where we counter his opening move.'
They both looked around the shrine for a while, studying the curved
walls and the high domed roof, and then Nicholas broke the silence. 'At
the risk of being called extremely dense and having my teeth pulled, may
I ask a question? How the hell do we play a game when we don't even know
the rules?'
olonel Nogo exuded confidence and self, importance as he swaggered into
the conference room to answer von Schiller's summons.
Nahoot Guddabi bustled along behind him, determined not to be excluded
from any of the proceedings. He too tried to look confident and
important, but in truth he felt his position was very insecure and that
he needed to justify himself to his master, Von Schiller was dictating
correspondence to Utte Kemper, but as soon as they entered the room he
stood quickly and stepped on to the carpeted block.
'You promised that you would have a report for me yesterday,' he snapped
at Nogo, ignoring Nahoot. 'Have you not heard anything from this
informer of yours in the gorge?'
'I apologize for keeping you waiting like this, Herr von Schiller.' Nogo
was immediately deflated by this sharp attack, and he became restless
and uneasy. The German frightened him. 'The women were a day late
returning from Harper's camp. They are very unreliable, these country
people. Time means very little to them.'
'Yes, yes.' Von Schiller was impatient. 'I know the failings of your
black brethren, and I might add you are not completely innocent of these
yourself, Nogo. But tell me what news you have for me.'
'Harper finished work on the dam seven days ago, and immediately he
moved his camp downstream, to a new place on the hills above the ravine.
He then built some sort of bamboo ladder down into the ravine. My
informer tells me that they are clearing a hole at the bottom of the
empty pool-'
'A hole? What kind of hole?' Von Schiller turned pale as he listened,
and began sweating in a light sheen across his forehead.
'Are you all right, Herr von Schiller?' Nogo was alarmed. The German
looked very ill, as if he were about to collapse.
'I am perfectly well,' von Schiller shouted at him.
'What hole was this? Describe it to me.'
'The woman bringing the message is a stupid peas ant.' Nogo was
uncomfortable, squirming under von Schiller's grilling. 'She says only
that when the river water fell, there was a hole in the bottom that was
filled with rock and rubbish and that they have cleared this out.'
'A tunnel!' Nahoot could contain himself no longer.
'It must be the entrance tunnel to the tomb.'
'Be quied' Von Schiller turned on him furiously. 'You have no facts to
back up that supposition. Let Nogo finish.' He turned back to the
colonel. 'Go on. Give me the rest of it.'
'The woman says that there is a cave at the end of the hole. Like a rock
shrine, with pictures on the walls-' 'Pictures? 'What pictures?'
'The woman said they were pictures of the saints.' Nogo made a
deprecating gesture. 'She is a very uneducated woman. Stupid
'Christian saints?' von Schiller demanded.
