The Seventh Scroll (85 page)

stitches with an alcohol swab and then placed a fresh plaster over them. Nicholas felt a strong twinge of guilt as he submitted to her ministrations. However, it was Sapper who was the first to show the effects of the doped tea. He lay back gently and closed his eyes, then a soft snore vibrated his lips. Minutes later Royan sagged drowsily against Nicholas's shoulder. When she was fast asleep, he let her down gently and lifted her feet up on to the bunk. He spread a rug over her. She did not even stir, and he had a moment's doubt about the strength of the tablets.

Then he kissed her forehead softly. "How could I ever hate you?" he asked her softly. "Whatever you did."

He went into the lavatory and locked the door. He had plenty of time. Sapper and Royan wouldn ot wake for hours yet, and Jannie and Fred were happily ensconced on the flight'deck, listening to Dolly Parton tapes on the audio system.

When at last he had finished, Nicholas glanced at his wrist-watch and realized that it had taken him almost two hours, He closed the toilet seat and washed his hands carefully. Then he took one last careful took around the tiny cabin and unlocked the door.

Sapper and Royan were still fast asleep on the folddown bunks. He went forward to the flight-deck, and Fred pulled his earphones down around his neck and grinned at him.

"Nile water. It's poisonous. You have been locked in the loo for the last couple of hours. Surprised that there is anything left of you." Nicholas ignored the jibe and leaned over Jannie's seat back. "Where are we?"

With a thick forefinger Jannie stabbed the chart that he was balancing on his protruding belly. "Almost in the clear," he said complacently. "Egyptian border in one hour twelve minutes."

Nicholas remained standing behind his seat until Jannie grunted and lifted the microphone. "Time to go into my act."

"Hallo, Abu Simbel Approach!" he said in a Gulf States accent. "This is Zulu Whiskey Uniform Five Zero Zero."

There was a long silence from the Egyptian controller.

Jannie grunted. "He probably has'a hint in the tower with him. Got to give him time to get his pants back on."

Abu Simbel Control answered on his fifth call. Jannie launched into his tried and tested routine, feigning ignorance in fluent colloquial Arabic. After five minutes, Abu Simbel cleared him to continue on northwards, with an instruction to "call again abeam Aswan'.

They flew on serenely for another hour, but Nicholas nerves were screwing up tighter every minute.

Suddenly, without the least warning, there was a silvery flash ahead of them as a fighter interceptor, coming from below them, pulled up steeply across their bows.

Jannie shouted with surprise and an eras another two 9 warplanes rocketed up from under them, so close that they were buffeted by the turbulence of their jet trails.

They all recognized the type. They were MiG21 "fishheads' sporting the Egyptian air force livery, and with air-to-air missiles hanging in menacing pods under their swept-back wings.

"Unidentified aircraft! Jannie yelled into his mouthpiece. "You are on collision course. State your call sign!" They all craned their necks and stared up through -he Perspex canopy over the flight-deck. High above them they could see the three MiG fighters in formation circling against the blue of the African sky.

"ZVVU 500. This is Red Leader of the Egyptian people's air force. You will conform to my orders."

Jannie looked back at Nicholas, his expression forlorn.

low, A

something has gone wrong here. How the hell did they tumble to us?"

"You' better do what the man says, Dad," Fred advised miserably,

'otherwise he is going to blow us all over the sky."

Jarnie shrugged helplessly, and then spoke into his microphone mournfully. "Red Leader, This is ZVVU 500.

We will cooperate. Please state your intentions."

"Your new heading is 053. Execute immediately!" Jannie brought Big Dolly around into the east and then glanced at his chart.

"Aswan!" he said dolefully. "The Gyppos are taking us to Aswan. What the hell, I might as well warn Aswan tower that we have wounded on board." Nicholas went back to Royans bunk and shook her awake. She was groggy and unsteady on her feet from the effects of the drug as she staggered to the lavatory. However, when she emerged again ten minutes later her hair was combed and she seemed alert and recovered from the mild draught that she had drunk in her tea. - here was the Nile ahead of them once more, 6.. and the town of Aswan on both banks, nestling below the first cataract and the impounded waters of the High Dam. Kitchener's Island swam like a green fish in the middle of the stream.

