' When they climbed back up
the staircase into the warmth and the sunlight, Royan's uncertain mood
had changed. 'It's not yet noon, and we have the rest of the day to
ourselves. Let's go back to Taita pool again,' she suggested, and he
shrugged indulgently.
the Elephants accompanied them as The Buffaloes and far as the branch in
the trail. Here the teams headed back towards the dam, and shouted and
hallooed their farewells after Nicholas and Royan.
their last visit, the path Even in the short time since through the
undergrowth had become overgrown. Nicholas was forced to use his machete
to hack a way through, and they ducked uqder the trailing thorn
branches. It was midafternoon when they eventually crossed the high
ridge and stood once again on the cliff directly above Taita's pool.
'It looks as though we were the last ones here., Nicholas's tone was
relieved. 'No signs of any other visitors since us.'
'Were you expecting any?'
'You never know. Von Schiller is a formidable character, and he has some
charming lads working for him. Helm is one that worries me, and I had a
nasty feeling that he might have been snooping around here. I am going
to take a closer look.'
He worked quickly around the entire area, casting widely for any sign of
intruders. Then came back to where she sat on the lip of the abyss and
dropped down beside her.
'Nothing,' he admitted. 'We have still got the running to ourselves.'
'Once Sapper stops the river upstream, this is going to be our main area
of operations, isn't it?' she asked.
'Yes, but even before Sapper closes the dam I want to open a fly camp
here, and move all the gear and equipment we will need from the quarry
to have it handy when we start the exploration of the pool.'
'How are we going to get down into the pool? Down the river bed, once it
is dry?'
'I suppose we could use the dry river bed as a road, and come down it
from below the dam or up from the monastery end, through the pink
cliffs.'
'But that is not the way you are planning to get in, is it?' she
guessed.
'Even with no water in it, the river bed will be a long way round. It's
