"Higgins, Jack - Sheba" - читать интересную книгу автора (Higgins Jack)

She moved across the cabin and clambered out through the door. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'I don't really know. When the engines failed it could have been lack of fuel, but I don't see why. I wonder what state the radio's in.'

As he climbed back into the cabin to examine it, Ruth

Cunningham said, 'Is there anyone near enough to pick up the signal?'

He nodded. 'Jordan has a short-wave receiver at his camp.' He examined the set briefly and turned with a grimace. 'I'm afraid we've had it. They weren't built to stand up to this kind of treatment.'

Ruth Cunningham ran a hand over her face wearily. 'I'd give anything for a drink of water.'

'We can soon fix that,' he said, reaching behind the back seats for a large jerrycan and plastic cup. 'This thing's full, so water is the least of our problems.'

He gave her a long drink and had one himself. Afterwards, they sat in the shade of the wing, smoking cigarettes and not talking.

After a while, she turned and looked at him and said in a level voice, 'Gavin, give it to me straight. What are our chances?'

'A lot better than you think. I reckon we're about thirty miles from Shabwa. It's no good trying to make it during the heat of the day. The best thing we can do is rest up here and make a move at dusk. We'll be able to travel a lot faster at night because of the coolness.'

'Do you think they'll come looking for us?'

He nodded confidently. 'Of course they will. As soon as Marie and Jordan return to Bir el Madani and find we're missing, they'll form a search party. Those Ford trucks of his are specially fitted for desert work.' щщщщщ(щщщщщ(щщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщщI C T 1 T? 13 A...,.Ї..®..,.,®......,.....®.....,..,..,,..

She looked into his eyes searchingly and then she smiled. 'I'm glad I'm with you, Gavin. With anyone else, I think I would have been scared - really scared.'

He smiled and helped her to her feet. 'But there isn't anything to be scared about. A few hours' discomfort, that's all. It's the sort of thing you'll be able to talk about for years, and the details will grow with the telling.'

'I suppose you're right.' Her shoulders sagged and she looked tired.

He pushed her towards the cabin door. 'Try to sleep for a few hours. You'll find it cooler in there. I'll wake you later on this afternoon.'

He closed the door behind her, lay down in the shade of the right wing and pillowed his head on his hands.

He wished he felt as confident as he had tried to sound. On his own and with plenty of water, he would have stood a fair chance of reaching Shabwa in a forced march during the night, but with a woman... !

One thing was certain. Marie and Jordan would come looking for them, but the trick lay in knowing where to look and the desert was a big place.

He listened to the stillness and felt the heat press down on him with a force that was almost physical, and after a while drifted into a troubled sleep.

Somewhere, there was a scream of terror, and something hard poked him under the chin. He opened his eyes and looked along the barrel of a rifle.

The man on the other end was a Yemeni in coloured turban, his half-naked body smeared with indigo dye. At some time in the past, his ears had been cropped - the sign of a thief- and his right cheek branded.

Two others were dragging Ruth Cunningham from the cabin, and as Kane scrambled to his feet, her shirt ripped and she fell to the ground. One of the men laughed and dragged her upright by the hair.

The man's face had been eaten away by yaws, his eyes burned out of a mass of putrefying flesh and there were two holes where his nose had once been. Ruth Cunningham stared with horror into that ghastly face and fainted.

Kane took a step towards her and the three Yemenis all swung their rifles ominously. 'It would be unwise to move,' the one with the cropped ears said in harsh, guttural Arabic.