Helm walked past him, and went to the door in the far end of the hut. He
left the door open, and Nogo could hear their voices, but they were
speaking in German so he could not understand what they were saying. He
understood now why von Schiller had chosen not to be present during the
questioning. He obviously knew how Helm worked.
Helm came back into the room, and nodded at Nogo.
'Very well. We are finished with her. You know what to do., Nogo stood
up nervously and placed his hand on the webbing holster at his side.
'Here?'he asked. 'No!'
'Don't be a bloody fool,' Helm snapped. 'Take her away. Far away. Then
get somebody in here to clean up this mess.' Helm turned on his heel and
went back into the rear room.
Nogo roused himself and then went to the door of the hut. He walked wide
of where Tessay lay, so as not to soil his canvas paratrooper boots.
'Lieutenant Hammed!the called through the door.
t Hammed and Nogo lifted Tessay to her feet. Neither them spoke and
they were subdued, almost chastened, as torn and bloodied clothing.
they helped her into her yes from her naked body and the Hammed averted
his ed her glossy amber skin.
burns and other injuries that marre He draped the shamnw over her
shoulders, and led her towards the door, When she stumbled he caught her
before her with a hand under her elbow.
she fell and supported truck, and she moved He led her down the steps to
the sat in the passenger seat slowly, like a very old woman. She her
cupped hands.
with her burned and swollen face in Nogo summoned Hammed with a jerk of
his head, and led him aside. He spoke quietly to him, and Hammed's
listened to his orders. At expression became stricken as he one point he
started to protest, but Nogo snarled at him savagely and he chewed his
lower lip in silence.
'Remember!' Nogo repeated. 'Well away from any of the villages. Make
certain that there are no witnesses.
Report back to me immediately.'
Hammed straightened his shoulders and saluted before up into the seat
he marched back to the truck and climbed the driver a curt order and
they beside Tessay. He gav drove out of the camp, following the track
back towards Debra Maryam. sed and in such pain that she had Tessay was
so confu s, she lurched lost all sense of time. Only half-consciou ugh
icularly ro about in the seat when the truck hit a part ead rolled
loosely on her stretch of the track, and her shoulders. Her face was so
swollen that it required an effort and when she did she thought to force
her eyelids apart, that her vision was failing and that she was going
blind.
sun, had set and darkness had Then she realized that the in the hut with
fallen. She must have spent the whole day Helm.
She felt a mild lift of relief that the burns on her eyelids had not
done more damage. At least she was still
form able to see. She peered out through the windscreen, and found
that in the headlights the road was unfamiliar.