As the voice of the military controller at the Aswan irfield gave Jannie his orders, Big Dolly settled with unruffled dignity and lined up for the straightin approach to the tarmac runway. The MiG fighters which had shepherded them in from the desert were no longer visible, but their presence high above was betrayed by their terse radio transmissions as they handed over their captive to the ground control.

Big Dolly sailed in over the perimeter fence and touched down, and the voice of the controller ordered them, "Turn first taxi-way right." Jannie obeyed, and as he turned off the main runway there was a small vehicle with a sign on its roof which read, in both English and Arabic,

"FOLLOW ME'.

The vehicle led them to a row of camouflaged concrete hangars in front of which a ground crew in khaki overalls signalled them with paddles into a parking stand. As soon as Jannie applied his brakes and brought Big Dolly to a halt, a file of four armoured half-tracks raced out and surrounded the huge aircraft, training their turret weapons upon her.

Obedient to the instructions radioed7by control, Jannie shut down his engines and lowered the tail ramp of the aircraft. No one on the flight-deck had spoken since they had landed. They stood crowded together, looking unhappy, peering out of the cockpit windows.

Suddenly a white Cadillac with an escort of armed motorcyclists, followed by a military ambulance and a three-ton transport truck, drove through the gate of the perimeter fence and came directly to the foot of the cargo ramp of the Hercules. The chauffeur jumped out and opened the door, and his passenger stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine. He was clearly a person of authority, dignified and composed. He wore a light tropical suit and white shoes, a panama hat and dark glasses. As he came up the ramp to where the five of them waited, he was followed by two male secretaries.

He removed his dark glasses and tucked them into his breast pocket. As he recognized Royan he smiled and lifted his hat, "Dr Al Simma - Royan!

You did it. Congratulations!" He took her hand and shook it warmly, not relinquishing his grip as he looked directly at Nicholas.

"You must be Sir Nicholas Quenton Harper. I have been looking forward to meeting you immensely. Won't you please introduce us, Royan?" Royan could not meet Nicholas's accusing scrutiny as she said, "May I present His Excellency, Atalan Abou Sin, Minister of Culture and Tourism in the Egyptian government."

"You may indeed," said Nicholas coldly. "What an unexpected pleasure,'Minister."

"I would like to express the thanks of the President and the people of Egypt for returning to this country these recious relics of our ancient but glorious history." He made a gesture that encompassed the stack of ammunition crates.

"Please, think nothing of it," said Nicholas, but he never took his eyes off Royan. She kept her face turned half-away from him.

"On the contrary, we think the world of what you have done, Sir Nicholas." Abou Sin's smile was charming and urbane. "We are fully aware of the expense to which you have been put, and we would not want you to be out of pocket in this extraordinarily generous gesture of yours. Dr Al Simma tells me that the expedition to recover these treasures for us has cost you a quarter of a million sterling." He took an envelope from his inside pocket, and proffered it to Nicholas.

"This is a banker's draft drawn on the Central Bank of Egypt. It is irrevocable, and payable anywhere in the world.

It is for the sum of 1250,000.1

"Very generous of you, Your Excellency." Nicholas's voice was heavy with irony as he slipped the envelope into his top pocket. "I presume this was Dr Al Simma's suggestion?"

"Of course," beamed Abou Sin. "Royan holds you in the very highest regard."

"Does she, now?" Nicholas murmured, still staring at her expressionlessly.

"However, this other small token of our appreciation was the suggestion of the President himself." The minister snapped his fingers and one of his secretaries stepped forward with a leather-covered medal case, which he opened before he isented it to Abou Sin.

re On a bed of red velvet nestled a magnificent decoration, a star encrusted with seed pearls and tiny pay6 diamonds. In the Centre of the star was a golden lion rampant.

Abou Sin lifted the star from its case and advanced on Nicholas. "The Order of the Great Lion of Egypt, First Class, he announced, placing the scarlet ribbon over his head. The star hung resplendent on Nicholas's grubby shirt-front, heavily stained with sweat and dust and Nile mud. Then the minister stood aside and made a gesture to the army colonel who was standing to attention at the foot of the ramp. Immediately there was an orderly rush of uniformed men up the ramp. The detachment of soldiers obviously had their orders. First they picked up the litters on which the wounded Ethiopians lay.

