pace with them as they raced down the track.
George saw them coming and wriggled and twisted in Louisa's arms like a fish. 'Papa!' he screamed. 'Papa!'
Jim jumped down from Drumfire's back the moment the horse slid to a halt, lifted them down from Trueheart's saddle and hugged them both, crushing Louisa and George to his chest.
Mansur rode up. 'Where is Verity? Is she safe?'
'At the ford of the river with the wagons. Tom and Sarah have her.'
'God love you, Louisa.' Mansur spurred on, and left Louisa and Jim weeping with happiness in each other's arms, and George tugging with both hands at Jim's beard.
They dug a grave for Guy Courtney beside the wagon road, and wrapped his body in a blanket before they lowered him into it. 'He was a vile bastard,' Tom murmured, in Sarah's ear. 'He deserved to be left for the hyena, but he was my brother.'
'And my brother-in-law on both sides and I was the one who killed him. That will be on my conscience for the rest of my life.'
'Let it sit lightly, for you are without guilt,' Tom said, and they looked , across to where Verity and Mansur stood hand in hand on the far side of the open grave.
'We are doing the right thing, Thomas,' Sarah said. ;
'It does not feel like it,' he grunted. 'Let's get it over with and head out for Fort Auspice. Dorian is wounded, and even if he is now a king, ; he needs us with him.' ;
They left Zama and Muntu to fill in the grave and cover it with rocks to stop the hyena digging it open, and Mansur and Verity followed them down the hill to where Smallboy had the two gold wagons in spanned Mansur and Verity walked hand in hand, but though her face was pale J Verity's eyes were dry.
Jim and Louisa were waiting at the wagons. Both had refused to attend the burial. 'Not after what he did to Louisa and Georgie.' Jim| scowled when Tom had suggested it. Now Jim looked enquiringly at his| father, and Tom nodded. 'It is done.'
They mounted and turned the horses' heads down towards the coast|j and Fort Auspice.
It took several weeks to repair the stranded war-dhow, the Sufi, ari&f float her off the beach. Rahmad and his crew took her out and| anchored her in the middle of the bay. Already the captured trans*| port dhows were ready for the long voyage back to Muscat, their holds| crammed with ivory.
Dorian leaned heavily on Tom's shoulder as he hobbled down to thfij beach. The wound he had received from Zayn al-Din was not yet j entirely healed and Sarah was in close attendance on her royal patienfc When they were settled in the longboat, Jim and Mansur rowed theffl'| out to the Arcturus. Verity and Louisa, with George chirping on her hip: were waiting to welcome them aboard. Verity had the farewell banquetj laid out on trestle tables on the quarter-deck. They laughed and ate and*|
drank together for the last time, but Ruby Cornish was watching for the turning of the tide. At last he stood up regretfully and said, 'Forgive me, Your Majesty, but the tide and the wind stand fair.'
'Give us one last toast, brother Tom,' Dorian said.
Tom stood up just a trifle unsteadily. 'A swift and safe voyage. May we all meet again, and that right soon.'
They drank the toast and embraced, then those who were remaining at Fort Auspice went down into the longboat. From the beach they watched the Arcturus weigh anchor. Dorian was at the rail supported by Mansur and Verity. Suddenly he began to sing, his voice as strong and beautiful as ever:
'Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies, Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain, For we've received orders to sail for old England, But we hope in a short time to see you again.
The Arcturus led the fleet of dhows out through the channel. When the mainland was a low blue outline on the horizon Ruby Cornish came to where Dorian sat against the windward rail. 'Your Majesty, we have made good our offing.'
Thank you, Captain Cornish. Will you be good enough to lay the ship on course for Muscat? We have some unsettled business there.'
The wagons were loaded and Smallboy and Muntu led the oxen in from the pasture and in spanned them. 'Where are you going?' Sarah asked.
Louisa shook her head. 'Mother, you must ask that of Jim, for I know not the answer.'
They both looked at him and he laughed. 'Beyond the next blue horizon,' he replied, picking up George and placing him on his shoulder. 'But fear not, we will be back soon enough with the wagons groaning under the weight of the ivory and diamonds they carry.'
Tom and Sarah stood on the parapet of Fort Auspice and watched the wagon convoy wind away up the hills, heading into the hinterland. Jim and Louisa were in the van, with Bakkat and Zama riding a short distance behind them. Intepe and Letee were walking beside the lead wagon, the children clustered about their legs.
At the crest of the hill Jim turned in the saddle and waved back at
them. Sarah whipped off her bonnet and waved it furiously until they dropped out of sight over the far side.
'Well, Thomas Courtney, it's just you and I again,' she said softly.
'I like it well enough that way,' he said, and placed his arm round her waist.
Jim looked ahead and his eyes shone with wanderlust. Perched on his shoulders George yelled, 'Horsy! Giddy-up, horsy.' 'Hedgehog, you have given birth to a monster,' Jim said. Louisa leaned across and squeezed his arm, smiling secretively. 'I shall hope to do better on my next attempt.'
Jim stopped dead in his tracks, and stared back at her. 'No, you aren't! Are you?'
'Oh yes, I am!' she replied. 'Why did you not tell me before this?' 'Because you might have left me behind.' 'Never!' he said, with great force.
The End
