'Enough of that. Let's go.' Nicholas grabbed her hand and dragged her
after him. After the first few steps she shook her hand free and started
to run in earnest, outstripping him and reaching the top of the
staircase a few paces ahead of him.
Even under their burdens the porters were making good time. Caught up in
the long hurrying column, Nicholas and Royan wound their way back
through the maze, grateful for the signposts at each corner, and made it
down the central staircase into the ruined long gallery without taking a
wrong turning. Sapper was waiting for them at the ruins of the sealed
doorway, and grunted with he porters.
relief when he saw them amongst I thought I told you to go on ahead and
get the boats ready,'Nicholas shouted at him.
'Couldn't trust you not to be bloody stupid.' Sapper looked miserable.
'Wanted to make sure you didn't hang about in there.'
'I am touched, Sapper.'Nicholas punched his shoulder, and then they ran
down the approach tunnel and clattered over the bridge across the
sink-hole.
'Where is MeV Nicholas panted at Sapper's back as he jogged in front of
him. 'Have you seen Tessayr
'Tessay is back. She had a nasty experience. She was in a terrible mess.
Seems she got badly knocked about.'
'What has happened to her?' Nicholas was appalled.
'Where is she?'
'It looks like she fell into the hands of von Schiller's gorillas and
they beat the hell out of her. Mek's men are taking her down to the
monastery. She will wait for us at the boats.'
'Thank God for that,' Nicholas muttered, and then louder, 'What about
MeV
'He is trying to hold off Nogo's attack. I have been hearing rifle fire
and grenades and mortar shells all morning. He too is going to fall back
and wait for us at the boats.'
They ran the last few yards down the tunnel ankle, deep in slush and
water, and at last crawled over the wall of the coffer dam on to the
rocky ledge around Taita's pool. Nicholas looked up to see Hansith's
porters scrambling up the bamboo scaffolding ladder towards the top of
the cliff, each of them hauling up one of the ammunition crates.
At that moment he caught a sound that he recognized instantly. He cocked
his head to listen and then told Royan grimly, 'Gunfire! Mek is fighting
it out, but it's pretty darned close.'
'My bag!' Royan started towards her thatched shelter at the foot of the
cliff. 'I must get my kit., 'You won't need your make-up or your
pyjamas, and I've got your passport.' He seized her arm and turned her
back towards the foot of the ladder. 'In fact the only thing you need
now is plenty of space between you and Colonel Nogo. Come along, Royan!'
They swarmed up the bamboo scaffolding and when they reached the cliff
top Royan was surprised to discover that, although the earth was wet
underfoot from the recent rain squalls, the sun was high and hot. She
had lost all sense of time in the cold, gloomy passages of the tomb, and
now she held up her face to the sunlight and drank it in gratefully for