"I am glad that your pilot had the good Sense to radio ahead that you had wounded men on board. Rest assured that they will receive the best care available," Atalan Abou Sin promised as they were carried down to the waiting ambulance.

Then the soldiers returned and began carrying the ammunition cases down the ramp. They were loaded neatly into the three-tonner. Within ten minutes Big Dolly's hold was bare and empty. A tarpaulin cover was roped down securely over the back of the loaded truck. An escort of heavily armed motorcyclists fell into formation around it, and then, with sirens wailing, the little convoy roared away.

"Well, Sir Nicholas." Abou Sin held out his hand Courteously, and Nicholas took it with an air of resignation.

am sorry to have taken you out of your way like this. I BMW

know that you will be anxious to continue on your journey, so I will not detain you further. Is there anything I can do for you before you leave? Do you have sufficient fueV

Nicholas glanced at Jannie, and he shrugged. "We have plenty of juice, Thank you, sir."

Abou Sin turned back to Nicholas, "We are planning to build a special annexe to the museum at Luxor to house these artefacts of Pharaoh Mamose that you have returned to Egypt. In due course you will be receiving a personal slid invitation from President Mubarak to attend, as an honoured guest, the opening of that museum. Dr Al Simma, whom I am sure you know has been appointed the new Director of the Department of Antiquities, will be in charge of the museum. I am sure she will be delighted to review the exhibits with you when you come back." He bowed to Sapper and the two pilots.

"Go with God," he said, and went down the ramp.

Royan began to follow him, but Nicholas called softly after her.

"Royanl' She froze, and then turned her head slowly and reluctantly to meet his eyes for the first time since they hadlanded.

"I didn't deserve that," he said, and then with a stab of emotion he realized that she was weeping softly. Her lips quivered and the tears ran slowly down her cheeks.

"I am sorry, Nicky," she whispered, "but you must have known that I am not a thief. It belongs to Egypt, not to US."

"So everything that I thought there was between us was a lie?" he demanded remorselessly.

"No!" she said. "I-' and then she broke off without finishing what she was going to say. She ran down the ramp into the sunlight to where the chauffeur was holding the back door of the limousine open for her. She slipped on to the seat beside Abou Sin without looking back, and the Cadillac pulled away and drove through the gate.

"Let's get the hell out of here, before these Gyppos change their minds," said Jannie.

"What a splendid idea,'said Nicholas bitterly.

nce they were airborne again, Aswan Control cleared them for a direct flight northwards to the Mediterranean coast. The four of them, Jannie and Fred, Sapper and Nicholas, stayed together on the flight-deck and watched the long green snake of the Nile crawl along their right wingtip. They spoke very little during this long leg of the flight.

Once Jannie said quietly, "So I can kiss my fee goodbye, I suppose?"

"I didn't really come along for the money," said Sapper, "but it would have been nice to be paid. Baby needs new shoes."

Does anybody want a cup of tea?" Nicholas asked, as though he had not heard.

"That would be nice," said Jannie. "Not as nice as the sixty grand that you owe me, but nice anyway."

They flew over the battlefield of El Alamein, and even from. twenty thousand feet they could pick out the twin monuments to the Allied and German dead. Then the blue of the sea stretched ahead of them. Nicholas waited until the Egyptian coast receded behind them and then he let out a long, soft sigh.

", ye of little faith," he accused them, "\'hen did I ever let you down?

Everybody gets paid in full., They all stared at him long and hard, and then Jannie voiced their doubts. "How?" he asked.

"Give me a hand, Sapper," Nicholas invited, and started down the staircase. Jannie could not control his curiosity and handed over the controls to Fred. He followed the two Englishmen down to the lavatory on the main deck.

Sapper and Jannie watched from the doorway as Nicholas took the Leatherman tool from his pocket and lifted the cover of the chemical toilet. Jannie grinned as Nicholas started to work on the screws, holding the hidden panel in place. Big Dolly was a smugglers' aircraft, and these little modifications were evidence of the pains that Jannie and Fred had taken to adapt her to that role. There were a number of these hidey-holes cunningly uilt into the engine housings and other parts of the fuselage. lj When they had flown back from Libya, the Hannibal bronzes had reposed in the secret compartment behind this panel. The location of the panel in the back of the toilet made it highly unlikely that any follower of Islam would want to investigate such an unclean area.