'Major, where the hell are yOU7 YOU can't bugger about hairy arse out
in here any longer. Come on, man! Get you of here. The river is in full
spate, and the dam is going to burst at any minute.'
Sapper came bounding up the staircase, but even he stopped in wonder and
awe as he looked for the first time pon the splendours of the funeral
arcade of Pharaoh Mamose. It took some minutes for him to recover from
the shock and to revert to his old prosaic self again.
'I mean it, major! It's a matter of minutes, not hours.
That ruddy dam is going to go. Apart from that, Mek is fighting in the
hills at the head of the chasm. You can hear the gunfire even at the
bottom of the cliff in Taita's pool.
4 Al You and Royan have to get out and fast, I kid you nod'
'Okay, Sapper. We are on our way. Get back to the chamber at the bottom
of those stairs. You saw those ammunition crates down there?' Sapper
nodded, and Nicholas went on quickly, 'Have the men lug those crates out
of here. Get them down to the monastery. I want you to supervise that
part of it. We will follow you down the trail with the rest of them.'
'Don't mess around, major. Your life isn't worth a pile of old junk like
this. Get moving now.'
'Get on with it, Sapper. But don't let Royan hear you call it a pile of
old junk. You could be in really serious trouble.'
Sapper shrugged. 'Don't say I didn't warn. you.' He turned and started
back down the staircase.
'You know where the boats are stashed, Nicholas shouted after him. 'If
you get there before me, get them inflated and the crates lashed down.
We will be right behind you.'
The moment Sapper was gone, Nicholas raced back
down the arcade to where Royan was still at work in the treasury.
'That's it!' he shouted at her. 'No more time. Let's get out.'
'Nicky, we can't leave this-'
'Oud' He grabbed her arm. 'We are getting out now.
Unless you want to share Tanus's tomb with him on a permanent basis.'
'Can't I just-'
'No, you crazy woman! Now! The dam will go at any moment.'
She'broke away from him, snatched up some handfuls of left-over
jewellery from the open chest at her feet, and began stuffing them into
her pockets.
'I can't leave these.'
He seized her around the waist and swung her over his shoulder. 'I told
you I meant it,' he said grimly, and ran with her down the arcade.
'Nicky! Put me down.' She kicked with outrage, but he continued running
down into the chamber at the foot of the staircase.
Hansith and his men were carrying the last few packed ammunition crates
up the staircase on the far side of the chamber. They balanced the
crates easily on their heads and went up the steps with alacrity.
Here Nicholas set Royan down on her own feet again, 'Will you promise to
behave now? We aren't playing games.
This is deadly serious - I mean deadly, if we get trapped down here.'
'I know.' She looked contrite. 'I just couldn't bear to leave the rest
of it.'
